Friends and regular readers of my website may remember my recent post, openly sharing the issues that I am currently having with panic attacks. The associated response from my social media contacts was fantastic, and so many people, many of whom I only know online, came forward to share stories with me. It was very humbling to have all that support out there.
I wrote the post primarily as a no-nonsense and non-clinical report for those in a similar situation who may come to find it in via Google in later months and years, and, a few weeks on from that, I wanted to do the same with regards to the medication that I am currently taking – Citalopram (20mg), which generally has a pretty bad side-effect rap sheet, many of which I’ve endured many of these over the past two weeks.
I have just completed my first two weeks on Citalopram (20mg), and the word ‘adventure’ definitely springs to mind.
Initially, I was pretty worried and hesitant to take the tablet, having done my research online and after looking at the accompanying safety leaflet. The number of icky side effects that are listed under “very common” (more than 1 in 10) or “common” (more than 1 in 100) are very off-putting, but it is important to know that these are in line with most SSRIs. Everyone will react differently to different medications in the SSRI class (as it alters the serotonin levels in your brain), but generally, Citalopram is held to be one of the more ‘stable’ options available, and the one that works best for most people.
On the first day, after a lot of umm-ing and ahh-ing, I finally took the plunge (it feels really weird waking up on a gorgeous sunny day and knowing that you are about to take a tablet that could end up making you feel so lousy). I felt pretty much ‘normal’ for the first four hours or so, as it takes this long to get in to your system. However, whilst out shopping, I was suddenly hit by the most intense wave of nausea that I have ever experienced, it was pretty ghastly. Fortunately, we were by a pharmacy, and so, after getting a knowing look from the pharmacist, was sold something called Motillium 10 (Domperidone), over the counter to help settle my stomach. Whether it was partly placebo effect, or not, I’ll not know, however within twenty minutes or so of taking it, I immediately felt so much more settled, which was very much welcome. Assuming these random bouts of nausea were going to be the ‘norm’, I continued to take Motillium 10 alongside my Citalopram and ‘sucked it up’.
Over the next few days, I continued to take the Motillium 10 throughout the day, as the dosage recommends, to try to help settle the random bouts of nausea. On the pack it does say as a disclaimer not to take for more than 48 hours, before consulting a doctor. I did this via telephone, and didn’t really get a straight answer. He didn’t seem too concerned with my specific symptoms, and instead went out of his way to reassure me that everything was ‘normal’, which I already knew, having done a lot of homework on Citalopram before hand. Nevertheless, I took the sign that he didn’t shout ‘no, stop!’ to be encouraging and continued with it.
However, I was totally unprepared for Day 6, thinking that I’d already experienced the worst of the side effects. I woke up and could immediately tell that something was different – I felt so nauseous upon waking. Looking back, Day 6 must have been when I reached the ‘normal’ resident dosage in my system. The worst thing about the nausea is that generally, you don’t vomit, and so there is no ‘relief’ to be had from it. Arguably, it is made slightly worse as you know that it is medically induced, and so there’s nothing really ‘wrong’, and no real known time frame for when sickness will work out of the system, as it’s owing to something that you’re constantly putting in. The Motillium 10 didn’t seem to have much effect, and I ended up having one of my panic attacks, something which I’ve not had at home before. It was genuinely awful, I thought I was going to keel over right there and then with just my cat to slowly eat me to death – even though I am sure my other half would have been home well before Fudge got THAT hungry! 😉
I spent 5 days on the couch, and could barely move. Appetite went, I didn’t/couldn’t leave the apartment, I felt really depressed and anxious and experienced a whole range of other symptoms. For me, I found that I developed morning sickness – in that I would feel absolutely shocking for the first 6 hours of my day, between say 10am and 4pm, and in the evenings, I would just feel worn out, but not anywhere near as nauseous as during day light hours. I had bad insomnia too, so I was often up in the living room until 3am, or so, before lying in bed for an hour. On balance, I had 6 hours of crap, 12 hours of ‘I feel a little more OK’ – but it’s hard to see the perspective at the time. Additionally, I was lucky, in that I was still getting 6-8 hours of solid sleep a night, just unfortunately it was coming at a rather skewed time frame.
As soon as I was strong enough to leave the apartment, I went to see my Doctor in person to discuss the nausea, and again was reassured that it was completely normal. What he did offer to do, however, was to prescribe me a stronger anti-nausea tablet for me, called Cyclizine (which they often give to pregnant women to settle nausea). This stuff has proven fantastic, and whilst it does knock you out for the first day or so (along with a nice warm fuzzy feeling), after the third day of taking it, for me, the drowsiness stopped, and it became just another pill.
Now, upon entering the third week of the Citalopram, I am thrilled to find that almost as quickly as the second wave of side-effects initially hit me, they’ve started to subside. At present, I am on my second day without taking anything for the nausea. I get the odd bout, but it’s nothing I feel that I want to medicate for at this time. I have some energy back, and have since been able to leave the apartment and do little things again like going shopping, or meeting Max from work – all the small things I missed so much when I was laid up. My sleeping is becoming better, and I now tend to retire around midnight-1am, and only lie awake for half an hour, which is a decent compromise.
I have yet to feel any benefits of the Citalopram itself (which I am primarily taking for my anxiety, along with some cognitive behaviour therapy sessions), and am weary about any increase in dosage, as I don’t really want to ever experience these side effects again, but I also know that it can take 4-6 weeks for the benefits to show, and I am still only on the start of week 3. I remain very optimistic about the Citalopram, and would also very much like to thank everyone online (especially twitter) for all the interest, words of encouragement and the advice.
As I said earlier, I am posting this post mainly as a reference point for people who are perhaps starting to take Citalopram who, like me, spent an obsessive amount of time trawling the internet, and reading about other people’s symptoms. My honest opinion on this is that whilst it may help to calm you and rationalise the side-effects, it is very important to realise that no two people have the same reactions to these tablets, so don’t get too hung up on it.
Also, it is worth remembering that your Doctor cannot predict which of the dozens of side effects (if any, many people seem to manage without them, believe it or not!!) you will have, and so do not feel afraid to go back to see him/her a few days after starting with Citalopram to report the side effects and seek complimentary medications for the specific side effects that you are encountering. One of my biggest mistakes was perhaps relying on an over-the-counter tablet once I got the more intense bout of nausea, instead of pressing my Doctor further. As is evident, I made my way through it, and whilst it felt like forever, it was just five days and was fairly routine (in that you knew exactly when you were going to feel crap and roughly when you’d start to feel more human).
My top tips for surviving Citalopram side effects:
- Remember that people do not take to the internet to post positive reviews – there is a lot of support out there, and by all means the various anxiety and depression forums are great, but just be aware that, generally, people will only post the bad, and, when they do, they may even exaggerate it slightly either for bragging rights or to make whatever the previous poster has been discussing seem milder in comparison, so as not to worry them. My post above is, I feel, an honest account of my experience, however, if you had encountered exactly what I did, perhaps you would have been a better patient (I am a total wuss!) and reacted differently – don’t rely on others to tell you exactly how to feel, but feel comforted that you are not alone.
- Citalopram side effects genuinely do not last forever – as hard as that is to believe. I felt that, with my symptoms, there was no way that I would start to feel ‘well’ again after the second week, but yet here I am – the difference can, honestly, be as quick as a day between feeling like a sack of spuds and not. Keep positive, and totally make the most of someone taking care of you (I have never drank so much tea in all my life!!).
- Get in to a routine with taking your Citalopram. Your body is far less likely to throw a wobbly after the initial side effects if you can keep the dosage ‘constant’ – speaking of dosage, please do not alter the dosage of your medication without first speaking to a Doctor! I have seen some people self medicate themselves at 10mg for the first week (splitting the butterfly tablet in half), and then upping themselves to 20mg in the second week. I’d imagine that would then put additional strain on your body (as you will be stepping up the amount twice in a short space of time, not once), and should only be done with the advice of a Doctor.
- Do not stop taking it suddenly! Whilst I was having my panic attack on Day 6 and feeling like I was about to die, I absolutely was ready to ring my Doctor up to tell him where he could stick his Citalopram, and that he would have needed more than just a pen-light to find it! Whilst the on boarding effects are dire, going cold-turkey is apparently so so much worse. Sure, you may feel fine for three days owing to the half-life of the tablet, but it seems that almost without fail, you’re going to crash in to a wall, and feel much much worse than pushing through. Even if you’ve only taken the one tablet (and that first one psychologically is always the worst), you really don’t want to screw up your brain!
- Take Citalopram just after food! It says on the label that they don’t have a preference as to when you take it, and that it can be with or without food. As I discovered, this just means that the drug absorption rate is neither hindered or helped by the digestive process – it’s nothing at all to do with what is best for your stomach. Taking my Citalopram after a piece of toast in the morning helped bring about perhaps the biggest change in my nausea. It was still rough, but taking the tablet on an empty stomach is definitely a lot more brutal! If you can stomach a cup of tea over a glass of water, with your breakfast, that also helped me.
- Following on from my last point – NEVER take a tablet with a cup of tea. It is MINGING and causes the tablet to dissolve in your mouth, and the chemical taste is abhorrent! Always use a water/cordial based drink 😉
- As soon as you feel able to, it’s great to have a friend come over and have a good DVD night in or similar. That way, you have an incentive to get up and about and do things, at a gentle pace, and a distraction, plus you also get the chance to reconnect with a friend and the outside world. It’s very easy, especially if you end up as rough as I was, to wallow around feeling terrible, which is perfectly fine when it’s really bad, but the longer you do this the harder it will feel to get back in to it. Having a friend over really helped to motivate me out of that spiral and to battle on through.
- Please, please, please – for the love of every God under the sun, avoid alcohol! I was shocked to find several people on an online forum bitching about their Citalopram usage, with many mentioning that they were still drinking, and experiencing some pretty horrific side effects because of it. Some people refused the medication flat-out because they weren’t able to have a glass of wine in the evening. How anyone can value a glass of wine over their mental wellbeing absolutely staggers me! In this area, I am aware that alcohol can play a major role in how someone has previously been ‘dealing’ with their situation, however it scares me that there are people who would not see this as the wake up call that they need to seek further help. The people who I saw bitching about this online were not on a dedicated alcohol forum, and cannot all have had a substance misuse problem. I absolutely hate that I cannot have a drink until the summer (at least) – made totally ridiculous as I barely even drank at all previously (maybe as little as one glass of wine a month max!) – but I’ll soldier through it (and count down the days, ha!). Sorry, tough love there, but please, seek help!
- This drug is sold with a black label warning on it, as it can increase the feelings of suicide in the first few weeks (go figure!!). If this happens, PLEASE go and see the GP, or speak to NHS Direct or the Samaritans etc. Don’t be worried that they’re going to bang you up and put you in a straight jacket etc, that very rarely (if ever) happens any more – more likely, they will be able to adjust your medication and offer further support to you from dedicated wellbeing crisis teams in your area. Do not suffer in silence! I made the mistake of opening up a forum thread online late one night where someone was discussing wanting to overdose on their Citalopram (please, never, never do this – it will really really fuck you up and it won’t work!) and it was absolutely horrible to read it, but on balance, it was good that he had at least reached out. In the end, over a couple of days, the forum members managed to convince the chap to get to his GP and crisis team, and as far as I know, he didn’t take his own life – but it was an incredibly close call, reading the first few pages of the forum, he was pretty much poised to do it there and then – it was a last-ditch cry for help. Absolutely harrowing, it made me cry, and I could not bring myself to talk about Citalopram without acknowledging this dark side to anxiety, depression and also the magnified feelings of both (and suicide) that may arise from the initial use of SSRIs.
- Above all, if you feel confident enough to, I’d say to be very open with those around you. I’ve been very vocal about my current situation, and how I’ve been feeling. I’ve not been aware of any negative comments, and people will either just ignore what you’re putting out there, or else they’ll really step up as friends and support you so fantastically, that you’ll feel a lot closer to them afterwards. In my opinion, the more taboo this sort of thing is, the more that it starts to win – you’ll often find people very sympathetic to your situation, and the more awkward you are about it, the more awkward it may be for them too. I was lucky enough to be able to joke around about it, generally how I deal with most things in life, and it really helped to keep me upbeat and approachable.
It goes without saying that I am always happy to discuss my Citalopram experience further, especially as I continue to take it – I really would just like to try to normalise this as much as possible. I don’t expect that I’ll have much cause for a follow-up post on my website, as these tablets will either settle and help me out, or they won’t and I’ll either get an increased dosage or a new one to try – but folk reading this should know that Citalopram is well worth a go, and if it proves not to be sitting quite right, your GP can switch you over to something else, until you both find the right SSRI for you. Something like 50-80% of people find the right SSRI first time around, and so totally do stick with it and hopefully you’ll feel more positive soon! 🙂
UPDATE 29 Dec 2014
Still on the Citalopram, now at 40mg, very proud at how well this post has taken off and how many people stop by to say that they’ve found it useful. I just wanted to post the monthly stats up for this one post alone on this one simple site to hopefully illustrate that you’re not out there on your own – plenty of others doing the exact same thing as you are. Hopefully that knowledge helps too 🙂
UPDATE 20 Feb 2016
I continue to feel pleasantly overwhelmed as to the number of people who are contacting me and saying that they have found this post in some way helpful. I’ve had people I know in real life approach me as well as made hundreds of contacts via the site (both email and in the amazing contacts section below).
I posted some numbers in the 2014 update, and I’m SO proud to share that this figure is just going up and up, month-on-month – the grand total is currently around 70,000!
I’m still on my 40mg and hoping to bring that dosage down soon – it’s primarily been delayed two years by my having had a brain tumour (I’m alright now!) and we all agreed that it was best not to meddle at such a delicate time.
3 and a half years on, this post continues to inspire me and long may it continue to be of use to others! Always remember, you guys are not ‘mental’, you’re gladiators! x
Gari Wellingham 
Thanks so much for writing this, my fear of starting Citalopram is just like yours. I was almost as anxious about starting than I was anxious in general! I’m on day 8 and feel fine; days 1-3 I felt nauseous but nothing I couldn’t handle, no appetite from days 1-7 (back today pretty much, love my grub!). Felt amazing on Day 2 overall, be it a placebo I don’t know. Had a glass of wine over the weekend but it didn’t appear to affect anything. I would urge people NOT to believe everything they read about it as it really had been no where near as bad as I expected. Although now I’m hoping I won’t get a second wave! Thanks again 🙂
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Thanks a mil for stopping by and sharing your experience! Glad to hear that you’re doing well, I think by Day 8 you’re pretty much clear of new side effects – hurrah! 🙂
Fab to hear that a glass of wine isn’t problematic for you – with the side effects I had, I absolutely don’t want to chance it – I am a total lightweight normally anyway hehe! 😉 Sure my online experience with seeing Cit users discussing alcohol was the same adage – you only hear about the bad!
Awesome that you agree, even with the symptoms that I had, I would totally do it all again knowing that everything would work out as OK as it is doing. Good luck with avoiding any second wave, and thanks again for sharing your experience 😀
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Hi Gari,
Im into week 6 on Cit and would like to describe you what happen from the beginning till now.On day 3 i had a great feeling of euphoria and noticed my brain was working on 100 %,
however the desired feeling never happened again and since then im just lethargic not really much motivation for anything…In general I’m better than before the treatment but far from the desired euphoria,happiness or feeling positive (wanting to do stuff) feeling…
So I,m wondering is that all this medication can do for me ,because so far regarding anxiety or anxiety related depression overall progress is maybe 50 % but still far from what i want to be…?
Or to describe it better i feel like im almost there to catch the desired feeling but still
not able …Because my real nature is that i go out immediately when i wake up in the morning and wanting to socialize and interact with people but at the moment still not able to do so …
What would be your advise and what should i expect from the coming weeks … ?
Is it possible to catch that feeling of euphoria again 🙂 ?
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Hiya,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience.
In terms of the euphoria I think that is one of the side effects from the initial weeks. Certainly I’ve not felt it since (but then I didn’t feel it to start with). Just got to be careful as ‘mania’ as it’s termed isn’t a particularly good side effect either and if you keep swinging between mania and depression then you’re looking at a possible diagnosis of bi-polar. Of course, not always the case.
If you’re still feeling low and not motivated then the best thing to do is go back to your prescriber. Sounds like you may want to consider upping the dosage slightly – I had to have a few increases just to make everything level out and get over the lows.
After 6 weeks it’s worth opening up that conversation – can take around 8 weeks for the tablets to have the desires effect but don’t suffer in silence with them as you’ll only feel more low.
Good luck with it!!!! 🙂
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Hi Gary,
thanks for responding so fast.
I upped my dose from 30 to max 40 mg daily now and planing to wait another 2 weeks
on that dose to see what happens..My problem is Im waiting for the brake trough
which didn’t happen so far,just so i can say it makes a difference.taking them …I heard from people taking them long time that they had the first brake trough after a week which was the case also with me ,,i did feel that first ease of anxiety but then
people explain around week 6-8 somewhere they had a second brake trough with remarkable effects…So im waiting for that moment now because the firs brake trough didn’t bring enough ease of anxiety,as i said before ,it helped so far maybe 50 % 🙂
And i can also notice that this medication made wrinkles under my eyes,more the dose bigger the wrinkles.
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Hi gari,I have just started a course of citalopram , I’m on day 4 now , as of yet I don’t feel any different except more tired , I have been taking the tablet at night before bed so I can go into work without any side effects. Is this the best way or are the side effects that I have heard about just going to kick in all of a sudden. Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated .
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Hey John,
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
It’s very hard to say, to be honest, as different people have different side effects.
On the time of day, the best thing is to find what works for you. Definitely great to take them in the evening if you can manage them for the reason you mention – if they start messing with your sleep or you wake up consistently with side effects then probably best to move them to the morning so that you at least get a settled night of sleep. At least if you take them in the evening then you’ll have an early heads up before work if you suddenly feel bad?
I was lucky enough to be signed off work when I started these and can only imagine how difficult it would be to fit these in around work – wishing you well with it fella!!
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Hi gari, thanks for your positive comments, I made a big mistake last night had 2 shandy sand totally threw up within an hour so I guess you cannot drink at all on these tabs , I’m on day 6 and not really noticed any change except for always being tired , hopefully I will feel something next week when I start wk 2 , I don’t really want to have to go on 20mg as this seems to be the one that most people have problems with, but thanks gari for all your help and support in this . I great to have someone to talk too
Kind regards
John
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Hi John, No problem at all 🙂 Oh dear on the shandies – if it’s any consolation, the no alcohol thing seems to be mostly during the initial weeks until you get over the side effects – I will usually have a drink these days and not give it a second thought or feel any worse than usual. I avoid doing it to excess, just in case, but it does settle down! The reason it seems most people have an issue on 20mg, is that’s one of the starting doses. Every time I’ve stepped up (from 20-30 and 30-40) I’ve been lucky and encountered no side effects. It honestly does take around 3 weeks for the benefits to show though, so don’t be disheartened! Pleasure to help in any small way, any time!
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I was given cit, for depression and panic attacks, I took the first one and after about 4 hours experienced the worst panic attack ever, I took my blood pressure that had shot up very high, I didn’t sleep all night, I felt sick, very thick heavy head, palpitations jumping out of my neck, sweating, I had diarrreah I really really don’t want to take any more. I will ring my gp and tell him tomorrow I’m not taking them, what do you think???
Sue
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Hey Sue,
Sorry for the delay – bit of a health crisis myself at the moment (unrelated to Citalopram)
Sorry to hear about the rough first few hours – my thoughts would be that everything feels so much worse as it is unexpected and new – but you alone know how you feel about the medication. Be prepared for them to try and talk you around – as the side effects are ‘normal’ a better angle may be ‘can we do anything about them?’ perhaps??? I’m in no way medical but absolutely wish you the best whatever you decide to do tomorrow – well worth sticking it out if you can! 🙂
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I’m on day 3 and feeling pretty sick. Day 1 was the worst, I had to keep running to the bathroom at work, for a bit of privacy when the nausea got bad. It’s good to see someone write about this in a positive light. I’m sticking with it. Thanks
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Hello Gari,
I take Citalopram 40 since more than 3 years now. The first 6 weeks I had some problems too. But I think it works well now. But I take Trimipramine too when I get a panic attack.
Do you have a psycological therapy? My therapist was great and helped me very much. And I got a six week rehab financed by my health care insurance.
I hope you feel better soon.
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Hey! Thought I’d share my input as well – having been on Citalopram or similar medication 4 times by now for depression…. Guess I’m unusual, but the first 3 rounds of taking the pill the only sideeffect I ever had was difficulties fallig asleep, something that can easily be solved with yet another pill… So – it’s possible to start the medication (I started with only taking 1/2 of a pill every other day, then 1/2 of a pill ever day until I started taking 1 pill a day, and the other way around when trying to stop) without any real complications at all. Just to give som positive input as well 🙂
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Awesome, thank you SO much for sharing your experience of Citalopram too – hope that others will find it just as beneficial and it really helps highlight that not everyone has the same reactions – they can be pretty unique to the person! 🙂
I have found it has recently kicked in and I feel awesome. I can now take it without food if I need to and have no side effects fortunately – so it just seems best to be most careful during the onboarding phase.
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Hi am new to hear I am 27 and have a really bad phobia of cancer and av had symptoms of a brain tumour so went to doctors there said it was depression and gave me citalopram and has made me worse am on day 4 and can’t get it out my head that I have a brain tumor am so worried x
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Hi,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
In this instance, I’d definitely suggest contacting your GP (or NHS 111 if you continue to feel worried over the weekend). It is unfortunately very common for the anxiety to actually increase during the first few weeks of taking it (I ended up having my first ever panic attack at home – previously they’d all been workplace only) and for most people, it is just a case of working through the generalised side effects and waiting for them to disappear. In your case, it sounds like you would benefit from touching base with a professional to gain some reassurance, plus additionally it would mean that the GP could monitor the side effects and make sure that the tablets aren’t causing you too much unnecessary stress and upset at such a delicate time! 🙂
Hope that the above helps and that you’re starting to feel much better again soon – 99% of the problem is actually getting yourself to go see the GP in the first place – the 1% are the side effects that go with the first week or two!
Gari
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Just thought I would share my experience on Citalopram to. I have taken it on and off since I had my oldest daughter six years ago and have always done really well on it. I stopped taking it about 6 weeks ago as I needed some medication for my headaches that can not been taken at the same time.Well after going through the cold turkey stage which was no fun I took a turn for the worse with my panic and have ended up going back on them.
I am now on day 7 of taking them again and can not recall the side effects been this bad when I started taking them before. I have been really anxious and had a couple of panic attacks but worst of all is the feeling of been dizzy and off balance. I get that worked up about it that it sets off my panic. Yesterday I had a good day so thought I had turned a corner but today I feel back to square one again with the dizzy spells and feeling off balance and are so tired it is unreal. I am currently off work with it all as I do not feel up to it but another part of me thinks it would do me good to try and get back into a routine.
I would be interested to here how long other people went before the dizzy spells and side effects went and also if you still worked whilst going through this stage.
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Hi Emma,
Many thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment. I’m sorry to hear that things with Citalopram aren’t so great at the moment 😦
This post has been receiving a fair bit of attention recently and so hopefully someone will be able to chip in on the questions who’ve unfortunately had a similar experience.
As a first timer, I was signed off work every few weeks for what ended up for 6 months owing to my panic attacks and associated depression, but that was for a variety of circumstances.
Really hope that you’re feeling more settled again soon!!
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Hi, thanks for posting this. Have had a long anxiety issues that became worse after the birth of my children. I’ve finally given in and admitted I need help to get things back on track, so on only day 1 of Citalapram I felt hideous enough to go in search of the side effects and if its worth pursuing! The nausea, dry mouth and urge to heave experienced a few hours after the first tablet, along with slight achey/fuzzy head. All not helped by a related vomit phobia, adding to my fear of continued use. But, you know what? My life can not go on as it is, so will press on. Good to hear things could well be better on the other side!!
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Hi,
Thanks a mil for taking the time to post and for sharing your situation. Very good of you to do so.
Hopefully those side effects will settle after the first 48 hours or so, but if not, I really do recommend seeing a pharmacist and explaining your phobia along with the fact that you’re on Citalopram and seeing what they can sell over the counter (and returning to the Doc if it still becomes problematic). Whilst the on boarding definitely isn’t pleasant, think there’s a limit to what they can realistically expect you to endure tbh, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help with the side effects – everyone seems to empathise with how rough they are.
Just keep your eyes on the prize and focus on the idea that it’s ultimately for the very best and that it’s not like this forever and paired with what sounds like some well thought out determination on your part, sure you’ll sail through it! 🙂
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Ive been having really bad belly pain lately as well as dizzyness and I keep getting told its my anxiety and depression.. and that I should get off xanax and start taking citalopram… But I am so scared 😦 the dizzyness/nausea is what bugs me most so I hope Citalopram helps with all this in the long run… I will take my first tablet in about 10mins.. Wish me luck..
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Hi Justin,
Absolutely all the best with taking the tablet today – I remember taking my first tablet and that odd feeling of expectation. If you are really worried about the feeling of nausea perhaps try and seek out a complementary medication as soon as you can, else I’m told that ginger is really good for helping to combat feelings of nausea.
Hope that your experience with Citalopram is a positive one (8 months in and I’m doing so much better!) and that your on boarding goes as smoothly as possible! 🙂
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[…] my Citalopram post, especially, the reaction to it has been phenomenal, and it’s absolutely had the desired […]
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cant tell you how helpful this was thank you! Im just about to start my 10mg today and this has made me feel so much better about it all. im hoping i dont get any nasty side effects because im going paintballing tomorrow haha. im hoping it will take my mind of it if anything! hope your doing well x
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Really pleased to hear that this may have helped just one small bit – at absolute worst it is no fun but it’s not forever, always helps to keep that in mind! Hoping that you don’t get any side effects and that you start to feel the benefits soon!
Paintballing should definitely take your mind off it, I’m sure – I’d totally focus 100% on avoiding bruises, ha! 🙂
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had such a horrible day! been feeling very sick which i expected! but iv been really paranoid, tearful and already had a anxiety attack. is that normal this early into it?
i hope its all worth it!
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Hiya,
Really sorry to hear that you’ve had such a rough day with it. Unfortunately, those other symptoms that you mention are fairly common and are coming from the Citalopram. They too will fade with the nausea, but if you are finding it too much or something changes for the worst, I’d always recommend making another appointment with your GP for asap (or call NHS 111 out of hours). May also be worthwhile speaking to your local pharmacist to see if they have any complimentary medicines to help with the unwanted side effects.
Key thing to remember, though I know it doesn’t feel like it now – it isn’t forever, you will feel much better within a few weeks (and not just in terms of the side effects, which will likely abate sooner) and there are always other medications if it proves that this one isn’t 100% right for you – so there’s still tons of hope and reasons for sticking with it and getting through it 🙂
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Hi Gari,
Thanks for your comments on citalopram. I was on this 10mg 2 years ago and had no side effects. I am now back on but 20mg and felt rough for 3 days now. GP has recommended going down to 10mg tomorrow, hopefully this will sort it out. I really feel like staying in the sofa and am not really eating much. Hopefully staying with it will help me in 2 weeks, hope so i have too go back to work in 2 and a 1/2 weeks!
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Hiya!
Just goes to show how unique the Citalopram experience can be – boo that you’ve had a rough time with 20mg, but great to hear that your doc has halved your dose, especially if that dosage has worked for you before. Stepping up isn’t often as bad as getting started, so really hope you get up to 20mg without too many problems! The very best of luck, and hope you’re side effect free by the time you go back to work 🙂
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Hi Gari thank you for the comments on citalopram I have been told to take them by my GP today they have been in my cabinet for over eight weeks worrying about taking them my anxiety at the moment is really bad so was told to take 10mg and then go back after two weeks I’m still really worried about taking it but I know I can’t keep going on the way I am, so tonight I’m going to take the first one so wish me luck.
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Hi Maria,
Massive amount of good luck to you tonight for taking that first one – it’s always the worst, stick with it though – expect the side effects is my advice, and then you don’t get any unpleasant surprises, but at the same time, will hopefully feel ‘it’s not that bad’. 10mg is a very good starting dose, and once you’re through the first few weeks, the side effects definitely should drop away – in your case, hopefully in time for Christmas 🙂
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This has been a great help. I’ve just 2 day got back from a drinking holiday in Majorca and took my first pill tonight 20mg was fine at first but now even though I’ve not had more than 4 hours sleep for the last week I’m wide awake and feeling so so sick my jaw is painful from clenching my teeth none stop. Glad it will get better though pray i get some sleep I was so tired all day with my hangover from holiday. Managed to make it home but I wish I had waiting until tomorrow to start these meds.Should had recovered from my week bender first I guess. Wish I had seen this page first. Thanks again for ur wise words.
Male. 22. Day 1
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Hi Andy,
First and foremost, thanks a mil for stopping by and sharing your Day 1 experience. I hope that you had a great holiday – sometimes a holiday is better than any medication, especially in the case of depression or anxiety!! I’m not cool enough to have been on a drinking holiday, but from what I see on BBC Three, they look fun, heh! 😉
What I would say is that the insomnia and jaw clenching are normal. May be reassuring to hear that again, or you may rather not. The insomnia for me lasted about two weeks before gradually returning to normal. The clenching wasn’t so much an issue for me but instead I started teeth grinding (Bruxism) so ended up having to get one of those night guards made from my dentist. Again, now that I am about 10 months in, this isn’t an issue any more.
Symptoms are probably no worse because of the alcohol from the bender, but I agree totally you need to start the tablets on a ‘strong’ day, as otherwise you really will get knocked for six, which it sounds like you have been (booo! – on a plus, you’ll probably feel a little better once you recover from the holiday so may make the rest of the on-boarding better?? Heh).
