Another Citalopram thread: really really low

[ComeOnBeANoOne]

Been on 20mg since Tuesday for depression and anxiety. I'm not saying I expected it to be a miracle cure but my god I feel so much worse. After a few hours of first taking it I felt close to an anxiety attack on my train home, have had thoughts about not being here anymore iyswim.

For a couple of days felt a little spaced out, had the weird jaw-clenching and dry mouth that lots of people appear to get. Yesterday and today that seems to have subsided but my anxiety is just coming out of nowhere and is sky high. Also, today is one hell of a low day. I thought I'd be getting used to it by now, and having my DD today has forced me to power through. But since dropping her back off at her Mum's, as soon as that distraction has gone, I feel so much worse than before. Just so empty and hopeless. I can't live my life feeling like this every day. But so far I've felt so much worse on this I don't see how I'm ever going to be myself again.

I'm just so despondent atm. I see the GP again in 2 weeks and I'm waiting on counselling, but should I contact GP already or would that be wasting his time? Should I ride it out till the magic two weeks mark where it's supposed to start working? I just feel so down atm, and pissed of that I was only told I might feel nauseous, no other side effects. I've also lost 8lbs since tuesday due to lack of appetite. When will I feel better?

Thanks

Hold on! it will get better, i promise. I have been on citalopram for nearly a month and this time it did take a few weeks before i felt better. The first time i took them i was fine from day one. I get the dry mouth and headache if i take them late. But i felt terrible in the first week, was suicidal and had to have emergency psych referral. But now im doing well and feeling better. My doctor gave me 2mg diazepam to get me over that difficult first two weeks, i didn't take it all the time and i found that helped.

The thing is, you knew this would happen (you clearly have read up on the side effects etc which is good) so you know that is to be expected and that it will improve. It really is worth holding on, iwas scared every morning when i woke up, every fucking day, it was so waring, now at least, i don't have that. Hold on to the fact that you will start to feel better soon. But don't worry about going back to the doctors and telling them you feel worse, it is really important that you do that so that you can be safe in the first few weeks, maybe ask for some diazepam?

oh and at the 8Ilbs :)

I was prescribed citalopram (20mg) on Thursday. I'm also experiencing similar side effects. Keep on with it. I posted here on Friday as i was feeling despondent and there have been some wonderful MNers who I hope will be along soon with a more experienced response and reply.

Keep on with the tablets. Apparently you need it to be in your system for a while before it really helps.

You are not alone. The fact you have seen your doctor and have started on this road is, in itself, a massive and incredibly big step.

Much love and very unmumsnetty

Hi, and thank you.

I know I was prepared for how it might affect me. I just didn't anticipate how it would be once I actually felt this way. I think I just had false hope that I'd feel better soon, when in reality as soon as no-one is around the house I just lay there on the sofa, feeling so so down. For some reason I do feel worse today than ever. Just out of the blue really, nothing that bad has actually happened today in particular. Buy yeah, think I will ring GP tomorrow then.

Ribena, hope the effects wear off soon for you also, it's such a shock isn't it?!

and Lucyellensmum haha, the *lbs is fine for one week, but another week like this and I'll have ran out of jeans that fit me. Double edged sword and all that.

thanks though. I'm trying my best to feel positive!

8lbs, not *lbs, sorry

I'm on day 1 of 20mg citalopram and I'm a bit scared. I hadn't heard about the clenched jaw thing and now find I'm doing it after reading this and various other posts on MN - don't think it's that fast acting!

I probably should have started some sort of AD's about 2 years ago. Mum died nearly 4yrs ago, made redundant 3yrs ago, have been feeling like I've lost my anchor, frozen in time etc. Look to the future and can't see anything changing so why bother...?

Had some counselling privately for about 6mths which helped a lot with issues around bereavement of mum and other family members but didn't really help with everything to do with my relationship with DH. We are really out of sync; I go to bed really late, he goes early, then I'm knackered all day, I'm not working still and he works from home but I feel like he's judging me all the time (ie. seeing I'm just "around" not really doing much) and then I get resentful - why can't he get a proper job from 9-5 like other people and give me some peace etc.

And of course, the feeling that everyone else is coping so much better with life than I am. For example, good friend of ours was killed in cycling accident about 8mths ago and, even with all her grief, she seems to do loads and get on with it much better than me.

So.... I'm just hoping I can get through the first 2wks of cit, pretty bloody scared of it though which is why I've resisted trying it in the past. Have absolutely no libido anyway so that can't get any worse, lol, but frightened I'll feel more depressed in the short term. Also, get awful PMT which doesn't help.

BUT, good to see positive stories on here and other threads so thank you!

How are you? Did you ring the GP?