citalopram newbie advice please

[jitterbug85]

Have been to see the gp today after experiencing anxiety and stress which is gradually becoming uncontrollable. She said I score highly for depression although I feel way more stressed then depressed, and has prescribed citalopram. She said it comes with some nasty side effects and to consider carefully if it is something I want to try but I can't remember much of the pros and cons. Can anyone give me there experience to help me out please. Can't continue like this but also worry about the side effects she was talking about. Tia

I've been on them for a few months now.
I experienced side effects within about 3 days of starting them. I felt quite sick just after taking them, that was the only effect that I experienced. A friend advised me that she took hers in the evening which lessened the impact of the sicky feeling and that has worked well for me.
I felt better after about 2 weeks.

I was on 10mg for the first month, my dose was then increased to 20mg-which is the normal dose, but most GPs seem to start on the lower dose first to build up gradually.
When my dose increased, the sicky feeling returned but was better within a fewdays.

Hope some of my ramblings are helpful!

I've been on and off it for years and never had any side effects. A little dizzy when I come off them too fast, but that's it. They REALLY help me.

Best of luck.

Oh yes, mine make me drowsy, so I take them just before bed.

So is citalopram prescribed for just depression or stress too? She has me written up to start on 20mg and wants me to go back next week to up the dose. Does this sound right?

I've been on citalopram for a couple of months. Initial side effects were yawning, tiredness and really bad itching.

Still have the yawning. Tiredness is controllable and may be down to a thyroid issue which is also being treated. Itching started about a week in and it lasted a few days. Used an antihistamine which helped a little.

If the itch had lasted much longer I would have given up.

I feel much less anxious. Still down much of the time but I have some situational issues which are at least manageable now. Might have wrapped my car round a tree without it so worth the side effects in my case.

Hope you feel better soon x

They're for anxiety too. They just take the edge off, you don't feel stoned or anything on them!

I'm on 20mg. Also feel drowsy but take first thing as then my tiredness kicks in at night.

Timing is trial and error I think.

I found the short term side effects tolerable when I first started taking it. The reason I stopped taking it was, after 9 months of 20mg/day, I started piling on weight (2.5 stone in total) :( Otherwise, it's my AD of choice

I started taking cit on Saturday (20mg). I take them first thing in the morning. I have had some nausea which passes very quickly. I also notice a change in appetite, even when I have eaten a reasonably sized meal that would normally fill me up I still feel hungry, tummy growling, brain saying eat more etc.

I have had cit before about 10 years ago and I didn't remember struggling with them which is why I have gone on them again. The withdrawal last time was a bit of a drag but if you manage it in stages with GP advice you get through it.

This time round my anxiety and depression were to debilitating to not use antidepressants. They were/are getting in the way of the counselling and CBT I am having. Did your GP offer you CBT too. I think the guidance these days is that ADs are best used in combination with CBT rather than alone.

Thanks for all your feedback. Decided the benefits long term would balance any short term side effects. Took the first one this morning and have been so ill and drowsy. Not just nausea, actual sickness which I didn't expect. Also lost all appetite and only thing I've been able to stomach eating, bizarrely, are the kids quavers! How long do you think it takes for body to adjust?
Did have some stugeron to try and counteract the nausea so probably didn't help with the drowsiness, oops!