Hi all out there. From what I have read so far most people are feeling like me. Should I or shouldn't I take them.
I went to the doctors at the end of Feb as I was feeling so low with mood swings and driving my nearest and dearest away. I saw a Locum doc who does not know me from adam. He prescribed me a months supply. Anyway I read the packet and decided as I was going abroard for two week it would not be a good idea to take a tablet that could make me ill in another country. I came home got through xmas and now things in my life have taken another turn for the wrost. My dads got cancrer..Husband left me etc etc. Today I felt so desperate to feel a little less unhappy that I wondered if I cut the tablet in half and try taking just a half to see if the side effect maybe a little less traumactic. I know it will be longer before they do start to work, that is if they work at all taking just a half, but I thought I would try and play safe. I took it at about 10.30 this morning and pray I will not suffer some of the things I have read about it. please let us all help each other out ther suffering good luck and take care love Kim X
Hi, just take the whole tablet - I was like you, too scared of the list of possible side effects, but honestly can you really feel any worse/lower than you do right now?? I have been taking these now since November, and with a slight increase in the dosage in December, I have had good days, and like today really really low days. Today I don't want to go on, and could easily walk away from my family, kids, and life. But I have to keep taking these tablets, because I know tomorrow may be better. I know we all feel different about medication, I hate it, but sometimes you just have to trust those with experience in these things, and go with it. Take care. M
yeah.. i took mines around that same time today. doc sdvised me to take 10mg for first 4 days and then on to full dose of 20...stick with what the doc tells u! like u, im sooo scared of all the side effects but wat can u do eh??? all meds have side effects....who knows u may not react to it atall... if u do theres always help.. so stick with it.. remember u cant stop suddenley so now u've started THERES NO GOIN BAK......
Dont forget that the list of side effects is only a list of possible side-effects that probably hardly ever happen but that they have to put on the packet to cover themselves.
I responded to the post today called 'not sure if it's working' so I may be repeating myself in saying that I previously took Citalopram for 5 years, had a 9 month break and have now been back on it since November.
The only side effect I had in the five years I took it before was that my sex drive was reduced, but when I weighed it up against how almost suicidal I'd been without the tablets then I felt it was worth the trade-off. The problems I'm having since I've been back on Citalopram (2 months) are that I have a dry mouth, its taking ages to get to sleep and I'm waking up at 4 in the morning unable to get back to sleep. However its not clear if these are actually side effects because i was experiencing all of these problems before i went back on the tablets so it could just be that they're taking a long time to disappear or maybe I need to increase my dose.
Anyway i'm sure you've read the posts so you'll realise that it will take a couple of weeks before you start to feel any better, and be prepared for feeling lower in mood until then.
I hope this has put your mind at rest, but dont forget that you can and should get back to your doctor if you experience any significant and unmanageable side-effects.
Let us know how you both get on and feel free to send me a 'pm' if you want to chat
Joanne