Stick with it and hopefully it will really do you some good. As I say, 10 months in, I do occasionally have a down day, but 98% of the time I just feel ‘normal’ which after several years of feeling bad, is amazing!!
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Hello, I’m currently 14, and I started Citolopram two days ago, only 10mg, once a day, before I go to bed, for my depression and anxiety. My primary doctor was on vacation when I went in with my mum to talk about the medication, because we were originally going in for a pain in my back, though that’s irrelevant. I’d never seen the doctor before, so it was a bit awkward talking about me, looking so plain and innocently shy at the moment, needing an anti-depressant. I’ve been seeing a therapist for over a month now, and she had suggested we get an anti-depressant. I wasn’t sure how I’d react too it, and since I was so young, I figured the side effects would be worse than the average adult. I didn’t know when the often discussed, infamous side effects would begin, and I wasn’t sure if what I’d felt the day after my first dose was because of the medication, or just a bad day talking. My doctor was very nonchalant about the side effects, specifically the suicide ideation, but now, after much, much research, I’m scared myself. I’ve had mild suicide thoughts before, but hearing of people having such extreme feelings frightens me. I mean, who wants to feel that way? Especially if its caused by something that’s supposed to make you feel better? I see my therapist weekly, so I’m hoping that, that may help if I have the thoughts, so I don’t have such a long period to take action In between talking out the feelings.
Over all, your post helped me the most out of the many I’ve read, because it helped me assess the depth of the side effects. So thank you.
But though I’m less scared about nausea being a problem for me, I’m definitely scared about school. I’ve told no one other than my mom and dad( obviously) that I’m taking this, so no other kids know, but school is starting next week, and if my side effects are as bad as yours, I’m in deep trouble. If I have to stay home from school because of the side effects, ill be academically in trouble, and that’s a reason for the major anxiety last school year.
But hopefully, I can stick it out and soon feel better.
Thank you, just felt the need to share this with you.
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Hi Lillian,
Thank you so much for stopping by and for leaving a comment. Currently, this post is getting an awful lot of traffic, which is fantastic, but at the ancient age of 28, I appreciate that anyone younger who is visiting may not be able to relate to my story quite so much, and so what you’ve posted will hopefully have in some way helped yourself a little bit, but will likely also go on to help others 🙂
If it helps in any way, I don’t think that going to any doctor, be it regular or not, and asking for help for a mental issue is ever a comfortable one for anyone. The NHS are currently making a concerted effort to treat mental health better and so hopefully if you have a caring doctor, they will empathise with your situation and come across like they really do care (I am so lucky with my doctor who really does have a massive ‘caring’ side). It’s great that you and your Mum were able to go in and ask for an anti-depressant, and shows great strength in character. I tried to avoid the inevitable for over a month, despite being in a pretty bad way, so you’ve definitely stepped up!
I think that they are a little nonchalant because pretty much everyone gets a few of the side effects, plus they also don’t really like to hype them up – if they did, likely nobody would take it! It seems that suicidal thoughts can be an issue, especially in the teenage age groups, but at the same time, if you do start having those sorts of thoughts, no matter how mild, then it’s perfectly acceptable to call 999 or the doctor, and you’ll be seen and secured immediately (by secured don’t mean locked up etc – just they’ll put you in touch with a local crisis team and help keep you safe – they won’t brand you as mental or owt).
Therapist will definitely be of help, I saw mine every two weeks and she really helped me, so having someone external who can see the difference in you from ‘a far’ each week should definitely be beneficial.
Absolutely empathise about the school situation. In the end, I was signed off work for 6 months owing to my anxiety and depression, so in a way, I was ‘lucky’ not to have to go to work, I too think that I may have struggled. Is it perhaps possible to let the head teacher know, just so that any absence can be excused, or if you’re having a bad day, they won’t force you to stay in? Whilst the side effects aren’t great, if you’re worried/as a distraction would potentially still be possible to catch up on school work at home, maybe? You may not even get the nausea, so you may be able to function as ‘business as usual’ – it’s all very unique! Another thing I’d add – the side effects for me only lasted 10-14 days, and so maybe you can just explain away the first few days to friends and classmates as a tummy bug or similar – that way, nobody has to know?
Like I say, massive kudos to you for sharing your experience and current thoughts, very brave – not sure that I could have done that at your age, so hats off to you!
Do hope that everything goes well for you, and that you start feeling better soon – honestly, as someone who had panic attacks daily and depression constantly, Citalopram really did work, so just hang on in there!! 🙂
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Hello again,
Thank you so much for replying. I saw that it was posted back in 2012, and was thinking that it was a long shot that you’d still reply. But thanks for feedback. Settled my nerves a whole lot about the side effects, and so far, I’m just getting some massive headaches, and extreme fatigue. But I take it before bedtime, so I think that will solve itself.
And about the suicide. I figure you live in the England, because I’ve heard that 999 is the emergency number in London. I live in the U.S. and our emergency number is 911, in case you didn’t know that ( Fun fact!), but I would have never thought of that, calling an emergency number.
My mother told me that if I had suicidal thoughts, to tell her, and she would bring me back to the doctors as soon as possible.
But so far, and as far as I can see in the future, I may have an easy ride. Hopefully it stays that way.
But thanks again for the feedback, and even acknowledging my comment!
Have a good day!
-Lillian;P
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hi, thx for the post . I can really relate to it a lot. Can I ask you, I was on 10mg citalopram for like 2 weeks and then it was put up to 20mg , which I have been taking now for like 3 weeks. But the nausea is still so bad. When I wake in the morning it hits me first thing , morning sickness and lasts most of the day . It was not like this on 10mg but surely I should be used to 20mg by now ? This morning I actually threw up . I just dunno what to do and hate the sicky feeling . 34 male Ireland, thx. p.s also taking Xanax . P.P.S it good to know Im not alone. thank you !
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Hi Gavin,
Great to hear that it’s relatable – thanks for sharing! 🙂
20mg does seem to be the dose that triggers the side effects in most people it would seem, but without wanting to worry you, I agree – three weeks and I’d have thought that you’d be used to it by now, especially with the 10mg previously. It may just be that you’re still getting used to it and have a slower adaptation, else it may be that you’ve settled and it’s become the norm – who knows, it could even be owing to the mix of Cit and Xanax – best thing to do, I should think, is to go back to the Doctor who prescribed and see what they come up with – at worst, I should imagine that they will prescribe something, such as cyclizine, to help with the nausea.
Hope that you start feeling more ‘normal’ soon!!
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Cheers Gari, i’ll get back to the doctor and see what he comes up with . Good work and thanks for the quick reply !!!
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I’ve been taking 20mg citalopram for exactly 2 weeks – but I hate the side effects and just want to stop taking them. I was not depressed when I started taking them – my doctor had prescribed them for anxiety (post-traumatic stress. Last April, two men with balaclavas smashed their way into my home and held me at gunpoint). I have, after 4 months, recently moved back home but found I was pacing the house and looking out of the windows constantly. I had dealt with my experience very well up until then, but wanted to be able to relax in my own home.
But now, the meds seem to be making me feel worse, and I’m more anxious and paranoid than before, when I was actually feeling OK most of the time!
I don’t really want to call my GP as I know he’ll try to persuade me to persevere with them.
What I’d like to know is – as I’ve only been taking them a short time – can I just stop? Or shall I take half a tablet for 1 week, then stop? My ‘on-boarding’ side effects were pretty horrendous, dizzy, nausea, jaw clenching and headaches, trembling, yawning, palpitations, the lot! and still continuing…
Thanks for any advice you can give! Sue
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Hi Sue,
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment, and I’m sure that I speak for everyone reading this page when I say that I’m sorry to hear of the awful circumstance that brought you to Citalopram.
If I may leave the circumstance aside for a moment, please don’t think me in any way blunt(!!), but it probably is worth speaking to your doctor again if you’re having trouble with Citalopram. There are plenty of other options out there that can be tried instead of Citalopram, and though he may try to persuade you to stay on them for a tiny bit longer, ultimately he cannot make you, and you’re free to instruct him to help you come off them at any time.
My advice would be to definitely not just stop taking these, as they can cause a whole manner of effects in addition to the ones that you get when you’re ‘on-boarding’, which, can materialise again when you’re coming off, especially so if you suddenly just stop. The reduction needs a measured approach and so it’s really best to get guidance from the doctor on how long you should wean off them, but I do think that it would take longer than a week tbh. But to confirm, you should just be able to say ‘no’ and have that be the end of it when you ask to go off them and any persuasion comes about.
REALLY hope that you start feeling better soon and that you’re able to find something to help you feel more ‘right’ again – after all the stress you’ve had, can imagine that this is the last thing that you need! 😦
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This may be a silly question but has anyone anywhere got further than being pleased they’ve been able to deal with the side effects of SSRIs? if so have you been able to identify any sort of cure or resolution of the original problem?
Then, are you able to ever stop taking these things – they seem to guarantee recurring panic attacks or whatever at a regular 6 month interval after supposed cure, sending the patient back for a renewed prescription.
Sorry not a participant or medic but a concerned observer over 20 years. Also not addressing people who may have started off with really severe life-threatening problems, but those who once might have been diagnosed with a ‘nervous breakdown’ and given de-stress time out to recover.
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Hi Fran,
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment. This post deals specifically with starting Citalopram, which is perhaps why you’ve not found the comment that you’re after.
In terms of my own experience, I’ve just come off a repeat prescription at 30mg and suspect that when I see the doctor next week, he’s going to start to reduce my dosage. I don’t particularly feel ready for it, having only had medication to help me mask the underlying problem.
Citalopram should never be presented as a long term solution, or as the sole course of action, as it is just a little ‘bump’ to enable you to have the energy and drive to stick with the other courses of action and to function a little more ‘normally’ in the immediate future. Unfortunately, I believe Depression and Anxiety are usually somewhat chronic and the focus often is on learning to better manage symptoms so that reliance on SSRIs diminishes in the longer term – but different folks, different strokes as they say!
I was initially VERY hesitant about taking an SSRI and went for a month where I just said ‘no thanks’ before it became apparent that I needed to take one. A year in and I’m so glad that I did as any ‘moral’ reasons that I had instantly fell away and at no point have I ever felt like I wasn’t 100% ‘me’ etc. Very daunting that they’re not a longer term solution but at the same time, reassuring to know that if all else fails, there is a tried and tested ‘crutch’ out there should I fall 🙂
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just a quick update – the morning sickness has left thank god. I now also take my morning tablet after my breakfast ,instead of on an empty stomach with a cup of tea like I used to do. I also seem to be doing a bit more and getting out & about doing stuff. Good luck to everyone !!!
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Great news!! Thanks for coming back and letting us know – very pleased to hear you’re getting over the sickness! 😀
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Hi all, I am currently on day 20 of 10mg of Citalopram and really struggling. I have total loss of apetite and abdominal bloating, insomnia, increased anxiety & tremors. Not sure if this will subside as I enter week 3, my question is how long would you persevere? I was thinking of six weeks maximum of putting up with the side effects. My anxiety and depression are due to total loss of hormones through hysterectomy and not be able to use hrt so I’m probably dealing with a mixed bag of surgical menopause symptoms & side effects of the Citalopram and feeling pretty debilitated by it all.
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Hi Mandi,
Many thanks for stopping by and for sharing your experience – sorry to hear you’re going through a rough patch at the moment.
I’d definitely look at persevering through it, if at all possible. Those side effects don’t sound like much fun, and I’d definitely recommend speaking to a pharmacist or doctor at the earliest convenience to see if there’s anything that can be done to help with the side effects. Additionally, if Cit is proving problematic, there are other tablets in the SSRI class that can be tried instead (switching is fairly ‘standard’ / ‘normal’) – I’d say the important thing is just to keep an open dialogue, don’t worry too much about ‘bothering’ the doctor, your health always has to come first, no matter how routine/trivial you think that something is. I’d say 20 days is a more than fair crack at it with the side effects, so well worth seeing if anything can’t be done about them know you know exactly which ones you have developed. Only other thing that I would say, 10mg is a fairly introductory dose, and so it may be a case that you may need a stronger dose if you’re still experiencing the anxiety and depression themselves – your doctor will be the best person to discuss this with though, as I must stress, I have no medical knowledge whatsoever – just what I’ve picked up myself along the way 🙂
Really hope that you find your legs soon with these, as once they kick in, it’s genuinely worth all of the hassle – promise!! 🙂
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hi mandi , I agree with everything Gari says. I had the same problems. Seems most people do but the side effects have gone now. A big help is to NOT take them on an empty stomach and to keep ur appetite up. This is what has worked for me. Also perhaps suggest to your doctor about taking a relaxant like Xanax to counter the anxiety and tremors until you get used to the cypramil . wishing u the best, don’t worry, give it time and keep strong. Gavin
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Thanks guys, I have asked doctor for a relaxant to try and counter act some of these side effects. On day 23 and thinks are shocking, I feel like I’m on mass doses of amphetamines on it. I’ll try and give it a bit longer and pray it settles. I’ll come back and report as I believe if I do settle it will be important for others to know my progress to give them the strength to continue on it as all it is doing now at 23 days is making me very poorly. Regards Mandi.
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Gari,
It has just been recommended that I take Citalopram, I previously been able to “handle” my bouts of anxiety & depression, this time my doctor has recommended this treatment.
I am in 2 minds as wheather this is a good idea, what helped you decide to try this course of action?
Thank you.
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Hiya,
Fab question / an angle I may not have covered – for me, it had gotten to the point where I was having anxiety attacks on a near daily basis at work. I saw the Doc, and said that I wasn’t really up for medication and so he signed me off for two weeks to see of the break was what I needed. After two weeks, I went back and still felt the same, and so he gave me another two weeks. After those, my depression had really started to kick in and I was getting some pretty high scores on those paper tests that they do, and so he said that he thought that I really should give the medication a go. As he had respected my initial wishes, and my way hadn’t worked, in addition to him being a qualified doctor, of course, I went with his professional opinion and started the medication – and haven’t looked back since. Citalopram has really helped me get back on my feet again.
Sorry to hear that you may be in a position where you need to contemplate starting Citalopram – don’t get too hung up on what people say about not wanting to take drugs that change ‘you’ – in my experience, they haven’t done that at all, they’ve just helped me to suppress the part of me that was holding the rest of me back 🙂
Do let me know how you get on if you decide to give the Citalopram a whirl, and do hope that my reply hasn’t been too candid!
Best,
Gari
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Gari,
Thank you for this, it helps to get the view from someone that has been in a similar position. I will keep in touch to let you know what I have decided.
Thank you again!
Dee Dee 🙂
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Hiya! I’ve been taking Citalopram for anxiety five weeks now and fortunately didn’t have any side effects at first. Week 3 was great and I started to feel a bit happier but week 4 to date I’ve been suffering with terrible low mood, mood swings, tearful and very anxious. All the symptoms I’m trying to get rid of!! Can anyone advise me?
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HI Nicki,
Best thing to do is to head back to the doctor – I encountered the same thing, after about six/seven weeks I had got rid of the side effects but still wasn’t feeling amazing – turned out he just needed to up my dose from 20mg to 30mg – simple as that 🙂
Hope that this helps!
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Hi Gari
Thanks ever so much for your reply. The GP wants me to give it another 4 weeks but it’s so difficult just waiting and not coping every day!!
Best wishes
Nicki
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Hi,
I’m currently on my first day of Citalopram and i’m both relieved and gutted to read your post. Relieved because it’s not only me but gutted at the thought of this nausea lasting for longer than just today!
I took my first pill last night, and woke up at about 2am feeling really rough, nauseous, fuzzy and generally just like …well i can’t really explain it properly…like my thoughts were too loud! Sleep didn’t come easy.
I’m a teacher of reception children so today has been pretty tough, especially since I havn’t told many people at work about things and so they’re constantly asking me if i have flu/sickness bug!
I’m really hoping my symptoms don’t last so long!
thanks for taking the time to tell us about your experience!
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Hi,
Thanks a mil for stopping by – and you’re doing Citalopram with reception age kids to cope with too?? Hardcore!!!! 🙂
With such an active daytime it may be better that you are taking it in the evening, rather than in the morning, just so the side effects have dulled a little by the time you wake up. Have you considered trying them at the end of work so that by bedtime you may be more settled? Ruins your evenings a little but at least you may get some sleep??
No harm in saying you’re ill if the side effects do become too much, it is, after all, an illness and there are, at absolute worst, legal and ethical protections available for the need to take time off for things that fall under the mental health umbrella etc.
Really hope that your system starts to balance out with these soon, and whilst you may struggle to find something that will help you sleep (from recollection Citalopram interacts with most things), there are nausea remedies out there which can be taken and do help somewhat – so it never hurts to see a pharmacist 🙂
Wishing you the best of luck with these tablets… and especially so with surviving a Reception level class at the same time!!! 😀 (if you can do that, I bet you can do anything!!)
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Gari,
I have looked into this and have decided to try a 3 month course of Citalopram.
Along side counselling.
I just want to say thank you for this page. Its nice to know that I am not on my own!
Fingers crossed & I will keep you updated on how it all goes.
Dee Dee
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Hurrah – good times! Cit on it’s own is rarely enough (it’s sort of a bandage that enables you to have the energy to be able to do something like counselling – which I did too, and found that it really helped).
My pleasure, I’m over the moon with how useful people seem to have found this post, and it almost makes the situation for having my own experience ‘worthwhile’ knowing that it would enable me to try and go some good!
Wishing you the best of luck with it!
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quote ” I’m over the moon with how useful people seem to have found this post, and it almost makes the situation for having my own experience ‘worthwhile’ knowing that it would enable me to try and go some good! ” Exactly Gari , You turned something difficult into something helpful for others. well done lad !!!
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Hi Gari,
This is the most honest and compelling article I have found so far, since I was recommended to start taking Citalopram.
I have a very similar picture to the one at the top of your post on my phone, except there are only five tablets missing from the first strip. So it’s a bit too early for me to be able to share my experiences, other than so far I’ve not had the nausea, but heartburn and drowsiness. I’m sure there’s plenty more to come. One counselling session down and it feels like my world has turned upside down.
Thanks for your post, I think it’s great that you can share your experiences, not sure I have the same confidence.
Good luck to you and everyone else who has commented, or read this post.
Thank you
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Hi,
Thank you so much for your kind words – chuft that this post is doing what I intended it to, and seemingly more! 🙂
Well done for getting 5 days in already… pretty much past the point of no return, and it absolutely becomes easier the more you take in my experience.
After my ride with Citalopram, pleased to hear that you haven’t experienced the same nausea that I did (wouldn’t wish that on anyone…!) though sorry to read that you’re having heartburn and drowsiness – that must be a real pain to live with. In terms of the messed up sleep stuff, mine lasted about three weeks and gradually improved. Councillor also gave me a session on ‘sleep hygiene’ to make sure that I was subconsciously letting my body know that I was going to bed and that it needed to wind down etc.
Hope that in a week or so that you’re feeling like everything is the right way up again.
Just keep telling yourself that the side effects are worth it to get over whatever it was that brought you to Citalopram in the first place and hopefully that bad memory and new motivation will spur you through and to a happier place! 🙂
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Hey Gari!
I posted about a month and a half ago, when I first started taking 10mg of Citolopram for my depression and anxiety.
I just remembered this post when I went to my first appt. with a phsyciatrist, and felt like sharing some things with you.
My phsyciatrist uped my Citolopram to 20mg, and that was about a week ago. She raised the dosage because we weren’t seeing much of an effect. But aside from that, in the beginning I was scared for the side effects of it, and the only things I’ve noticed was headaches, and EXTREME fatigue. Otherwise I’m doing good, so, this was just an update:)
-Lillian
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Hi,
Many thanks for coming back and leaving us an update!
Sounds like things are going well for you, which is fantastic news.
20mg is the ‘standard’ dose for Citalopram I think, so hopefully you don’t feel too disheartened about the increase. 40mg is the maximum, so you’re a long way off that yet! 🙂
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Hi Gari,
What a wonderful thing you are doing here to give others hope and belief in recovery when they first start taking citalopram – thank you.
I am on day 5 of 10mg and finding the side effects somewhat overwhelming – particularly as I can only get around 3 or 4 hours sleep a night max. In addition I am finding that I am worrying out of control about things but trying to practise mindfulness and CBT to combat these effects. I’ll be honest if I had not been on citalopram before and know for sure that it helps I may be considering giving up at this point. So just wanted to reassure others that may be taking this drug for the first time, please carry on even though you may be tempted to quit, give it a fair go as things usually will get better.
Keely
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Hi Keely,
Thanks a mil for stopping by and sharing your current situation – whilst I can only provide one view point, it’s great that others decide to come forward to help reinforce the message, especially people with prior experience who can testify the end goal when you say ‘for sure… it helps’ 😀
I don’t envy you on the 3-4 hours sleep thing, especially as that would make anybody tired, irritable and possibly more on edge on a ‘normal’ day, let alone someone prone to it on a Cit day! Great that you have some mindfulness and CBT behind you (I’m jealous – I’ve received neither in the year since I started), and sincerely hope that they are helping. 🙂
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Gari Im back to you again . I seen my psychiatrist this morning and she wants me to up my 20mg a day to 40mg . Now as u may know they don’t come in 40mg , at least not in Ireland. So Im just wondering if it were you , would you take TWO 20mg tablets together or maybe one in the morning, one in the evening. Im just wondering which would be more beneficial and OF COURSE its just your opinion . Will it be more effective taking the two together basically ?
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Hi Gavin,
Thanks for popping back 🙂
Sorry to hear that you need to up your dose. In the UK, they do sell 40mg tablets, so I’m surprised to hear you can’t get those in Ireland, especially as 40mg is the maximum dosage.
Definitely take them both at the same time, I take 30mg and have to take a 20mg and a 10mg as they don’t make a 30mg tablet. If anything, it will just mean that you don’t forget one of the tablets, which could cause you to feel rough a few days down the line.
Ultimately, 40mg is 40mg and as these have such a long half life, there’s likely no benefit whatsoever to splitting the dosage.
Hope that this helps!
>
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well I confirmed it with the chemist and Ireland does not do 40mg . Also you say the highest dose is 40mg which is what it also says on my leaflet that I get in the box .
However a friend of mine which is also taking a generic form of them , her leaflet says maximum dosage is 60mg . weird huh ?
anyway doing ok on the 40mg, although I get weird anxiety like an hour after taking them and a lot of kind of teeth grinding . Does anybody else get this teeth grinding and a kind of involuntary hand spasms (movements ) . This used never happen to me before on the 20mg.
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Hmm, I guess different countries have just licensed it differently – does happen from time to time, though seeing the power at even 10mg, I’m not sure that I’d ever want to get up to 60mg, crikey!!
With respect to the teeth grinding, I ha(d/ve) that too – had to get a night guard made up – doctor said there was nothing else that could be done, and that it was just a side effect of the Citalopram that couldn’t be controlled any other way. Took a bit of getting used to at night but eventually found I didn’t need it. Hope you find the same! 🙂
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Hi,
I thought I’d come back with an update. It is now day 9 for me on citalopram. Unlike my last post a few days ago I now longer feel ‘overwhelmed’ with the side effects. For the last 24 hours i’ve felt glimmers of how it is to feel ‘normal’ again!
So fingers crossed that these side effects are easing a little, I realise it may still be a bumpy ride, but one that I now feel I can deal with. Hopefully this will give a little reassurance to anyone in those first few days of taking the drug. Please persevere – it’s worth it.
Keely
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Apologies for the delay in reply – been a manic week! 😦
Absolutely chuffed to bits to hear that within a few days your side effects have really started to diminish, and I’m really pleased to hear that they’re no longer ‘overwhelming’ – half of the battle is often with yourself I found!
Massive thanks for checking back and for sharing those words of encouragement with readers of this post.
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Hello,
is great to read everyones comments.
My situation is I have been trying to fight depression taking hold of me again. Tried flower remedies etc, tonnes of exercise and changing diet. sadly none of that really helped. i got down, lost my self condidance and I have now pushed away my boyfriend and one of my closest friends due to anxiety about my relations ship with my bf and jealousy about his friendship with my friend. It was all totally innocent but convinced myself that he would be better with her rather than me.
My friend has stopped talking to me ( blocked on facebook etc) due to the emotional battering I gave her. believe me I am not proud of any of it. At the moment, I am not sure if i have a relationship to save so I went back to my doctors.
Was having a bit of an anxiety attack when i was at doctors
hand shaking breaking all over the place, so she has prescribed me 20mg.
that was on Tuesday. thankfully, no major side affects, apart from a really hot body at night. ( not in the exciting way )
Even after these few days, i am feeling a bit of clarity. Miss my friend. she has a fantastic positive attitude
I miss my boyfriend but i think that boat will have sailed as he never understood why i was down about stuff as i have not hing to be really sad about if i am totally honest. might try to do a wee blog Like you Gari.
Big hugs to you and yours xxx
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Hi Karen,
Apologies for the delay in being able to approve this comment – I’ve been having a ‘mare of a week!!! 🙂
Sounds like you’ve been in a pretty awful space recently – was very sorry to read this, especially when it has potentially come at the cost of key relationships. Whilst I hate to use it as an excuse, it does sound a lot like the anxiety is to blame in this case – I know that I’ve had a lot of self-confidence issues in the past, to the point where I often convince myself that nobody actually wants to be my friend, they’re just being polite, and have learnt the hard way that it’s just a beating to nowhere. I’ve also had relationships break down because of it. I have a friend with anxiety issues who hasn’t been as fortunate as I with speed of access to treatment, and even though at times messages from that person could seem almost relatively ‘ridiculous’ (a terrible word, but at the moment I can think no better) in terms of amount and subjects of insecurity, I’ve always had nothing but 100% time and patience for him and the messages, having been able to empathise with his situation in the past. I still hold my insecurities, and people are surprised to hear that, as I’ve become somewhat loud and cheeky, but at the same time, they’re part of who I am, and I do think a bit of a lack of self-confidence isn’t a bad thing – helps to keep you grounded.
In your situation, and having been to the doctor, is it perhaps worth a more calm and measured approach to talking with the two of them, and explaining your illness? Now that you’ve gone to the Doctor and acknowledged that there’s a medical issue sat behind this, do you think that this may help to ‘reset’ the playing field a little and give you an equal position from which to discuss from? Ultimately, though, if after knowing about your illness, they decide they’re not interested, then frankly, stuff ’em, as clearly they’re not going to be able to provide longer-term support for you – which always has to be the most important thing (along with good looks and a six-pack for the bf, of course!!! heh) 🙂
Glad that you’ve not experienced any side effects that are unmanageable, and I really do hope that your situation improves shortly – I’m sure that it will. I’d definitely suggest blogging is a GREAT output for those who feel able to discuss their situation, and do feel free to share your link with my readers if you do set one up.
Best,
Gari x
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Hi again,
Just in case this helps anyone in the early stages of taking citalopram – Day 11 now for me and things are still beginning to look up. I have noticed myself thinking in ways that I recognise as ways ‘I used to think’ before being taken over by this depression. I am still feeling extraordinarliy tired, but now able to leave the house and do simple tasks like pop to the shops (although may have to lay down for a bit when I get home as it is so exhausting!). I am finding simple tasks around the house, like unpacking the dishwasher, much easier than I did even 3 or 4 days ago. I know from past experience that this extreme tiredness will pass in time, but maybe not for a few more weeks. When I have the energy I plan to up my exercise which should help.
I have my own business, which is being run by my staff at the moment as I’m not up to working, but for the last couple of days I’ve really been looking forward to the day that I can get back to work and hopefully that will be in a couple of weeks.
But most of all, the wonderful thing is just to feel more like my old self again in my mind 🙂
I now accept that I may have to be on these drugs for years (due to recurring depression) but I’m ok with that (there is probably a lot of neurotransmitter damage there that needs to be fixed). They are what keep me well, just in the same way that drugs for diabetes keep sufferers of that illness well and drugs for any other number of illnesses keep their sufferers well. I hope that as time passes we will continue to move away from the stigma that is attached to mental illness.
Keely x
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Gari,
I am on my 13th day of citalopram, the nausea has only just calmed down – It was awful up until this weekend – felt like it just hit me and then I could barely move!
I have my first consultation this week with the doctor to see how I am & I start my counselling next weekend.
I have to say I am having the anxiety attacks and still feel deflated – I can only hope I start feeling better soon.
The other side effects were not as strong as the nausea – but effected me just as much – dizziness, headaches & tiredness to name a few.
I ‘ll be in contact again and hopefully am feeling better by then 😦
Dee Dee
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Hi Dee Dee,
Glad to hear that the nausea has calmed down somewhat – I remember that ‘hit with a brick’ feeling all too well.
Positive that you have your first consultation this week, and with counselling, the hardest thing that I found was always the first ten minutes – once you’ve got over the situation, I found it incredibly useful and hope that you will too, especially if you’re still having the anxiety attacks (the advice I got from the counsellor really helped me to manage these).
Hoping you’re feeling more upbeat again soon 🙂
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I was misdiagnosed for migraine associated vertigo by a neurologist and put on amitone 10 for 15 days. Then he switched me to nexito 10mg twice a day.
On the third day I got my FIRST and worst panic attack.
My cardiologist switched of all medicines.
For a month I had sudden numbness and weakness and nausea.
I went back to the neurologist and he started nexito 20 again.
After that for two weeks I got two to three panic attacks and severe nausea.
Now in the third week everything has subsided .
My question is are my panic attacks induced by nexito as I never had depression or anxiety before. Do I then require this nexito and if I taper off will my panic attacks return?
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Hi,
Sorry to hear you’ve had a bit of a rough ride to get to where you are at the moment.
Just the usual disclaimer to say that I’m just a chap with a website – I’m not medically trained, and have no specialised knowledge.
