I’ve found this community to be very informative for which I’m truly grateful for however most of the stories I’m reading are all about the negative side effects which are important to know and share but I’d like to know all your experiences once they pass?
What improvements have you seen to your life? Your mood? Are you more happy, sociable, confident, relaxed etc?? Just be nice to hear some good stories for once.
I’m on day 2 of taking citalopram and propranolol for anxiety, social anxiety and low mood and apart from feeling really tired I haven’t had other side effects (touch wood)!
I have been on citalopram 3 years at 10mg I was depressed with horrible anxiety. It took 8 weeks for side effects to stop with me, but when I got to 8 weeks I felt more relaxed and confident. I made a life choice to go to Uni and graduated last July with a first class honours. I presented at the cipd awards and generally had a better outlook on life.
Unfortunately in Aug this year the anxiety crept back in, pressure of Work kids etc so I’ve gone up to 20mg 24 days ago. Still having same side effects as before on the lower dose, but today I’ve been more myself again.
Citalopram is a ride but it really does give you a better outlook if you stick with it - good luck
Hi Jamie...I have nothing but possitive praise for citalopram...I think it quite literally changed my life! I didn't realise I'd been suffering with depression and anxiety for years till I finally hit a brick wall and was heading for a nervous breakdown. A single parent with 2 children...working full time...a bereavement (mum) and a cheating partner...I started to feel unwell...as in weight loss...slurred speech...memory loss...hallucinations...excruciating headaches...insomnia...this went on for months...finally I snapped...I wanted to scream and shout and literally smash my house up!! My very worried sister talked me into going to my gp of which I sat there and just cried and cried...I was so frightened!! He prescribed me citalopram 10mg...within the first 6 hours...I felt my headache lifting...unbelievable!! Literally within 48 hours I started feeling back to my usual self...I couldn't believe it!! A blip after a week I upped my dose to 20mg...again...I felt so much better...3 months later it was upped to 30mg and I've stuck on the 30mg for the last year!! I never had any side effects at all whatsoever...just relief!! Occasionally (normally if I've been out drinking...which is very rare really) I'll have a blip for about a week...but I know it will pass so I work with it!! I honestly don't know where I was heading...but citalopram has been a life saver!! My gp said my brain must of been so starved of serotonin that it instantly kicked in!! Years I'd suffered with negative thoughts...stress...worry...and it took for me to finally crack for me to seek help!! There are so many positives with this drug Jamie...keep with it huni x
After 16 years of being ill SSRI's changed my life (along with reading books / understanding anxiety more). It took 6 months and from there on I recovered even more with the following 6 months and stayed on meds for around 16 years, lowering to a smaller dose for maintenance and have stayed well ever since starting back in the mid 90's. After so long being ill I wasn't about to chance being back down in that hole again in a hurry. I started withdrawing about 2 years ago and spent a year coming off and finished last year. Have been well ever since.
These meds are slow working and along the way you'll get setbacks (blips) - and it doesn't matter what dose you take, you'll still get them. They do ease as you move through recovery though. Side effects eased off after about a month and I started noticing improvements around 3-4 months. Everyone is different and we all take different time to recover and we often have different side effects, so don't base your personal recovery and side effects on someone else's.
Anxiety is a result of stress, which we then become frighted of. Anxiety produces many side effects such as depersonalisation, weight loss / gain, insomnia, disturbing thoughts, racing thoughts, depression, aches and pains, racing heart, panic etc etc and the sufferer often also becomes afraid of these too which causes more anxiety - keeping you locked in the anxiety / fear / anxiety cycle. Its a waste of energy fretting over these side effects, because once the anxiety eases so too will its side effects (though at the time we can't see this).
I can thoroughly recommend learning about anxiety as it'll help further give you confidence as well as being on the meds. For me, unravelling the fearful mystery was half the battle done.
So - life on and after Citalopram for me has been the best ever.
I totally relate to you..my recovery wasn't fast..but it happened..but before celexa I was exactly like you as in anxiety symptoms...I'm glad your feeling better...take care
Hello Jamie - I'm new to SSRI's and have been on 10mg Citalopram for ~4 months now.
4 months ago I was letting anxiety determine how I'd feel and where I wouldn't go anymore so I decided to see a doctor for help. The 1st day after I started on the med, my generalized anxiety stopped and the pains in my sides/chest vanished [what a HUGE relief that was]. By the end of the 1st week - most of the side effects subsided and things were relatively normal by week 3.
Over the past 4 months - there have been a few blips [mainly health anxiety related to the medication] but I noticed that with each passing day the anxiety in certain situations slowly became less of an issue and boosted my confidence to continue to help me tackle some remaining situational anxieties.
I honestly think I'm a better person because of the medication. I don't get upset at most things anymore and I seem to be relaxed more now than I was prior to being on the medication. I'm not more sociable - but at the same time I'm more talkative now.
Hello, my side effects seem to have mostly passed now only thing is im still grinding my teeth but tbh i think i do that when im concentrating anyway. SO FAR i have been able to go to work again without having a panic attack, go outside again(i had agoraphobia) and go shopping!!!!! Never thought id be able to go to the mall again and spend hours shopping lol. Im also better able to take my mind of the intrusive thoughts and they have got less