Citalopram..about to start taking them..handhold please or advice

[OpenTheHairdressers]

After a very long and hard battle with crippling anxiety/depression, I have finally agreed to start citalopram. I am really scared about how I might react.

Anyone got any good stories where it has actually worked for them..thank you

Not sure whether to start tonight or in the morning

I take mine at night. I love them, I had life long crippling anxiety and they've brought me to a normal level. I'll probably be on them for life and I'm good with that.

Thanks so much @Mabelface thats what I need to hear. I really hope they work for me. I think I might take my first one a couple of hours before bed

I started on Citalopram about 6 months ago, after never wanting to take medication for my depression and anxiety. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.
While I still have some anxiety, it’s a lot more manageable now and feels like “normal” anxiety. It’s not all consuming.
I took mine in the morning to start with, but I was feeling wiped out by midday so taking them before bed works better for me.

Thank you @LolaVsPowerman
I've been offered it lots of times by GP but always declined, thinking I can overcome it myself, but after nearly 6 years and my anxiety worsening I have finally decided it's time to try it. I've just taken my first one. So glad to hear it's working for you

I took them for several years and found them extremely useful for getting things under enough control to actually sort some problems out. I also took them at night, as they made me feel very tired if I took in the morning. I did start on a half dose and build up on my GP advice. Just to warn you that in the first week or two you can feel really anxious. My problem was more depression but they did give me major anxiety for about a week which is apparently quite common. Good luck!

I started citalopram just before xmas and have had mgs increased once since.. I am feeling much more myself. I also take mine at night as were making me very tired in the day as others have mentioned. Good luck, hope you're feeling better soon x

Hi, I’ve been taking Citalopram for about a year this time round. Like you, I resisted medication for years until about 10 years ago and can honestly say they changed my life for the better. They cleared my head and made me feel human again and I became me. I have been on them three times now and am not planning on coming off them anytime soon.
Strangely enough, the side effects have been different each time. The first time was an increase in anxiety, sleep issues, jaw clenching and not being able to yawn! Second time was headaches, nausea and anxiety. This time was much easier and was restless legs. In all cases they lasted a few weeks but push through them-hopefully you’ll start to feel better soon.
Good luck

I bloody loved it.
Felt spaced out for a few days, it was a welcome relief from the utter grief and mourning I was experiencing at the time.
I also stopped eating and was really thin, so if you haven't got weight to lose the buy some high calorie easy to eat food.

I started citalopram after 2 years of PND and anxiety. It made a huge difference to me. No side effects, but within 2 weeks I felt ‘normal’ again. I still take it after several years but have been able to reduce the dose right down. Good luck, hope it helps you too.

I started them in 2013, I take mine in the morning. The first week was rough, it seemed to make my depression and anxiety worse but after that I got so much better.

Thank you so much for replying. It helps so much to hear of other people who have taken it and found it helpful. I took my first tablet last night.

My anxiety is that bad I can feel myself getting more anxious about taking the tablets, if that's even possible lol!

They really helped dh. He takes them at night too as he found if he took them in the morning he'd feel a bit foggy if that makes sense. He's so much better on them

I’ve been taking them for a few years now. I take mine after breakfast.
They take a while to level out and really take affect - back when I started taking them, my GP signed me off work for a fortnight so I could start them without dealing with work too. I’ve never had any side effects and they’re great.

Hang in there, op. Well done for taking your first one. If you get anxious look back on this thread and re-read it. Hopefully you’ll start to feel better soon.

Absolutely changed my husband's life. A couple of weeks of settling in (with a lot of jaw clenching) but that eased off. He takes it in the morning.

I have had bouts of depression and I don’t think I would have climbed out of them without Citalopram.The last time (about a year ago) I did experience a mood dip at about two weeks, that was exacerbated by a confrontational family member who thought I should pull myself together. So, keep an eye on that, but honestly you will just feel more able to cope after 2 weeks.

Gave me back my life and made me "me" again.

A big well done to you OP for having the courage to take the hardest step ever in accepting that meds might help; we all fight it for so long.

My only side effect was yawning (weird!). The meds didn't make my actual problems go away but enabled me to deal calmly and rationally with them. Life changing.

Wishing you lots of luck on your treatment journey x

I’ll hold your hand and be your citalopram buddy if you like - took my first one today unlike you I’ve been on and off them for years, was last on them September last year. Am in a very bad downward spiral of anxiety/depression right now. Hard part is knowing it’s going to take about 4 weeks to feel better. I’ve resigned myself to the fact I’ll probably need them for life now that my brain just doesn’t have enough serotonin or something. I don’t find the side effects bad at all compared to something like duoxetine which was horrendous for me.

They were life saver for me..hope you get on well with them! I take mine in the morning as I struggle to sleep taking them at night .

Not had any side effects with them. I also feel like me again.

I'm happy and everyday is just so much easier.

Hope you start feeling better soon

They saved my life and my marriage. My DC have two functioning parents because of them.

I felt a bit spaced out at first but they allow me to function. The 'noise' of anxiety and depression in my head went away overnight. I'll probably be a lifelong user.

Definitely gave me back my life. I was verging on agoraphobia I was so overwhelmed with anxiety. Back in the day, in the u.s. my GP gave me some benzodiazepines and sent me on my way. 🙄

I get some very weird/ vivid dreams though!

They have changed my husbands life. Before that he’d tried loads of other ones and nothing had really helped. He would be unemployed and suicidal without them. He did need a dose increase - he takes 30mg and found less than that didn’t help.

I took them for a year about 15 yrs ago and they made a big positive difference. I didn’t have any trouble coming off them.

When you start them you may feel nauseous. It will pass after a few days.

Also remember that you need to take them for about 3 months to start feeling the effect, so don’t think after a couple of weeks that they’re not doing anything and stop taking them, keep going.

💐

Been on them for years. I take them in the morning, though, as they interfered with my sleeping if I took them at night. Completely stops my anxiety and intrusive thoughts.