Citalopram- take morning or evening?

[Lovethesea]

I'm on 20mg of Citalopram these past 5 weeks, due a review with the GP next week.

I've been taking them in the mornings as advised. The clenchy jaw is easing and otherwise I feel ok with side effects. But I am desperate for a daytime nap every day and having broken light sleep at night. Trouble is I had both those symptoms before I started the AD's and my main symptom is exhaustion.

If I lay down in the day I do sleep, even when I have an hour or two by myself (something I crave with a 3 year old and 1 year old) I feel so exhausted I can't read or watch iplayer, I just collapse into bed.

Anyone switched to evenings and did it help? Or do I just need more time or more dosage?

I take mine in the evening, as i knew one of the side effects was tiredness, and i already suffer with that! I find it works fine taking them in the evening

I would give it a bit longer. I take mine (40mg) in the morning at 6.30am. My GP said not in the evening because it messes with your sleep pattern.

Mention it at the review though.

Are you feeling any better apart from the tiredness?

I think I might be feeling a bit calmer. Things are tough all round at the moment and circumstances are no different, but I have been less tearful and a bit more hopeful that things might improve.

Hard to tell when my main overwhelming symptom is wanting to sleep! Oddly I am fine in the evenings once the kids are in bed. I can watch online tv, mumsnet, read and feel awake. But the days are long.

Trying to get a PT job to help balance my SAHM existance a bit more.

My GP said the Citalopram takes the rough edges off which is quite a good description. I feel calmer and braver.

The PT job sounds like a good idea if you can get one that fits in with everything.

I switched to evenings (on doctor's advice after I mentioned sleep problems) and found it much better. It took a few days to figure out what time was best to take it, I think eventually I settled on taking it about 7.30-8pm iirc

I take 20mg at night, I was just too sleepy during the day.

I might change to evening just to see if it makes any difference. I have been on it since last July.

I remember the clenched jaw thing. Now I get very vivid film-like dreams, and feel a bit hot in the morning but that's about it side effect wise.

I get those dreams too, my friend stopped it at night because of it, but I've always been a vivd dreamer so I don't mind.

I take 40mg at night just before I go to bed. I sometimes have very vivid dreams and have woken up in the night sweating but I don't spend all day yawning anymore.

Oh yes Silent the yawning-that was awful, together with the clenchy jaw.

I was signed off work when I was originally prescribed a lower dose so didn't really have anything that I had to do if you see what I mean. I found I couldn't motivate myself to do anything and was sitting around yawning all day. I felt much better once I started taking it in the evening.

I never thought of taking them in the evening, I have been taking them in the morning with my cuppa. One of the reasons I went to see the GP was lack of sleep and was diagnosed with depression, so I haven't noticed the difference yet sleep wise

Can I ask a TMI question to you all? Has the Citalopram played havoc with your bowels? I suffer from constipation now and I'm sure it's connected.

I take mine in the morning - part of my depression is feeling really tired anyway. i actually feel less tired now I've been taking it for about 6 months

Interesting, thanks for the experiences. I'll see what the GP thinks next week at the review but right now I am off for a quick nap while the kids watch cbeebies ...

I take 40mg in the evening,been 18 months now,much better for me.good luck

Sparkling, i've never noticed any difference and I have the bowels of an 80 year old. But everyone's different.

Thanks cocole it may be just me.

I took it for 7 years before weaning off it in December 2010. I always took it at teatime - about 6pm. My GP told me to try and take it at the same time each day, but that it didn't matter when that time was IYSWIM.