I’ve not taken Nexito (Escitalopram) before, so I can’t really comment on the specific drug. That said, all SSRIs pretty much have the same effect, and yes, unfortunately, panic attacks are one of them.
It sounds to me that you’ve just managed to get through the initial side effects and have finally made it to the ‘holy ground’ 🙂 You shouldn’t really have panic attacks whilst you’ve levelled out (bar perhaps the very occasional one), as they’re caused by the increased levels of anxiety and depression that can occur when you initially start taking the tablet. Unfortunately, the tapering off effects are pretty much the same as the on-boarding ones, I believe.
Question for your doctor as to whether you ‘need’ Nexito, however, if it’s been prescribed to you, chances are that it’s felt you’ll benefit from it, especially as you seem to have made it through the worst of it.
Hope this helps!
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Hi everyone,
First of all thanks Gari and everyone for your contributions – this site really helped me to get an idea of what this may be like. I am on 10 mg and so far had no problems at all with any of the symptoms described. So just wanted to drop in and share this as perhaps the tendency is for people who are affected negatively to be more likely to share than those who never experience any problems. Not sure if this will be the case yet but will update if I experience any changes. Very best wishes for everyone and once again thanks for your invaluable insights!
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Thanks for that Gregg – as you say, many people who are fine will never take to the internet to share the positives, and so a massive and genuine hurrah for your post and your symptom-free ‘on-boarding’ – long may it continue! 😀
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I first took Citalopram about 2 and 1/2 years ago for a few months without any problems. I restarted them (20mg) about 2weeks ago. First week no problems- went to work as usual etc then last week my weekend was taken up by sleep and a big anxiety attack after this. Since then I have been nauseated most of the day- loose stools in the morning, not able to face food until later in the day. I already take it in the evening but am getting really fed up with this now….. Tempted to just drop to 10mg and see if that makes a difference 😦
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Hi Lesley,
Sorry to hear that second time around hasn’t been so pleasant. Doesn’t sound like much fun.
Personally, I’d never advise on self-dosage – there just seems far too much scope to mess yourself up on them tbh. Is it not possible to go back to the prescriber to see if it’s possible to reduce the dosage whilst you build back up to the 20mg? I’d try and stick it out at 20mg if you could, especially if you’ve done the two weeks, as otherwise, when you step back up from 10mg to 20mg, you may even be letting yourself in for another week or so of the side effects – and so just prolonging them!
Wishing you the best with getting these symptoms under control.
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I decided to do the sensible thing and stick to the 20mg prescribed as I’d tolerated it well before, but I did take it a bit earlier than usual (about half hour after eating). This morning I’ve woken up feeling much better- no nausea, hungry, and actually able to face eating (2 slices toast and marmalade!). Maybe the trick is in the timing- whatever it is fingers crossed………..
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Hi there im currently on day 8 of citalopram 20mg day 1-3 nothing
Really felt day 4 i had the migrane from hell for 8 hours sweating and being sick day 5-7 i felt increased happiness but today ive felt awful all day… Want to cry and feeling terribly anxious and panicky also the side effect ive been having are extremely dilated pupils
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Sorry to hear that you’re having a bit of a roller coaster Daniel, it doesn’t sound like much fun 😦
If it is any consolation, these next few days are usually the hardest, but at the same time, once you get through them, you’re done, you’ve got through it – just one final push. Hope that you make it, and that you start to feel much more levelled out shortly!!!
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Hello
I have been reading with interest all the posts from everyone starting this drug – it’s great that the site is so active & helpful! I am writing about my Dad who is 75 and desperately depressed and anxious – a state that he has been in to a lesser or greater degree for 15 years. He has been taking other antidepressants on & off during these years and has recently changed to a Citalopram after a 4 year low where the anti depressant he was taking really wasn’t helping his mood to lift. I pushed for this change and now feel bad as this new drug at the moment unfortunately has made him a whole lot worse but still in early days I guess – he started on 10mg for the 1st few weeks and had a load of the side effects mentioned (v v anxious, shaky, insomnia, loss of appetite, worried about absolutely everything, panicky,fearful, lethargic,& even more depressed!) then he perked up and felt briefly normal (maybe 2 days) then took a dive – the doctor upped him to 20mg about 10 days ago and he is in an even worse state – the doctor has said stick with it and encouraging him to go ahead with a planned holiday on 11th Nov (which they are close to cancelling).
I wonder whether a course of counselling/therapy could help him – altho right now he is in no state to do anything. My mother is finding life very difficult but neither of them have ever been very proactive in finding alternative help and live very much day-to-day in the hope/belief that things will/might improve. It sounds as though this drug should only be temporary thing to give ones mental state a kick start but I was under the impression with clinical depression (which my dad has been told he suffers from) he would need to take an antidepressant long term (forever?). Can this be taken long-term? If not – is this the right drug? How long will it take to see if the 20mg will help?
Any advice would be great 🙂
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Hi Kate,
Many thanks for stopping by and for adding to the content.
I’m sorry hear that your Dad is having to go through all this, let alone at the age of 75 and after what sounds like a tough few years.
From my experience, something nice to focus on such as a holiday is always a positive – it gives you a date to aim for and something to stop you from just ‘conceding’ – I think we all love to feel sorry for ourselves just a little bit, and with Citalopram, it’s totally our right to moan and get spoilt (every cloud… ha) but at the same time, especially in those with depression, it can last a lot longer than anyone, including the person affected, actually wants.
Not that I am daring to try and tell you how to suck eggs of course – sure that you’ve had more than your fair share of dealing with this awful condition over the years.
Talking therapies are definitely on the up at the moment, the Government and Opposition made a big fuss last year. I don’t think that very much happened on the back of it, but at the same time, I do think that the NHS and the new Clinical Care Commissioning Groups are very much on the ball with Mental Health, and providing a much more consistent service in this area. For me, counselling actually didn’t amount to much substance that I could take away, looking back on it, but at the same time, it was amazing to have someone there who you felt absolutely understood your condition and that you didn’t feel you were burdening by talking to them/feeling guilty.
For me, I was told Citalopram was very much just to give me a kick, enough to get me enough motivation to stable me out and get me to the counselling, however, I’ve now been on it 13 months and I’ve pretty much just been repeat prescriptioned for at least another 6 months of it (plus tapering off), so I guess short term isn’t quite what you or I would term it!
I don’t think that there are particularly long term side effects from it, however, I think that GPs are very keen to remind people that Citalopram is a crutch and not a solution – it only masks the problem by artificially rewiring the brain and whatnot. Given your Dad’s age, and the longevity of it, it may well turn out to be ‘forever’ – who knows, really. I should add, personal opinion, I’m in absolutely no way whatsoever medically minded.
3-4 weeks is supposedly the time when the light switches on, and the side effects usually abate after 2 weeks. It’s good to hear that you’re regularly in touch with the GP, so at least side effects and whatnot can be managed.
Hope that your Dad starts to feel more sprightly again soon, and that you don’t feel too guilty about the side effects – they’re absolutely awful for some, but wholly necessary and well worth it when it actually kicks in – promise! 🙂
(sorry, long long long post!!!)
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Thanks Gari for your thoughtful, helpful response…My dad is still suffering badly but IS going on hols.. In fact I am going to stay at there house to make sure he’s not too anxious to get in the taxi (at 3am!…not good for anxiety!).. We took him to see ‘ Sunshine on Leith’ tonight and it actually cheered him up!! Please go and see this upbeat (and yes.. A little cheesy:) film… It is The Proclaimers answer to Mamma Mia… A ‘must see’ for anyone who needs their day brightening 🙂 ….will report back in a couple of weeks & hopefully the pills will have started to work some magic ! Thanks again..
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Hi Gari,
It’s great to read these posts.
I have suffered from Social Anxiety for about 20 years and only last week got the courage to talk to the GP about it, what took so long I’ll never know but mental health stigma and been a ‘man’ are probably the reasons.
He prescribed Citalopram 10mg for a week then 20mg for 3 months. To be honest I was in shock after getting home and reading about Citalopram….. what? me on anti-depressants?
I appear to be grounded, have job, play sports,music, don’t suffer panic attacks so my initial thought was that my GP made a mistake. I haven’t collected the tablets yet from the pharmacy and am not sure that I will until I research them to death.
I’m booked in for CBT next week, been before and found it helped (although it’s so hard to find correct therapist!…most seem to be very young and straight out of college…I’m in my late 30’s and want someone older and wiser, especially for the hourly rates they charge!!
Next step is popping pill and telling my family that I’m on them which is daunting (we’re not the Waltons).
Thanks for your blog!
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Hi Pat,
It’s been great to write a post and then have everyone run away with it in the comments box – the post would be nothing without people coming forward and being brave/kind enough to share their experiences, despite how personal they can be.
Agree with you on the GP front – in my case, add in being a Northerner, and it just didn’t compute for me at first, heh. Also can identify with the ‘shock’ aspect of it – I resisted them for a few weeks, not on the basis of research, but just because I knew that anti-depressants had a pretty bad rap sheet and could alter your personality, which was something that I was adamant that I didn’t want. Ultimately, though, I let my imagination run away with myself, and am pleased that I can see that now – I’m still exactly the same person now, if not stronger 🙂
All that I would say on making the decision as to whether or not to start them – the only people who write ANYTHING about SSRIs are people who are depressive or have anxiety issues. Not that there is anything wrong with us, of course, but if we’ve just started taking them, you can bet we’re in a massive ditch and things are as bad for us that they’ve probably been. If you’re researching, then do bear that in mind – I didn’t at the start, and whilst I was able to rationalise it out, ultimately started my dosage as I felt that I had no other rational choice other than to go with what the Doc said was best.
CBT seems to be a young person’s game, doesn’t it – I’d have loved some nice old lady, possibly called Dolly, who gave out Werther’s Originals, but what I got was a girl younger than myself (I was 27 at the time), and I found it hard to relate to her, in a way, as she was still in my peer group. What I did find though was that she was very supportive in helping me deal with the emotional side of taking the pills and any side effects – so she proved her weight in gold in my case.
Wishing you HEAPS of luck for coming to the decision on how you want to proceed, and, of course, telling them family!
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It’s been an insight reading everyones comments. My GP started me on 10mg of Cit for GAD, but after a month I felt very little improvement. My GP upped my dose to 20mg 10 days ago, but I am still suffering badly. Do you think I need to give the higher dose a bit longer to get into my system? All in all, I have been taking Cit for almost 6 weeks. I don’t want to feel this low any more?
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Sorry to hear you are feeling so low after a while with the Citalopram.
Don’t think that when I stepped up to 30mg from 20mg that I noticed a massive difference tbh, I just levelled out properly with it and started having fewer ‘bad’ days. In your situation, I’d probably give it a few more days just to see if anything improves and then if no better make an appointment for the GP?
Everyone is different, so don’t panic! 🙂
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Hi, I just wanted to share my experience of 10mg citalopram. Ive now been on these for a week and whilst I feel so much better mentally already I feel constantly sick and almost as though im having an out of body experiance. Also I seem to get stomach cramps at night – however I shall perservere, I have to be upped to 20mg in another week, so may have to go through worse times.
Good luck everyone and stay strong
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Hi Louise,
Thanks for stopping by – great to hear that, mentally, you’re feeling a lot better in yourself already, and that it’s just the side effects to go (“just” in inverted commas of course!!!). Great that you can see a positive benefit in advance and that all the agro may well be worth it.
Hoping that they get better rather than worse. I got lucky when I stepped up and didn’t get the side effects a second time round, which was a small mercy in itself, so here’s hoping you get lucky with those too!! 🙂
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Hi,
Thanks for sharing your experiences of Citalopram. I was prescribed it yesterday with 10mg a day for the first week then 20mg after that. I’m glad to read that things improve as I’m suffering bouts of intense nausea already and feeling rather ‘vague’ with a slight headache I’ve never experienced before.
The doctor did explain the half dosage was to try to minimise the side-effects that occur until your body gets used to the medicine.
This is 4 hours into day one …
Angela
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Thanks for stopping by Angela – hope that you’re not too bad now you’re a few days in to it, especially with the proposed step up to ‘look forward’ to as well!
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Hi Gari,
I read your blog, and it has been reassuring.
I have been taking 20mg Citalopram for 9 days. I have been on it before, but it’s amazing how quickly you forget how long it takes to feel steady again and how horrid the side-effects are. Last two days I’ve felt really tired and more anxious, but usually I’m better by later in the day. I can see glimmers of improvement. I just feel very isolated, as friends and family, really don’t understand. I’m trying so hard. Days are so long, but I’m determined to beat this!
Thanks for taking time to write your blog.
Kirsty
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Ive now been switched to fluoxitene
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Hi Kirsty,
Many thanks for stopping by and feeding back 🙂
It seems like an eternity, doesn’t it? I can’t believe that my sofa-ridden couldn’t move days were really just about 4 or 5 – it felt like a lifetime!!
Fantastic determination that it sounds like that you have to get through it – hoping the best for you!
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Hi Gari, Googling away and stumbled on this site. I am 55 year old
Ive been on 20 mg since Feb 2013. for Anxiety and then depression. I will add it seemed to take 6-8 weeks for it to settle me down and feel “decent” again.. I had many of the side effects and also took Domperidone. I do take Propranolol for anxiety to.. The side effects settled down for me after around 4 weeks.
It is so good to read all the other comments and know that one is not alone.
I had CBT privately with a woman of my age aprox and to be honest I cant make my mind up whether I benefitted from the sessions…
A question I would like to ask is …..Does anybody else suffer from being tired all the time as a side effect of Citalopram? I can sleep now for 8-9 hrs get up then sleep again for 1-2 hrs in afternoon…
I would like to add that I felt awful for up to 6 weeks before getting the benefits of Citalopram…. STICK with it….or see your Doc…DON’T just stop taking them…
GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL.
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Hey Marc,
Many thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences – the more that get collated, the better in my opinion! 🙂
I can’t speak for myself, as I have other health issues/medications that can make me feel exhausted and lethargic. but to my knowledge I’ve not had any tiredness as a direct result of the Citalopram. I do often find that I am taking naps more, especially at the weekends, but assume that’s just because I’m getting ‘old’ now (I’m 28, haha!). Wonder if anyone else can help Marc out on this one??
Best, and massive thanks once again,
G
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I’ve just started taking cit 20mg, after An emergency appointment at the doctors because I had a trip to the crisis centre due to suicidal compulsions. I have needed anti depressants since I was a child but I’ve only just been put on them!
The side effects are less horrendous than other people’s here it seems but I am only on day 2 – feeling nauseous, dry-heaving from smells of food (was really upset yesterday because the smell of KFC made me heave, and I love KFC!) and today I’m still nauseous, teary and incredibly agitated along with really bad tremors. I’m hoping it eases soon because I feel sick all the time as it is without this making it worse! I’ve been signed off work for the week until I see my college tutor to discuss my current state. I was going to speak to him today but I feel so awful I don’t even want to Get out of bed. I sincerely hope these tablets work because this is really awful!
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Sorry to hear that you’ve come to Citalopram directly from a crisis centre – I’m sure that the associated side effects are the absolute last thing that you need at this time!
Pity about the KFC – similarly, a fan and I can’t imagine any worse side-effect than no longer being able to enjoy a KFC!! heh.
Very much hoping that you’ve improved since posting (apologies for the late reply, manic week!). Good to hear that you’ve been able to rest up, hopefully that helps speed up the process too 🙂
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Hi Gari,
I am so glad I found this column … I’m into my third week of taking citalopram for a panic disorder (only 10 mgs as I’m a real lightweight), and the side effects are still horrendous. Primarily violent nausea (which wakes me up every morning at about 3 am and persists til well into the afternoon), but also heightened anxiety, an ‘out of body’ feeling, dizziness and muscle aches. I was on citalopram a number of years ago, and don’t remember the side effects being nearly so bad either when I first went on them, or when I came off after a year.
I know I need to keep going and let the side effects settle, but three weeks in its such hard work, especially being a self-employed with no family around and a teenager to support. Reading so many similar stories has really helped.
Fingers crossed I can keep going until the side effects start to pass properly.
All the best, and thank you for your openness and honesty.
Cordi
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Hi Cordi,
Pleased to hear that you’ve found this post useful – sounds like it’s been beneficial, which is the best outcome that I could ever have hoped for when writing it 🙂
Nothing lightweight about 10mg – if anything, I envy you for not being on a higher dosage, ha – Citalopram is Citalopram, regardless of number of milligrams!
Three weeks with the side-effects does sound most unfortunate, especially with the reduced face-to-face support mechanism you appear to have at present. Have you had chance to pop back to the doc, or speak with a pharmacist, to see if anything can be done – especially with the nausea?
Genuinely wishing you all the best with the side effects, and do hope that you’re feeling much more ‘yourself’ as soon as possible!! 🙂
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Thank you for writing such a massive insight! 1st day…and having a tough time on it. Its nice to know that the side effects should and hopefully will stop 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by, reading the post, and for taking the time to comment – the more activity on the post, the more it goes up on the search rankings and is likely to get to others 🙂
Welcome aboard the good ship Citalopram – sorry to hear you too are having a tough time on it, but absolutely don’t lose faith – again, most people who find this post are experiencing the side effects, but you’ll see most people don’t come back – which, of course, is the best result possible!
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I have been on citalopram for 3weeks and haven’t noticed a change in how I’m feeling, I was started on the 10mg dose and today the doctor has advised me to increase to 20mg. I was initially weary of this as the side effects have just begun to settle. I was pretty lucky that I just got very tired with it. After reading this I’m not as anxious to increase the dose. And I completely agree with the no alcohol. Alcohol exaggerates most of the reasons we take citalopram to begin with. I don’t understand why people would want to do that. Thanks for the post. Very helpful.
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Sorry to hear that you haven’t yet noticed an improvement with Citalopram. It could be worth feeding back to the doctor if you still feel that way after 4-6 weeks since starting, which I believe is the time the average person sees a benefit.
Wouldn’t be too shy of increasing the dosage based on anything other than medical history tbh – if you didn’t notice the step up from 10mg to 20mg then there’s some logic that a further increase will only see you react the same? Is always a gamble it seems though
After my on-boarding, I was very surprised to get nothing at all when I stepped up 🙂
Once you’re settled and understand the tablet, alcohol does seem to be OK in moderation – I’ve not had a problem with it, but definitely would never do when taking a new tablet, just crazy talk, and never to excess! Perhaps a light at the end of the tunnel – glass of wine to celebrate is possible!!! 🙂
Wishing you all the best with finding the right dosage and tablet – sincerely hope that it doesn’t take too much experimentation.
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I took my first 20mg tablet of citalopram last night. I am horrified! Nausea, severe headaches, anxiety, hot flushes, body aches, feeling disorientated. I am basically in hell! Taking Valium as well which eases the symptoms but that only helps for an hour at most )’:
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Hi,
Sorry to hear that it has come as a bit of a shock to the system! That first tablet is always the worst I find. My advice would be to stick with it and head back to the doctor or pharmacist at the end of the week when you know exactly what side effects you’re having to see if there are any other supporting medications that you can try for some of the side effects – normally they don’t prescribe straight away as different people have different effects etc.
Hope that today is a better day! 🙂
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I had my first tablet earlier today, already my stomach feels so so unsettled, I want to be sick and my head is all over the place. I was getting really down and worried about it until I found and read this post, it’s made me worry less about how I’m feeling. Need to get through these first couple of weeks then should be okay I suppose :S Just wanted to say thanks for sharing your experience cause it helped me feel much better
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Thanks a mil for stopping by – glad to hear that this may have helped in some small way! 🙂
Absolutely don’t worry though, it’s completely normal I’m afraid and things will get better – honest!! 😀
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[…] all the things that I’ve ever done, writing about my Citalopram use is, without doubt, my proudest moment. That the post lives on and appears to provide a constant […]
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Hi Gari just to say I am on day 2 the nausea is really bad today and feeling really anxious is this the norm with these meds.
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Oh no, sorry to hear that!
Great to hear that you started them and do persevere – it’s definitely worth it in the end (even if it doesn’t feel like it at the moment!!!) 🙂
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Hi Gari i am now on day six of the citalopram my anxiety is through the roof as soon as I open my eyes not getting a lot of sleep either, I have been reading other forums and most of the side affects have been headache and nausea I’m just wondering why my anxiety is bad and feeling really awful.
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Hi Maria, Oh no! It doesn’t sound like you’re having a decent time of it at the moment – sorry to hear this. Unfortunately, the side effects are very personal and no two people tend to have the same ones (which is why Doctor’s don’t usually prescribe or suggest any medication for the side effects at the time of prescribing the Citalopram, I assume). Anxiety is a fairly common side effect and should settle down along with any other side effects, in the second or third week. It seems strange that a drug to combat anxiety does this, but do feel assured that it’s normal. If you feel that it is getting out of hand or having a significant impact on your quality of life at the moment, I’d suggest a visit to the Doc, or, if you feel worse over Christmas (and assuming you’re UK based) a call to NHS 111 for advice, if you think that it’s necessary. Sometimes medical based assurance can help more than anything else, especially with anxiety, and there will be people about all over Christmas, so no need to panic about not being able to access services. Wirth the anxiety, don’t get too hung up on reading about other people’s symptoms online – and avoid advice like mine (ha!!), you alone know how you’re feeling and what feels ‘right’ for you and what you consider acceptable. From what I’ve heard tell, Day 6 is usually one of the worst days, and so hopefully if you can bear with it another 72 hours or so, then you’ll be making your way out the other side of the worst of it. Wishing you all the best with these next few hours and days!!
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[…] post that helped me put things in perspective is here: http://garidavies.me.uk/2012/11/23/my-experience-of-citalopram-ssri/ (although if you are taking or thinking of taking citalopram, you might want to skip down to the […]
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Hi Gari
I thought I would come back to you for an update hope your feeling better yourself I am on day day 27 but day 4 of 20mg things got better and started to feel glimmers of hope then three days ago started to feel unwell again that’s why my DR increased my meds but all the side affect have come back and really not feeling well at all not being able to sleep is the wors only having maybe 2hrs a night was sleeping about 6 on the 10mg so have decided to take med in the morning instead of the night and have had then worst night ever palpitations hot body shakes really anxious and don’t know what to do with myself really has anyone else gone from night meds to morning I did it so baybe I could get some sleep and hoping I’ve don the right thing for myself I just hope there will be a little glimmer of light soon. You have been an inspiration to us all thank you. Maria x
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Hey Maria,
Thanks for coming back to us, sorry to hear that it’s still a bit of a roller coaster.
I’m just going through the same thing myself at the moment – I’ve just increased from 30mg to 40mg. Can’t really say just how disappointed that I was to need to do that, thought I was getting somewhere!! I lucked out both increases and didn’t get the side effects again but think I just got really lucky for once.
From what I’ve read online in the past, taking in the morning is usually a good idea for people who find their sleep disrupted by it, for the logical reason that the side effects for the day should have passed by in time for bed. Perhaps someone else reading has direct experience here?
Fab to hear that you’re sticking with it though, ultimately it is worth it and if you think of everything that you’ve invested so far, hopefully that’s the motivation to keep you going with it – the hard part is done and now it’s just a case of waiting for it to stabilise out unfortunately.
Wishing you all the very best for the next few days! 🙂
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Hi Gari,
I Definitely have improved a lot since posting on here last! I feel almost.. like me again. I have the energy and the will to try and look after myself (just things like taking care of my hair and skin, which was sorely neglected during the worst part of my depression) And I think the best part (may be a bad thing depending on your perspective) is that when I have a wave of a down mood, I’m actually aware of it being there now; and because I’m aware of it, it’s easier for me to identify my triggers and try and shift it if possible. I also find it easier to talk about how I’m feeling and what’s bothering me with my fiance, which was like trying to prise open pandora’s box before!! And my favourite part is the fact that I’m happy and enjoy admiring myself in the mirror and actually thinking I look pretty good. This was just a no-no before, and I never thought I’d enjoy doing it! And my fiance comments that I genuinely smile a lot more now, and laugh. Which is brilliant.
The worst of the side efffects passed within a month, they went through a cycle – first, it was the nausea/agitation/teariness, it then moved to insomnia and lack of appetite and weight loss, then it moved to extreme lethargy randomly throughout the day to the point I was falling asleep at my desk several times a day. That has now eased off almost completely (still have bouts on occasion, but that’s actually normal for me) so I can actually function easily now! The only issue I’m still having is I have difficulty communicating, it seems to have affected my speech. Like, I’ll be trying to say something and mid-sentence I try to say a specific word, and it just won’t come out even though it’s right there on the tip of my tongue, which affects my confidence to a certain degree. Other than that though, 20mg citalipram was the best damn thing to ever happen to me, and It was worth the first horrific month!
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Hurrah!
Fantastic to hear of a success story – so pleased to hear that you’ve found Citalopram worth it in the end. Know how impossible it seems at the start, but stories like this all hopefully inspire people to continue taking it.
For me, I liked the increased awareness, as I no longer panic when I’m feeling a bit rough, I feel that I understand the situation exactly, and can adjust/deal with it as necessary.
Hope that the speech thing tails off for you, I’ve not come across that side effect as of yet, but then I’m by no means anything close to an expert(!).
Here’s hoping that it continues to go well for you Hazel, and congratulations for getting through it – sounds like you really deserve to have levelled out after getting past all those side effects 😀
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I do hope it does help some people! I know I was incredibly worried about starting it once I had read the side effects, and worried myself further when I looked up other people’s reactions and saw some people had side effects for 6+ months after starting the tablets. It wasn’t enough to put me off them completely, but because I was worrying about it I can’t help but think that worsened the side effects I was already suffering from. Funny how that works, isn’t it?
I’m sincerely hoping the speech thing wears off too, as it’s infuriating – more so because I’ll be in the ‘flow’ of saying whatever and boom;mental block! I’m not sure if it’s actually a side effect of the medication or not, but I need to go back to my doctor’s for a review anyway, so I can ask them if it’s a known side effect or not.
Thank you, I hope it does too. It might make things easier for an interview I have coming up at the end of the month – my increased confidence might actually land me the job!! Fingers crossed!
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That’s definitely part and parcel of it, in my opinion – the worry messes with your mind and makes you thinks things that are not… I stepped up from 30mg to 40mg last week, and I had convinced myself that I was about to have the most horrific side effects again, and noticed every normal twinge and panicked a bit (as it turned out, nothing happened at all that was related to the Citalopram). Best of luck for the interview!!
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I am on day 11 of citalopram and although it has helped with the anxiety. My sleep has been affected greatly. I wake around 3 am and have trouble going back. Contemplating giving up on tabs as I need to function for work.
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Sorry to hear that it’s still causing sleep issues – hopefully they’ll settle soon – took about a month before my sleep pattern was fully back to normal, but now, no problems at all. Appreciate that they’re impossible when working – but would always advocate pushing through, especially after 11 days worth of on-boarding.
Wishing you well with them, and hope you find a solution to help you stay with them!
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It was so nice to find this post. i am on day 3 and so far it has been awful in terms of side effects. I was put on this meds due to anxiety over my 6 months old baby and a troublesome relationship with my husband. Whenever there is an argument, my husband walks off and says it is over, i developed an anxiety over this, in addition, my biggest issue is that i see my son dying from little things several times a day. Be it choking on the food i give him, or me not seeing him fall of the bed and break his head, to chopping off his hand by mistake with food processor (go figure), anything normal and ridiculous – i imagine it. So i finally broke down to my GP and he put me on 10mg to start with…….First night was tremendous, apart from drowsiness (i have been having it non stop these 3 days), my mouth was so dry, even drinking water did not seem to help much, i had restless legs, dry cough, headache, nausea and felt an out of body experience….yesterday i was scared to take another one, so just divided the dose in two takes with an interval of 4 hours, do not know if it is psychological, but it seems to be easier on my body, side effects are there but do not hit off my guard. One phrase of yours gave me hope, that the believe it or not, the side effects do not last forever…..Just annoying, that i started taking them to have more quality time with my son and not be scared of hurting him by mistake (my first son) and instead i feel that i am waiting for him to nap and sleep so i can nap too….grrr…..well, one thing i noticed that yesterday my husband said we are over again, and i just said ok….Maybe it was thanks to the C pills?
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Hey SD,
Many thanks for stopping by and for sharing your situation. Gosh, it’s really challenging for you, isn’t it? First thing that I have to say here is a massive well done for getting through all of that – sounds like an absolute nightmare!
In terms of the pills, they honestly do get better – at absolute worst the side effects will go and you’ll feel no better (in which case, the doc will probably just up the mgs) – however, what I’ve never seen is someone who ends up with these side effects long term, regardless, and so genuinely hope that knowing this provides some comfort.
First few days are usually a bit of a shock to the system, but if you have any side effect that you’re really concerned about, just speak with the doctor or a pharmacist – don’t feel that you have to go it alone.
Genuinely hope that your situation improves for you, and in the very near future – I found it hard and didn’t have half the distractions that it sounds that you currently have, and so absolutely take my hat off to you. Sounds like you’re doing fantastically well.
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Hey man just thought id say thanks for posting your experience. Got prescribed the 20’s about an hour ago, just going to make some grub and take my 1st one.
I was given them for depression, in the space of 3 weeks i lost my job, buried my dad and got t-boned of my motorbike, then to top it off my longterm girlfriend left me but to be fair i might be more anxious than i thought i was too as i have taken a wide variety of recreational drugs over the years without hesitation, never had a problem as such, just a work hard play hard kinda thing but thinking about it, it just seems strange to be paranoid about something the doc gave me!
Definitely right about everyone just talking about negatives on most sites so im glad to see that not everyone gets it properly tight. One thing that keeps cropping up though is the not sleeping which is a bit of a worry as that is a real problem i have been having but thankfully the doc also gave me a weeks worth of sleepers so im tempted to bang them both together and hopefully sleep through the 1st week of side effects but just not sure if il see any benefits if i only take the cit’s in the evenings though from what i gather it will be a while before i see any benefits i cant really see the harm in it and might be an easier way to get my body used to it.
