Sertraline or Citalopram

[pepperpig2]

Anyone take sertraline or citalopram for anxiety witch one works best .
My GP as offered me sertraline 50g but said if i dont get on with it i could try citalopram but im put of taking them due to the side effects.

I've had both and found them much of a muchness for side effects when starting. The bigger difference was stopping - I stopped both cold turkey (NOT advisable!), and citalopram had zero side effects there, while sertraline made my ears ring and my head feel very odd.

I don't think it's a case of which one works best. Both will have potential side effects in the same way that absolutely any medication will, lots of them will be similar between the two meds and some will differ, some people get absolutely none at all.

Unfortunately it's such an individual response. What works well for one person may not be a positive experience for someone else but the main point is that it is absolutely always worth a try as for some it is life changing.There may well be some manageable side effects within the first few weeks but these often tail off. In my experience it takes some time to find the right medication, the right dosage and what works best for you.

If you've been prescribed it for a reason and want to take it don't let it put you off OP, your GP is at the end of the phone if you need reassurance or want to switch to a different dosage or medication. If it isn't for you you can taper off safely and have a rethink.

For me sertraline works better and has fewer side effects. Sertraline makes me nauseous for a few hours on the first day I take it, then a bit sweaty for a week or two (enough that it's mildly irritating for me but not noticeable to others), and then nothing. Citalopram keeps me awake literally all night unless I take z-drugs alongside it and also makes me want to eat ALL OF THE FOOD for the first couple of weeks, and then after that also nothing. It's totally individual though so there's no way of knowing how you'll react until you try them and see, unfortunately.

I have taken both.

I feel wonderful on sertraline and don’t have any side effects. If I miss a couple, I don’t get any side effects.

I felt horrendous going on and coming off citaopram and had side effects even if I missed one-awful anxiety. Coming off it was just awful.

Sertraline worked better for me. No side effects from citalopram, just not as effective for me.
I agree with PP about not stopping cold Turkey though!

I'd add that in both cases the eventual benefits massively outweighed the initial side effects and it was well worth pushing through. Don't be afraid to go back to the doctor if you're struggling with them at the beginning - the first time I was on citalopram I didn't realise they could prescribe me sleeping pills alongside it, so i spent the best part of a week sleeping about half an hour per night and feeling like absolute shit before I thought to let them know, at which point I got the prescription via email withoit even needing a phone consultation and the problem was solved literally overnight.

My doctor recently prescribed me Citalopram 10 mg once a day due to some depression/anxiety issues I've been having lately. I have a stressful career in the medical industry. I must say I'm very impressed with how fast this medication works. Surprisingly, within 2 days my symptoms decreased tremendously and I started to feel like my old self again which is a huge relief. I've tried other past antidepressants with no success and that took weeks to get used to and had such funky side effects. So far, it's been 5 days and I haven't got any side effects from Citalopram. What I did this time around trying a new antidepressant was on day one - take it slightly before bedtime just to see if I was going to have side effects like making me tired etc. which it didn't. The next day I took it mid-late morning after I had a small bite to eat. It seems to work better with my body chemistry. I'm very pleased and grateful to my doctor for prescribing this to me - https://healthful-online.com/c2831/citalopram.html