Hi all,
I have been perscribed 10mg of Citalopram for A+D, But the trouble is I'm unsure if I want to take them because of the bad side effects that I've read about on here.
I've got to take 10mg for a week then up it to 20mg. Are the side effects as bad as everyone is saying?
I've recently stopped taking Paroxetine which I was on for 15 years, it just stopped working for me. I had about a 8/9 week gap were I wasn't taking any A/D, but things didn't work out and I slowly started to get the anxiety attacks back followed by a mild depression. I could just about control the anxiety but the depression got the better of me.
I feel like sh*t already without adding something that will make things worse. I don't want to feel spaced out pulling weird face's all over christmas. I guess the bottom line is that I'm scared to take them because of what I've read.
Any feedback would be am great help.
Thanks
Hi, I think everyone reacts differently to medication and it's possible you may not have any side effects.I started on 20mg which was too much for me to begin with .The side efects I had were feeling sick and disturbed sleep and feeling exhausted.I decided to cut back to 10mg and felt much better.I felt calmer very soon after starting on Cit but it took about 6 weeks before I felt brighter in my mood.
If you need medication I would say don't be afraid to give it a go because if it works it will be worth having a short period of adjustment to get used to it.I would add that the side effects I had certainly weren't noticeable to anyone else.
Rose X
Thanks for the reply Rose. I'm still unsure what to do at the moment. Really don't need anything thats going to make me feel any worse.
Dear Magic
please let me know how you are now. I am feeling desperate. My story is EXACTLY the same as your story above including the paroxatine bit. I've been inbed now for two weeks with debilitating depression, anxiety and thoughts of death. I have the prescription in my had right now for the citalopram but too scared to take it. please please let me know how you got on. i so hope you are happy and healthy
Beth x
Hi, I must be convincing, just been to the doc today and said I felt depressed next thing I am on Citalopram 10mg to be increased to 20mg in 10 days - also bought a light box today as feel i may have a mild form of SAD (but have no evidence of this, except do not like grey skys). I have never taken any medication maybe the odd aspirin once year, I have just turned 50!! - I read with concern that this drug is for severe anxiety / depression and "people" move onto this drug. Is this common to put someone on this drug - happy to take if it makes me better but it reading some comments it seems to cause exactly what I want to go away ie tiredness, "feeling it alls a bit much at the moment" - I wanted a "pull your socks up" and feel better pill - beginning to think I should pass. I will try the lightbox for 6 weeks and see what happens. What tangible benefits do you get from from taking this pill - does it make you feel motivated and happy with life?
This sounds more a rant but a tad concerned that once on, never off - Kindest rgds Paul
Hi Beth,
Sorry for the late reply.
I really wasn't sure about taking them because of what I read. So I only took half of a tablet.It made me feel worse. ( really spaced out and this constance yawning )
I went back to the doctor and asked for something else. He gave me Trazodone 50mg whiched helped me sleep but it didn't really help with the anxiety. I have been feeling quite bad again recently so I saw the doctor yesterday and he gave me Cymbalta 30mg to try. Hope this works.
Not everyone will have bad side effects, you may find that you don't have any. If your not happy about taking them could you see your doctor and ask for something else?
Hope you start to feel better soon. Let me know how it goes.
Thanks for your reply. I've now been on the citalopram for 13 days. I feel absolutely awful. My depression has got worse, I just feel like i am at the end of the line. Hubby took me to see emergency doc today who suggests psychiatric help. I'm desperate now. can anyone tell me should i be waiting longer for the citalopram to work. I'm making my husband sick with worry. I'm so scared there is just no help out there. people say mental illness is just like having a broken leg, its not, a broken leg can be fixed. I've just got no fight left in me.
ps. the ringing in my ears is getting louder and louder
BETH how are you feeling now ? ive been put on citalopram , i cant get up and lay in bed just staring into space ... i have had a lot of emotions to go throu ,divorce ,suicide ,loss of house , useless so ,change of address , I COPED THROU ALL ...THEN ITS HIT ME IN A PANIC ,im sick ,anxious ,paranoid ,im self employed so have to work ,but feel like giving up ...normally im the life and soul of a party ! im on 20mg ...afterer a week still sick ,anxious ...no appetite , lost half a stone ..but i just want to live again ,not feel sick ,its an effort to talk to anyone ...plus im urinating more !! need to wear tenna ladies !!