Well anyway we’ll see how it goes, took me months to even get to the docs and had a complete breakdown so the only way is up from here, will let you know how i get on and thanks again buddy…
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Hey,
Cheers for stopping by and sharing your situation.
Hope that the first one wasn’t too grim for you – definitely the worst from a psychological point of view. Reading what you’ve had to put up with in such a short space of time genuinely makes me feel like we’re in completely different leagues, and that I wouldn’t ever dream of comparing my situation with yours – that you’ve managed to come through it is an amazing testament to you – Citalopram should be a walk in the park compared to all that, wow!
Sleep is the thing that I’ve heard the most in terms of problems. I’d suggest taking in the morning, if possible, but to be fair, I was doing that and still had sleep problems. Worth a try switching them up if it does happen, else otherwise, taking in the evening with some sleeping stuff (especially if it was prescribed at the same time) can’t be a bad idea – as you say you’ll hopefully sleep through the worst of any side effects.
Good on you for taking that first step, and genuinely hope that it all goes well for you – sounds like you’ve had more than enough going on recently without now having all of the Citalopram stuff to worry about – definitely deserve a ‘break’!
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Hey,
Just thought id check back in on day 4. Thought id be doing the smart thing on day one and took my first one just after a meal, but around 3 hours later the nausea kicked in, didnt see it stopping anytime soon but i had some cornflakes with plenty of sugar that evening and it did seem to help though it wasnt easy it getting down.
Tried a different tactic on day 2 and i think this is the method il be sticking with. I took my second one on an empty stomach and didnt have nearly as much nasuea but what you loose on nasuea you gain in the form of the jitterbug as i like to call it lol. Shaking hands and legs and a general slightly spaced out feeling. Not the safest method if you have to drive or anything, i wouldnt even attempt to get on my pushbike never mind my R6 but it also means im having to walk everywhere which is getting me out of the house for longer than i otherwise would have been even if i am walking like a bit of a wierdo!
Tempted to move back in with my mum for a while, she did offer but we generally dont have the best track record of living together hence moving out at 15 but we do get ona lot better now so it might be worth a try as pottering about my own big house myself isnt really doing me any favours and would be alot easier financially which is a major contributor to my issues i think, going from making more money than i knew what to do with to living on fortnightly benefits that i would have spent more on a night out never mind live on for two weeks.
Well thats enough of a ramble from me today, cheers for the kind words Gari, and il keep this updated as im finding it does help to vent a bit. Im not normally one for for this online stuff, dont even have a facebook lol but this seems actually worthwhile…
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Hey again fella,
Thanks for checking back! 🙂
Completely trial and error on the first few days, gotta be said – once you find the combination that works for you, the sense of ‘relief’ tends to wash over any feelings of ‘meh’ to be honest. If anything, guess it helps you to feel a bit ‘better’ and that the tablets are at least helping with something – bit of a placebo effect?
Exercise is supposedly a great thing for depression, anxiety and motivation issues. It’s still something that I struggle with at the moment, I often feel exhausted at anything, not helped by other chronic conditions that I have which also have this side effect, and so a bit of walking, again, may actually help with the original problem. Not so much in the cold and rain though!! 😛 (if only you could have waited until the summer, ha!! – I was a winter on-boarder too).
Having someone else about may be a good stimulus for you to try and continue on as normal. I totally went the other route and ‘wallowed’ and imagine I felt a little worse for it to be honest. Plus, there’s no harm in being spoilt, is there?! As long as whoever you’re with understands the situation, and that they’re aware that they absolutely don’t need to worry (as I imagine it could be a little distressing for them). I guess that’s something for you to weigh up – is it more exhausting doing everything for yourself, or dealing with people overly-fussing over you!
Venting is always a great solution I find, especially with Citalopram – it forces you not to focus on the side-effects and also writing out what’s happening may hopefully help to put things in to perspective/order – totally what motivated me to write this post – distraction therapy haha!!! 😉
Good luck with it fella, look forward to hearing from you again 🙂
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Absolutely brilliant site, albeit scary reading that people are still suffering side effects after a long while. I am only 2 tablets in and already have the nausea. I’ve found myself worrying about what if the tablets don’t work and I’m going through all of this for nothing but I guess that’s just the negative thoughts going hand in hand with the depression. I feel like I just want to be scooped up and looked after but sadly whilst I have loads of support from friends on the phone and some face to face I do live alone so feels very lonely. I just want to feel like me again. I am having therapy too with a great counsellor, I had tried to battle the depression without resorting to antidepressants but it had me beat. Please god it doesn’t take too long.
Christine.
X
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Hi Christine,
Thanks for stopping by and for your feedback/shared experience.
I have to say, you sound the absolute mirror of me when I was contemplating all of this, right at the very start. I went to the Doctor very much in the mind-frame that I didn’t want to be on anti-depressants, as I’d heard scare stories about them ‘changing’ people. After two months of delaying the inevitable, I ended up having ‘that discussion’ again, and turned out to be the best decision I’d ever made.
The scare stories surrounding SSRIs doesn’t help, in my experience, but so long as you keep in mind the only prejudices or things holding you back are your own, then I found that once I got over this, that was the hardest bit. Turns out that it’s quite common for people to take Citalopram and you’re nowhere near as alien as you may feel.
Glad to hear you have a support network to hand – better than any tablets ever will be. Again, it feels like a hopeless plight right at the start point, and it’s completely natural to question whether or not they’ll work – just have faith that they will usually do just the right job, and hopefully that’ll give you confidence to continue with them.
Wishing you all the best!
Gx
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Glad I found your site. Just took my first dose of 20mg Citalopram. (For depression) I was very nervous and wanted to read 1st hand of others’ experiences. I wasn’t real happy to see all the mentions of nausea, but now I’m informed and know that it’s normal. Praying it does what it’s supposed to do soon. I miss being “ME” .Thank you for posting and allowing others to share their experiences.
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Good Luck Freida, it isn’t the best of starts for a new tablet but absolutely isn’t how it will always be and ultimately worth it when you start to feel more of yourself again! 🙂
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Hi Gari
Been on Citalopram 10mg for a few months now but just wanted to say thanks for sharing your insights and it’s so reassuring to hear there are similar symptoms and feelings.
Like you I read many a horror story online so thanks for sharing a good balance and one that is encouraging of others.
As for anyone else it does get better, I find small snacks help the nausea pass and in a strange way it’s good to attribute it to the tablets rather than anything else.
Kind regards
Emma
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Thanks Emma – although everyone has a unique experience I find that the reason we’re usually all at Citalopram’s door is a great unifier 🙂
Great tips, many thanks for sharing them!!!! 🙂
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Hi Gari,
I posted a comment above last November, I’ve just gotten around to taking them recently.
I’m on day 9 and feel good. The first 7 days on 10mg weren’t as bad as I thought they were going to be, no nausea at all, just some sleep problems (waking up at 5am feeling rough- like a bad hangover) and feeling a bit spaced out.
I took my first 20mg last night and was worried about it but today I feel fine, looking forward to the next few weeks feeling normal for a change.
Thanks
Pat
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Hi Pat,
Great to hear that you were able to give these a try and even better that you haven’t had any side effects that are too rotten! I’ve found that when stepping up a dose I don’t get the side effects again (different people, different experiences) and all that!
Massive thanks for coming back and sharing your experience with us all. Really helpful 🙂
Wishing you all the best,
Gari
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Hi Gari ,
Im now on 40 mg for a week or so ,total 8 weeks and the things are much better ,just still a bit low energy ,not anymore depressed or anxious but still low energy ,what do you think how long it will take the energy to come back ? and i also sleep all night long and i sleep in the morning to until 12 noon ! Is so much sleeping something expected ?
Regards
Mihail
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Hey,
Sorry it has taken a day or so to come back to you – crazy week!
Energy is pretty subjective I think – it may be a case of looking at other lifestyle areas (diet, exercise etc). The excess sleep sounds like it could be exasperating it slightly too?
Probably something for the doctor or a medical professional?
Great to hear that the other stuff has settled down though – the energy thing may just be a necessary evil/trade off?
Best,
G
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Hey Gari
Just a few lines I have just started my first day of 10 mg and Im petrified
and not sure if its for me Thanks for all your advice but not sure if too take my second tomorrow.
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Hey Justin,
Congrats on being able to start – the first one is the worst and the journey here is always the hard bit IMO.
Stick with it if you can and don’t worry – any side effects are normal so hopefully you can keep anything in context and keep an eye on the bigger picture (probably the hardest bit to be honest)
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Hi
I know your post was a while ago but just wanted to say thanks, after reading all the awful horror stories it is good to read yours! I have been taking citalopram for 2 weeks, first week felt pretty awful, 2nd not so bad then on day 14 horrible panicky feelings which is why I’m taking them in the first place! Hoping they are just side effects as desperate to get rid of the anxiety! Will keep plodding along
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Hey,
Good to know that it may have helped 🙂 huge thanks for sharing your experience too – hope it all settles down soon 🙂
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It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a
doubt donate to this brilliant blog! I suppose for now
i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS
feed to my Google account. I look forward to new updates
and will talk about this website with my Facebook group.
Chat soon!
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Ha!! Bless you I’m not worth donating for – I just write what I know!!
I always seem to come up with the taboo problems in life and even tomorrow I’m planning on posting on a new thing which has consumed my life the last few weeks / is even more personal to me ha!!
Thanks heaps for your feedback – things like this give me the motivation to want to keep writing and helping myth bust where I can! 🙂
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Hi Gary, I’m so relieved to find this forum. Due a horrible back problem a got anxiety problems, and I was prescribed Citalopram 10 mgs. Im starting week 7 and side effects are bad, and very susceptible to noises !!!. But I feel in a way I’m in control, in comparison to 3 weeks ago, i was like a zombie. I was sleeping ok, but now I ‘m not sleeping well!!! . Im starting exercising again , and looking after myself. BUT NIGHTS ARE NOT GOOD.
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Thanks a mil for stopping by and sharing your experience 🙂
Sorry to hear that in week 7 you’ve still got a few of the side effects clinging on – encouraging to hear that you feel more in control of them 🙂
Wishing you the VERY best!
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I started cit 10 10 days ago then went up to 20mg three days ago- the first pill took 4 hours to hit but when it did I got a crazy high like being on extasy. It was intense. For 4 days it was like that but then I started taking it at night before bed- which worked better… On the 10 mg- but then I upped my dose to 20 and now I feel absolutely normal. Back to normal. Which sucks because I was horrible normal. So I’m wondering do I up my dose after 3 days because I’m not feeling as good as I did on the lower dose? ( the dr prescribed me 1 week 10 mg – 2 weeks 20mg- 3 weeks 30 mg 4 -40) I don’t know if I should just wait or if my pills went bad in my purse?( hah I know that’s not it- but it feels like nothing)
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Hi sarah, definitely wouldn’t mess with the dosing too much – Citalopram is a powerful drug which actually changes levels of seratonin in the brain! Sorry to hear you’re feeling normal again – it usually does take a few weeks to kick in properly – suspect if you went back down to ten now you’d get withdrawal symptoms and still feel the same as you do now tbh – normal is good it shows you are tolerating the meds well without side effects – think most of us on this post would love to be in that position ha! Just remember it takes a few weeks and keep going with it – that would be my advice!! I take citalopram daily still at the moment and don’t even notice it, other than I no longer have anxiety and daily depression – which is how it should be!
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I’m on day 4 of 20 mg of citralopram and like you I’m really struggling with nausea and feeling jittery,a bit like if you’ve had too much caffeine .your blog has reassured me that I’m not alone and that it will get better,I’ve just got to ride it out!back to my docs next week so she can check how I’ve been so I’ll let her know about my side affects .
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Many thanks for taking the time to share . I started on 20mg this morning .
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All the best with it 🙂
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We’ll my doc didn’t seem too concerned about my side effects
she just recommended that I try to eat something small every couple of hours.i definitely don’t feel quite as bad,2 days ago I felt great only for the nausea to kick in again the next day.but today I got out for a walk and chatted to my neighbour which I couldn’t have done last week so hopefully on the way to feeling like myself.
On another note I wish you well on your own treatment Gari,you have helped so many others with your blog you deserve some luck of your own
Yv x
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In your opinion what dose is better for treating anxiety.? Began with 10mi and I am in week 6 and still do not feel the best. I get panick attack in the am and has loss my appetite feeling down during the day,I also switch From paxil to citalopram 6 weeks ago only because I thought this one has less side effects but I was doing ok with it ..Are the not supposed to work the same and be the same drug? I feel like I started over again adjusting my body maybe I shall I stay with Paxil..not sure what to do
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I’m in no way medically minded so it absolutely depends on your Doctor to be honest. Often the dose you start on isn’t the one you finish on, so I wouldn’t be too disheartened 🙂
After 6 weeks it should, I believe, have started to make a difference if it is going to (that’s just an average tho supposedly).
From what I can see, Paxil is a brand name for another SSRI – so a completely different medication that is trying to hopefully try to achieve the same outcome.
Wishing you best with it!
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guys, quick update!!
Currently dealing with a cancer diagnosis that has demanded a lot of unexpected amounts of time and energy. (See the homepage if you want any more info)
Please, do continue to post comments – I am so proud of this post and whatnot – just I ask that you please bear with me if I can’t always instantly approve of respond to a comment.
Rest assured I will do as, like I say, I love the little community “sod Citalopram thing” we have going in here 🙂
Gx
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Hi Gary
Was brill to read your experiences with Citalopram. I suffer from sever anxiety and panic!!!
I have just, for the second time, started taking 10mg again but this time the side effects are right there as with last time I had none!!
2nd day and within 45 min of taking the tablet I am literally all over the place.
My anxiety increases so the dry mouth comes along with racing heart, slight confusion, tiredness!! Severe tiredness!! (No nausea though!)
So I take a lie down (luckily it’s the weekend and I’m at home!) I get abit fidgety and sweaty but then nod off. Feel abit shitty when I wake up after an hour or so but better after a brew!!
My partner goes back to camp tomorrow for the week (army) so I’m v v anxious about being on my own at the night times but I feel I can get through the initial effects!! I am also trying to figure out at what time in the day to take them when working! I’m thinking half hour before bed maybe if it makes me sleepy :))
Would be great to hear back from you 🙂
Thanks, Ashlee 🙂 x
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Hi Ashlle,
I take mine early evening as it initially gave me lots of side effects .early evening for me means I get sleepy but it doesn’t interfere with my natural sleep.if I leave it too late I find I wake up after 2/3 hours and struggle to get back to sleep.my partner also away at the moment ,just try to put yourself first for a little while ,if feel better your family will feel better too.good luck!
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Hi Gari
For 18 months, following treatment for two primary cancers, I have felt exhausted and anxious. Unexplained leg pain and ‘low mood’ stopped me doing the hour long daily walk I’ve always done. GPs and Oncologists suggested that I was anxious and depressed – and explained how and why leg pain etc can be a sign of these conditions _but I wouldn’t have it. Then, six weeks ago, I began having weekly migraines with severe neck pain and nausea which I haven’t had since I was in my thirties (I’m now 63).
Just over 4 weeks ago, I gave in and began a course of 20mg citalapram. Side effects of nausea, feeling ‘spaced out’ and ‘jumpiness’ lasted about a week and a half and by week 3 I felt good. Aches and pains disappearing, more energy and better mood. Still having weekly migraines though. Week 4 saw me sliding down a bit. with anxiety, intense nausea returning on a daily basis, leg and neck pain – sometimes with migraine, sometimes not. Went back to GP. he said I could either wait for another two weeks (he said meds start to kick in and stabilise at 6/8 weeks) or I could face what may be the inevitable next step and increase dose to 30 mg. He gave me the extra tabs just under a week ago, but I haven’t increased yet. Thought I’d wait to see if the 20 dose would kick in. But today I feel awful. neck pain, migraine, nausea, heavy legs (always seem to come with migraine – wading through mud) and utter exhaustion.
I don’t really understand why the initial side effects – if that;s what they are – have recurred. I don’t know whether to ‘up’ the dose or wait. I did wonder whether the migraines were an s/e but these had come back two weeks before I began the cit.
Feeling down and wondering if I’ll ever feel well again. Once you’ve tasted the ‘better’ days the bad ones seem even worse.
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Hi Maureen – going through a rough primary cancer thing myself at the moment so I empathise and applaud you for getting through it twice!
May be worth trying the 30 to see if that helps but when it comes to Citalopram it never hurts to be persistent with doctors I have found!
Really hope that Citalopram works for you. I’m classed as a long term user now it seems, having been taking it for eighteen months straight, but I am lucky and have seen benefits with it for anxiety and depression.
Definitely emphasise with the better days comment. Today is one of the bad ones for sure!
Wishing you all the best!
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Hi again Gari
So sorry to hear about the cancer. Not being flippant, but I must say as one whose had it twice, it’s easier to cope with than anxiety and depression. I wish you well.
A quick question. Do you know whether it’s usual for initial side effects to recurr?
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Agreed – I’m symptom free from the tumour – same story – meds again!!!
I don’t think that they tend to reoccur unless you step up or down the dose or if you go a few days with missed doses – I’d certainly flag it outside of these times!
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Thanks for sharing this. I’ve been taking citalopram (40mg mostly) for a decade now, and found it luckily to have very few side effects for me, including at the beginning. (I discovered I still need it unfortunately, sucks to be pregnant too.) Hard to tell if my brain fog is contributed to by this or just my chronic fatigue. Paroxetine definitely fogged my brain but that’s a super-sedating SSRI.
I hope things have gotten much better for you.
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Thanks a mil – gosh I thought I had been on it a long time – nothing in comparison! Sorry to hear about the fatigue and congrats if it’s a current pregnancy. Massive thanks for stopping by and sharing that there is life after starting Citalopram 😉
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I’m on day 5 of Cit 20mg. Your blog is fantastic. So much negative stuff on different sites ( You Tube particularly bad ). I finally gave in and went to see my Doctor Tuesday this week telling him I had been fighting depression which had been spiralling downward since March due to a relationship breakdown plus I also have ‘reverse S.A.D.’ ( dread summer ) so I didn’t know if it was the chicken or the egg in this case but the result was the same . I am au fait with CBT techniques and use Dr Burns handbook ‘Feeling Good’ , however I knew that St Johns Wort ( I was self medicating ) was not working. I found the ‘courage’ to go in and tell him and opened up. He said I had amazing insight : I was quite humbled. I told him I was terrified of losing my libido due to what I had read about SSRI’s and he said what he was prescribing me should not affect that ( so far so good lol ! ). Took first tab Tues night and have had nausea, mild headaches, blunt emotions, yet still ruminating. Been on and off the settee all day soooo tired ( I live alone ) but I am hoping that I am getting through the rough which seems to be the case in the 1st two weeks according to contributions on your blog. Fingers crossed ! Thank you for your excellent blog.
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Thank you massively for your kind words and for sharing your situation – doesn’t sound like you’re having a good time of it at the moment! Hope that things settle down soon and that the Citalopram does the job! Remember, I you don’t have to feel poorly, one of those times I’d say don’t suffer in silence with it, make a fuss and take medication to counteract the side effects if possible – no points for “being brave” – wishing you the very best!!
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Thanks for sharing nice to know your not the only person in the world to feel shit on them tablets,I’m now on my 2nd month of tablets and boy what a rollercoaster it’s been,the first 2 weeks were the most awful time of my life I would of done anything to make the pain go away, no sleep,been sick everyday,anxious felt suicidal,lost so much weight I went down to 6stone n I’m 25,my body ached.if it wasent for my dad encouraging me to stick with the tablets I would of come off them and probably made it worse. I live with my fiancé and the worst thing was every morning I would cry and be like y me and he would have to reassure me and u used to feel guilty coz I knew everyone was worried about me and everyone was just as knackered as me. I was off work for 5wks I felt guilty bout that I never take time off work. Was too scared to be left alone. This happened for 3wks,been off work nothing doing anything relli didn’t help.i started feeling better very nervous about going back to work,I started part time then eventually went bck up to full time and I’ve been fine since 🙂 fingers cross I stay fine,when I first started on the tablets I relli thought there’s no way out,if you are reading this trust me you WILL get through it.it relli does help if you have supportive ppl in your life. X
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I really enjoyed reading this. I’m on day 6 of taking cit, I felt quite good the first few days, I now believe that was because I had finally done something to get myself on track after spending my whole life feeling on a knifes edge. The last two days I have felt as flat as a pancake, I am feeling nothing. It’s weird!. I had a mild bout of nausea, but that seems to have gone, as have the banging headaches, I had these before I even started. I’m on 10mg, but will be increasing to 20mg on Monday, feeling very apprehensive about that, but I will do it. Just wish this dead feeling would go away.
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Thought I’d add my two cents. I was actually on Prozac for… 5 years maybe? I started when I was around 16. I felt I was making a lot of progress so I took myself off the Prozac when I was 21. A year later, regretting that decision. Around 3 months ago I decided to go back on the Prozac. The first time I took it, I had no side effects. If I did, nothing thats enough for me to remember. This time I started out with insomnia, and it went on to intrusive thoughts. I have a huge fear of choking that I’ve struggled with for years, and all of a sudden I’m scared I’m going to intentionally choke on things. Also terrified of hurting those around me. Just really preoccupied with death. I’m 22 years old for gods sake. So I go to regular counselling and had a huge breakdown and cried my eyes out and was told to go back to the doctor. Which is now me, day 3 on 20mg Citalopram. So far, not sure of any side effects… Because I was already feeling like absolute total shit anyway so I don’t think life could feel any worse than I do right now. Just hoping for the best because I’d been sleeping maybe 2 hours a night and I’m just beyond mentally exhausted and full of a lot of fear. I heard this medicine can numb you? I sure hope so. That’d be great. I wish my brain would just STOP for a while. Feeling really guilty for the stress I’m putting on my parents.
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Thanks for stopping by and sharing Caitlin!
Hope you’ve been able to talk it through with your parents – I’d say it’s one of the few times you’re good to be “selfish” in life! I’m not sure about numb you, but it probably does dull your more uncontrollable emotions etc. The sleeping does get better! I manage a good 10 hours a night at the moment on a higher dose – so hopefully that’s encouraging news for you.
Wishing you all the best – sounds like you’ve been on this for the long haul, and you deserve a ‘break’!
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Hi gari, thank you for sharing your experience I no it’s helped me, I’m 22 an have an 11 month old baby, an recently id say 2 weeks I was feeling down an very teary an just generally not wanting to do things I went to the doctors an she prescribed me cit, I’m on 10mg an on day 7. An I can definitely say I’ve had bad side effects I went back today to see if there was anything they could give me to go along the tablets but she said no she said it’s up to me wether I wanted to stay at them or come of them but my mum had said to stick it out then I came on here an saw you have said to stick it out also. It’s the anxiety I can’t cope with I didn’t feel this bad last week before taking them I was taking them t night an have now changed to mornings after the doctor told me too last night was day 6 an it was awful at the night time an I just can’t sit still my legs are constantly shaking was thinking in going to try another week or so then give up or would you say that’s too soon to give up as it’s only been a week?
Thanks
Aimee
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Hi Aimee,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story – appreciated!
Can’t be easy to do all this with a young child also. I’d say it’s definitely worth sticking with it – I’m not sure they can pill the side effects of Anxiety as the Citalopram heightens the sense initially and is also the drug which should hopefully dampen the Anxiety down.
With regards to the restless legs have you discussed that with the doctors, or has that happened afterwards? I’m no professional but I imagine it’s just the nerves getting used to the Citalopram.
Even if you get no change at all, these tablets do get better, so I’d always advise sticking with to see what happens – at 10mg you still have a lot of ‘wiggle room’ – I’d sum up my advice as:
You’ve done 7 days, it will likely take you 7 days to successfully ween off it if you suddenly decide you don’t want to continue it, so as I see it, you may as well keep going with it?
As I say, what do I know?! 🙂
Wishing you well with it all, Gari 😀
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Thanks for getting back to me, I was taking the tablet at night time as I found they made me tierd but the last two nights had bad nights so today changed it to the morning, so hopefully that makes it a bit better, it’s my anxiety that has got worse the past week but I have read that can be a side effect too. Yeh mentioned about my legs today at the doctors again this can be due to my anxiety. Yeh it’s difficult looking after a baby when I feel like this but I’ve been having help of family members, I just want the side effects to die down a little I find when I take the tablet about 2 hours after I get hit with the panicky feeling shaky nausea an sleepy but can’t sleep! All this for a tablet ey? Some people say it doesn’t seem worth it but that’s people who aren’t on them or even tried them.
Aimee
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I used to find it best in the morning – but then I like my sleep too much. The trade off there is that you don’t sleep through the side effects I guess. I got lucky and managed to still get a skewed 8 hours, but it wasn’t pretty to be honest – at least it was predictable!
It’s a stupid tablet, I think we all agree, but hopefully worth it in the end – 7 days = hopefully halfway there! I think most people are chuff they managed to get through it – just don’t be disheartened that there may not be ‘instant’ results – the end of the side effects may be cause of celebration enough for a few days anyway 😉
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Morning gari, had a better night last night than I did the night before still got to take my tablet today though I dread taking them! Thanks for all your advice I no I’m still not me as iv not been out of the house all week apart from the doctors yesterday did you find at first you just stayed in all the time on the sofa? Yesterday when I took my tablet at 11am it made me really tierd so I went to bed an slept from 12-3 but don’t want to have to do that every day!
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Hurrah, glad to hear it Aimee! Small steps!! 🙂
Absolutely, I was flat out and couldn’t do much.
Recently recovering from a brain tumour too, and what I’ve learnt more than anything – rest and sleep when you can, also if you know it happens every day, perhaps it can become part of the ‘routine’ – don’t worry about the time of day – social norms count for nothing when you’re ill 🙂
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Sorry to hear that gari you must of been through a lot glad you have come through it! My baby has just gone for the day now with her auntie so I’ve just took my tablet an lay on the sofa I have no appetite what so ever but just tried to eat so I don’t feel sick. Just don’t want it to become a routine me taking it then having to go bed as I can’t do that everyday! But on day 8 now so hopefully it will just get better from here! Fingers crossed anyway.
I need to get back on top of the house work haha!
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Yeah, I stopped myself from sleeping in the day – totally stigmatised myself for crumbing every day ha! On reflection, wasn’t a great idea. Rest is good.
I hated feeling unproductive – but I’ve not yet succumbed to having to do the house work, haha!
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Well I’ve just put all the washing away so I suppose that’s something, thanks for the conversation I’m sure I’ll be back talking some more!
Aimee
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Hi Gary how are you?
I had a good week last week no side effects but then woke up this morning feeling like I did on the first week of taking them! It was awful absolutley shaking couldn’t keep still but had no energy but couldn’t sleep! I went to the dr an they have gave me propanol I’m only 2 weeks in thou on the tablets well just over 2 weeks just horrible how I thought i was over it then it hit me again insomnia is driving me mad too! Don’t look forward to ed at all. Get anxious thinking avout it, cos of how I’ve been today!
Hope things get better!
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Hi Aimee,
Oh gosh, how disappointing!!
Sorry to hear you’ve still not managed to settle out 😦
G
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I’m on Citalpram. Ask your doctor for a month supply of the U.K’s version of Klonopin for the first four weeks. It keeps you from any anxiety attacks until the Citalpram kicks in and starts working.
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Hi Gary, thanks for this blog it’s really useful to knw ur not alone. I am on day 5 of Cit for anxiety. Had really bad side effects with 10mg so Dr said cut it in half and go down to 5mg. Side effects wernt as bad and I just yesterday went up to 10mg again. I am feeling really really ill almost flu like symptoms. Mornings are worst I wake up with my heart fluttering (also taking beta blockers for this) diorreah and generally feeling ill. Is it normal to feel flu like with these tablets? I’m so worried as I am going on holiday in 3 weeks and day knw how I will manage if I’m feeling like this 😦
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Hi Cally,
Helps me as much as everyone else! 🙂
Tiredness and general lethargy are fairly common to it from what I can remember. Feeling ‘detached’ is fairly normal too.
I found out the hard way that I can’t stomach beta blockers – hope that they are working for you.
I have to say, your experience doesn’t sound like the many that have been kindly shared by others on here – but doesn’t make it cause to panic! None of us on here are medical so please only take what’s here at face value!
Maybe just check in with the doctor and see what (s)he says? Things like the diarrhoea should be pretty easy to clear up with a second tablet? (I know that with all the cancer meds I’m on, I have to take a tablet that works the opposite way, so it’s not uncommon to take something to avoid having side effects no the bowel.
Good luck with it – hopefully you’ll be well and have a nice Christmas and holiday!!! 🙂
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Hi there Cally, i felt the exact same way when i first started citalopram. The first week is the absolute worst for side effects, for the first 7 days i was practically bed bound and couldn’t go to work they were so bad. It is normal, but i promise you it WILL fade away if you are persistent. Most, if not all of your side effect are gone by the first month (i found) so you will be fine for going on holiday!
I have been on the tablets for over a year now (started at 20, now up to 40) and honestly it’s worth pushing through. Saying that, if i hadn’t of found this post by Gary when i started i would have given up with them. He and everyone else really helped make the transition easier. Try to focus on the benefits and you’ll get there!
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i was put on citalopram almost 4 weeks ago and I am still suffering. Dr started me on 10mg last week he changed it to 20mg. I have been unable to stomach food, living on bananas and Weetabix, cant sleep more than 4 hours at night and feel sick in the mornings. With Xmas just 2 days away I feel horrid. Thought about going back to Dr but cant get an appointment but when I mentioned the not eating to him he said I would eat eventually. I don’t want to feel like this anymore
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Sorry to say it, but your Doctor sounds like an arse!
