started taking citalopram today - feel fucking awful

[BotBotticelli]

Please help, i feel like I have made a terrible decision. Got prescribed 20mg of citalopram by the GP a couple of weeks ago, as my persistant problems with low mood and anxiety since DS1 was born just aren't going away on there own.

He is now 19mo so this is a long run problem. I am also currently have counselling on the NHS after getting referred 5 months ago by same GP (had a long wait but appointments finally came through).

Anyway, I sat and looked at the prescription for a week ebfore cashing it in. Then I sat and looked at the box of pills for another week or so before finally deciding to start taking them this morning (after a bad evening yesterday feeling very anxious about DS, his sleep, my ability to be a good mother etc etc).

Anyway, I took the pill at 0630 this morning when we got up and it already feels like a dreadful mistake. I feel nauseous and jittery as fuck. have taken ds to nursery and got the train inno work (central London) but feel awful, can't concentrate, haven't eaten anything and feel too sick.

I am really scared :( have never taken any mind altering drugs before, illegal or legal, and I feel really out of control and scared. Should I call my GP? is this normal?

Am really worried that it's going to get worse and worse every day when i take another tablet.

My anxiety and low mood wasnt that bad: i was functioning, at work, feeling ok, just a bit down. This feels like a silly decision.

Can anyone help with some reassurance?? I am freaking out at my desk :(

Morning,

I wonder if your feelings are psychosomatic as you have doubts about taking them? I wouldn't have thought you have taken enough for them to have an effect as noticeable as that yet but I'm no expert.

If you have any doubts about the medication, go back to your GP and discuss it further.

You are a good Mum, and you are doing the best thing by trying to address these issues. Hopefully someone will be along as soon as possible with more experience with this drug.

Stay strong xx

Hi there? Did you take 20mg this morning? If you did it might be too much in one go. I took 10mg for a week before I went to 20mg. I also take mine at night so that in theory the worst is over by the time I wake up. I didn't really suffer many bad sad effects so maybe worth a try. Good luck. I looked at mine for a month before I took them.

oh dear. did not meant to put a ? after high there and meant bad effects not sad effects

I was prescribed citalopram and took them for a few months, also 20mg. I felt awful for 2-3 days when I first started taking them; felt sick and was actually sick, exhausted, just felt terrible in general. This started to wear off by day 3 but I found it best to take them at night before going to bed. And if I accidently missed one, the side effects would start up all over again. I have changed to Sertraline now and have had no side effects from it what so ever. Id say keep taking them so your body gets used to them and see how you feel. If worse or no improvement maybe ask your doctor to change. Good luck

Hello yes it was 20mg this morning. Feel completely sketched out, am going home to work from home I think - can't cope with colleagues chit chat. Is it normal to feel a dramatic effect immediately like this then?? Maybe I should ask GP for a lower dose?

Don't be scared. 20mg is quite a low dose and ADs aren't "mind altering". I felt exactly the same when I had PND (I suffered particularly badly with anxiety too). I'd always had good mental health, and getting ADs made me feel like is failed.

Please stick with it. In a couple of months you should feel transformed.

I started on 10mg and felt as you describe. I remember googling at the time as felt awful! It does clear after about a week and was well worth it. Mine has since been increased to 20mg, and now even 30mg and the side effects of the increase was barely noticeable compared to that initial few doses. I also take at night - you might have odd sleep initially but I still find this better. Good luck - it does get better!

I took these for a few year a while back and then had to retake them and I clearly remember the feeling of dread for the first few days on them. My doctor advised to take at night so that you are asleep for the main side effects and I also started on a lower dose and took those for a week and then upped the dose. They did make me feel awful for a few days at first, jittery, anxious, nauseous and dizzy but these effects only lasted for about 3 days or so and then I started to feel much better.

I would try taking them in the evening and see what effect that has but give your body a chance to get use to them, they don't suit everyone but they made my life so much better.

Thanks so much for the reassurance. My GP told me to take them in the morning - I think she was worried that taking them before bed would disturb my sleep (a lot of my anxiety is around sleep deprivation and insomnia, so I agreed that morning would be best).

Thos of you who took them before bed, did they keep you awake??

