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

Very well done on Race for Life!
And yes baby steps... It's taken me from December to get to feeling like me again and that's with the Citalopram and CBT.

Empress you will continue to feel better I promise. I asked for more CBT so had a second course of that. Then I asked for counselling as felt I had to have space to talk about past, so had that. Now on second course of that, although I am only using my sessions when I feel like them, which is about two months apart. I used to long for and need my weekly sessions.

All the very best.

Hiya. I started CBT last week. I'm hoping that helps. I don't think I really went in with the right attitude last week. I think I just wanted to dump everything on her and feel better and she wanted to work things through more slowly. I'll go in with a different attitude this week as I definitely need her help.

The thing with CBT is that you do have to put the work in yourself. It def helped me understand the present and look forward to what I could do to make things better in the future. I found the workbooks they gave me very helpful. I felt I could objectively look at my illness afterwards and felt it was the illness and not me that was the problem.

Very best of luck meh

Thanks readrun. Doc put me up to 30mg yesterday so hoping between the 2 I'll get somewhere.

Just out of interest has anyone else developed tinnitus on cit? I seem to have. It's bearable but not ideal. I hope it goes after.

A bit of tinnutus, yes! Also, very dizzy when I stand up to quickly. I have never minded any of these small side effects however, as they are all preferable to the anxiety/depression which was so terrible.

I also get the head whooshes when I stand up. Had blood pressure checked so that's fine. I also twitch when I fall asleep but I quite like that one

Hello everyone!

Hope you don't mind me joining you? I have been on cit for the last few years. Started on 10mg, went up to 20mg and back down to 10mg which I've been on for the last year or so.

I've decided to up it to 20mg as 10mg isn't doing anything for me anymore.

I've not had many side effects thankfully, except loss of libido and withdrawal symptoms when lowering my dose.

So this evening I've taken my first 20mg dose and I'm hoping that I will start to feel a bit better soon.

Good luck to anyone starting out

Hi Anon

Good luck with your new dose. I recently upped mine from 20 to 30mg and also hoping it will kick in quickly.

Hi. Updating. Saw GP who took me off Escitalopram (after 6 weeks made me feel very spaced out/knackered/ravenous) and put me back on 20mg Citalopram to rise to 30 mg after 2 weeks.

Escitalopram 10 mg is supposedly the equivalent of citalopram 20mg. But the former made me feel jittery, shocking. I guess it really does depend on the person taking it as many people (GP said) prefer it over the usual and cheaper to prescribe Citalopram.

It's always good to hear the opinions of others and how they're getting on. Thanks for thread, OP!

Hi all can I join you. DD2 24 was prescribed Citalopram 10mg last week. Mainly for high anxiety and panic attacks. She didn't want to take them at first as she wanted to see if her body could get better by itself. Anyway to cut a long story short she was getting worse and had a very bad episode yesterday so decided to take them. She also came home with me away from all her worries. She has woken up this morning said she is feeling much better than yesterday and doesn't won't to take her tablet today? I know she has up and down moments so will probably need to keep taking them. What I would like to know is that will stopping taking them after just one table be okay. Has anyone had any experience of this? Thanks for your help?

Hi, another one here. Was prescribed this for anxiety. Took my first 10mg last night and have had awful, awful anxiety since. Feel like I'm 'on' something.
Crying at the thought of feeling like this for weeks.
I took sertraline years ago for the same problem and that was possibly worse at first then I was fine at the ten day mark so desperately hoping this will be similar.

mumeee the tablets take ages to kick in so she needs to keep taking them. Good luck!! They are wonderful once they kick in. I am such a fan of them and would urge anyone to go on them if you need them.

Thanks readrunraverelax. I managed to presuade her that she should keep taking them. She is now on her forth day.

I work in mental health apparently you need 20 mg to notice any difference below will do nothing

Well apparently her GP is experienced in Mental Health issues and said 10mg was the right dose for her to start on.

Molly below was enough that I had to stop taking them after two days as the effects were unbearable. Unfortunately that's my update.

Sorry should have said below 20mg. My doctor started me on 10mg.

Feeling very good now. Citalopram is working. I turned the radio up in the car today! That is the first time in about 5 years! Ds1 5 years even told me to stop! Hope everyone is feeing positive.