Citalopram - what's everyone's experience please

[QueenofClean]

I've been started on citalopram for anxiety issues. Took my first dose last night 5mg a night for the first week increasing to 10mg next week.

What is everyone's experience of it and the side effects and how long they have lasted?

Thanks
QoC

not patronising at all sparkling

Thanks ND, it really was a case of 'it gets worse before it gets better' for me which just seems cruel.

Nigella it is like the mid90s today again except the music is worse, ds forced me to listen to One direction earlier.

Sparkling, its not patronising, thankyou for the offer of support. I am worrying about feeling worse before I feel better still today, is it inevitable?

I'm not feeling side effects now - 1 week into taking 10mg having built up from 5. But I'm not feeling better either really. I'm not taking them for depression, but for anxiety. I've had a virus followed by horrible period pain and migraine, and I'm still feeling delicate from that, so it's hard to tell. But I just want to feel more brave, like the person up thread said. I'm seeing the doc on Friday, so maybe she'll put up the dose - I believe 10mg is only the trial dose anyway, with 20mg being the proper starter dose?

From everything I have read the side effects are quite individual, in that which ones you get. I started on 20mg which was a bit tough TBH. When i went back for the review GP said 'how about we up it to 20mg', and hadn't realised she didn't start me on 10mg.

I need to say this as well. My GP told me that it can mess with your 'feeling full' response. Hence all the weight gain stories. Watch the nibbling and portion sizes.

I must be one of the only people who wants it to mess with my feeling full response so I actually put some weight on! One of my reactions to stress is to not be able to eat, so although I'm not underweight officially, I am on the skinny side of normal and would like to be fatter.

Sparkling I Def have the feeling full thing.

I also am on day 2 of a headache but think that's due to lack of fluids.

Apparently it is used for patients with eating disorders for that reason OneWay.

I think for me as I felt happier and more normal I started eating better and then perhaps tipped over into a bit too much better IYKWIM.

I feel shocking today . Bad night's sleep, heart pounding, panic attacks in bed last night. Today I have been completely tripping out (staring at the trees and being deafened by background noise in the park instead of watching my toddler). Can't face food, headache, so have given up and am on the sofa Mumsnetting whilst dd watches dvds. I am truly dreading the school run, teatime, bathtime etc. Nobody to ask to help out...

veronica

veronica it will pass it really will.

I remember about 4 days into Citalopram DS2 had a sleepover and i had to pack him an overnight bag. It was almost impossible. I had the bag, but i just couldn't think what to put in, i couldn't think at all. I remember being sat on his bed with my head in my hands because I couldn't do it.

It seems strange to think of it now but that's where I was with it.

At least I don't have to go to work this week! On the plus side, I dealt with a major double meltdown from both of the kids tonight without shouting, which is why I am doing this .

Feel like I have worked through today's dose now, so feel quite calm, hoping tonight will be less panicky.

Sorry for taking over the thread, it is so good to hear from people who have been through / going through the same thing.

What I found was that I was much better in the evenings than the mornings. i was like two different people.

Veronica. Hopefully the side effects won't last long and you'll start to feel the good effects.

I've been on citalopram for 4 weeks going into 5th week tomorrow and have def noticed a difference in myself in that I'm a lot calmer and can laugh a little easier and am getting back to my 'old' self. So know the tabs are working although they still have a bit of work to do. X

The headache has finally disappeared. so very happy today

Better day today . Slept like a log last night and just had appetite loss, lack of energy and slight trippiness today.

Was that a headache for 4 weeks? Bet you are relieved to see the back of it!

Glad things are improving for you QueenofClean :)

I just wish I could bloody sleep. The insomnia is really getting to me.

The constant constipation (sorry, I know it's tmi) is also wearing.

Does anyone else have issues with their emotions feeling numbed? Like experiencing something that should make you very sad and feeling nothing at all?

Having not had any problems with being hungry up until now, I am now ravenous all the time.

I've had that Donki, I filled the house with fruit - my body didn't seem to mind as long as I was eating something.

Minion, yes. Do you want to talk about it?

Hi EmpressOfJurisfiction. Thanks for responding. It's not for me, it's that my husband and I are going through a divorce (he left due to his depression says he wants to be alone doesn't love me anymore) and he doesn't even seem sad about the loss of our life and breakup of our home. He says he hasn't felt any strong feelings about anything at all since he started taking the pills and I suppose I was just looking for reassurance that perhaps this might be an explanation for why he seems to be unable to care less about such a huge loss. I'd love to hear your experience if you have one. I've been as supportive as possible through his illness but it hurts a lot that he doesn't seem to care at all about anything. I was wondering if it might be the pills. Since he started them he has been cold and nothing like his old self.

Both the pills and the depression can have that effect.

I've definitely had the numbness since starting the pills, still do to an extent. I can't find the post but someone's therapist described it as putting her emotions on hold until she could cope with them, or something like that.

I don't know if this support thread would be helpful to you? You're more than welcome to stay here too, but I think the people there will really get what you're going through.

Thanks EmpressofJurisfiction...that was really helpful "putting emotions on hold till you can cope with them". I hope that's true :)

If it helps any new people here, he experienced awful side effects at first. Yawning, night sweats, mild but distinct episodes of mania, anxiety attacks, jaw clenching, sleeplessness...it was awful but it improved over 6 - 8 weeks and he started to feel better. I hope everyone on here can persevere through those hard parts.

I do know about the support thread, thanks for posting it. In my case it's all over as he is so convinced he doesn't love us anymore and wants to be alone but I do sometimes get just so hurt at how detached he is from our divorce and it would be nice if he at least experienced some emotions about it.

His personality has changed a lot on Citalopram. I was expecting it to miraculously heal him but all it really did was take the worst off the depression and give him some stable ground and it seemed to suck away the essence of who he is.

He's a hermit now. Totally joyless. Breaks my heart but for him this is preferable to the despair of depression.

He still describes his existence as merely surviving. I read all through this thread and it's wonderful that this drug worked miracles for so many people but alas not so simple for everyone.

Good luck to all of you brave ladies struggling with this illness. It's the worst thing I have ever come across and would not wish it on my worst enemy.

Thank you, Minion, and have a and some .

I'm sorry about your DH. I watched my DM cope with my DF and I know our partners have a hell of a lot to put up with. It might even be that Citalopram isn't the best choice for him.