Could be worth a trip to the pharmacy to see if they can offer anything complimentary for the stomach upset – surprised they haven’t tried you on Cyclizine (prescription only) – they also give it when pregnant for morning sickness, and it’s used in cancer treatments too – so it’s pretty widely available.
Can you not get a telephone appointment or attend a walk in centre perhaps? Appreciate it’s a rubbish time of the year to be trying to get help with the side effects, especially when they drag on as yours have.
Hope you’re feeling more tip-top in time for Christmas, if not, don’t push yourself and enjoy the day at your pace!! 🙂
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Hey Gari.
Brilliant little post. I took my first tablet this morning (Well, slightly past midnight now so the morning of the 4th) so it’s really helpful to read about someone else’s experience with the insanely scary situation I’ve just embarked on. I’m not looking forward to my second tablet at all.
I’ve managed fairly (apart from a small bit of nausea for a couple of hours after taking it and pretty bad drowsiness all day) side-effect free for today but I’ve got a horrible feeling I’m not clear yet am I?
What was the situation on your first day like, did you get side effects straight away or were they something that came on a few days down the line?
Thank you.
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Hey Michael,
The second tablet is always easier, congrats on taking the first!
I managed a few clear days before mine kicked in on Day 4, but I guess it depends on how much is in your system and what the ‘tipping’ point is for when the balance of medication becomes resident etc.
First Day was fine for the first 8 hours, nausea after, controllable though. Stepped up a notch on Day 6.
Best of luck with it!!
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Today is the first day for me taking Citalopram, and I’ve been nervous about any impending side-effects. It’s really heartening that you’ve been so honest about the side-effects and I feel a bit more prepared for the next few weeks/months. Thankyou!
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Good luck Graham!! Stick with it 🙂
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Hi guys,
Been prescribed cit 10mg for 10 days and 20mg for 2 weeks so far. It’s reduced my anxiety (based on obsessive negative thoughts) and depression by 50% already. I’ve also been doing mindfulness and self compassion meditation which really helps me not to fear my thoughts so much and can help with reducing any waves of anxiety I may get. Anyone else doing meditation, please reply to me. I’ve been on reduced hours in work (4 hours a day) and am managing. I do take other medication for sleep right now. Have first session with psychiatrist next week as he may authorise me going up on dosage and GP prefers if I check with him first. I take mine at 9am and in 5 days I was zonked but now it’s my most productive time of day. The calmness enables me to tackle difficult task In work slowly and steadily. Unfortunately by 2 or 3pm I’m wrecked and more anxious so that’s when I go home. My friends are saying I’m getting back to my usual self. So hang in there guys and remember we are all in this together! LC
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Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story – sure it’ll be great inspiration/comforting for those visiting 🙂
Wishing you all the best!
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Hi Gari,
I was prescribed CIT 20mg, but started off taking 10mg of them 6 days ago. I have been bed ridden for 3 of those days with nausea. On the first day I took the pill in the morning. Around 1sh, I began to feel sick to my stomach. After two days of that I decided to take them at night instead so I could function at work during the day. Well….now I can’t even make it to work because I feel like I drank a fifth of booze the night before. This is how upset my stomach is. I took my pill around 10pm and woke up at 3am without my sea legs. Luckily my anxiety is getting better knowing that it is a side effect of this pill and not my internal organs failing me. (Thanks anxiety):). Reading through everyone’s stories has helped tremendously, however my nausia is really debilitating. I am also kind of jittery and not real sure footed when I do get out of bed.
Seems like these are all common symptoms, and if I stick with it, worth it in the end?
I’m waiting on a call back from my doctor to let me know my next steps. I’m supposed to move up to 20mg tomorrow, but I’m not sure I can make it.
Thanks everyone for sharing your stories, and thank you Gari for this blog. It’s made me feel a little less insane. 🙂
-Stubs
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Thanks for sharing your story – hope you’re feeling more settled with it soon and that you have a reasonable, if not great, experience with the ‘step up’!
Best,
Gari
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Hi guys,
I was started on 10mg citalopram about 8 weeks ago and had horrible side effects of nausea, loss of appetite and feeling wiped out and was pretty much bed ridden for the first couple of weeks. The symptoms were still there after the four week mark so I rang my doctor and asked to be switched up to 20mg as I figured the stronger the dose the quicker the side effects would go, so after about a week or two of upping the dose the nausea went away and after about 6 weeks my appetite came back and can now eat for England again. I read that 20mg is the therapeutic dose for this med and 10mg is offered at the start to lessen with the side effects but wish I had started on 20mg to begin with and not spent longer with side effects on 10mg or maybe that’s just wishful thinking, anyway I have turned a corner now and totally glad the side effects which I struggled with the most, have gone. I have lost a stone in weight whilst on this drug as I struggled to eat much but hopefully will put that back on soon. I also was given 8 weeks off work by my doctor which has helped me because there is no way I could of gone to work in the first 6weeks as I was absolutely floored and could hardly function. I never thought these pills would work for me and nearly stopped taking them countless tomes as they made me feel so sick but glad I stuck it out and would say to anyone struggling to give it at least 6 to 8 weeks for the side effects to go away, some of us just take longer, maybe we have been suffering with anxiety longer and they take longer to work, hmmm anyway I wish you all the best of luck with these pills and hope you all manage to stay strong.
Gary
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Hi Gary,
Huge thanks for sharing your experience with Citalopram – pleased to hear an ‘up’ in dose helped. I’ve been fortunate in starting at 20mg, and subsequent ups to my current 40mg level haven’t yielded anything bad. Hurrah on the weight loss – who needs fad diets? 😉
Best,
Gari
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Hi Gari, I was prescribed Cit 12 days ago and although my GP advised I should expect some nausea, I did not expect the high level of exhaustion and complete lack of energy which depressed me more than before I started the medication. Both my GP and my very helpful Pharmists pressed me to continue. After two weeks it is starting to get better although I am still exhausted all the time and I look forward to the end of the third week and see where we go then. Thanks so much for this site as the different experiences have really helped me. Thanks again, Robin
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Hi Robin,
Thanks for contributing your story – the more of these we get, the more people see that no two people are the same, as you note 🙂
Best,
Gari
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Hi Gari, just coming up to the end of the third week of CIT and feeling awful, yesterday was the first day ever and thought I would try switching to taking in the evening instead of mornings. Having not taken my 20mg dose this morning I actually feel great at the moment and looking forward to being ‘CIT’ free as it is clearly not working for me. I have never before suffered from depression and only started following a request to my GP to help when it was thought I might have had a TIA, since eliminated with an MRI Scan. Currently waing for a call back from my GP to advise him I wanted to stop the CIT completely as I understand the drug only masks symptoms, not cure them. I have read so much regarding the pros and cons and having never suffered severe depression until the TIA scare, for me I think that ‘positive thinking’ and looking forward to a CIT free future is the real answer. Am I being stupid or what. Comments reall welcomed – thanks. Robin
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Hi Robin,
Oh no, how bad to hear that you’re three weeks on and still feeling it 😦
I cannot advocate speaking with a doctor ASAP rather than self-withdrawing – which I see you have done = usually you have to step it down, or else your body likely will react. You’re dependant on Citalopram for the chemicals that are in the tablets as your body has probably stopped natural production.
Glad to hear it was only a ‘scare’ with the TIA – hopefully something less serious and you’re well following it.
Absolutely wouldn’t say ‘stupid’ – far from it – only you know what’s right for you, and not everyone is lucky enough to find the right tablet first time. I wish you a lot of luck in finding it though.
Gari
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Hi Gary, I did speak to my GP and he agreed that as I was suffering somewhat odd symptoms, the best thing was to stop the CIT and update him how the week progresses and see him again next Monday. I will keep you posted for sure. Best wishes, Robin
Sent from my iPhone
>
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Good to know that he pulled you off it rather than adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach, as many doctors seem to. Hope the withdrawal is tolerable!! 🙂
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Hi gari,
I’m coming upto 12 months now of being on citalopram.im taking 30mgs.everything has been great ,I still have ups and down days but other than that ok. I just hit a bad run and have now been signed off from work by my GP for 4 weeks ,it’s the first time since the depression kicked that I have taken any time off work ,it is a battle but thanks to you and your forum I get a lot of support reading other people’s experiences ,I have been offered counselling but am unsure at the moment ,what are your thoughts on this ?
Again gari thanks for all your support
John
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Hi John,
Yay – a positive Citalopram experience!!
You’re far too kind on saying my site helps, but if it does, I’m pleased to hear it – these comments are what really ‘make’ it useful, I strongly feel. The more shared experiences there are, and people who acknowledge it is a bit rubbish at first, the better in my opinion – better than the usual blanket demonisation it gets.
I had some counselling when I went off work, and I did find that it helped. Is there anything in particular putting you off? Unless there’s a real issue preventing it, I’d say ‘give it a go’, but of course you have to be confident you’re comfortable doing so. I found my therapist helpful, and it was far better than trying to go through it alone. You mention that you’ve been signed off – sad to say, but showing willingness to see a counsellor on top of the medication does show an employer you’re trying your best to get a handle on it – just my opinion though, you’re protected under various employment laws in the UK.
My thoughts are just that! 🙂
Best of luck with coming to a decision!!
Gari
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Thanks Gari, I think you are right and will give the councilling a try.
Congratulations by the way
And again thanks for your support
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Hi Gari,
I am on day 4 of taking cita and its not been great. Just wanted to say how reassuring your sight is and that the fear of starting and the horrible side effects are normal. I thought I was the only terrified one out there. Fingers crossed these tablets work.
J x
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Best of luck!! 🙂 x
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Hi Gari
This is my second time of taking cit in the last four years. The first time, as you say, was a rolla coaster of nausea, dizziness and lethargy for the first week. Then my GP increased my dose and I had to endure a second week of it all over again. After that it settled down, but I’m sitting here wondering whether I want that all over again! Don’t get me wrong, I need the tablets at the moment, it’s just that I’ve not been eating much over the last week because I’m depressed, and so my energy levels are very depleted. I’m not sure my body can take this level of side effect…but hey, nothing ventured right? If they stop me bursting into tears halfway round the shops, or at work, then I’ll have to do it again. Time to dig out the big guns, aka Ginger Nut biscuits, Lime and Ginger herbal tea (couldn’t stomach milk last time) and extra strong mints…all of which helped my nausea the first time so let’s hope they work again! Wish me luck…. 😐 x
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Wish you all the luck in the world Caroline.
To this day, I still can’t stomach ginger – too many flashbacks – but did absolutely help I think. Hope they all work again for you – glad you’ve at least got knowledge that it helped last time, so theory being theory, hope you’re finding them useful this second time 🙂
Gx
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Fingers crossed indeed! It’s nearly midday and I haven’t taken one yet…to be fair I have only just eaten something though. Guess I’m kinda putting it off too…well, here goes, going to take one now. C x
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Hi Gari
I have to admit I’m struggling at the moment, waking up feeling nauseous all the time, which only seems to stop for a couple of hours during the day then it kicks in again. Not to mention the shakiness, feeling like I’m on the verge of a panic attack all day long, and feeling utterly shattered. I want it to stop now, I can’t cope with it 😦
I might put a call into my GP today to see if upping the dosage now will help, it seems it has helped others x
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Hi Caroline, I was the exact same it was awful! In my eyes the side effects to these tablets were worse for me than actually feeling depressed an having anxiety, I personally think I jumped into taking the tablets too soon. I was really poorly with the side effects shaking couldn’t eat couldn’t sit still crying as I didn’t like the feeling the gp told me to carry on so I powered through after roughly 10 days it started to ease of im on 20mg, I find I suffer more now with anxiety than I did before which is quite strange I think it’s because I worry everyday if I’m going to feel like I did in them first 10 days I couldn’t handle it. Dont get me wrong I do have hsppy days but some days I can be going 100mph cleaning playing with my daughter doing my shopping then boom I’m exhausted an on the sofa for the day quite a few ups an downs I don’t no if I need the dose upping but to be honest I don’t no what to do part of me wishes I didn’t take them as the anxiety I now suffer with is awful my boyfriend says to me I was never like this before I started them an I no I wasnt I had 2 weeks of feeling down finding myself crying not wanting to get out of bed an exhausted went to the gp an she put me on them I think I probably could of got through that phase by myself but I’ll never know now, hope you start feeling better because I no how awful it is them side effects!
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Hi Aimee, it’s awful isn’t it! I’ve upped my dosage to 20mg now and this morning I still feel nauseous, shaky and dizzy but not as bad as before. Utterly shattered though and feel like I am wading through treacle. Even typing is a bit of a challenge! I don’t feel as anxious as I have in the past week but maybe once the double dosage kicks in properly that will change; who knows. As for tearful and depressed, well that’s the same if not worse but I think that’s to be expected until around the 6-8 week mark. My boyfriend is worried about me as I can’t eat (don’t want to quite frankly) but I’m managing one decent meal a day, slowly. The up side is that I’ve lost nearly a stone in the last month, which I needed to do! Not the best way of doing it though, granted. Fingers crossed we both feel better soon. I must confess to feeling so tired I could probably sleep for a week; no idea how I’m managing to function at work but I’m dragging myself in every day. Take care x
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Morning,
You sound just like I did, I lost a stone too I couldn’t eat if it wasn’t for my boyfriend making me eat tea I wouldn’t of ate at all! What do you do for work? I’m not working at the moment as I’m looking after my 15 month old baby, which was very hard when starting these tablets. Please keep me posted as to how your feeling, it’s good to speak to people
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Morning Aimee, I feel hungry sometimes but the waves of nausea usually kick that into touch pretty sharply. I’m struggling to eat even the most basic of things; everything just tastes of nothing and it’s such an effort to chew. My work is part Personal Assistant, part mortgage cases, so I’m desk based a lot of the time. I do find myself “phasing out” occasionally and when I come to, I wonder how long I have been staring into space….probably not long! It must have been hard for you to look after your baby while you were suffering; I struggle looking after myself most days. I agree, it is good to talk. My situation is complicated and I’m wondering whether it would be an idea to get counselling. I have a check up with my GP on 7th April so I will see what they say then. In the meantime I shall try my best not to fall asleep at my desk today!! x
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Hi Caroline,
I do hope that you managed to speak with your GP – sure, facing facts, Citalopram is pretty horrendous, but you should still only be expected to ‘deal’ with a certain amount!
Keep smiling x
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Hi Gari, I did thank you. She suggested upping the dosage, which seems to have calmed the nausea a bit this morning. Hopefully this will only last another week and I can go back to feeling more normal and less “removed” from my own body! As for smiling, well that takes energy I haven’t got right now, but I shall try! Take care x
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Hi everybody , I’m on day 17 of 20mg cit , still having awful nausea mainly in mornings which eases off slightly once I’ve eaten , still really dizzy and wobbling around and I’ve found my eyesight and concentration is shocking , watching TV seems pointless , can’t really exercise or walk much due to having m.s , even typing seems in slow motion , the anxiety has increased to the point where driving is a massive effort and the thought of going anywhere freaks me out , I was on trazadone , certraline and amitryptiline from January until starting on citalopram but nothing worked for my anxiety and depression ( suicide attempt in February ) really hoping these side effects ease off and things get better , I’ve been off work since December 23rd but want my life back !
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Sounds rotten – sorry to hear what you’re currently going through, sounds rough (can’t even imagine how horrid Citalopram is on top of M.S.) Hope that you have plenty of support and that things improve imminently for you! Hopefully some of the comments may help reduce any sense of isolation etc? None of us are alone! 🙂
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31 and just took my first 20mg pill this morning. Feel like a space cadet with dilated eyes and tiredness. Was so out of it on the tube, like in a constant day dream. Have a full day at work tomorrow and seriously worried about taking my second pill in morning :(!! This has been helpful to get me out of the panic I felt when the drug kicked in mid afternoon. My doctor didn’t sayni would feel any of this.
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Hi everyone,
I’ve been prescribed cipramil by a neurologist but I’m so afraid to start. I have always been hesitant and this will be my first lot of anti-depressants.
Long story short – ive always been an anxious person but have been able to manage it in the past. In the last year, I have had a huge amount of stress with studying a uni degree full time, working full time, getting sick, relationship break down and two surgerys. Around this time, I woke up one day and lost my balance and have never been able to get it back again.
I have tried everything and no one could tell me what was wrong. Due to this chronic dizziness, I have been depressed and anxious about living with this for a year with no relief or answers. The neurologist believes I have mal de debarquement syndrome which is apparently self healing but it has not been the case. Has anyone been prescribed anti depressants for dizziness? He thinks that my depression and anxiety may be fuelling this syndrome and my lack of recovery?
I have been told to take 10mg of cipramil before bed for the first 1-2 weeks then up to 20mg for two weeks then to 40mg. However, im not seeing my neurologist for three months so I’m afraid to start these and I don’t understand why he would want to up my dosage without seeing what the low dose can do first?
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Just to clear up any disparity for readers – Cipramil is a brand name of Citalopram.
Hannah – Hi, and thank you for sharing your story – life doesn’t sound so great at the moment, wishing that it does soon!
I’d trust the neurologist, though in the UK, we’d normally see a doctor between bumps. Saying that, from that schedule, it looks like your neurologist may be trying to get you on the 40mg dose straight away rather than have you sit on a lower dose which may/may not work for you. I’d say if you have any concerns to phone or make an appointment with him to understand his reasoning?
Sorry that I couldn’t be of more use!
Gari
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Hi 🙂
Thank you for the reply. I guess im just hesitant to trust anyone since nothing has cured me yet.
In terms of the cipramil, I have read so many side effects that have freaked me out! I’m also afraid that once I start, I won’t be able to stop.
How does the dosage work with side effects? Is it the stronger the dose the worse the side effects or less?
Hannah
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Hi,
Think that the side effects are so bespoke to the individual – what I’ve found and anecdotal evidence suggests is that the start dose is the shock to the system and the step up in dose becomes comparatively milder.
I’d say that the best thing to remember is that everyone has these same concerns – they’re normal!! 🙂
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So great to hear you talking about this in an all out manner. My family or boyfriend won’t accept it so I really feel the need to talk to people who understand. I’m not trying to be difficult or annoying, I just know I haven’t been myself for a long time and it upsets me. I can’t talk to anyone about it.
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That’s sad to hear that they won’t accept it. It’s often hard for people to accept that you don’t just need to “cheer up” – I think that by persisting with trying to talk to them, your support network, you’re being neither. Have you spoken to a GP? (Maybe if someone went with you and heard more from a medical professional you’d start to get more acceptance?) Hope it works out for you though, understanding is one of the hardest but best ways to try and beat this! 😀
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I’m about 3 1/2 weeks into 10mg of citalopram daily.
I was prescribed for stress and anxiety and despite being given the usual warning of you may get better before you get worse, I was shocked at how truly dreadful I felt. I can honestly say that without your, Gari, honest narrative of your experience, I wouldn’t have stuck it out. My experience pretty much mirrored your own, with horrendous days of despair , day 4 and day 8 for me, nausea and my first panic attack.
My anxiety manifests itself as nausea so it was quite difficult, differentiating between that and side effects, I decided after 2 weeks to phone the GP and ask for something for the constant gnawing in my tummy. I was given prochlorperazine and what a difference they made, the nausea and anxiety lifted, and I felt great. Unfortunately they are a very short term drug and for my review I saw a different GP who didnt really believe that these tablets would have made the difference.
At the moment I’m coming off the anti nausea tablets and still on 10mg Citalopram, my GP wont entertain upping the dose until 6 weeks. Im feeling pretty good, and can’t belive how bad I was feeling only 10 days ago. Thanks Gari, I couldnt have got there without your words. Forums are full of doom and gloom and poor advice. Yes it was awful, but I got through it.
I only hope by adding my post and keeping this active, someone else in the same place as I was will get some comfort.
Stay well Gari and everyone out there
xx
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Hi Bex,
First off, thank you for your undue kind words and for taking the time to share your experience with everyone! 🙂
Sorry to read about the days of despair – they’re pretty shocking to the system, aren’t they? Especially as they often come out of the blue, or when you think you’ve experienced everything that the tablets can throw at you!
Great to hear that the nausea was able to be lifted. Having suffered from other health issues recently, I had a long period of constant sickness (1 year) and know just how awful it can be. Not feeling right is just intolerable – the worst thing out of all side effects I think!
Great to hear your experience and to have some feedback on what’s out there at the moment. I’m sure that I speak for everyone reading when I say a huge thank you and we too hope that you stay well 🙂 xx
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Hey Gari!
Thank you so much for writing this! I have been dealing with depression for the last 12 years and it took everything in me to seek further treatment seeing as counseling could only help so much. I was feeling very ashamed about taking cit however your page and everyone’s comments have helped tremendously! It is comforting to know that I am not alone in this journey.
I am on my 4th day of taking 20 mg and have been blessed with nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite, and insomnia. However reading your story and comments have changed me from feeling ashamed to very optimistic!
I just wanted to stop by and say how grateful I am to have come across this forum. I know it has been some time since you wrote this so I hope my post finds you in good health! Thanks again.
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Hi Molly,
Thank you for stopping by and leaving such a lovely comment!
So sorry to hear you’ve been dealing with this for 12 years. Never feel ashamed about asking for help – far too many tragic stories in the news when people don’t reach out for support! 😦
Good luck with those “blessings” – may they resolve themselves quickly and without too much hassle.
Great to see that you now have such a positive outlook on things and I can see that you have the strength and humour to get through this 🙂
Wishing you all the very best!!
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Hi Gari,
I just want to say a big thank you to you for writing this post and for being so good at responding to everyone. Im on day 10 of Cit and like others found the first few days very hard, with severe nausea, fatigue, hot flushes and some dizziness. Reading about yours and others success on this medications is so encouraging and i know the side effects will pass soon and the drug start tocdo its job.
My only problem is that nausea in the morning is making it so hard fot me to eat qnd Ive lost several pounds this week alone. Is it worth going to the chemist for something to settle my stomach or do you think this effect will pass by the 2 week mark?
Thanks again and i wish every happiness to you and all mthe others who havr posted here and who are struggling. X
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Having just had a rough weekend myself, no way I’d abandon folk 🙂 Thank you for the lovely comment though Freya.
I know this medication kinda needs some blind belief on your part and it may not turn out be the perfect “one for you” but it’s a good perspective to have 🙂
Absolutely get something to help settle your stomach as if you continue vomiting for a long period you do run the risk of becoming dehydrated – ice lollies are great for this.
Good luck getting this under control – if you can “do” Citalopram, then you can face anything the World may throw at you x
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Sorry to hear you’ve had a hard weekend Gari, I really do hope you feel better today and that you enjoy this week 🙂
I’ve just phoned the pharmacy about getting something to tone down the nausea, so in a few days this side effect should be a thing of the past. Your advice is very appreciated.
Best wishes to everyone who is having hard days. We will all get better eventually!
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Hello Gari,
I found this to be a helpful website/conversation. I started on 20mg of citalopram (Celexa) about 2 weeks ago and after 1 week went up to 40 mg. I was on citalopram for 8-9 years before switching to Cymbalta because I felt the citalopram wasn’t quite working anymore (although I wouldn’t say I was depressed, I just felt kind of blah or indifferent).
After about a year on the Cymbalta I felt like I wasn’t getting enough energy, didn’t see a difference, and tried this new medication Brintellix for about 2 months (gave me absoultely NO side effects but didn’t do much for my condition) so my doctor recommended I try Zoloft. Zoloft ended up being extremely difficult for me to deal with because one of the side effects I got from it was insomnia. I finally asked my doctor to just go back to citalopram as I was on it for years and did very well on it.
As weird as it is I am actually experiencing side effects this time around with the citalopram. My first time around I can’t remember experiencing any side effects so I was surprised to find that I am experiencing grogginess/fogginess, nausea, extreme dry mouth, and fatigue. I know it will take about another week or two (maybe more) to get through these start up side effects but I was wondering if anyone has been on citalopram before, stopped for an extended amount of time, and then went back on it and has had different experiences each time.
Hope all is well!
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[…] My Experience Of Citalopram: http://garidavies.me.uk/2012/11/23/my-experience-of-citalopram-ssri/ […]
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Hi Gari!
So pleased to be reading all these comments and posts I took my first Citalopram on 11th September at 8pm, Saturday morning was hard, dry mouth, shaking, Nausea, Sunday was a lot better just a bit anxious driving to my nieces birthday party (was worried about the amount of people and the germs that the small ankle biters could have been carrying) but was fine once I got there. Monday morning was not good, managed to make it into work after having to really concentrate on not throwing up in the car and then battled through the day with a slightly wish washy head then came Monday 5:30pm ……. shaky, weak, washy head, nausea – remembered that I had not eaten much (lack of appetite) so forced down a nutty cereal bar…. 10 mins relief then bam more nausea, made it home with sweaty palms and plastic bag on my lap just in case, Ate some plain old pan fried potatoes ( about all i can face/stomach) felt better for an hour bam nausea again. Tuesday today and again nausea on the way into work and waves throughout the day, making sure i eat bland dry food with high protein to keep energy up and hopefully if its high in prot I will be able to eat little and and have more meals of a smaller quantity to help nausea. Hoping to sail through the next few days, but I doubt it very much :-/.
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Very sorry to hear of your situation Sandra. Nausea is always the worst! Sounds like you’re doing the right thing – little and often. Even if you do vomit then there’s still at least something going in! Same with water. Dehydration is a real risk. Small sips little and often, or try ice lollies.
Wishing you all the best for the next few days – seriously sounds like a rough experience 😦
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Hi all,
So after 18 months of citalopram 20mg I have decided ( with my doctors support ) to come off them.She has recommended coming off slowly so taking 10 mg every alternate day for 2 weeks then on to 10 mg for a month before seeing her again.
I am having a return of a few of the side affects I saw when I started on my tablets,tight jaw,teeth grinding,insomnia.Has anyone else experienced this?
Gari is there anything I should watch out for or be prepared for?
Thanks in advance for any advice
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Hi Yvonne,
Great news – congratulations!
Withdrawal is very common as your body needs to start producing or not relying on everything your body was previously getting from the Citalopram.
I’d go with what the doctor says, of course, but I believe it takes a while to reduce the dosage down.
Wishing you the best of luck with it 😃
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Hi
It’s been really useful reading others experience of taking Citalopram. I’m on day 6 and whilst I’ve been fortunate not to have much nausea, I am a total bag of anxiety with shakes,tearful (how can one person cry so much!) very tired, not sleeping and not feeling like me. That said I was very anxious before I was prescribed them so I suppose it’s not unexpected. If I could just get my mind to shut up I might get some peace.
My anxiety and apparent depression stems from my job. The boss was imprisoned 7 weeks ago (we knew about the trial so it wasn’t a total surprise, but still very upsetting) and it turns out the business doesn’t have enough £ to pay its debts. For a couple of weeks I was taking all the calls from angrier and angrier people and companies who weren’t getting paid. The new boss (his son) refused to handle any calls and the only thing he told me to say was that they’ll be paid ‘tomorrow’. Tomorrow came and you can guess what hadn’t happened, so there were more calls. I asked him on three occasions what I should say and would he please take some of the calls to take some of the load off me but he just shrugged his shoulders. I couldn’t eat or sleep for worrying about the next time the phone rang and all there was was me with no answers. I’m signed off sick (the new boss is ‘disappointed’ – I wonder if he’s taking any of those impossible calls now I’m not there?!) but know it’s highly unlikely they’ll bother paying me. I’m hoping the tablets help me feel better soon so I can regain some confidence so I can make inroads into getting a different job.
Best wishes to everyone on this challenge.
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Well done on taking the first steps to feeling better Sam.anxiety after a car crash is why I first started on citalopram.i struggled to switch my brain off too and found self meditation really helped ,it took a while to notice any difference but with practice it made a huge difference and still does to my sleeping too.i can recommend David fairweather online for a free download.Taking citalopram was the best thing for me at the time and once in my system has been brill at helping with my low mood and anxiety.good luck
Yv x
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Thank you for responding Yvonne, it’s really appreciated and I’m glad you found Citalopram helped.
I will check out the David Fairweather download too.
Thanks again, Sam x
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Hi Sam,
First off, I’m sorry to be rude but your “disappointed” boss is an absolute dick.
I do hope that Citalopram brings you the peace that you’re looking for – definitely do stick with it!
Sounds like work is a very toxic environment for you at the moment, and if it’s their business then frankly they should be shouldering this completely – not you!
Assuming you’re in the UK? If you have a Doctor’s Note it may just depend on what your contract of employment states.
I genuinely hope you’re able to feel strong enough to get yourself out of this work situation – sounds like this will do almost as much good as the tablets!
Thank you for sharing this story with us, I hope putting it down has been therapeutic too 🙂
Best,
Gari
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Hi so glad I came across this site!!! I suffer from paranoia anixety and depression all ways feel like I’m on a roller coaster waiting to fall of but I’ve had enough of the ups and downs so I’ve started taking 20mg cit and it’s made me yawn non stop made my paranoia worse and I feel on edge if I’m not concentrating on some thing I’m on my 3rd day and I’m worried about my paranoia getting worse as I spend most of the day on my own and I don’t want to be freaking out etc, can anyone shed some light for me please x
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Hi Victoria,
I too am really glad that you’ve stumbled across us as hopefully it illustrates that you’re far from being alone in going through this 🙂
Perhaps if you do start to feel more paranoid, it could be worth speaking to the Doctor who prescribed to see if there’s anything they can advise? Unfortunately I’m not experienced with paranoia, but it must be dreadful. Only other advice I can offer may be to create something like a ‘Paranoia Plan’ – if you start to feel bad perhaps there are some steps you could put in place to help distract/help? (e.g. phone parents or a friend, meditation, thai chi, put the radio on, make a cup of tea, have a nice relaxing bath etc.)
Hope the next few weeks aren’t too bad for you!
Gx
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Hi Gari – first, thanks for running this great site.