I take mine in the morning. On 30mg at the moment. I started on 10 then 20. I felt shit! Zombie like. Couldn't think straight or focus. Felt slack jawed and out of it.
Now they help so much. It really is worth persevering with them xx

I experienced the jitteriness when I started them but it wore off after a day or two. I used to take them in the evening but was advised to swap to mornings to avoid weird, graphic dreams!

Starting gradually with half a tablet is probably a good thing.

It is normal to feel like this. So thats reassuring. It can last a week or so which is pants. But then it will start to settle and you will honestly feel better. Tbh I felt worse going from 10mg to 20mg than I did starting straight on 20mg.

One thing you must put out of your head is it being a mind altering drug. It absolutely isn't. It is used to help restore your seretonin levels. It should help you feel calmer and more able to cope. It will not change your thought processes. Feeling less anxious will allow YOU to do that.

Please try and stick with it if you can. I felt awful for the first few days then soo much better. If you find you cant cope go back to your gp and they may prescribe you something short term to counteract it.

I get the weird dreams anyway - I quite like tthem.but yes do take in the morning as I find I dont sleep if taking them of a night.

I did wake up early for a while although I would put the radio on and usually doze back off. I'm usually a bad sleeper and I'm not any worse on these. I missed out on the vivid dreams to

How are you feeling this evening Bot?

Hello, feeling much better this evening - nausea was almost gone by mid afternoon and I feel ok now. Ate dinner fine. Feel sleepy so will go to bed soon.

Am dreading taking the little pill again tomorrow though :-( will the symptoms be the same tomorrow do you think? I really hope they won't be worse, I don't think I will be able to go to work if they're worse.

Weirdly the jittery skin crawling feeling reminded me of the (one and only) time I took E as a student and was coming up. Like my skin was trying to crawl off my body. Urgh. Hated that feeling and never took E again. Certainly wasn't expecting to have to deal with that feeling on a commuter train this morning :-S

Thanks for asking though. This board is really nice and friendly.

So glad you are feeling better. I found my side effects went Quite quickly. I would bd surprised if they worsen.

Hi I've been on citalopram before 40mg and am currently taking 20 mg I take them at night but have no sleep problems.
When I was on 40mg dose I was taking it in the morning.
Please persevere with the tablets and don't dread taking the nxt one tomorrow think of it as another tablet in your system.
I felt nausea and jittery and sweaty (nice) during the 1st week of taking citalopram.
It is common but when I look back now I'm so glad I kept going through that crappy week as now I am able to process my anxiety and actually go out on my own with my ds and am back to 'myself' again.
Just think to yourself another few days of these side effects will have you on the road to a better place.

Glad it past. Hope you get a good sleep and that tomorrow is not so bad.

I'm on day 5 and side effects are now passing. Feel calmer and mo able to cope. Sooo much more tolerant with kids. Wish I'd had these 4 years ago when I became anxious.

Thanks again everyone. Took this morning's pill with food (forced myself to eat before leaving the house which i never normally get the chance to do what with getting ds1 and myself washed, dressed, and out the house for nursery and work) and it was much less dramatic side effects today thank god.

Lots of yawning and a bit of a banging headache but no sign of yesterday's jitters. I am so relieved and have decided to stick with the tablets and hope that I start to feel better soon.

Thank you so much for your support yesterday, really got me through a shit day.

Been off my citalopram for few days and back on today, feel terrible, really dont think I should be on these, but scared to come completely off them. Got prescribed years ago 20mg, which is what Doctors seem to uniformly prescribe regardless of knowledge of metabolism and individual brain chemistry. I now beleive that people are actually being put at risk by this, as the overwhelming anxiety on this starting dosage for me and others that I have spoken with can be borderline suicidal as one doesn't know what is going on and is utterly unprepared for such hugely unpleasant feelings from something that is meant to be helping. I don't know what to do for the best as I seem like many others, caught in between the Devil and the deep blue sea. I hear so many people with similar experiences and feel that Doctors should know more about SSRIs in terms of the various unpleasant effects they can have before prescribing them and start at 10mg which for me still feels very strong. I would greatly welcome the thoughts and advice of others who have experience in taking or prescribing such medication. Thanks.