I started on 20mg and lost 2 stone in a month. Which is good. IIRC the leaflet says if you have ringing in your ears you should see the gp. Anyway I'm on 40mg and much better.
smurfblows did you have nausea and more anxiety to start ? im on for a week and no improvement as yet : ((
oh dear its been such an awful year since feb. Citalapram did nothing for me, i went on to Seroxat 30mg still nothing so now they are going to try me on Ventlafaxine. I'm calm at the moment but the depression has just wiped me out. I'm seeing a psychiatrist who is great. you have had a hell of a year dendo this is going to take a while. your brain has litterally cracked in half but it will get better. as my psychiatrist says to me all the time this is NOT your fault but you WILL get better. it takes time
ps i read something about lower seretonin levels and increased urination. I'm also trying to find out about menapause as i'm 51 and feel this MUST have something to do with it
@ Dendo
I bounced off the walls for 2 weeks I was all over the place. Cold sweats and lack of appetite. Around 2 weeks it kicked in and I could feel the calm. Still have a lack of appetite.
Gosh Smurf you are so lucky that it has worked for you. did nothing for me and took it for 6 weeks. I'm just hoping the next lot works
yey !!!! today I woke up feeling great !! no nausea ! no clutching the pillow in panic,wanting to crawl into a ball : )) plus I had a drama today ,and no anxiety attack !! my son returned from holiday ,I had no call to meet him a t station ,plane had arrived ...6 hrs later ,his phone is still off , I was rational ,( he is 23 ,) didnt panic . of course he was ok , he got the coach back ,phone rang out of charge ,he had run out of money . I even ate a proper meal today !! and learning to say no as well to people ... wow just yesterday I was so bad ....hope it stays ,im singing as well 
) will update in a week
Get into a good routine but I found on 20mg I still could crash under stress. However if this happens to you you may need to up it.
yes did crash under stress !! felt so horrible the anxiety returned have upped it to 30 mg still have the churning and dread , its wee 4 now so maybe a bit longer is needed
My mum caused me to crash on holiday. She was being obstinate and I was thinking of blowing my brains out. However since being on 40mg for 2 weeks I feel fine, went back to work and failed an audit and able to take it rather than feeling pissed off. Luckily I will get off this process next week which is part of the problem.
Hi, I suffer from depression and anxiety and I have been on Citalopram 20mg for 3 days. I have never been on anything like that before and I feel totaly spaced out and nauseus all the time. The worst feeling are in the morning and I really do think there is no other way to sort my life out so having a suicidal thoughts(it calms down in the evening though and I feel much better), I know that doctor said it will get worse before better but I just find it scary, as I had a suicidal thoughts 4-5 years ago where I actually started a self help, which got me nowhere and made me feel even worse. It took me 5 years to go to see my GP but cost me a great boyfriend.
We had a massive fight with my boyfriend which I have been for 2,5 years and this is not helping, he said he can't be in this relationship anymore as I am too complicated, but till now I did not know I am having a problem that needs a doctor. That is what kicked me to go and see my GP. He doesn't talk to me now and we never had such a big fight (even if we had plenty of fights) I feel so down and there is nobody to talk to I found it really hard and the tablet makes me feel worse at the moment. Our relationship was very intense so being separated feels like I'm missing part of me and I have no family around.
Will it really work, I just want to feel like everybody else for a first time and stop worrying all the time. I am so tearful today, that I pushed such a great man so far away. I truly don't want to be here anymore not just because of that. My life is constant worry and I need to control every movement. I can't do this anymore. He actually just texted me that he want to be left alone. My mind is black now, I can't see anything in the future.