As you pointed out in your opening script, there is a lot of negative stuff out there when it comes to Citalopram and SSRI’s. That made me think too – if it is so bad, why do so many doctors prescribe it and why does it get a license?
After many years suffering in silence, I decided to do something about my depression. In my case, this had developed to include anxiety (with bad stomach problems) and panic attacks.
I started taking Citalopram 10 days ago (10mg = half tablet – I will up dosage to 20mg in two days) So far my experience has been largely positive. Of course, the side effects hit me after 3 days – nausea, diahorrea, loss of appetite, fatigue, restlessness, a long day in bed (day 4) etc. Also, the anxiety got slightly worse too. However, I was ready for this both mentally and physically. By this I mean I had cleared my schedule so I could be home if I felt unwell and I had aspirin, tummy calming drugs etc etc.
10 days into the treatment and I feel great. I am more relaxed, sleep is starting to normalise itself, tiredness is reducing and best of all, my stomach feels 100 times better. Of course it’s early days yet and I am expecting another little bump when I go up to 20mg but I couldn’t be more pleased. I start CBT on Monday and for the first time in ages I feel in control and able to breathe out and relax.
To anyone suffering from depression, anxiety and panic attacks I would say this (with the proviso that I am not a healthcare professional).
– If you are prescribed Citalopram, give it a chance.
– Accept that the first few days you will feel worse but just like bad weather, batten down the hatches and let it blow over.
– Don’t book up lots of work appointments or social activities for the first 2 weeks of medication. Ease back into these gradually.
– Try to take the medicine at the same time every day (in my case morning, before breakfast)
– During the initial 2 weeks do exactly as you feel – by this I mean, go at your own pace to your own schedule. If that means a day in bed, do it.
– When your appetite returns (in my case, day 6) make sure you eat good, nutritious food.
– Try to get some fresh air or exercise every day – good for mind and body!
Believe me – things can and will get better.
Love
Neil
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Hi Neil,
Huge thanks for sharing your story and advice!
To be fair, I don’t think it’s specifically the Citalopram’s fault for all the rubbish – you’re modifying how your brain wants to work, I guess that’s always going to be the problem. No tablet can ever go directly to where it is needed and messing around with hormone levels will affect the whole body. Hopefully they find a way to refine it though.
Agree with what you’ve written 100% and wish you all the best with the depression – I can say that I’ve not had a panic attack since starting Citalopram! 🙂
Gari
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Hi Gari,
Just wanting to see if you know of how safe it is to start Citalopram for a fourth time? I’ve had a bad experience with ADs and have recently tried to go on Cit again for the third time. I failed at 9 weeks then on 15 mg. It made me more depressed the last two weeks. It fired up on my first decrease, but had lost the plot with it and the doctor didn’t want to up and down doses. I went very slowly and started on 5 mg as I was so scared. I was taken off SSRIs far too fast after two years treatment. At three months I had the worst time and it tried to make me kill myself. So as you can see I’m very scared indeed. Most doctors have little idea of these reactions.
I had herbal treatment which worked but unfortunately I was pushed off these by my withdrawal group. I have a head injury too which means I have problems. I tried to go back on herbs two years later but could not tolerate them this time. I have become very sensitive.
So my question basically is how many times can you restart Cit. My research says its more unpredictable each time started,
So your very Anxious!!
Keith
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Hi Keith,
I’m afraid that I have no information on a fourth time (poor you!!) – my advice would be to obtain medical guidance I’m afraid, as I’m afraid that I’ve not come across this either.
Best of luck!!!
Gari
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Hi Gary, wow is all I can say, I restarted citalopram 8 days ago and have had the usual side effects, dry mouth, nausea, anxiety, flushes extreme tiredness , but everyday I’ve re-read what you have written and you will never know how much you have helped me, I’m going up to 20mg tomorrow , I’ve just decided if I’m going to have side effects then I may as Well get it over and done with, I had 5 years on these before and lived a normal anxiety free life, I’m hoping to get there again, I wish I had never stopped them in the first place x
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Hi Liz,
Gosh what a lovely message and a fantastic attitude towards this that you have.
Wishing you all the very best!
X
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Hello gari I haven’t spoke on here for a while
As of tomorrow I will be of citralopram feeling quite nervous to have withdrawals symptoms but I just found when on them I suffered anxiety and panic but never suffered in my life wit anything like that beforehand so I want to come of them now fingers crossed
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Hi Aimee,
Sorry to hear you’ve had a rubbish experience and hope that you have a stable withdrawal from them – I have days when u accidentally forget to take and I’m pretty fine and don’t notice – so don’t panic!! 🙂
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Day 15 gari, feeling quite jittery and still using diazepam, quite a few side effects have worn off, still sleeping lots, heightened anxiety, have a very annoying post nasal drop, but after investigating its to do with acid reflux, probably all the fizzy water I’m drinking, so I’m on the still stuff and mints today, hope you don’t mind me messaging, always find your words reassuring for some reason, regards Liz x
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Hi Liz, of course I don’t!
Glad to hear that the side effects are going – don’t see sleeping lots as a bad thing! As well as getting a great rest you’re also sleeping through some of the side effects so at least there’s that 🙂 another week or so and you’ll hopefully be good – you’re over the initial ‘shock’ and now things can only improve – if they stay stagnant at least they’ll likely be no worse than yesterday! 🙂
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Hi gari, have you ever come of these tablets or as anyone else??? I’m really struggling with the side effects of coming off these to the tablets I really wish I never took them these haven’t been good for me I was a complete mess for the first month of taking them an now I am coming off them just isn’t worth it… I haven’t been out the house for 2 weeks as when I’m stood up I’m that dizzy I be sick, I can’t eat sleep focus and I have a 2 year old it’s hard work I’m at the doctors later hopefully they can give me fine thing for the dizzyness
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Hi Aimee,
Unfortunately I can’t help here as I’m still on them, but hopefully someone else will see this post and be able to comment further.
I have heard that the withdrawal can be as symptomatic as the ‘on boarding’. I wouldn’t panic, in most medications, withdraw symptoms are just your body getting used to the ‘shock’ of not having the Cit in the system any more and it needing to start up natural production of what the tablet was doing for it.
Hope you got something for the dizzy spells – doesn’t sound much fun!! 😦
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Hi Aimee,I too am in the process of coming off my tablets.you don’t mention you dosages but I was on 20 mg and went to 10 mg one day 20 mg the next for two weeks then onto 10 mg everyday which I am still on now after a month.i had a few small side effects,Tight jaw teeth grinding and a bit of insomnia but all in all not to bad but it has been a VERY gradual process under the watch of my GP.Hope this helps
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Hi Yvonne I was on 20mg they then put me on 10mg for 2 weeks an then nothing my doctor wasn’t going to taper me he just said to stop them but I was too scared ha I’m about to Keane for the doctors shortly but finding it difficult as when I stand up I feel like I can’t open my eyes an have to walk there with my 2 year old !! Xx
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Hi hun, I came off them in June, took me 4 months, 3 months later I’m now on day 15 of going back on them, should never has stopped, major major crash and back to square one, if it takes just one little tablet a day to help me lead a normal life then I accept that, sending love and hugs xx
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Hi Liz, they just weren’t good for me I think I was put on them too fast I had a bad week or two an doc put me on them, I suffered terribly with side effects an anxiety I never suffered with anxiety before hand whilst on them I was still s bit up an down at times but when I went out with my friends I couldn’t have a drink cos I found I got really bad head aches an anxiety came back I’m only 23 an didn’t want all that so took the step to come of them an will never go back on citalopram again that’s just my personal experience on them though xx
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I really feel for you.i don’t know how I would have coped with a 2 year old!Are you getting enough sleep?you do need to speak to your doc though to rule out anything else ,like ear infections or anaemia etc that might be making you feel dizzy .Hope you feel better soon 😕
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I have vertigo ! They have gave me tablets for that now haha I’m dizzy from withdrawal but also vertigo x
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Aw poor you!i had vertigo a long time and it’s horrible!Hope the tablets kick in quick and stop the “standing on a boat ” feeling.good luck with coming off the citalopram
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Being dizzy is part of withdrawal as Doctors take people off these pills way too fast. The best way to try and avoid this is to wean at a much slower pace! Very slow is the best to save your body from the shock. Good luck
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Day 15, woke up and decided regardless of side effects I need to be positive, my first full day out of bed, still just relaxing, I’m finding reading very relaxing, No diazepam today woohoo, still no appetite, so spent the day sucking polos and drinking boiling water which has kinda settled my tummy, hubby bless him made me a chip butty tonight and I actually ate it, wicked heartburn now but at least I ate, tomorrow is another day, I’ve decided to just accept the side effects and the panics and ignore them because i know they will pass, I even walked the dog to the shop tonight, sending love to all and hopefully I can have a similar day tomorrow, going to try get to matalan, I need a winter coat, it’s cold up north lol , much love Liz xx
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Day 17 today feeling horrible, side effects have changed, awful heartburn, bloated tummy, still really tired, but getting out of bed at least, anxiety has worn down but finding myself now getting anxious about side effects, went to the local walk in centre yesterday, seems to think I’ve had a bug or something too, feeling really down x
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Hi Gari thank you for this post. I had a bad first day on sertraline a month ago and didn’t take another one but then I got prescribed 10 mg of cit. They’re still sitting in my cupboard! I have 3 kids to look after, luckily my two eldest are in school all day but I have an 8 month old to watch. My husband works all day and my family are abit preoccupied with my brother who tried to kill himself a few weeks ago. So im terrified to take them because il have nobody to help with the baby if I’m poorly because of side effects. I feel quite stuck. My anxiety started a year ago when my father in law died of a cardiac arrest quite suddenly. It gave me health anxiety with my heart and a few months after the birth of my baby I started getting skipped heartbeats which didn’t help. Anyway I started taking magnesium for this as advised by a cardiologist. They help sometimes and I decided to close that book and get on with life but the day after my brother tried to commit suicide. Which sent me spiralling backwards and now my anxiety is about MY mental health. Because now I worry il end up getting to his point even though he has alot more issues than me. I’m on a waiting list for cbt and I don’t really know what my question is. My sleep is normally good but for the past week I’ve been waking way too early and this morning I was awake half the night. I just don’t know what to do. I wake up with a knot in my stomach every single morning but by evening it’s like I never felt anxious at all its weird.
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Hi,
First all I must express my great sympathy both for your loss and the situation your brother finds himself in. All of this, and three kids, is a lot for anyone to handle I hope you recognise this and don’t consider yourself ‘failing’ because of it.
Do your family know that you’re going to be taking Citalopram? If not, could it be a good idea to tell them and maybe they can help out with child care? What would you do if you felt sick today or came down with flu? A personal question, I’m sorry, but think of it in the same vein. What would you do, who could help you? I also get that you don’t want to take attention away from your brother. Honestly, do you think that your family would want you to go through stuff and not be offered the chance to help you out? I sound really tough here, sorry – I’m a firm believer in just tackling your own problems when things start to go wrong and avoiding catastrophising the issue, that those of us with anxiety and depression often tend to do.
CBT sounds like it’s going to be a fantastic option for you. Don’t worry too much about it – talking therapists usually know the best ways to get everything out of you – just trust them and you’ll be in good hands.
Must stress, none of my opinions are backed by any kind of medical knowledge – just one guy’s opinion and a determination to try and present the other side from an outsider’s perspective 🙂
Wishing you all the best,
G
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Hi snuggabug,
I had to reply to you as you sound in an awful position an when I started taking the tabs my little girl was a similar age an it was so so hard to look after her with the way I was feeling, have you ever tried anything herbal?
I have a cousin who sounds like your brother an this is what happened to me I was so scared I would end up in her position that when the doctor offered me the tablets I just took them! You sound as if you suffer more with anxiety than depression can’t you go on a beta blocker I had propanalol which had none of the side effects that these citalopram have- Ive been off them now for over 2 weeks as I didn’t like what they did to me I felt numb not there my anxiety crept up j never even suffers with it before hand these tabs just aren’t for me – you are already getting anxiety about taking them what I’d recommend before trying these with your little one is maybe a beta blocker or somethings herbal and counselling to get you through it if that doesn’t work then go on to the anti depressant I just wish I never jumped into taking them you have such a hard 6 weeks when first going on them then a hard time coming off them, it’s not right what they do to your body they messed my head up so much. In glad to be clear of all prescription drugs my little girl is nearly 2 now an I’m staying focussed on her don’t get me wrong next week I might sit there an have a cry or feel down or fed up etc but that’s life now for me an I have to come to terms with it please please do not suffer on your own- I know we don’t know each other but at times talking to people you don’t know helps my email is aimeebeckett@live.com email me personally I’ll happily talk take care Hun xx
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I had been on this med 10g this time last year as I suffer for Health Anxiety. I had a bad virus and then appointments turned up for health checks and they hit me for six. I also feel sick most of the morning, but in the evenings I manage to eat and I do settle down a lot. Manage to get to sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. But I only manage to sleep for about 5 hours then I am wide awake and the irritability starts and then the sick feeling. I big problem is that I am the shopper in the house and the thought of going food shopping makes me feel even sicker! So my son and I ended up with a lot of takeaways. I was worried about feeling sick and also the fact that I couldn’t eat much mad me worry even more. Vicious circle formed. well its all kicked off again for me. But I was aware of it coming on this time and fortunately managed to get a Dr appointment quickly. He put me back on the same dose and the same symptoms are with me yet again. The boredom sets in too and day time tv rules! last year I missed out on xmas as I hadn’t prepared, but this year I had all my cards and gifts sorted in Nov.
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Hi Eli,
Sorry to hear that you’re back on the meds, and at this time of year too!
The big positive has to be that you were able to recognise the signs and even had Christmas planned. That’s got to have released a lot of stress/anxiety for you?
You do, however, have my sympathies on the daytime TV – it’s rare they ever show anything decent!
Hope the symptoms pass before the bg day and you’re able to have a nice and settled festive period 🙂
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Eli I had to comment back to you as everything you said sounds exactly how I was I’m of them though now an feeling better still get the restlessness in my legs mainly but only been of them for around 3-4 weeks.. I suffer with worry all the time I panic about things! Mainly health, but everyday when I was on the tablets I woke up thinking am I going to feel funny today cos I did most days if I touched alcohol I felt funny if I took certain meds I did too so I just wanted to strip it all back an try herbal way?? Would you not like to try this ?
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This has been a brilliant thread. I’ve just started taking Cit and am on my 4th day. Decided NOT to read the side effects or google anything and just ‘hit it’. Googled today because of how crappy I was feeling and found your post Gari….brilliant.
I keep going out no matter how crappy I feel even if it’s just for an hour or 2. Have been dozing during the day, especially after my ‘outings’.
After reading these posts, hopefully I’ll be settled better within the next couple of weeks. Keeping PMA and have told my best friend and husband that I may have suicidal thoughts as this has happened in the past…but at least I ‘manned up’ and told them instead of suffering in silence.
All I can say is tell your nearest and dearest, some will support you others may back off but this is because they don’t know how to handle the situation.
Onwards and upwards peeps 🙂
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Hi Dee,
Glad to hear that you’ve found this post useful.
Sounds like you’ve got a great ‘plan’ for dealing with this – exercise is brilliant for these things, I’m told. Of course, when you’re feeling so rubbish it’s hard not to curl up in a ball, especially in a cold and blustery December!
Some great advice here from you Dee – thank you for taking the time to share your experience and I’m sure everyone reading this wishes you well, as much as I do 🙂
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Interesting stuff all round. I been on ct for last 9 months after years of on/off depression with some big gaps but then bhamm. 48 now and all of a sudden when thinking of coming off them next week get hit by a bullshit teacher support plan at work. Advice please. I know work is far from everything and I could easily sell up and live in a cheap but beautiful place such as rural Spain or Scotland or Iceland but not plan for now!!
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Hi Gari, Thank you so much for writing such a helpful post. you have really put my mind at rest. I was constantly googling trying to find information on this subject, and I came across your post. I have been taking Chloroplast for 2 and 1/2 weeks and just starting to feel the benefits. I have been through some nasty side effects but I think I m getting there. I to was feel very nausea and really off my food and started to worry the Doctor had missed something. So finding this has really put my mind at rest. Thanks you once again.
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Hi Helen,
Glad to hear you found it useful, hope you are coming to the end of the side effects!! 🙂
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Hi,
I’ve just spent the last hour reading through this post & comments. I’ve been on 20mg citalopram for 5 weeks now for anxiety & panic attacks. I think I have a bit of post natal depression too which I feel was brought on by the anxiety etc. I have a 2 year old son who was diagnosed with epilepsy before his 1st birthday and have given birth to a baby girl 3 months ago, we had a lot of issues to begin with her feeding and she was diagnosed with a cows milk allergy and reflux. Safe to say there’s been a lot going on in my life the past 2 years!!
I feel like I’m not getting anywhere with these tablets, I have read that it can take between 6-8 weeks to work so I’m praying I feel better soon. Doc prescribed me another 10mg which would up my dose to 30mg, I was a bit nervous to increase and have been putting doing so off for a week now as I had awful side effects when first taking citalopram. I feel reassured about upping my dose after reading the comments on here so will start my new dose tomorrow.
I’m glad I found this post! Thank you 😊
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Hiya..
I’m only 21, and my new therapist has told me I have anxiety and panic disorder, and it’s been making me depressed as I’ve had it since I was very young. He said its probably inherited.
It’s triggered by a phobia of sickness and vomiting, so if anyone around me is, I panic. If I feel even the tiniest bit off, I will panic. That’s if I’m feeling bloated or with heartburn or intergestion, if I feel any kind of nausea, I will panic and hurt myself. I am so so afraid of being sick. I mean, just an hour ago I had a panic and for the first time I tried using a knife (fortunately I only cut the skin twice).. I felt so horrible for myself after.
I really feel like I need this medication, but I am petrified, I can’t stand.. those symptoms. Every time I tried reading the leaflet I’d panic.
I understand that the symptoms will differ for each person.. but my anxiety is making me think the worst, and I know vomiting isn’t one of the super common side effects, but nausea is. And if I feel nausea, I will suffer big time with panic. I don’t know if I can go through with that..
I’m also in my third year of university, my dissertation is due in 3 weeks. I’m so scared.. I’ve had so many breakdowns over the past two days, and with no friends (my whole life of being antisocial due to my issues) I don’t know who I can get to help me.
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Hi,
IF YOU’RE HAVING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS OR SELF-HARM THOUGHTS *PLEASE* CONTACT EMERGENCY SERVICES RIGHT NOW!
It sounds like you’d really benefit from the medication – whether it’s Citalopram or some other anti-depression tablet. There’s absolutely no shame in asking for support!
I’d speak with the University and get them to flex extenuating circumstances – you more than qualify for such a consideration it sounds.
I’m more than happy to be here online as a random/anonymous support but only if you put yourself into a safe environment by calling in the professionals – I’d feel terrible if you didn’t.
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I’m very afraid Gari, usually when I panic I use my nails to calm myself, or if I’m holding something then maybe I’d use that (cutlery, bottles, hot drinks burn if I accidentally squeeze the cup)
what should I do that could reduce any nausea?
I’ve been told to take the medication after breakfast at the same time each day, but there are days when I’m at work early and may not get it perfect.
Thank you for responding so quickly, I’m very concerned and I’m feeling very very anxious about taking the first dose. It’s only a 10mg right now, oral drops as I can’t swallow tablets whole.
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Hi,
Hopefully what Lisa has posted may help a little more than I can regarding the fear of vomiting.
In terms of the nausea, I hate to say it, but without prescription there really are just natural remedies. Anti-emetic (anti-sickness) drugs do exist but you need to go through your GP to access these. As an aside, I had brain cancer recently and I had nausea for about a year and a half – it was terrible. Medication helps if you find the right one. Unfortunately, in my case, I just had to adapt and “put up with it” – eventually it did settle. That’s what I’d like to share – it’s never “forever” 🙂
You could try taking it last thing at night and seeing if you sleep through any side-effects?
The harm thing still concerns me. I’m just an average person with no specialist knowledge and sorry if I inadvertently offend you – but depression + ideas of harm is a one way ticket, whether accidental or not – nip it in the bud with the GP/Talking Therapy if you can 🙂
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Just wanted to reach out to Kelly. I’m a fellow Emetophobic (vomit phobia), there are many of us about, you aren’t not alone. I used to behave as you describe. Huge avoidance behaviours with any hint of illness around me. Avoidedshellfish, over cooked meat, stuck to use by dates, avoid alcohol, avoid drunk people, for years avoided contact with small children and postponed having a family of my own due to fears around morning sickness. Madness eh? CBT helped A LOT. Especially in combinAtion with citalapram. I still have challenges but can not tell you how improved I am. I have my own children now and am fully there for them when they have sickness (I know just how horrifying that thought will be to you, but just know i was exactly where you are but improvement IS possible I promise) Life can, and will improve.
I avoided these meds for many years as I feared the same as you, the dreaded nausea side effect. Many do not feel this symptom, but yes, some do. I admit I did. But personally, I had reached a very rock bottom place in anxiety symptoms and needed a certain way to beat it. I pushed through with support and once your body adjusts, the nausea goes and your thoughts…. Clearer somehow and much more ‘balanced’.
I wish you much luck with whatever you decide. I hope you find peace. It is possible. Even if not through citalapram this time. X
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Thank you for sharing this experience Lisa, great to hear from you! 🙂
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Hello Lisa,
Thank you soso much for this reply, I’m struggling so much. I’ve had this phobia nearly all my life, so I have no social life because of avoidance. My family won’t take me out for meals, and I can’t even eat around them anymore because my anxiety will trigger and I’ll upset them.
I think I will start taking the medicine, so do you think I need to take time off work for the first few weeks or do you think I will be OK? And.. was you actually sick? What did you do about the nausea? It must’ve been hard.. any tips?
I really appreciate it, I’m very anxious about this. Thank you.
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Hi kelly,
Glad to help, if only do you know you aren’t in any way alone. It’s so very hard isn’t it. Had mine since childhood. So restrictive and can be isolating 😦
My GP was very understanding regarding the nausea worry I had when discussing trying citalapram. He prescribed a low dose at 10mg, then raising to 20mg, which is the dose I have stayed at. In all it took 6 weeks to get up to 20 mg. I have heard since that it is possible to start on 5mg even and go from there.
I was not physically sick in any way when I began taking the meds.
I found, with citalapram that I was fine for the first three days on 10mg. No noticeable symptoms. On day four I guess the dose built up in my system and I felt a dry mouth and light nausea. For the nausea I sucked on lemon drops or nibbled extra strong mints. Both help digestion naturally. I also used travel sickness wrist bands, which really helped! It will be strange to say, but the nausea isn’t like illness nausea. It’s like pregnant nausea – which is where you feel a bit sickly at times, but can eat and you know you aren’t going to be sick (hard to relate to if you haven’t been pregnant lol). As Gary advised, definitely take it in the morning and after done food. That helped greatly. Day 4-10 had nausea waves and my anxiety thoughts/panic DID increase temporarily, but was prepared for that and remembered it was citalapram related and rode it out. Day 11 normal. Day 12 starting to feel relief from anxiety!
Hard to say about planning to take time off. You may be absolutely fine 😊 I did restrict my own activities and responsibilities for that first week I remember.
You can get through it, I do know how very petrifying the initial thought is. Just keep thinking how very much you want things to change xx
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Yourself and Gari have been so supportive. I just want to thank you so much, I think I feel a little bit better. I’ll make sure I have lemon drops with me. I hear that ginger biscuits are good for that kind of nausea too, so they’ll probably be my snack over the days 4-10. I trust your experience.. and I hope to get better soon.
I am so happy with the quick response plans service on this website, having so many people on here with experience. I’ll keep you all updated when I start taking them. It’s a staring dose of 10mg, so hopefully it’ll be OK. Thank you so much.
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Good luck x
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Hello! I am new to this whole anxiety/panic feeling of doom lifestyle. I’ve always been a person who thrives in chaos. I work in social services field supporting those with mental,physical, and intellectual disabilities as well as brain injuries so no two days are the same. I’m usually on the go-go and typically like change. When I did have alone time I enjoyed being at home alone with the kids while my husband worked and loved the two hours at night where it was “me’ time. Recently we moved and I had to leave a job I loved and we have had quite alot of changes one after another causing alot of stress on us. We’ll here I am without my family and friends and bam! One day I experience what I know now is a panic attack. I would not wish it on my worst enemy. I have since have about 7 in the past 3 weeks because I think I now have scared myself into having panic attacks because of my fear of experiencing another one. My mom suffers with panic disorder and started in her 30s, now she doesn’t leave her home. Anyways I starting getting scared to be alone and panicking every night my husband was at work and for the first time I went to the doctor in 8 years. He was an awesome Dr and let me know some of my back and chest pains were related to a rib that was swollen and dislogged but told me to take 20 mg of citrolapam to help. He knew my weariness of meds but said I’m wearing too many hats and need to relax. He also prescribed me lorazopam which makes me nervous on top.of everything. Your blog had helped me to relax a bit. I’m on day 2 but my jitterness is the worst makes my anxiety intensify but I’m too nervous to take the lorazopam. . Anyway long post sorry, it felt good to get out. Thank you for the positivity on this page and I hope you are doing well with your health encounters!!!
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Hello there, I just read your post. Have you looked into a Medical herbalist? It could save you from all these meds. They all have down sides. I had a herbalist a few years ago after coming of Ciprolex, and a couple of years of antidepressants. They worked great, but take a bit more time to work. Best news you can stop many of the anxiety herbs in one day. St Johns wort you need to stop slowly, but the other herbs I had I just stopped.
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Hi,
Great to give you space to ‘vent’ – absolutely one of the reasons I post so much, it’s an outlet and things always seem more ‘rational’ once I’ve been forced to present them in written form.
Sorry to hear that the move didn’t go quite as smoothly as you would have hoped – I’m currently in a similar situation, so you 100% have empathy from me.
Having a great GP is one of the most important assets I think in beating this, and it sounds like you’ve got yourself a corker! I’ve just been reading about the difference between Citalopram and Lorazopam and, if it’s any comfort, what you’re taking shouldn’t be anywhere near as invasive as SSRI class medication such as Citalopram.
That’s not in any way trying to diminish what you’re going through – anxiety is awful, whether mixed with depression or not, and getting non-sufferers of anxiety to understand how challenging our condition is, is an absolute nightmare – so just to be clear, I 100% support your situation – keep smiling and you’ll get through it, I’m sure 🙂
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Hiya again Gari /Lisa,
I avoided the dose today, but I’m certain I need it to improve, I’m always feeling nauseous anyway due to my anxiety and ibs, so hopefully I won’t feel any different?
I’ve just sat and read through all the comments, and it seems the symptoms mainly affects those taking 20mg. I’ll only be taking 10, too afraid to go up. I was thinking, is OK if I start with 5mg?
I’m going to be taking an oral solution with drops of 2mg, and I’ve been told to take 4 drops daily. It says I can take in water or fruit juice, does that mean I should do it that way or do I have to apply to my tongue?
I’ve also bought ginger tea and lemon drops, and a stomach settler with paracetamol. I’ve been feeling awfully anxious today about taking it, but I feel like its something I have to do.
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Hi Kelly,
From my perspective absolutely something that you have to do from the sound of your situation.
Wow, well done on getting through all those comments – insane number of them, but a great way to crowd-source opinions and experiences from people in the same position – if anything they’re more valid than the post I did as mine is only the one opinion 🙂
I’ll be honest. It doesn’t seem like the dosage matters. Essentially, you’re changing the chemical function of the brain, whether by 5mg, or 10mg – at some point your body is going to notice it.
5mg sounds like it would be a good start for you in this situation, but as I mention in the post – please seek medical consent first.
In all my years, I’ve never once heard of the oral solution, but I’ve always been comfortable with tablets, so I’ll leave that question from my reply for someone who knows better – sounds like you just dissolve in a glass and take – if it looks chalky then definitely don’t tongue it, if it looks like a normal pill, I’d probably just take it with the drink – either way, so long as it goes in…! 🙂
Ginger tea and lemon drops (for me, any boiled sweet) are great with nausea. Hopefully the stomach settler will work for you. Nausea is triggered by the brain and not the stomach, so I wouldn’t go spending too much of your money on these – instead anti-emetic medications are available through GP and actually work in the brain to try and settle things.
The big thing for you, I think, is don’t let this build up in to a bigger thing and if you start catastrophising, stop and pause for a moment and rationalise everything! If you let this fear build up then I’m sure that some psychoanalytic mind will have said somewhere that you’re only making it more stressful than it need be – jump head on in and you’ll possibly find that things aren’t half as bad as the big scary monster in your head – at worst, ask yourself, can you feel any worse than you do now?
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Thank you Gari
Reading the comments, I’ve found that the higher dosage people start at the worse it is.. so I guess it might be worth a shot?
I struggle to swallow a pill, and especially if it’s something I have to take every day, this liquid might work better for me. I’m going to start with 5mg after breakfast tomorrow. I’m at work from 6am, but I’ll probably taking it around 10-11am.
Thank you for all the reassurance, I’ll try my best. Also, well done for winning against your tumor! That’s very impressive. And thank you for accepting my facebook request, I’ll keep in touch on here though so I can leave my experience like everyone else.
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Hi,
Not sure that’s always the case, but yes, 10mg is a pretty low dose – many people, myself included, started at 20mg. Also the higher the starting dose the more of a surprise your brain is going to get when the drug is delivered to the brain.
Ouch for that 6am start – and on a Monday morning too.
Thank you for being brave enough to share your experience on the Internet – all it takes is a comment to completely reshape someone’s perception and experience! 🙂
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Hello everyone
Figured I’d keep myself updated on here, so here goes nothing.
