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Original poster

Citalopram

59 replies

Verso · 09/05/2006 06:12

Does anyone have experience of Citalopram? I've been prescribed 20mg a day for depression (started as PND last year and hasn't stopped) and reading the potential side-effects has got me a bit worried! (Maybe taking the drug will stop me worrying about the side-effects? >hollow laugh

OP posts:
dandycandyjellybean · 09/05/2006 08:20

Just had my first one today. Have taken it before ages ago an2d it suited me ok;ay Little tip NEVER EVER EVER read the side effects on any meds, otherwise you find yourself thinking you have them all!!!!!!!! Dont' worry you'll be fine. sorry about the typos ds is trying to ehlp.

biglips · 09/05/2006 08:25

i used to be on 20mg but it didnt work for me... in the first week i was constipated and then i was fine after that.......

april74 · 09/05/2006 08:29

I was put on these 5 years ago when I had PND, I also was worried about the side effects, but at the point I was so low that I would read the side effects with a asprin and not have that either. I took them and when they finally found the right dosage I was fine, just remember not to come off them until you've been well at least 6 months. My trouble was I tried several times comes off them too early as I felt great. Came off almost 4 years ago and been fine.

SHHHH · 09/05/2006 15:34

I am currently on then and have been since the same time as biglips..(about 6 months)..

I did have side effects at the start which included: yawning loads (!!), feeling sick, and very tired. I still have tired days now but gp says it may be more related to the depression as it can also make you tired.
I still have black days but they are not as many now..I also know that when I do have a black day not to expect to much of myself iykwim.

I would say take them coz you will never know if you don't. BTW once prescribed it took me 1-2 weeks to actually start them as I was so scared about the side effects etc.

starlover · 09/05/2006 15:37

verso... all ad's have potential side effects... but they're normally pretty rare.

give them a go... if you don't get on with them you can try another one.

they made me incredibly tired, even if i took them before bed instead of in the mroning and i eventually had to change.
but i do know people who have got on really well with citalopram

HellKat · 09/05/2006 15:41

I used to be on 40mg per day then dropped down to 20mg. I was on it for 3 years, no side affects. When I came off them there was no affects either. I'm definitely a Citalopram fan Grin

Kylie03 · 09/05/2006 15:46

I was on 60mg a day and it didn't work for me the only side effects i had were vivid nightmares, which seemed so real(had a dream i was in a car crash and wouldn't drive for days!!!) but there meant to be quite good and can be increased or decreased accordingly. The other thing i found was when stopping them to start different tabs i had withdrawel symptoms such as the shakes!! But bearin in mind i was on higher dose than you. God knows what i'll be like stopping these i'm on 150mg a day and there bloody greatGrin

SHHHH · 09/05/2006 16:18

kylie03, I also had an issue with dreams..I had quite vivid ones, sometimes scary etc..Not nice at the time..!!

Original poster
Verso · 09/05/2006 20:22

Thanks, everyone. Took my first one this morning and felt a bit weird this afternoon (spaced-out and nauseous) but nothing major. Fingers crossed they will help.

Kylie03 what one are you on?

OP posts:
katyrocks · 09/05/2006 20:48

i was prescribed citalopram because fluoxetine gives me horrendous night sweats, but i couldn't take them as they made me feel all dopey and dizzy, i couldn't drive or think straight. back on fluoxetine now

madmarchhare · 09/05/2006 20:57

I used to take them, but I did feel sweaty, dizzy and anxious/panicky an hour or so after taking them for a couple of weeks. They worked well after that though. Never had any problems when stopping.

Original poster
Verso · 10/05/2006 06:45

Madmarchhare, I'm glad you say you didn't have any problems stopping them as that was one thing that was worrying me.

OP posts:
Kylie03 · 10/05/2006 16:11

Hi i'm on venlafaxine now 150mg. There great but i had to get my blood pressure and an ecg done first.

MrsDoolittle · 10/05/2006 16:36

SHHHHHH - that was me too!!!!! Yawning loads, I mean. When I said it to the hv she looked at me as if I was barking. I dare'nt mention it again.

dandycandyjellybean · 15/05/2006 15:20

Well fancy that....I've been on them a week and have yawned Shock like a mad thing ever since. Nothing else though, so I guess I can live with that.

Original poster
Verso · 15/05/2006 21:46

I've been yawning too, although I have to say my sleep has been better than it's been in ages - since before I was pregnant, really. It's an amazing feeling to wake up properly refreshed after a night's sleep. Only down side is that I sometimes wake up at 2am - wide awake - and can't get back to sleep again.

Generally feeling positive about the citalopram so far though. Very glad I've taken it, as it's already starting to take the 'edge' off my anxiety and depression.

OP posts:
blueteddy · 15/05/2006 21:54

I was taking Citalopram when suffering from PND following DS2's birth.
I was very dubious about taking them, due to hearing horror stories about side effects of AD's & then reading the potential side effects on the leaflet.
My HV reassured me that Citalopram was the AD with the fewest reported side effects.
I actually got on okay with them, but they did make me feel a little nauseous at first.
I had a bit of a set back & had my dosage increased to 50mg & I was still fine. They definitely helped lift my mood a little.

PanicPants · 15/05/2006 22:00

I'm on 20mg of citalopram, and yes they did make me feel very sick at first (only for a couple of weeks) and now I have to take them with food to avoid the sickness.
But they are really good, and I feel much more positive now. I do of course have bad days and good days like everyone else.

I came off them at christmas and like some of the other posters came off them way too early and ended up in a worse state than before. So this time I'll stay on them for at least 6 months before attempting to come off them.

They're not addictive at all which was my worry, in fact sometimes I forget to take them!

Somanykiddies · 16/05/2006 21:15

I started these a couple of weeks ago and am constantly on the loo!!

PanicPants · 16/05/2006 21:17

lol :o

Somanykiddies · 16/05/2006 21:19

Not funny PanicPants, I'm living in 'where's the nearest loo' hell!!!!!

PanicPants · 17/05/2006 09:37

lol :)

I remember the feeling well, it does fade like the sickness!

Original poster
Verso · 02/06/2006 20:24

Anyone out there still taking these? I'm coming up to my first four weeks - have a review on Monday - and I'm not sure what my verdict is. I think they've had a mild beneficial effect but it's not a major difference. Is that usual? I've also found I'm clenching my jaw a lot and have the same loo issues as others have mentioned Blush. Would be good to get some feedback from anyone else on them!

OP posts:
majormug · 03/06/2006 22:52

HI i took them for some time and found i had a very weird tense all over feeling like i wa having some sort of fit briefly. think they helped a bit but am not overwhelmed by any of meds i have been on to be honest. Best so far was mirtazipine. hows everyones sat night going????

WigWamBam · 03/06/2006 23:00

Citalopram gave me horrible electric shock-like feelings in my head every time I turned it - drove me up the pole. All the other side-effects had gone after a couple of weeks but that one lasted for the whole time I was taking them.

I found it took a good 6 weeks for them to kick in, and even then had to have the dose increased a couple of times to feel anything like any improvement. Increasing the dose may improve things for you.