Citalopram and side effects - should I start taking them now or wait??

[Tryagainplease]

I am about to separate from H.
I have a history of ill mental health with a couple of major breakdowns association with anxiety/panic/depression. I’ve never taken medication before - have instead tried to ‘think’ my out of it which usually works but takes years.

I have a small child now and can’t afford to be unwell for his sake so I decided to speak to a GP about medication and therapy now, rather than waiting until I get worse and potentially needing more intervention.

They prescribed me 10mg of Citalopram for 2 weeks and want a follow up appointment to then raise to 20mg.

I shouldn’t have but have been googling side effects and they don’t sound pleasant. I’m about to move house any day now and I’m worried if I start taking them today that I won’t be good to man nor beast while I move! Would you put off taking them or just start now and hope for the best?

Please be kind, I’ve never taken medication like this before and it’s making me feel anxious. Have been in my current situation (living with abusive H) for months and months after ending the marriage. It’s been a very tough year.

Take them, I didnt experience any adverse side effects and it's the best thing I ever did

Unlike the pp, I had lots of side effects, which I was not expecting as I was put on 10mg.

Start now. 10mg is a low dose. I was also frightened by the side effects but didn’t have any except tiredness. And they helped me feel on a much more even keel.

Of course you might get side effects - keep an eye out for them.

Good luck.

I had mild side effects, I would start them straight away as they take a while to kick in fully.

I was on 40 mg of citalopram for a year & it got me through a breakup, a new job & two moves. I took it before bed which meant I avoided a lot of the side effects I’d heard about - the only ones I had were heavy periods & weight gain.

I’d try it.

10mg is a very and small dose which will be why your GP is aiming to increase to 20mg do quickly. They'll have done this minimise any side effects. You might feel a bit sick and a bit more anxious the first week but it usually wears off pretty quickly then you can increase to the more effective 20mg dose. It will take 3-4 weeks to feel any benefit usually so I'd get started with them now before things get really stressful.

No side effects for me either. 10mg or 20mg.
Best thing I did was to start taking them, wished I’d done it sooner.

Thanks all.
Am worried the side effects will be so bad that I won’t be able to function - I can handle mild side effects!

From my experience, highly unlikely to be severe side effects. Most likely a bit nauseous, maybe a bit tired and slightly fuddled, maybe a little more anxiety. I’ve just started on 10mg too (but I’ve been on them before).

Tbh me feeling ‘a bit tired and fuddled’ is most likely because I’m bloody knackered, and nothing to do with the citalopram.

10mg is a very low dose. I would take them!
Your GP has prescribed them for you, and they are a qualified medical professional who has been trained to make diagnoses and advise patients about their health...

I started on 10mg then was up to 40mg at one point. The side effects went away and I felt so much better.
I came off them for a while, went back on them and have been off them for 2 years now.
The GP described them as 'knocking the rough edges off' everything. I definitely felt more in control and braver.

Starting citalopram is the best thing I ever did. (And actually, 10mg turned out to be enough food me.)

I delayed because I was worried about side effects and then had none. In retrospect, I should have just started then. It's such a small amount that I could have just stopped them if the side effects were problematic.

Talk to your GP again. They can help you wish out what's best for you.

Good luck and well done for getting out.

Side effects wise I used to suffer from a dry mouth. 20mg is still a fairly low dose. Start taking them now and I hope you start to feel better x

Take them. 10mg is a low starting dose and you'll be 1 step closer to feeling much better. Good luck with the move!

I had headaches for a couple of weeks but nothing that I couldn't manage without paracetamol.

Thank you so much everyone. You’ve really put my mind at rest. Will start them today.

Citalopram caused insomnia for me so I was put on Escitalopram.Never had a problem since.

Take them. There’s no benefit to putting it off, you’d just be kicking the potential problem down the line and delaying the potential benefit.

Severe side effects are unlikely, most people only have mild, manageable side effects

I’ve taken lots of different anti depressants over the years and citalopram has given me the least problems. In the beginning I was sleepier than usual but that was all although of course not everyone is the same, but I know of a few people who have taken it and haven’t mentioned any bad side effects.

If you do have bad side effects, stop & then tell your GP, who can suggest something different.

I was told that if you take them with breakfast it won't mess with your sleep and I never had a problem sleeping.

I was told to take mine at bedtime when I first started (which was good as they made me very tired) and I was able to sleep through the light nausea. Besides that, I had no side effects and slowly took them earlier every day once I'd increased the dose until it got to the time where I'd take them with breakfast.

I picked up my prescription yesterday and thought I’d leave it until this morning to take them in case they messed with my sleep - wondering if I should leave it until this evening.

Oh the irony of overthinking taking a medication that should help stop overthinking!

Everyone's experience will be different. I found the side effects the first few days quite tough but once that was over was glad I was taking them, I didn't realise how much I needed them. It's good the doctor wants to do it gradually and is keeping an eye on you