Citalopram- how long do the side effects last?

[tinyfishbigpond]

I was started on Citalopram on Friday, took my first tablet saturday morning. Almost immediately I felt queasy- not all the time, the nausea comes in waves. I have been sooo tired too. On sunday I took a tablet and crashed out on the sofa. I'm finding that by 7.30 I am so tired and thinking about bed. Am just about to get to sleep now actually- I slept for 11 hours last night and still couldn't get up this morning!

How long will the side effects last? I won't get anything done if I keep falling asleep at 8 every night!

Probably a couple of weeks, maybe a bit less. Can you get some anti-nausea tablets - travel ones or something to help you past this bit?

Thanks Katharine, I picked up some from the chemist today and touch wood they seem to be working. I just hope my appetite returns to normal soon because I havn't been eating properly the past few months and the nausea didn't help.

You don't happen to know if it's ok to take them at night instead of in the morning, do you? I feel so tired in the day when I take them and then am completely wired at night when I try to sleep. Surely if I took the tablet at night I would fall asleep ok?

I switched to taking them at night for the same reasons as you. My doctor was fine with that. Just be aware that once the initial side effects wear off (ie. ocerweling tiredness for the first few weeks), insomnia is quite common on it. So I switched back to mornings again after about 8 weeks.

ocerweling? overwhelming

Perhaps poor spelling and typing is a side effect too!

Thanks jumpyjack! Now I won't feel too ocerwelmed if the insomnia appears.

And it's fine to split the dose too and take some in the morning and some later in the day, or whenever. I hope you feel a bit better soon. The nausea is horrible. I increased my dose recently and was hit with it again.

Hi tinyfish,was hoping you would be back at some point, after your previous thread! Glad to hear you managed to get started on AD'S and hope you will feel things getting easier soon

I started on citalopram about 18 months ago. they do make you initially drowsy. I take my tablets at bedtime to try and combat the lethargic feeling. My own personal opinion is that also you may be totally exhausted and not previously aware of it. If you had flu you'd take time off, so maybe you owe it to yourself to rest.

Keeping a proper sleep pattern - go to bed and get up at the same time every day is essential for anxiety/depression/etc. I hope you'r feeling better soon.

Hi thelambliesdown- thanks for your kind words. I visited my family doctor after going to visit my parents for the weekend and ended up telling my mum which was a relief. She's been ringing me lots to make sure I'm ok and is very sympathetic as she's been on AD's before (which we've never spoken about before as I was a small child when she was on them. I just hope things get better soon, everything is just such a mess at the moment.

divedaisy- it is tempting to take time off work but I really need the money. I'm just waiting for the weekend at the moment so I can have a proper rest and have been going to bed ridiculously early so I'm not so tired during the day (it also stops my mind from racing over all of my problems).

Hi, with respect KatherineClifton, the hospital I work at (am MH nurse) frequently administers citalopram, and we never split the dose. It can be taken morning or evening, but the recommended dose should be taken in one go, this is to do with the half life of the drug - how long it stays in the system, if I recall correctly I think it's 36 hours - so splitting the dose impacts upon this. Side effects, usually nausea/tiredness subside after first two or three weeks. Hope it works for you OP.

Ok, no problems Saffysmum. My GP said it was ok, and it made no difference to effectiveness for me.

I have been taking 20mg I am now in my 6th week the worst side effect for me is acne, any way to reduce this has anyone else been suffering from it?