how soon does citalopram start working? will hopeless feeling go away?

Treatment and medication
1

4 weeks on citalopram 20 m but still have depression. No motivation, very hopeless and feel living is useless. I want to know if these feeling disappear and when?

2

took me almost 8 weeks to feel "good" again. Before that the anxiety and moods were all over the place till the drugs worked there way in to my brain chemistry

3

Thanks a lot el_shiz. Did u take it for depression?

4

Hi

Yes these feeling will go, though 4 weeks is really early days still.  It can take 3-4 months to start feeling any benefit, though some people feel better earlier than that and some longer.

These meds work really slowly and you can't hurry a good thing.  Increasing your dose won't make it happen any quicker either.  But .... it will happen.  What you're feeling is normal at the moment.

Recovery often comes in patches/waves, so you may start to feel better in time and then find you're back to square one again.  This is perfectly normal, but your mood will be up and down like this until eventually the well, happy feeling will stay.

Theres lots of people on this site going through exactly the same as you or who have been through it and come through the other side.  There's much support on here.  You're not alone 🙂

You'll need lots of patience and perseverance ..... but you'll get there.

K x

5

Aaahhhh. It is such a relief. Thanks a lot Katecogs!

6

Hi

just wanted to confirm what katiecogs posted.  You will see the light.  Just takes a lot of patience.  

Lynda

7

Thanks for all the heart-warming replies. I feel much better now.

8

Hi fermin

I'm 13 weeks in and am now starting to feel loads better it's been a long bumpy ride but like katiecogs said it will get better! For me this site has helped me a lot especially katiecogs she really is an amazing person with what she writes and gives so much support ! Keep going xxx

9

I have been taking citalopram for the past 6 years starting with 20 then 40 then 20 and 10 again for the last year. I stopped taking it abruptly(after 6 yrs). For the first month felt nothing except dizziness, but after a month started feeling anxious , having panick attacks and eventually depression. I was sooooo fed up with life and had no motivation. Every sigle hour of living was an struggle. I woukd ask myself what is the point of living along many other odd feelings. After 2 weeks feeling this way i couldnt tolerate and saw my GP to get back on citalopram again. He started me on 20m but the first day was such a horrible feeling and vad anxiety that i decided to halve the dose for a few days. After about a week i went back on 20m. Now it has been under 4 weeks since the start. I feel improved but not fully. The anxiety and panick attacks have considerably reduced but the depression is still there. I am still very hopeless and not joyful. I will see my gp in a week to up the dose maybe, as i had citalopram before and it worked perfectly for 6 years.

10

I would agree that you may need to give it some more time. even 20 mg may not be enough, you may need to increase at some point. Hang in there. It WILL get better!!!

11

Hi Ferim

Maybe you needed 30mg, 40 too much and 20 not enough. My doctor put me on Lexapro 10mg equal to 20mg citalprom. If and when i start feeling better i dont think i want to come off them unless major side effects dont go away. Doctor said 6mths but i am scared about the withdrawal. They say you have to do it gradually and thats probably why it was so bad. I dont think i ever want to come off them if they make me feel good. Keep posting & lets us know how you are going on them. Be kind to yourself.

 

12

Thanks Jran. I will keep posting about my status. I will see my doctor very soon.

You are right. When this little pill keeps me going, why should i stop it?!. I did once and I regretted that( just remind that i went cold turkey). This pill was perfect for me. I took it for 6 years without any problems; yes it had side effects but the benefits outweighted it.

13

This is my second time on Cit too.  I came for a year and took a natural SSRI called 5-HTP which you buy over the counter along with l-tyrosine.  I restarted Cit only due to the stress of family illness.  Will stop again later this year.

This time around it felt different on the meds st first and it took longer for them to kick in.  Even though I knew they worked for me, I did doubt it at times when I felt low, but kept telling myself it'll be ok as been there before (even though I didn't feel like it).

Some people don't have good levels of serotonin - SSRI's hang onto this neurotransmitter longer before it reabsorbed into the brain.  Hanging onto it longer helps to lift our mood.  Low levels cause depression, anxiety, irritability, sleeplessness, bad appetite etc.  I need serotonin, so for me it's either SSRI's or the natural one.

You'll get there x

14

😊❤️

15

Dear Ferim,....it usually takes 4 -6 weeks; don't worry...and you must have a followup with the doctor by now...if not,...do it now...everything will be ok....live in the moment,...don't feel any guilt or regret about the past,....tomorrow will be great...I promise you,....you're not alone!!

 

16

Hi guys

Thank u so much. I am so glad i found this forum and ur support.

The most annoying symptom for me is absence of motivation and being sooo hopeless. I just want them to go away. It is really debilitating. Every morning i say to myself "what should i do till bed time?". This feeling freaks me out!

Has anyone felt like that?

17

depresion and anxiety

18

Hi all

I am so feeling down today after 4 weeks on 20m. My anxiety and depression is still there. Is it normal to be fed up with life and seeing no point living? Have u ever felt like this?

I am scared if things dont improve. I feel so detached from my fsmily life. I need help!

19

I felt like this when I started on citalopram I went back to the docs and they told me to keep at it for a little longer and I felt it really kicked in at the end of the 5th week/ beginning of the 6 the week stick at it it does kick in eventually I found it really has helped me, I was almost suicidal in the 3rd and 4 th week but will th help from my partner and friends I got through it and it really has helped. Good luck and keep going xxx

20

Thanks Pixie. I am really glad you have recovered. You made my day. Hopefully mine will kick in soon. I never come off it again. It worked for me once perfectly so I hope it will this time too.