Will I ever sleep again while on Cit??

Treatment and medication
1

I was put on 20mg of Cit a week and a half ago. The first 2 nights I slept like a baby..since then I haven't really slept...I close my eyes and lay there but I'm wide awake thinking about everything and having night sweats. About the 4rth day of this I pass out during the day for about 6 hours and then it starts all over again. I'm shaky and yawning all the time. This is the 2nd med I have tried..the previous one cause so much nausea and I lost control of my speech.

I homeschool my 3 kids and the last week and a half I've been worthless..will this get better anytime soon or should I try something else?

2

Hi, Yawning is one of the side effects.  When do you take your tablets, I take mine about one hour before I go to bed. Some times they make me drousey. It appears from all the discussions that these tablets affect people differently.

3

Hi Again, I see that you have only been on these tablets for two weeks, it can take up to six weeks before you feel the true benifits

4

I take them right before bed to try and cut back on side effects. But I'm still having some.

5

Hi Gigachick,

Hang in there !!! this are normal side effects sweating yawning and insomnia in some cases. My advice is to see your doc about a temp sleeping aid or go to pharmacy and get something with improved sleep the effects of cita wont seem quite as bad! they will settle down but please be  warned it will take a month or two before any improvements ??? could be sooner everyone is different it does work though so hang in there x

6

Yes!  You will sleep again.  When I started Citalopram......both times.....I had terrible insomnia for a little while.

Same exact as you described.  I was so tired but I would just lay there.

I can only describe it as this feeling that I was 'in my head'.  My brain and thinking were

keeping me awake....not bad thoughts or anything.....it is very difficult to explain what it feels like to 'be in your own head' too much and not be able to fall asleep.

But this "sensation" goes away fairly quickly.

I was on this medication for 2 years and went off of it for a while and then back on it for 8 more years. The second time I started it the insomnia happened again at first.

It is hard to be so tired and not be able to sleep!!  

I hope this side effect goes away soon for you.  It definitely wasn't a problem after about 2 weeks for me.

 

7

Hi guys, Yes I think insomnia is encouraged by some natural anxiety when we start or come off a medication changes in the body. The body always knows when it is tired and sleeps so try not build up too much fear around not sleeping if you have to take something to help a couple of nights then so be it! Sleep will return so keep positive

8

You described it perfectly! My issue is I'm allergic to benadryl which is the common ingredient in most over the counter sleep aids and I have the same in your head but not sleeping feeling on prescription sleep aids.

I will try and hang in there. Thank you!!

9

l think it differs with everyone, as for me it does make me drowsy when l take it so take it just before l sleep.

10

Hi gigachick, I had night sweats and terrible trouble sleeping for a while when I started cit, I did have to turn to sleeping pills to get me through the first few weeks while the side effects were really bad. It has vastly improved now though, my sleep pattern is completely back to normal. Stick it out if you can, it took a few months x

11

Hi. I have been cit for nearly 3 years now.  The only side affect I have suffered is insomnia.  In part it is because I have terrible nightmares which is a known side effect.  I have been trying to find something to help with the sleeping as the cit actually works for me apart from this one side effect.  I was on zopi for a while which helped me sleep.  Now I am on phenergan each night which doesn't have a medication hangover, and I take amitriptylene in the weekends which does have a medication hangover but gives me about 10 hours quality sleep.

Personally for me I found the one side effect liveable as this drug has had less side effects that what it could have and works for my anxiety.  I have increased though from 10m originally to now 30mg daily.  The insomnia definitely increased with the doseage.

12

Good to know isnt it wierd we are all different I sleep like a log for 4 hours then wake and on and off untilk I get up for example 9.30pm sleep wake around 1-2am then an hour later briefly wake fall asleep wake soon after until 6am type of thing, however i'm happy with that some nights 5 hours max but can live on that we get too worried about sleep and think we wont function without 8 hours but I know a dentist who gets about 3-4 every night and functions normally? I hope sleep improves and its great thats the only side effect

13

Hi karen, can i ask you how long you had insomnia for when you started cit both times? Im on 3 weeks and still got it :-(