I’m on my 3rd night of being on 5mg.. I know it’s a tiny baby dose but my phobia frightened me so much to start small. I’m planning on going up to 10 on Monday.
I took my first dose of liquid citalopram with a glass of apple juice after eating two slices of toasted teacakes at work. Needless to say I was very anxious. About an hour after, I got chest pains (could be heartburn) and a light headache. I was able to eat all day, despite having on and off nausea.
Day too was very similar.
Day three so far has been slightly more nauseating, and I’ve definitely been more tired. Throughout the duration of the time so far, I’ve felt like absolute poop. And I’m only on 5mg, I can see why people suffer so much starting with 20mg.
I’ve still been getting anxiety and panic attacks, but I’m not expecting that to change for a while till I’ve upped my dose.
Staring with 5mg has been alright, however I realise the light symptoms will keep going when I up my dose. I’m just looking forward to getting better one day.
Good luck to everyone, and thanks again for the feedback! I’ll keep you updated when I go to 10mg, then who knows, maybe I’ll end up on 20 in a few weeks.
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Great stuff, thanks for the update Kelly – great to hear that it’s been tolerable so far. About six to eight weeks for everything you’re taking the tablets for to settle usually – don’t lose heart after just four when the side-effects go away.
Wishing you the best,
G
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Hi everyone
So I just wanted to share my experience. So I started on 10mg for a few days and was upped to 20mg which I have been on for a few months now. My side effects at the beginning were pretty horrific as I was on sleeping pills to help me get through the night. But amazingly things levelled out after a few weeks and I’ve been feeling great and sleeping well.
Unfortunate a friend has just recently passed away and my sister has just suffered a miscarriage and it has really knocked me and I feel my anxiety is back. Can this likely level out again or would you think it best to discuss upping my dose with my gp?
Thanks everyone
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Hi Leanne, I’m very sorry to hear of your recent sadness – if you were feeling stable, and are now wavering (totally normally!) then definitely see the GP to get a boost. You could always come back down again once the situation stabilises?
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My only thing is it’s only been today really that I felt anxious so I might wait a few days and see if it stabilises again. Is it normal to have the odd bad day? Just don’t want to rush into upping my dose of having some bad news can make you have the odd bad day?
Thanks again
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Heavens, yes – expect the full rollercoaster experience I’m afraid! 🙂
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Hi Gari,
I’ve been reading your site with great interest. It’s been of much help to me.
I thought readers might like to know what happened to me.
I’ve been taking 10mg Citalopram for swallowing anxiety for just over eight weeks. I was slightly anxious but not depressed at all.
I was a fit guy hitting the gym three or four times a week and walking my dog three or four miles through woodland. Although overweight my doctor confirmed before I started on the pills I was a ‘very healthy individual’. Oh how things have changed!
I never felt the Citalopram really went that well with ever increasing side effects such as ever present nausea and no appetite at all.
I’ve now lost 2.5 stone over the course of the time and become very dehydrated. My doctor has been aware as I’ve been ringing in to the surgery for advice and reassurance. And did I need reassurance after throwing up once again after a very small light meal!
The first three weeks into taking the Citalopram weren’t too bad and I did think although my physical symptoms were quite uncomfortable my my mind felt brighter.
This all changed by week four where I can only describe myself as ‘going down’. Any brightness disappeared and I felt sick all the time. My doctor said push on through it’s just side effects so I kept on taking the pills.
The culmination was last Saturday night about 8pm – just over my eight weeks into taking the pills.
I started retching and vomiting what little I’d managed to eat (I’d had increasingly bad sessions of this before but was told it was ‘start up’)!. I had the biggest panic attack I’ve ever had and started pacing round the house like some caged animal. Then I started drooling beside the retching and pacing and hic-cuping violently!
This carried on through the evening and into the night. I couldn’t sit still and just kept retching deep from my gut.
My wife was so worried she called 111 at 3am with me still retching, drooling and pacing/panicking.
The doctor rang back at 4am and said it was undoubtedly a severe reaction to the Citalopram building up in my body and to stop taking them.
I was still bad at 9am the next day so 111 was called again and the doctor (a different one) confirmed the diagnosis of basically Citalopram poisoning and to stop taking them. He prescribed some anti-nausea pills which my wife picked up which barely helped.
I spoke to my own doctor on Monday morning and he said without doubt DO NOT take any more pills, so I’m now going cold turkey which, quite frankly is horrendous with constant retching and sickness. I can barely keep down liquids let-alone any food.
I’m also now finally down for counselling which is what I wanted in the first place but the doctor was insistent that Citalopram was the way to go.
I write this as a warning. As I said above, about three weeks in taking the pills I knew something was wrong. Any brightness I felt in my mind disappeared and the side effects continued to get worse.
I never got any kind of mental ‘break through’ and just felt worse and worse every week.
I never ever want to feel like I did Saturday night again and and was quite sure I would either pass out and be hospitalised or go completely mad.
If I know now what I did eight weeks ago when a pretty healthy guy was prescribed Citalopram I would’ve put them straight in the bin!
I will NEVER take any anti-depressant again!
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Hi,
Wow, incredibly sorry to hear your experience – I do feel it important/a responsibility to say that any SSRI can do this, not just Citalopram, and finding the right SSRI can be a bit of trial and error.
Huge thank for sharing this experience and I hope you’re able to respond well to counselling- usually this comes accompanied by meds, so I just wanted to set the expectation.
I know I speak for all of us when I say I genuinely hope you’re felling better shortly. Your experience sounds like an absolute nightmare – I went through similar with my brain cancer so can emphasise a little on the vomiting.
Hope that you get back to “you” soon! 🙂
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Thanks for the kind words Gari. I’m just sitting out the cold turkey now so hope to feel better in a few days.
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Hi Gari, thanks for this post, so helpful. I’ve just been given 20mg citalopram for depression and anxiety after a few traumatic events and current stress. I tried mirtazapine first but really didn’t get on with it, so I’m on day 3 of citalopram. The side effects are surprisingly intense, I was very nauseated indeed yesterday, a bit today but not as bad but zero appetite at the moment.
After my first tablet, I woke up in the night with the most intense anxiety ever…really odd. The weirdest thing was I want sure what I was so stressed over, I can normally pin point it at least. I was similar all day, again slightly better now.
I woke up and felt really low this morning which was odd as I don’t think of myself as suffering from depression, in the sense that I’m not sad all the time, just sporadically and I’m finding some things hard and employing avoidance tactics to distract myself, but getting myself out of bed this morning was really tough.
Hoping things carry on getting better!
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Hi Becky,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story – the more we have the more useful it becomes. Saying that, very sorry to hear that you’re going through this.
Really hope you’re feeling better soon!
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Hello everyone,
It’s been about a month and a half now of taking Citalopram.
I started off taking 5mg for a week, then upping to 10mg for a further two weeks. Symtoms were simply just feeling like a pile of poo, feeling drained and tired, a little depressed, i guess i felt a little nauseous, but it wasnt enough to stop me eating.
After that, I had a severe panic attack and was taken to hospital, where I was prescribed 20mg Citalopram tablets and 40mg Propanolol tablets. That was two and a half weeks ago.
I crush the tablet and drink it down after breakfast (commonly taken around 11am-1pm, as my daily schedule changes), id rather take it in the morning, so then i can sleep okay at night, as i get headaches a little after taking them. So far, i’ve had a few panic attacks, and the anxiety seems to be going down? i mean, i think i’m feeling better since the beginning. They’re honestly not as bad as id thought they’d be.
I wish anyone luck when taking them, as everyone reacts differently. So far, i’m doing well with them, so please give them a shot, they seem to really help. (Half a year ago, i’d have a panic attack every day. Now, i get them maybe 3 times a week?) Also, start therapy. it helps having someone to talk to, who doesnt know anyone you know (more private and personal).
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Great update – thanks for coming back and sharing! Glad to hear things have settled and started to improve 😀
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Thank you for this boost in sanity. I took citalopram for 6 years a while back and now after a slight relapse I am back on them again. This time was completely different and I’ve been through hellish symptoms over the last 2 weeks first with the nausea and drowsiness and now with the rubbish sleep pattern (it’s 3am…yay!) but this post made me less worried about it all. I hope to add to the awareness once I’m a little better 🙂
Jess @ http://www.juicyyyjesss.co.uk
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Hi Gari, thanks for keeping this post open to new comments. It’s been a really big help in my journey on Citalopram.
I started 7 days ago (gp prescribed this for major depression) and I’ve been so super lucky in that I’ve not had any nausea associated with the pills or anything.
I was really worried about going on any SSRI’s because I ride a motorbike into London for work. It’s a really challenging journey and I was so worried if my head wasn’t focused then I’d have an accident .
Luckily if anything I fell after 4 days my mind is sharper. And I’ve been alot more relaxed on the road. 🙂
My main side effects have been jaw clenching, yawning excessively in the first 4 days and broken sleep. I’m waking up around 3 every morning but can go back fine and am not tired in the morning anymore.
I’m also having wild dreams but I did before and I rather enjoy them! I also felt fidgety but it wasn’t notable to others. I’ve been taking my pill at 7.30 in the evening as I have to wake up at 5am and this seems to be a good time for me.
Anyway I just wanted to share my experience. I already feel like a much more relaxed and calm individual. I’m able to confront people about behaviour that upsets me whereas before I just couldn’t.
Just hoping if my dose gets up’d it will be smooth sailing. Thank you to everyone that has shared their story. I know it’s helped me a ton. X
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Hey,
Thanks for sharing your story.it’s great tha at you’ve chosen to add yours which will only add to the benefit!
Good luck on that motorbike – Citalopram or not, especially in London!!! 😮
Gx
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So glad I found this!
I’m 5 days in … 10mg for first week, then onto 20mg.
For the past 5 years I’ve been denying depression and anxiety, and finally after what I can only call a breakdown, I saw my GP. I’ve had a lot going on over the past 8 years or so, I lost both my parents, my eldest child is in trouble with the law, and at the start of this year my marriage finally broke down.
I’ve always been a private person person, and so when trouble strikes I keep it to myself and plod on. I did receive some helpful counselling following my fathers death, but apart from that, I’ve struggled on putting a brave face on to everyone around me. Admitting I’m not well and giving in was a bit of a revelation for me and I took my first pill without hesitation. All I want to do is feel happy.
I suppose I’m just unlucky with the side effects – feel sick all day, have no appetite, extreme tiredness, hot and sweaty, but the worst is the increased anxiety. Within an hour of taking my pill I find myself really tense, sweaty, pacing up and down, and just feeling down right dreadful. It’s helpful to know that this will ease with time, but when you’re in that hell it doesn’t feel that way. I just keep telling myself “it gets worse before it gets better”
I’ve been signed off work for a week, but feel I may need a bit longer than that. I’m not sure how that’s going to go down with my employer, so that’s not helping with the anxiety! I don’t want to have to tell them my private business at all and my illness is not related to my job. I find myself worrying about this more than anything. I cant do anything about my personal life-what will be will be, but I’m stressing about my job.
My GP thinks I would benefit from one to one counselling, but I’m finding that difficult to access. There are waiting lists in my area. I know when I get back to work I’ll probably be referred to occupational health, but I really don’t want to have to tell my employer what’s going on.
I suppose “over-stressing” is a side effect too, I’m only 5 days in.
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Gosh, you have so much going on – I’m not surprised you’ve been prescribed, bless you! Occupational Health isn’t always a bad thing in my experience, if they take the time and spend the money to send you there, then they obviously want you to stay!
Wishing you all the best!
G
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Hang in there Jo. The initial side effects are no fun but they eventually get better. I am 9 months in now and am so glad I started taking this medicine even if it made me a little worse before I started to get better. It’s a marathon not a sprint – don’t lose sight of that.
Neil
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Thank you both Gari and Neil for your replies. I’ve had a really crap day today, but hopeful that things will get better! I shall ride the storm. I’m due to increase to 20mg on Thursday, bit anxious about that, but will see how it goes. If I’m not ready to go back to work next week, that’s just tough – I need to focus on getting well.
Thanks again
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Gari brilliant job with this blog – super useful for those of us that need to talk about this damned drug Cit!! I have been on Cit twice before for anxiety and slight depression and for some reason after 4 years on it I decided to taper off very slowly last year. Done in conjunction with my doctor I might add. Seems it may not have been the best idea as 5 months in and I have dipped down again – negative thought pattern / panic etc and decided I had to give the tabs a go again. As with these things I have still got the memories of the awful first few weeks when the meds are taking effect….so yesterday was day 1 on 10mg. I should have remembered what to expect but my goodness it came back to bite me!! Sweating profusely and feeling like my hair was standing on end, lack of appetite, racing heart – all at work during an important conference call!! Thankfully it passed and I made it through the rest of the day ok and slept pretty well last night. Am about to take day 2’s dose and then take on the day and whatever it brings. I am fearful but having been here before I know the eventual positives far out way the negatives so am feeling positive. Have a lovely day all and thanks again Gari for a great blog!
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Hi Ali,
Thank you for the kind words, and a huge thank you for sharing your experience too! I never knew how it would go with getting back on to the tablets after stopping, so it really relates to me at the moment.
Great positive attitude that you have – hope you have a good BH regardless of the Citalopram!
G
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Hi
I’m on day 13 of 20mg of cit. I have been on them before but can’t remember the side effects. This time I had yawning and lost appetite.i find that I’m having a good day and the next a bad day. I suffer with severe anxiety. Is this normal to have good and bad days.really just want to be me again.
Lisa
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Hi I have been reading all the comments and found some good advice on here. I started 20mg of cit 13 days ago. Had some side affects like yawning and not being able to eat.these went fairly quickly but now I’m finding that I have a good day and then a bad day. I suffer from severe anxiety and this is the third time I have been on these meds but I forget each time I go back on them just how long it takes me to feel me again.i asked the Dr if I could go up to 30mg but she feels it’s to soon.
Lisa
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Hi Lisa,
Thanks for your comment/sharing your experience and well done for getting through all the others!
Wishing you well with it, and hope that you get to a happy place soon x
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Hi Lisa, Wow 13 days and your getting relief. I’m sure it will get better soon, try not to up the dose as it’s best to be on a lower dose if possible. Good luck x
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The first time I went through this I was on 40mg of cit and trazadone at night.also propranolol. I feel that I should be on 30mg now. Just each time I go through this I always feel like how can I get through it again. I know I will but it’s so hard at the beginning. Luckily I’m sleeping well and work have been supportive. I have been off the last 2 weeks. It’s been great reading people’s experiences on here as it gives me hope
Lisa
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I took Citalopram last year for 3 months. Came off them and i was normal again. No problem. My depression has returned with a vengeance and Im straight back on 20mg. Day two and Im feeling VERY sick, bad head, and ready to end it all. Came close too today but i have a friend coming to stay with me. should be here in about an hour. Im just bursting into tears with real bad attacks. Please someone tell me its normal.
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Hi Dave,
Very normal, please don’t do anything drastic.
It sounds like you’re in a really dark place – please call 999 or ask your friend to for advice and support.
Wishing you the best,
Gari
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Things will pick up mate .. Stick with it.I had same symptoms 3 yrs ago..Its hard I know but it will get better.
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Hi Gari, I’m so pleased I found this site. I have been taking 10 mg for 7 days now.. This morning horrendous sickness I couldn’t move from my bed. But as the day has gone on that has worn off… However I am shaking /tremors. I also have the added worry of loosing more hair than usual so of course that is making me anxious alone… I’m really hoping for a miracle ( I have been on cit before years ago).
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Hi Lisa,
Sorry to hear that you’re back to it, but hopefully that’s a good sign that it’s worked before?
Hope your miracle comes in the coming days 🙂
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Awwww. Stick with it. Im week 2 now after restarting them. Yes. Morning was worst for me too. I was ready to throw myself out of the nearest window last week every morning. Real tremors, tears, panic attacks and sickness first thing in the morning til about 10-11ish. It has passed now. Have you got anyone staying with you.? I was lucky to have someone come and stay with me for 3 days and it saw me through the worst. Im still taking 10mg. My GP said to take 20mg but Im fine taking half the tablet. Keep going. It will pass. Im taking them for depression and slight OCD and Im better on them than off.
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Hi Dave, I live with my partner and son. I’m trying my best to hide it from my son as he is worried enough.And my partner doesn’t understand and doesn’t seem interested in trying to.I know exactly that feeling of wanting to jump out of the window. It’s very hard to keep going.xx
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Sometimes it can be hard for close family members to be supportive especially if they have never had any reason to take this sort of medication in the past. Really, Stick with it. The strong side effects will pass. the panic attacks will not be so bad and the strong feeling of a hangover will pass too. Im afraid you MUST make sure you are eating decent food even if you are not eating the sort of meals you would normally. Make sure you keep your fluids up too. I felt very dehydrated the first week.
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I am trying to eat but the last 4 weeks of no appetite has taken its toll. Thankyou for your reply and words of encouragement,it’s very reassuring to know people have gone through the same. Xx
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Thank you for your reply, yes it did work before unfortunately this time round I am much worse. I can honestly say I don’t remember any side effects when I took them the first time.x
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No kidding, I have lost 12kg.!! Dropped from 100kg to 88kg in 4 weeks. Probably not a bad thing either but the eating thing will improve and you wont have the stomach cramps. I thought my GP must be madder than me to be dishing out these tablets but really, stick with it. if the side effects/symptoms are still strong after 2 weeks, go back to your GP. Some people report taking other medication to help with stomach cramps
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Ok thank you , fingers crossed in the next 7 days it will improve. I am so grateful Thankyou xx
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Thank you..simply thank you
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Hi, well I thought over the weekend as I was feeling good and even went to the cinema… Things were looking up. But I have increased the dose 4 days ago and feel like I did last week… Shaking anxiety through the roof spent the morning in bed 😦 please tell me this is normal and soon should pass. X
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yes. My GP put my dose up and the same thing happened to me. It was like being back to square one. Im happy taking 10-15mg per day. (one to one and a half tablets) Seems to work fine for me. Anything higher just mucks me up. !! Best thing you can do is go back to your GP and ask why they put your dose up. I deffo dont want to tell you to take less. Go back to your GP and ask about your dose.
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Hi Dave, how are you?. Thankyou I will give it a few days and go back if it doesn’t improve. X
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Hi Gari. Thanks so much for this blog, and for keeping it going. My GP suggested I try citalopram alongside CBT and counseling to help with increasing anxiety that was starting to impact on my day to day life due to C-ptsd and a couple of other things. I struggled for weeks trying to figure out whether to ‘give in’ to the medication. Then I found your site and was able to finally read a balanced and realistic view on what sort of things I might expect. It was your site that gave me the final bit of courage I needed to give citalopram a go. I started on 20mg 30 days ago now. I am one of the lucky ones. Each morning I’d wake up wondering what side effects I’d have, and I’m really pleased to say that I didn’t really have any to speak of. Perhaps a dull headache for a couple of days and I do get a dry mouth every now and again, but that just reminds me to drink more water! I noticed that after about 7 days or so I was no longer crying for no apparent reason, I hadn’t realised just how sad I had become. I went back to see my GP last week and she gave me a 30mg script as my anxiety is still there along with a rather intrusive and destructive internal critic, which I hope to kill off with the CBT! The GP suggested I could try the 30mg when I felt ready and could always reduce back to the 20mg if it didn’t suit. I decided to try 30mg two days ago. Now, I know this might sound odd, and I’m wondering if it’s a coincidence and I would have felt this way had I stayed on 20mg, but yesterday and today, I’ve felt much more like my old self. I’ve been out and about without panicking that something awful might happen. I’ve even caught myself singing along to the radio again! I figure I’ll carry on with the 30mg for a week and see how it goes. I’ve not had any side effects since increasing the dose, perhaps a bit more yawning, but that doesn’t bother me at all! My GP has been great, and I realise that there will be days of one step forward two steps back, but just to have the occasional good day to remind me of how things once were, and how they can be again with a bit of ongoing work, is fantastic. In fact the GP suggested I keep a mood journal as a way of looking back to remind myself of how far I progress, but also for the days that might not be as bright, to reinforce the fact that they will return and with greater frequency. So, thanks for writing this blog. It has obviously helped so many people, you have done a great thing!
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What lovely and kind words – it’s lovely to think that you can potentially do even the smallest little thing like write down some words and hear that they’ve had an effect on someone!
Massive thank you for sharing your story – I’m sure that your experience will definitely help other readers see the other side of the coin, which I think is SO important.
Great to hear that you’re feeling happier and I don’t know whether or not you singing is a good thing (I’d need to hear what your neighbours say haha!) but sounds like you’re in a lovely place right now, hurrah!
Best wishes!!
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Hi everyone, wow I am having a tough few days 😦 been on escitalopram since December and after a terrible time starting them they have been working great for my anxiety and I have been pretty happy on them. so decided a month ago, after speaking to my doctor, to reduce to one table every other day and I’ve been feeling really goo. however, the past few days have been hell. dizziness, sickness, fatigue and horrific anxiety. so doctor recommended I start on them again as maybe its not the right time to come off them. how long will this last, is it generally quicker if you already have them in your system. cant take feeling like this, its horrible and have two young children to look after too 😦
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This is withdrawal your doctor really needs to be taught not to drop the dose by half. It really is dangerous. Please Google ‘The Bristol and District Tranquilliser Project’ if you are in the UK. They have a helpline and will support you if you want to reduce your medication. For now go back on the dose you were stable on. It can’t be reduced so fast. Good luck….
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Thanks Keith. I was just wandering too does it take the 6-8 weeks to stabilise again. That’s what worries me or does it seem to stabilise quicker when it’s already still in your system?
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Hi Leanne, I think it depends how long you have been on a lower dose, but my guess is that you will feel ok again in a day or two. There is no sticking it out to see if you stabilise..it just makes you very ill. Escitalopram is a much more potent drug than Citalopram too. As you may know they come in 10 and 20 mg pills. but a 10 mg pill is about 40 of Citalopram I think. If you come off very slowly by no more that a 10% drop of the dose you are on then wait a couple of weeks before your next reduction, hopefully you wont have problems. It takes time of course, but you health is what really matter here. Bristol are experts in this and very helpful..:-) Keith
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Week 2 tomorrow of 30mg of citrapram and been feeling really wobbles and dizzy and can’t drive as feel really spaced out really worried they aren’t working and I won’t be able to drive again will these side effects go
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Hi Alice,
Hopefully they’ve settled down already, but if not you’re absolutely right not to be driving at the moment!
If symptoms continue, definitely one for the GP – if they know that you drive they can sometimes look at alternate medications less inclined to make you drowsy.
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Many thanks feeling bit better but I will keep a eye on it
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Hi I’ve just spent an hour reading all the comments on here and I’m so relieved that I’m not on my own with side effects from citalopram .
I started 20mg 13 days ago for severe anxiety. As others have said my anxiety levels went through the roof in the first few days and I’ve had continuous nausea. Really bad dhiarea too but that seems to have stopped now. I can’t eat a thing and I’m literally surviving on cups of tea and a protein shake when I can manage. Anxiety starts as soon as I open my eyes in the morning but I do feel that it’s starting to be more manageable, thing is that starts my sickness feeling and wrenching the. I have my tablet and then that’s me feeling sick all day long.
The last couple of days I’ve found I’m feeling calmer and less nauseous in the evening so I’m hoping that this is a sign that the side effects are starting to subside???
All the posts on here are so helpful and gari thanks u for starting this
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Hi Vicki,
An hour? Blimey! 🙂
Definitely sounds positive, though my experience with Cancer sickness has taught me that you should never underestimate the danger of dehydration. If you’re being nauseous constantly, seek further medical advice / an anti-emetic from your GP.
Best of luck!
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Hi Gary, thanks or your testament to citalopram! Well done for overcoming the brain tumour too….a horrendous experience. My daughter had 13 hours of surgery for brain tumour when she was 19….she’s now 44! Citalopram……well, I started taking it only 26 days ago, after a FULL YEAR of another well known SSRI. I became stressed last year because my only brother had died…I was in NZ at the time and couldn’t get back for his funeral….I was devastated. Then last summer I suffered pulmonary emboli in both lungs…lucky to live! I got to something resembling recovery over the winter months, but again became ill, and my doc increased the dose of my former SSRI. After 14 weeks I realised it wasn’t doing its job.
Soo, 26 days ago, I did a straight swap to citalopram, starting with 20mg/day for a week, then increasing to 30mgfor a week, and now I take 40mg. Obviously side effects have been cumulative over this time, but soon disappeared. I only seem to suffer that spaced out/foggy brain feeling and fatigue, though I’m 69 and expecting to be as energetic as a 20 yr old. I’m slowing becoming curious about the hobbies I left behind (gardening and card making), but with the latter, I still haven’t regained the patience I used to have for detail.
In reality, I’m only on day 8 of 40mg, so I accept I must go through side effects. I also accept the old adage that “you’ll feel worse before you feel better”, but please, do you know how long my spaced out feeling will last. It’s like I’m in a big bubble, looking out onto the world. My doc says I’m suffering from reactive depression, having been widowed in 2007, losing both breasts to cancer in 2008, and my son emigrating in 2010. He says in the last 10 years I’ve had far too much stress to cope with.
Thankyou for any advice you can give me
Iris
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Hi everyone, just wanted to say Gari that this blog has helped me so much especially when I’m sat alone in the early hours of the morning with horrendous insomnia and panic. I am 4 weeks into my citalopram journey and boy has it been a roller coaster ride. I’ve been on anti-depressants before but made the foolish decision to come off them without tapering and ended up in a real mess. As I didn’t like the weight gain and other side effects of my old tablets the doctor suggested citalopram. So for two weeks I was on 10mg and then it was upped to 20mg after that. I’m so pleased that I’m not the only one to suffer the horrendous side effects of this medication (not that I wish this on anyone) but it helps so much to know you’re not alone. I have had just about everything on the side effects list but the ones that really bother me are the insomnia, nausea (vomitting too) and ridiculously high levels of anxiety. I have spent so many nights awake without even 5 minutes sleep and as your all probably well aware then the dark negative thoughts start. Been back to the doctors for something to help with the sickness and tried to explain how awful I feel but haven’t had much sympathy. Sometimes I feel so alone even though I have a great support network and most of the time feel like I can’t live like it and feel desperate for the day when I feel better. It’s obviously going to take time and patience something that is in short supply when you feel like the majority of your days are hellish. Find it hard to function especially as the kids are off school. Praying that in the next couple of weeks things start to improve.
Best of luck to all those on here battling through those first few weeks and well done to everyone who has come out of the other side.
Jo
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Hi Jo,
So glad that you found us – I know that 4am “end of the world” Google search very well unfortunately.
Sorry to hear about all the drama you’ve had in the past, it must have been really rough for you – sounds like you’ve been exceptionally strong just getting to where you are at the moment!).
Shame on your doctor for not taking this medical condition with greater seriousness. I’d try another doctor maybe if it’s a group practice?
Can’t wait for you to come back and tell us all that you’re feeling brighter – as you say, unfortunately it takes time, but it’ll happen 🙂
Gx
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Hi Baby here , I am on Celexa
10 days on 10 MG then 8 days on 15mg and now 24 on 20mg
thank u for this side about how people feel going on Celexa
after all this time on it I still have side effects like nausea, shaky , sadness with crying and anxiety attacks. They are not as bad as they were on the beginning but still have them.
Anyone still has that going on after all that time on them ?
When the anxiety attack comes it scares me so much to the point of thinking never 2 get better
like will I stay like this , it’s so bad that I have 2 take a lorazapam for it
yes I am waiting for sad thinking to go away , I was a very happy funny person before depressing and anxiety kicked in do to being sick for some time . Sickness is gone but depression and anxiety stayed .??????? I have is did anyone else take this long and still is having side effects and sadness and anxiety.
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Hi
I had a much better day yesterday, the usual morning nausea but it eased off around lunchtime and I then felt OK for the rest of the day. I was really hoping that the side effects of the citalopram had started to settle. But today has been truly awful, the nausea hasn’t left me all day and it’s completely floored me. Day 17 today should the side effects be starting to subside yet? Xx
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Hi Victoria,
Good to hear things have been better yesterday. I wouldn’t let today phase you too much – the fact you’re starting to see calmer days sounds really positive.
Everyone reaches that plateau at their own speed, two to three weeks is about the average I believe, so hopefully you’re on of those people who feel more settled sooner rather than later x
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Hi Gari and everyone else, thought I’d come back and update you on how I’m doing! It’s been just over 5 weeks on citalopram now and I’ve had 5 days of either manageable anxiety or no anxiety at all!!! The nasty side effects of nausea, vomitting etc etc disappeared too it was bizarre! However as we all know it’s never smooth on the road to recovery and today I allowed myself to get worked up and ultimately anxious about one particular side effect that is still my constant companion………..INSOMNIA!! It’s improved in that I’m not pacing the house at night (I think because my anxiety has decreased) but I lay in bed for what seems like an age trying to fall asleep and if I do manage to its so disturbed I’m waking frequently until the alarm goes off and I feel like a zombie. It’s got to the stage where I’m dreading going to bed and then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. My doctor has talked to me about sleep hygiene and I’m trying to do calm stuff like reading a book before bed etc but I just wanted everyone’s feedback on whether they have suffered this problem and the ultimate question “does the insomnia go”??? Hope you’re all doing ok.
Jo
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Hi jo
I’m on day 26 of citalopram and it’s been awful. The anxiety went through the roof to begin with and I had awful constant nausea. I can’t eat and I’m surviving on protein shakes. Last week I found that things started to settle late afternoon evening time. But the mornings are and still are awful. I wake with anxiety and end up wretching and feel really sick.
The past couple of days I’ve been getting waves of anxiety throughout the day. I am so hoping that the citalopram kicks in soon but I’m getting so dispondent.
I don’t have the insomnia like you, don’t think I could deal with that too.
