Been on 10mg citalopram for 8 weeks for anxiety and intrusive thoughts due to 9 months withdrawal ■■■■ from zopiclone. Not really helping at all actually made things lot worse the last week, and now causing my hair to fall out as well. Loosing all hope of ever recovering. Just wondered if any others experienced the same? Thinking trying something else as can"t afford to loose any more hair and it seems a higher dose seem to increase the side effects. I know it takes time but as it’s actually making thing worse maybe not right med, friend was on serttaline which seemed to help her.
i get the hair lose from tapering cit as well as tons of other side effects its horrible x
It does take quite a while for citalopram to bed in and be effective and 10mg is a very low starter dose, so it could get better - my doctor said it takes up to three months to start being of help. However, I too had hair loss problems with citalopram - my doctor refused to accept it was the meds and said it was age/stress but I note others have the same issues. Unfortunately whilst it doesnt cause problems with many people, there are a few of us unlucky ones for whom the side effects are unacceptable, (I had an allergic reaction to cit), so you may be one of them. Discuss other options with your doctor - ie another SSRI for example, like fluoxetine, which may not have the same bad effects.
Hi Lemanna
You’re probably still having withdrawal effects from zopiclone and start up effects from citalopram. Eight weeks is still early to stabilise. I have been on citalopram for years and never had the hair loss problem but I know others have. It is also a possible side effect of sertraline. I tried sertraline once and I felt good on it but had to stop because it was causing me blood in urine so i went back on citalopram. They all have similar affects on people but there’s always that odd affect that only some have.
Trying to get an appointment with GP this week, I’m not taking any more until I see him, have fine hair anyway can’t afford to loose any more making me look awful. It’s listed as a side effect in the leaflet, started about week ago same time as the anxiety racked up. Will maybe try something else did you take anything else after the cit? Zopiclone was such evil drug to come off bit wary of taking too high dose of anything then causing problems in the future. I know can take while to have effect, but really don’t think after 8 weeks it should be making your symptoms lot worse. Really difficult when everything trial and error, and the doctors won’t acknowledge the awful withdrawal symptoms sleeping tablets can cause.
Saw my GP got to have blood test for you guessed it Thyroid, don’t think it is that. Carry on taking cit alternate days for a week, then stop, then try sertraline but cut them in half. Don’t think I can tolerate high doses, probably because of damage zopiclone has done. Bit trial and error but feel better on days I don’t take it so think higher dose is a no no!!
Coincidentally my GP thought my hair loss might be due to thyroid issues but tests showed nothing abnormal - he just didnt seem to want to accept it was the meds - they usually dont want to admit that toxic pharmaceuticals have bad effects as well as good results. Cit does work better at 20mg and above - 10mg is usually only given to help with sleep disorders (eg reduce REM sleep) and isnt anywhere near as nasty as zopiclone.
day on day off isnt good
i suffered from severe anxiety and iam very sensitive to any meds .celexa 10 milligrams save my life .20 milli.was too high of a dose for me.best regards.and iam fully recovere took me 8months.
ssri’s can be brutal to come off! and most of them dont help sleep hence why people tend to take them in the morning!
you’re right Toria - they stop REM sleep, which for most people is the beneficial level of sleep. However for people with night terrors or problems with nightmares, they help by reducing REM sleep.
when i was put on them i had insomnia anyway, coming off my insomnia has been brutal x
I had problems sleeping first couple weeks but when switched to taking at night sleeping improved. I’ve stopped it as side effects too bad, greatly increased anxiety, intrusive thoughts and hair loss is awful. Think it seems to work well with depression but has made my symptoms of anxiety lot worse. Trying sertraline after having break for a week as seems more beneficial for OCD type symptoms and anxiety, and doesn’t cause hair loss. Having blood test but sure it’s not thyroid, seem very trial and error to get right meds and I seem to only be able to tolerate low dose. Only took very low dose zopiclone and coming off been worst period of my life.
Hair loss not listed as symptom on sertraline whereas it is with citalopram so worth a try, also seem better for OCD type symptoms that I get. Just figure after 8 weeks on low dose shouldn’T be making me feel worse the longer I take it. Zopiclone withdrawal can take up to a year so could still be that. All trial an error nothing really helped so far, CBT and therapy didn’t help sometimes think maybe this is just mt life now.