Citalopram 40mg Long term side effects?

[Sparklingbrook]

Started on 20mg in July 2011, 30mg in September moved to 40mg in November.

Had lots of side effects when I first started but I seem to have retained a few-

Constipation
Clenched jaw at night
Feeling very hot for about 2 hours after waking
Vivid, bizarre dreams (not nightmares-just odd)

Anyone else? or is it just me? I must say the benefits far outweigh any of them.

I am on 75mg venalfaxine, but I have three of your symptoms. I have a sore face this morning from clenching my jaw, which I do most nights. I am also hot after waking, which I really couldn't account for, until now. I do get the weird vivid dreams. I do have a high fibre whole grain diet as that is good for keeping your mood stable, so I don't really get the constipation. I feel much better now, as the red sweatng face after the school run is really disconcerting when it is 3 degrees c outside.

Thanks spanky. I get out of bed and have a shower and by the time I have got dressed my face is actually sweating. Trying to put any make up on is a no-no til after the school run.

The dreams can be quite amusing but I wake up feeling exhausted and with an achey face.

Better than being depressed though eh?

I'm only on a small dose 10mg been on them for 6 weeks and possibly getting dosage increased in a couple of weeks I had terrible jaw pain for about 3 weeks after first starting it never made the connection. Although I don't have bad dreams as I don't sleep much also get horrendous headaches but have done since the age of 12.

How's it going dotty? The first weeks were quite tough for me but so glad I carried on. The clenchy jaw thing gives me earrache too.

Just feel rotten still mines for anxiety going through lots of emotions ATM under a counseller for everything else.

You may need an increase in the dose then. Good that you are seeing a counsellor too. Hope it starts to work for you soon.

Only anti depressant that never gave me any side effects was venaflexine. Worst one was seroxat - I regularly woke up screaming and having electric shock like pains down my spine - NICE.

Citalopram gave me the munchy jaw thing too and killed my sex drive.

Dottyspotty2 I did cognitive behaviour therapy. It has given me my life back like the antidepressants. My anxiety was overwhelming so I would recommend it after the counselling. I did counselling for two years on and off.

Yes, I find the dreams are like watching/being in a film. This morning I'm worn out from an epic dream I can't remember.... I shower after the school run and have to change my top! Yuck! Better than depression tho, you are right.

Don't know what CBT is heard of it my counselling is at the crisis centre. I only slept about 2 hours last night in 20 minute spells.

Your brain makes neurol pathways if you have a repeated thought or pattern of thinking and after a while it becomes the default setting. If you worry you will continue to get stuck in that pattern. I would lie awake worrying about stuff i didn't care about. It was in the day too and I was exhausted. CBT teaches your brain to switch off the worrying and deal with the anxiety. I learnt how to breath to lessen my panic, evaluate the situation so the what ifs didn't overtake and visualisation to help my brain switch off. I did stuff like keeping a worry diary, then I worked out which ones I had to actually worry about or which ones turned out okay. There was other stuff too, but I can't remember. The visualisation that helps me is to imagine I am blowing a white feather as slowly as I can down a table in a dark room. You have to breath in really gently so the feather is not sucked back. It sounds to me like you do need to increase your dose. Are you on one of the antidepressants which is for anxiety, as I was on citralopram first and it didn't do much for the anxiety. Now I'm on venalfaxine it is much more controllable. I actually laughed yesterday! Make sure you do some exercise . It burns off the stress hormones your brain is making. I go for a run, I hate it, I am allowed to worry for 5 minutes and then I have to listen to the music without thinking. I feel much better when I get back.

Yikes yellowraincoat!

My counsellor says that if you are an anxious person by nature you are always trying to find something to 'hang your anxiety on'. If what you are anxious about goes away you will find something else. It rings true for me.

Spanky I'm on Citalopram at first I was walking a lot but not now was making myself worse. My anxiety is deep rooted in my past and I am only just starting to work through it. I know I will never get rid of it completely but I'm ok with that its part of who I am you can't fully erase traumatic memories.

Yes that is really true. I also worry about something I don't care about to avoid the things that really do bother me. At the moment it is the mummy mafia at the school gate when really I'm really concerned about ds1's reading and writing problems. I will remember the phrase 'hang your anxiety on' as that is very calming to me.

That is good that you have been able to accept that. I found it really hard to accept how an abusive boyfriend changed me and I have to accept why I chose him and how I am a different person for it. It took two years of counselling!

I don't have the school to worry about my youngest is 16 but I have always felt a lot of guilt over DS who has ADHD LD's and possible ASD.

Not really a case of accepting it just facing reality even though its tearing me apart its what I've been told by several people who are helping me through the next few months.

Oh yes Spanky. the 'hanging your anxiety on' phrase was quite a defining moment for me. I kind of imagined a big coat hook, and my anxieties being hung onto it. You are right-it is very calming to think of it like that.

It's nice to know there are people out there like me.

There's probably a lot more if us than we think spanky. I go fora 3 mile walk every day -but have to have music or i just drive myself mad thinking the whole time. about all sort of stuff not worth thinking about.

I've started doing the music when I go out anywhere alone but won't be going out much now anyway.

I am taking 50mg of Sertraline (first day today) I am dreading the side effects.

I am taking it for anxiety mainly and depression.

I am on the waiting list for counselling too.

I took the first tablet today and I have been wanting to throw up all day, coincidence or is it possible for side effects that quickly?

I felt sick and more anxious for about a week and a half when I first started. I felt sick straight away. I take mine after dinner because of that. After that I started feeling abit better each day.

Why aren't you going out dottyspotty2? Not feeling up to it?

I will be on the lookout for other sweaty women in the morning!

Hello Load. What side effects do they have?

My anti depressants and counselling have changed my life-hope it does for you.

Don't want to run into the cause of my anxiety.