Xx
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Hi Vicki, you are not alone I was exactly the same the nausea and vomiting have been awful. As soon as I would wake in the morning it was there. The anxiety would also come in waves which frightened me and meant I didn’t want to the leave the house. Then as things started to improve my afternoons/evenings became easier (the same as you’re experiencing). Around 7 days ago I woke up with no nausea and my anxiety was so much more manageable it was like someone had flicked a light switch on! My appetite returned and I even managed some lunches out which was amazing considering I’ve lost over a stone from the lack of eating since I started the tablets. My family have all noticed the difference. Then yesterday I had to go back to the doctors for a review and that made me feel a little anxious and I didn’t feel as good as I had previously and then today after another poor nights sleep I’ve hit a low again. (No appetite, nausea, anxiety) I’m not good at coping with the bad days I start to panic even though some days have been good that I’ll never get over this and start to doubt myself. It’s a hard road but rather than us seeing ourselves as weak I thing we’re strong for getting through each day and hoping for better times when all seems lost. I know you will get there just hang on and try and have faith that you will be back to your normal self (I will tell myself this to). Here’s hoping your side effects and my Insomnia pack their bags and go on a permanent holiday asap.
Keep going
Jo
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Thanks for the reply jo. It really helps to know someone else has been through the same. I’m finding mornings unbearable but everything seems to calm down late afternoon early evening. I keep telling myself that’s a sign that things are improving! Every day is just so tough to get through.
I’ll be at the 4 week point tomorrow so hopefully the drugs should start having an effect soon???
I’m also taking beta blockers, I was just having them as I needed but now I’m trying to take regularly to see if it helps by building up in my system.
I just want to be able to eat cause I feel so weak. I’ve lost loads of weight, I’ll never complain about being fat again!!!!
I hope things continue to improve for you xxxx
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Thanks for the reply jo. It really helps to know someone else has been through the same. I’m finding mornings unbearable but everything seems to calm down late afternoon early evening. I keep telling myself that’s a sign that things are improving! Every day is just so tough to get through.
I’ll be at the 4 week point tomorrow so hopefully the drugs should start having an effect soon???
I’m also taking beta blockers, I was just having them as I needed but now I’m trying to take regularly to see if it helps by building up in my system.
I just want to be able to eat cause I feel so weak. I’ve lost loads of weight, I’ll never complain about being fat again!!!!
I hope things continue to improve for you xxxx
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Hi everyone,
Wow the road to recovery really is a roller coaster ride! I’m around the 8 week mark now and am still experiencing a mix of days when I feel like my old self and days when I wake and know that it’s a bad day. Had 7 good days in a row and then my anxiety was triggered by a family event and I ended up in urgent care where the doctor had to give me diazepam to help calm me down. Was anyone else’s recovery the same with so many ups and downs. When I’m well it’s like I’m led into a false sense of security then things come crashing down again. I was hoping that things would be more settled maybe I’m expecting too much after 8 weeks I don’t know? I can never seem to get into the doctors and when I do it’s a different one each time and I seem to get different advice. Wish that we had better mental health care as there seems to be so many of us suffering. Sorry today’s update isn’t more positive, I just need to convince myself that I will get there. Hope you are well Gari and to all those who check the blog (Vicki how are you doing any better?). Take care
Jo
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Hi Jo,
Huge thanks for sharing your update and it’s positive to hear you’re having a mixture of days, though it doesn’t sound much fun, at least there are a few sunny days coming through!
If there’s a genuine trigger (as it sounds there may have been) then I possibly wouldn’t worry as much as if it was just happening randomly/in every day situations.
I live out in the countryside and can definitely empathise with the GP situation.
Keep on smiling, G
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took my first tablet yesterday morning. was fine throughout the day and evening however woke up this morning feeling really sick just like morning sickness. why can’t they make a med that doesnt cause nausea? took an anti-emetic tablet and feeling a bit better now but worried how bad the nausea will get if I keep taking the tabs. don’t know if i can do this. seems as though most people who start this drug feel sick for a while, some up to a few months – which is worrying as doc said its only the first week or two.
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It’s usually just the first week or two whilst your brain balances out -stick with it. Everyone’s experience is unique so not a lot of value in worrying about specifics and exact times etc. Good luck and well done for taking the first tablet 🙂
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You are feeling sick because your body is reacting to a “foreign” substance. All side effects are reactions, but your body will adjust in the next few weeks
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I have been taking Citalopram for about 4 years. When i first started I had side effects for about 3 weeks – including feeling very nauseated and extremely tired. Once I got past that stage, I feel that the meds have really helped me manage my anxiety. I also reduced caffeine, had some counselling, do yoga, try to get enough sleep, etc. In August when I refilled my prescription, I noticed I was not feeling well. I noticed that the generic brand of Citalopram I was taking was different than the previous one. I asked the pharmacist and she confirmed I had taken two other brands before but not this one. A few days later (about 2 weeks after being on the different brand) I had a migraine (first in 2 years) and then spent 3 days in bed feeling rotten – headaches and lightheaded. Went to the doctor, she told me to take a few days off work. I felt like I had the flu, but I had not flu symptoms other than fatigue, headache, and dizziness. I talked the the dr about the medication and she agreed it was best to get the other brand back, which I was able to do. But now I have been back to my regular stuff for about 2 weeks and I still feel off. While I am generally ok, I m getting daily headaches and dizziness. I have no idea if I have some type of virus or if its related to the medication. It seems odd to me that a simple change in brand could cause this? and would it last so long??
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Hi, thanks for all this great advice – I’d say it likely isn’t brand related as Citalopram in itself is a product, all brands have to stick to the same ‘recipe’ as it were. I get a different branded box nearly every time I get renewed. I’d probably talk it over with the doctor? Stiff and headachey sounds more like a virus than anything else? Just a thought 🙂
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You could very well be having tolerance issues after so long on the drug. I don’t know how much you are on right now, but GPs tend to up the dose, which will last a bit longer. It may be time for you to make a very slow withdrawal. Look up the ‘Bristol and district Tranquilliser Project’ They have years of experience and a Helpline
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Hi Timber
the same thing happen to me with the Celexa
it was the same 20 MG but different manufacturer
went back to pharmacy and ask if that could happen and they told me yes
they told me they all put the same meds in the pill and then something different , each manufacturer does that .hope that helps you
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I’m on day 11 of taking citalopram. I’m going back and forth between feeling kinda ok and feeling worse than I did before I started taking it. I’m nauseous almost all the time but the worse thing is the spaced-out, dizzy feeling. I can’t concentrate on anything. I feel like I wanna just curl up in bed and sleep all the time but I can’t even sleep 😦 I’d never suffered with any kind of mental health issue until 5 weeks ago when I had a severe panic attack and the anxiety has not left me since then. I never had the slightest idea that anxiety could make you feel so incredibly ill. Right now I feel like I will never be ‘normal’ again but reading this helped. Thanks for posting x
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You absolutely will return to normality, hopefully a new and improved normality, but remember, side effects aren’t forever 🙂 x
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Stick with it Melanie…It will pass.. Takes a bit of time and just keep telling your self it WILL PASS… everyday you take another dose gets you nearer to feeling fine.That was my experience….I`m sure many others had the same or similar
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Hi everyone. I was on citalopram for quite some time and decided to try and cut down and maybe stop. Idiot!
Then I spoke to a doc I had never spoken to before and she told me to start reducing to 20 one day and 20 the next. The only problem with that was that I couldn’t remember which dose I had taken from one day to the next and therefore I started to miss doses in case I got it wrong. Of course, the side effects kicked in like a smack in the face.
I am now back on the regular dose of 20 a day and the side effects are dreadful.
I know it is partly my own fault but I think I shall stay on that dose now as it worked for me before.
The side effects are pretty scary but I find when I feel sick, nibbling on a few nuts seems to help. Also, i do manage to eat a little soup with a little bread dipped in to soften it.
This web site has been a tremendous help as i was beginning to feel a little desperate with the side effects.
Thank you all so much, especially you GARY.
I will keep in touch on this site as i am hoping for a breakthrough soon, especially with the anxiety.
Love to you all.
Patricia
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Thank you for your kind comment Patricia – know everyone will be rooting for you 🙂 (how frustrating it must be that you’re back on after the effort of coming off, but hoping that those side effects melt away soon)
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Hi, its me again.
With regard to the inability to sleep, last night I drank a double tea bag cup of camomile tea and put lavender oil either side of my pillow, I then lay down with a small bedside lamp switched on and prepared myself for another restless night. ( this had always worked for me before so thought it was worth a try).
I had 8 hours sleep!
Perhaps this might be worth a try for those having trouble sleeping?
I might add that I had a very difficult evening babysitting my two grandsons.
The youngest (5 years old) was as good as gold, but the older one (age 8) was very difficult.
He is going through a very trying stage. He argues about everything!
If you say its raining, he swears the sun is shining! If you ask him to be quite because he is shouting, he holds his nose, holds his mouth shut and says he cant breathe and its all your fault!
It was a nightmare getting him to bed.
How I managed it, I don’t know!
Eventually, he settled down, and it was blissfully quiet.
But, it was very hard.
Oh, as a footnote, I started a Pilates class at the height of my anxiety and thought I would have to run away when I got there, but I forced myself to do it and strangely, I had a fairly good afternoon that day and not such an anxious night. I am continuing with it and it really does help. I go once a week. Also, I force myself to go for a walk every day ( different times) and that seems to help a little too.
I hope this is of some help to you all, and thank you all for helping me through this difficult time.
Hugs to Gary.
Patricia
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Well I’m currently having a few hard days. I take 20mg escitalopram per day and have for around 14 months now. I’ve started taking 20mg on Day then 10mg the next to reduce it slowly but I feel so weird. Dizzy and extremely tired and a bit sickly. Unfortunately I also have a severe chest and throat infection so on antibiotics which probably isn’t helping. I just hope this passes soon don’t want to feel like this for weeks.
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Oh dear, that does sound like a lot to cope with on top of the reduction!! Really hope it starts to go smoothly soon!
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[…] people who read this blog have come via my post on Citalopram – a nasty but effective SSRI which helps to make life feel a little more […]
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Hi Gary,
I hope this finds you well.
I am now on day 17 of 20 mg of citalopram and have felt really dreadful today.
Have an appointment with doc tomorrow so will let you all know how I get on. I expect she will tell me to keep going as it is early days yet.
I was messing around with the dose for quite some time because I felt so good on it, so please, please, don’t mess around with the prescribed dose.
Going up and down and not taking the odd dose is really not a good idea. I don’t think my poor body knows what is going on and is trying to accept a regular dose again.
I shall not do this again!
Best of luck to you all, and I shall let you know how I get on at docs.
Have been taking sleeping tabs for about ten days but will ask for a lower dose tomorrow.
Patricia
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Hi everyone, reading all your post has made me feel a bit better about taking citalopram. This is my first time taking an anti-depressant so I was very skeptical at first. After reading all the reviews online I was very scared to take the pills. I was terrified about the nausea, insomnia, and especially the weight gain. (I’ve always been very conscious about my weight) It took me about a month to get the courage to finally start the treatment. I was prescribed 10mg of cit (for anxiety and depression) along with 0.1mg of clonidine to help me sleep through the night. I started on Feb 1st. The first 2 weeks I cut the cit in half but also skipped a few days here and there (I’m horrible with medication) I didn’t really feel any side effects (maybe because I take it before bed) but I did notice I woke up feeling very groggy. I saw my dr last week and he said I needed to start taking the full pill. Tonight will be day 4 of taking the whole pill. I have noticed I’ve been feeling more anxious than ever but I’m assuming that’s a side effect. I also have been waking up throughout the night even though the clonidine is supposed to help me sleep. I still can’t shake the thought of the weight gain and I feel like I’m becoming obsessed with that idea and it drives me crazy! My dr wants to up the dose next time I see him to 20mg but I’m honestly so scared. Has anyone else noticed any weight gain? I hate to sound vain but if I gain any weight I know that will worsen my depression. Also will I experience any more side effects than I already have since I have been taking it for some time now? I want to feel better and get my life back on track but this anxiety and fear that I have with medication makes it kind of hard. It helps to see that I’m not alone in this. I wish everyone a healthy and happy recovery! We are all in this together.
Veronica
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Hi veronica,
No, I did not notice any weight gain with cit.
I am still working through the side effects, but have just had 3 good days and fourth day afternoon started to drop again. Apparently, this does happen, so I am sticking with it. I am actually half way through the fourth week on 20 and keep going when I remember how well it worked last time I was on it.
This site has helped tremendously as I was feeling so awful and reading everyone’s different experiences helped me realize that it wasn’t ‘just me’.
I now know it can take around 8 weeks for the meds to stabilize and I am almost half way there.
I spoke to the doc recently and she said it was not unusual for people to mess around with meds when they feel better and I should not feel bad about it.
She advised me to keep going and I have to see her again in a couple of weeks. She has given me something to help me sleep for two weeks too.
Will keep you posted and wish you all the best with your experience.
Oh, I am also finding it useful to write my feelings down at the end if the day and find that I am improving slowly but surely, baby steps.
Love to Gary and hope all is well with you
Patricia
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Great idea on keeping a side-effects diary, can really help to focus the mind, wish I’d thought of that! Hope you reach the happy place soon – sounds like you’re well on the way to getting there 🙂
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Hi all,
Am now on week 7 and for the past two days have felt truly dreadful.
Doc put my dose up to 30 mg 12 days ago and just couldn’t understand why I felt so awful. Suddenly realised that my meds were not the usual brand I had always taken before successfully.
Popped into chemist and had a word with pharmacist. He was absolutely lovely and said that occasionally when the body has adjusted to a particular brand, changing can be a shock to the system and cause initial side effects. So, phoned doc who has put new pres. Into chemist with my regular brand stamped on it.
Hopefully, I shall feel better after a few days.
Will keep u all posted.
Also, Gary, have you heard of the book ‘At last, a Life’, written by a chap who has recovered from long term anxiety and depression.
I have just ordered it from Amazon as i would like to get better once I am stabilized.
Apparently, according to reviews, it is a very down to earth, honest account about all the research he did and how he worked out the best way to recover.
Will let u all know what I think of it, but thought it was worth a mention.
Sorry this was so long.
Hugs to you all and Gary, I hope you are well, and thank you for getting back to me.
Patricia
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I started 10mg 7 Days ago for severe anxiety, been bed ridden feeling ill, lightheaded, so tired I cant move, no appetite and so on. Ive managed to make it in to work today and yesterday. feeling overwhelming panic and shaky, tired. Just feel so SICK! Yesterday was a better day, I had more energy, until around 6:30pm I was in the kitchen making my kids dinner plates when all of a sudden out of no where I got a dizzy spell for about 4 seconds, I immediately sat on the floor. Of course my anxiety sky rocketed and I have been in panic mode since lastnight because of it. I emailed my doctor but have yet to get a response? Is this normal? I feel so down about it
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Hi,
I’d definitely not worry about it – it does sound “normal” but I’m not medically trained. Call 111 if you’re in the UK and your doctor hasn’t come back yet to get some interim reassurance 🙂
Effects usually don’t last too long!
Good luck!!
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Thanks so much for the quick reply. I have health anxiety too I think that’s why I’m so scared. It all started two years ago when my mom died and I have lost 6 other family members since then including my dad so every little thing I feel makes me think I’m dying. Understandably so! I live in the US, I’m not sure what 111 is.
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Thanks for this. Real honest no nonsense approach to the bloody side effects. I take mine at night it has helped me sleep currently on day 8 so hoping the nausea passes soon but will be speaking to the doc to see what they recommend I take for that it feels like permanent morning sickness coupled with bad gas of the burping kind! This was so painfull on day 6-7 i though my tummy would explode (i’d been out and had some large meals which i dont think helped) so little foods and often i think from now on and I’ll try them with toast too to see if that helps. Like you I think so far I have been lucky with the side effects….touch wood this will be all I get as I do feel calmer and not in control. Thanks again your post also made my chuckle!
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Thank you so much for this…on day 6 now and really needed to hear an honest account that wasn’t completely negative. I’ve been unlucky enough to be getting all of the nasty side effects as well which makes it hard to keep taking it. Hopefully I can keep going. Thank you again for sharing.
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Keep at it Karen, sorry to hear you’re getting the side effects – well worth it in the end if it proves to be the right SSRI for you 🙂
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This page has been what made me take the leap and actually take my citalopram after 5 years of depression and the worst year of my life. It was just finally so nice to see accounts of citalopram that weren’t all negative and see people who’ve had it get better encouraging those at the start!! I’m currently about to take my 3rd tablet of 10mgs, I had terrible nausea on the first day but that’s subsided today and been replaced with a whopper of a headache. Hoping nausea keeps its distance and I can push through the next couple of weeks before side effects hopefully begin to wear off!!
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Gosh – good luck!!! 😀
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Good luck Eloise.
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Hello
I have started the drug ( cit ) 8 days ago and had no appetite, sleeping issues, headaches and a tense jaw for about a month so I decided to go on cit (10 mg) But I dont know if i’ve made the right decision as i still have no appetite and sleeping hasnt improved read that cit can actually cause insomnia ( which is really worrying me) no clue what to do as docs have said its too soon too tell
Will my sleeping issue diaspear or be made worse 😦 🙂
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Hi, as always, it’s hard to be specific – all I can tell you is that I’m now on 40mg and sleep like a log. Honestly, in my experience it soon settled – sleep patterns are fairly flexible and adaptable – my advice would simply be to rest, if you’re not sleeping, just sitting quietly with a book or watching TV is probably the next best thing. Sitting up and getting stressed/worrying will have a negative effect on sleep as you’ll feel supercharged up due to your adrenaline.
It’s rubbish for now but it honestly isn’t forever 🙂
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Reading about your brain tumour also has me worried as I feel as if it is related to cit.
I am aware that worrying does not help me but i find myself lying there awake all night and if The cit isn’t helping im hoping it will go soon
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Brain tumour absolutely nothing to do with Citalopram – completely cell related from birth 🙂
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Do you know how to handle/stop/ cope with adrenaline spikes so i can sleep. Im very negative atm
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Im also worried that no ssri will help with my sleep even tho i have bad anxiety and insomnia is a symptom of anxiety. I am on cit to help with anxiety
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i am thinking of taking kalms and the pharmacist says thats fine and my GP mentioned it jus worried kalms will interact with cit
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Hi, I am new here. I am 46 years old and after having suffered from depression for the last 4 months (without recognizing what was happening) while going through a very difficult time, I have started cit 10 mg 4 days ago. The side effects are manageable other than terribly increased anxiety, not being able to eat and insomnia (which I have had for the last 4 months). I have been been given ativan to get through the next couple of weeks. I am so afraid of the cit not working. My mental state has been so bad for the last 4 months, I have never ever felt this horrible and lonely in my entire life despite having faced many challenges along the way and having a fantastic understanding husband. I feel my brain is playing tricks on me, constantly bombarding me with negative loop cycles. I am so afraid that feeling like this will be the new normal after being a happy positive person for my entire life. I have 3 kids and being like this breaks my heart. In addition to cit I see a therapist on a weekly basis and practice meditation every day. Hope there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
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Hi Leonie,
Welcome and thank you for your post.
Although everyone’s depression is different, I hope it reassures you to say that there’s nothing that you have said that is unusual. It just really sucks doesn’t it?
I always find the main thing to do is not to blame yourself and to stick with the meds – eventually happier days will start to outweigh the rubbish ones. Think of it this way, you’ve recognised the issue, you’ve taken positive steps to remedy it, and now it’s just a waiting game – you’ve probably already had your worst experience, which made you do all of these things, and everything to come is one more step back to your old self 🙂
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Thank you Gari for your reply. Your blog has been an incredible support to me. In my darkest and loneliest hours I would read and reread all the comments and it made me feel I wasn’t all alone. I am now on day 9, my doctor told me to increase my dosage yesterday to 20 mg and am slowly starting to feel a little better. My appetite is returning a bit, the constant negative looping of my brain has somewhat slowed down and the paralyzing fear and anxiety about what was happening is also tapering off a bit. Don’t want to get my hopes up too high since I know there will be many ups and downs to come but having a glimpse of my old self gives me some hope.
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Hi Leonie, that’s so inspiring to hear, thank you for sharing that and I’m really glad that it helped. The comments are definitely the strength to this post! 20mg is pretty much the norm so hopefully that will level you out – I found very few symptoms in increasing my dosage and I hope the same is true for you. Sounds like you’re nearly in a really fantastic place – keep at it and keep smiling! 😁
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Hi, I’m glad I’ve found your blog. I’m on day 4 of taking Cit and this morning my anxiety was the worst it had ever been! But after reading the comments I know I am not alone and that has brought me some comfort. I know I need to carry on as there is light at the end of the tunnel. Thankyou.
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Not sure if anybody still reads this but I just wanted to say thank you Gari for sharing your story so openly and honestly. And for everybody else willing to post here with their experiences. I am only on Day 2 of Cit (yeah, I know, I know – but I am a wuss too) and the nausea and tiredness are overwhelming. I am going to stick with it and persevere! Unfortunately, I had a panic attack over thinking this is what it will be like forever! Geez brain – stop already. And I don’t normally get panic attacks – just lots of anxiety. Again – thank you for sharing. It really helps a lot!
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It’s been 4 years since I found this blog when I started on citalopram for severe anxiety.Taking these tablets was the best decision I ever made and once the start up symptoms settled I was able to live again.I slowly stopped them after 2 years and had some of the same symptoms come off them and had a few moments of anxiety where I thought I made need them again but I so far have been ok.If I found myself suffering though I would definitely go back to my GP to discuss using them again .Hang in there it does get better
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I’m about ten days in to my first experience with Citalopram. I found this article from Google about 6 links down after trying to search for information on “taking Cit morning or night makes me unbearably sleepy in the day” and then I realised I had read this article way back in 2012 when you originally wrote it Gari! So glad I found it again, because reading your experiences has helped me prevent another anxiety attack from hitting me while I’m sat here at work, trying to remain “normal…”
Any updates on when you last took Cit / if you’re still taking them? Did you find (along with effects from surgery / rehab / other cocktails of meds) there was a noticeable difference in your apetite in the end? I have found that I will have days where I don’t want to eat anything at all (therefore cannot perform at the gym) and then find that the next day I want to eat everything in sight!
Thank you again for your article Gari. Big love to Max and Pearl!
Love, your Wonky-Wife. xXx
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Oh noooooooo, not you too wonky wife!! 😦
I am so glad to hear that it’s helping in some way – this effectively ended my career at TM, so it definitely can be a huge deal if not addressed – sorry to hear that you’re having anxiety in the workplace, for me, it was literally the worst place to experience it…
In answer to the updates, I came off it about 2 months ago, having been on the ‘top’ dose of 40mg for 6 years! I’m now taking a different SSRI called Sertraline (also branded as ‘Zoloft’) as eventually the Cit became too ‘normalised’ for me and I ended up in a really dark place. Once I got settled on Cit, it honestly worked like a dream and really calmed me down, and I didn’t have any lasting side effects or anything. The only thing that can be a pain is not being able to take Ibuprofen if you end up with something that needs that more than it needs paracetamol.
From what I can remember, it can be taken any time of day. Certainly you can try taking it at night – I know many people try it as a way to sleep through the onboarding effects. It has a really long half-life so the way to switch would be to take on Morning 1, but not take the next until Evening 2 – your body won’t even notice, especially this many days in. If it wakes you up in the night, you may want to switch back.
If I can do anything to help, I’m a great listener/wall to bounce off (believe me, you’re not the only friend, or TM person) then drop me a message/email and I’m happy to help my lovely wonky-wife as much as I can! xxx
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Loved this post. Eased some of my worry!
I’m 6 days into taking Citalopram for anxiety & it’s hit me like a ton of bricks. I was so tired and could barely move for 3 days.
I’m now on day 6 and suffering with the worst heartburn I’ve ever felt, feels like my chest is on fire! I keep worrying thinking I’m having a heart attack!!!
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Thanks for sharing your story and I hope you start feeling better – that heartburn must be rather unpleasant 😩
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Thank you for taking the time for this post. I have been experiencing panic attacks and anxiety for that last few year, not really too frequently until the last couple months. The biggest issue with this is impending doom …like this can’t be anxiety I must be dying, right? My Dr. finally agreed to do blood work to rule out any underlying issues, something he would not do before because I’m 33 and have no history of really any health problem other that the norm like flu, colds etc. I agreed to try Celexa if my labs come back regular. I know in my mind I am most likely healthy, I just can’t seem to shake this feeling of something is wrong with me. It’s like I am super aware of every tiny ache and pain in my body and it freaks me out and gets me so upset, I know this is also probably part of getting older, being slightly over weight and working a very physical fast paced job as a casino waitress (tons of walking and carrying lots of weight over my head all day, everyday). Anyways, my blood work should return tomorrow, so I wanted to look up information on Celexa because there is a very real possibility that I will be prescribed this tomorrow. I have always been very hesitant to take a daily medicine for depression or anxiety because they get such a bad rap and I like you read all the terrible, horrifying reviews from those who have had bad experiences. I very much appreciate your take on this adventure with Celexa it has made me feel a lot better about beginning an adventure of my own and embracing the fact that I have the choice to better my mental health because i feel like I must surely be losing my mind lately. I absolutely feel blessed that I have a strong support system around me that can c
keep a close eye on me and help me along and that I feel 100% comfortable in being open about my journey. So thanks you again for taking the time to type this blog and giving me a place to put my thoughts to someone who can relate even if you don’t read this or reply….Thank you so much and best wishes on a very long, happy, healthy lifetime to you.
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Thank you for such a lovely message Katy, and I’m sorry that you even had to find it at all – it’s a thoroughly unpleasant disease, and glad to read that you’ve at least been diagnosed/prescribed 👍🏼 I think the World (if not, definitely the UK) is definitely changing in attitudes and it’s good to read that you feel comfortable with people knowing – in my humble opinion, that’s 50% of the issue ‘sorted’ – once you have the support network and are settled on the medication it really can do wonders. 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words and, most importantly, feeling able to post your stuff on here – hopefully it was as therapeutic to write down as it will be for others who may come to it in the future. Wishing you all the very best x
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Hi, this is exactly how I felt. I genuinely think I am dying when I have a severe bout of anxiety. I still regularly wake up having panic attacks and feel like I can’t breathe or swallow, have to keep water by my bed now, so I can make sure I can swallow. It’s all very stressful, and once I have a panic attack I’m pretty much out for the day as I am so exhausted. I’m lucky in the fact I have my fiancé and family that I talk to about how I am feeling regularly, but for a while I wasn’t really sure what was happening to me. Then my fiancé said I need to speak to a Dr then they put me on the Citalopram ~ I think I need to increase my dosage though as I am still feeling very anxious a lot of the time. I’m so glad this post helped a little, it’s always good to vent and sometimes it’s easiest to do this with a stranger! If you ever need to chat you can contact me via kabukirune.wordpress.com ~ take care of yourself c c
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So today I turned 50. 5 years on from taking citalopram for the 1 st time and then finding your post Gari.it felt like the right day to thank you for this life saving blog.You effectively saved my life.if I hadn’t read your initial post I probably would have stopped taking the medication and not helped myself to get over the huge anxiety depressive hurdle before me.Ive had many bumps in the road since 2014 but I’ve never felt like I was alone in taking these tablets and the side effects that accompany them .To those at the beginning of this path I say hang in there.To Gari I say a huge thank you 🙏
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Happy Birthday Yvonne!!
A HUGE thank you for coming back and sharing this information with me and everyone else…it’s humbling to me and also so inspiring! I’m glad to have contributed but you yourself deserve the award for battling through – well done you!! x
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Hey Gari, I’ve been on citalopram 20mg for about 12 weeks. It has been very helpful for me. I haven’t had any further panic attacks since week 3.
Luckily not experienced nausea and I can still drink.
Not had a seizure for a few weeks either 😁
I’m surprised I didn’t see this post about your anxiety problems before.
Similar problems with anxiety and brain tumours.
We’re still fighting mobility issues but winning!
Best wishes
Mike
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Fab to hear, really happy to hear it is helping – for all it has a bad reputation, if it is the SSRI that ends up being the one that works for you then it really works!
Glad to hear it’s stopping the seizures too – that must have been terrifying!! 😮
Gx
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Hello there, This is just a brief note to say thank you very much for this article – and the corresponding stream of discussions. It is the most helpful and encouraging place I have found so far. Last week, my wife had basically forced me to stop looking at internet posts about Citalopram as there were so many really awful horror stories and it was upsetting: then I cheated momentarily today and came across this page.
I’ve been taking Citalopram (for severe panic attacks and anxiety) for two weeks now, initially 10 mg and now 20 mg. I’ve had some very unpleasant side effects (nausea, panic attacks and breathlessness) and I have been back to my GP twice in that short time. It is great to read about people going through similar difficulties before reaching a sunnier place.I also have weekly psychotherapy. So. I am fortunate in being very well supported.
Anyway, thanks again.
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Really pleased to hear that this has been of help. If you feel one GP doesn’t work for you, no harm in asking to see a second – something I also think is worth knowing. Great to hear you have the support from your wife too!! Definitely sounds like things will hopefully be on the up in the relatively near future!
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Hey Gari, I have found this page really useful during my journey with starting sertraline for my anxiety. I’ve had quite a few side effects that you mention in your post – so it has been quite encouraging to read, and has pursuaded me to stick with it 🙂
I saw you switched over to sertraline from your citalopram – are you still taking this, what sort of dose? I am finding the inital side effects from my medication to be pretty gnarly, hoping these will go away before too long! Hope all is well
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Hi George,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I’m sorry to hear of the side effects but it’s warming to hear that it has been encouraging to you.
Yes, I’m still taking Sertraline, 100mg a day, but as I’ve found out over the years, sometimes they can be the least of your problems (and it’sall about the longer-term).
Wishing you all the very best, Gari
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