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

Yes - libido went right down.

Thinking if discussing me going on this with gp. I get horrendous pmt, exremely low, anxious and lots if over eating which wrecks any weight loss I've done the rest of month. Just wondered if anyone found it helped with overeating and pmt? Thanks

My appetite went through the roof. Apparently it interferes with your feeling full response. (or it can) so watch those portion sizes and snacking.

As for night sweats-mine were in the morning. So I would get up, have a shower and be boiling hot for the next few hours.

Night sweats here too.
I started on 5mg and have gradually increased to 20mg (day before yesterday)

Everytime the dose has been increased I have had several days of nausea, severe constipation, night sweats, becoming over sensitive to sound/light, and increased anxiety/agitation.

I'm sleeping really badly too - but I don't know if that is just the depression and anxiety.

I've been on them for 4 months. I did first 6 weeks on 10mg then went up to 20 and now have gone down to 15. I am trying to find the balance as my mood and anxiety was greatly improved on 20mg but like sparklingbrook my appetite went horribly through the roof. Felt sick with hunger all the time but it is more manageable on 15. They have really helped my anxiety and depression though.

Thanks Ladies. I slept pretty well last night. Although still feel tired.

Donki every time you increased the dose, how long did the side effects last?

I was going to post a similar thread, rather than post another can I ask for opinions? (hopefully useful to the OP too!)
Ive been on citalopram for nearly 5 weeks. I started on 10mg but havent felt a consistent improvement so started 20mg a week ago. SE havent been too bad - very tired though but thats worked out well because I was having trouble sleeping before.

I thought I felt better for about a week and got excited that I would continue to get better but then slumped back down. Then since increasing to 20, again thought I was on the up, but crashed again. It's really disheartening. Firstly is it normal to keep going up and down? Or is that just because they arent working yet? Secondly after you up your dose do you have to wait another few weeks, like in the start, before you know if you'll feel any benefit?

I did take 20mg C before a few years ago and it was brilliant but I wasnt anywhere near this low.

thanks :)

Hi v1olet. I think 5 weeks is till early days. The way it was explained to me is that the Citalopram is building up to a certain level with each dose and when it reaches the right level you will feel better consistently.

i went up to 30mg because I was experiencing anxiety in the morning. I felt great in the evenings though. like two different people.

I went up, Violet, and then crashed again after about 6 weeks on 20mg - that was when I went back to the GP and asked for talking therapy.

That about snacking is really interesting. I do seem to be grazing a lot more so I'm trying to make sure I only have fruit available to graze on.

Yeah I have started CBT too. But I am in such a bad state with pnd/anxiety over the last 5 months I really need the meds to work too.
I think they have made me less tearful and prone to full blown panic but I'm still a long way off being back to normal.
Hope youre right Sparklingbrook and it is early days. Well it def is for the new dose.

That's good to know about the crashing and not feeling better consistently until I'm at the right dose.

A By-stander's opinion....

My 22 year old daughter finally started citalapram after years of (with hind-sight) sadness, worry and misery. She said it was like a switch being turned on!
As a mother I thought that support, talking, love and everything else a supportive family, friends and education system could do would be enough. But it wasn't.
As another post points out, she now has the confidence to drive, give a good impression at job interviews and slot into new work experiences, none of which she would ever have managed before.
She has now been on it for 14 months and is a transformed person!

Zadoc That is good to hear and hope your DD continues to be well :)

Fantastic stuff.... They should put it in the water like fluoride!

I had a short spell of poor sleep and vivid dreams. My concentration was poor. I had major erectile dysfunction.

But I was not having my life destroyed by anxiety! Hooray!

My vivid dreams were fabulous. I got to go back to my late Grandparents' house and visit them and spend time with late DMIL. I know it sounds a bit odd but to me it was nice. I didn't ever have a horrible nightmare-they were like films though.

Zadoc i am glad your DD got brave too-it makes such a difference. x

Yes Alchemist - night sweats a fairly common side effect according to my doctor.

I think being hot in general too Troopers. Even the GP said 'Are you nice and warm?' as if that was expected.

Two months after giving them up I am still sat round in a T shirt.

Oh now that's interesting. I was putting the night sweats down to perimenopause. Might still be that but good to know that it might also be the citalopram.

Btw I went straight onto 20mg. Side effects were unpleasant but better now, apart from the increased appetite which isn't constant but takes some reigning in when it hits! I could eat everything in the house.

Side effects were yawning, jaw clenching, nausea, headaches, and appetite killed stone dead for about a month. I lost half a stone which I've now put back on, and my weight is now steady at the same it was before I got ill.

I feel a lot calmer though I still have ups and downs, with a nasty one this week. I'd feel better if I could just sleep. I tried zopiclone but it's useless and I don't like the side effects.

How long have you been on them, AwkwardSquad?

I LOVE zopiclone it tastes like s* but knocks me out, so long as I dont use too often.

Have you tried Atarax? Its an antihistamine used for anxiety and insomnia - 2 birds 1 stone! I find that makes me drowsy enough to stop the brain chat

I have been on 20mg for a year or so, for anxiety and depression. I have fibromyalgia and GP suggested increasing dose to 40mg to help with pain management. That was three weeks ago and not noticing any benefit with pain as yet, but, I am eating like a horse, having night sweats and headaches which seem to last for days. Too soon to go back to GP? I think I will give it another week...

Fab41 I have Fibromyalgia too..would be interesting to know if it does help you.

I started on 20mg last June, had a week or so of jaw clenching and yawning, but nothing worse than that. I agree with PP that it helped me cope, but it was talking therapy that made me feel better.

I reduced it to 10mg a day a few months ago, then 10mg every other day in an attempt to stop, but I had started to slip back into depression, so I've increased it to 10mg each day again.

So far am feeling okay, but do feel tired now tho. Also feel peckish most of the time.