Positive stories of Citalopram please

[pookamoo]

I have been prescribed 10mg increasing to 20mg after 2 weeks. Feeling very nervous about it and would be grateful for positive stories from those who have taken it before. Thanks.

It has been life changing for me. The way I describe it is like a fire blanket thrown over all of my anxious thoughts, soothing them.

I love my Citalopram. Not had a single side effect and it stops my anxiety in its tracks. I can be myself - not having to battle anxiety, low mood, snapping and bursting into tears.

Why are you nervous about taking it? If you find it doesn't suit you, there are other ADs you could try.

I was on citalopram for many years (often going up to 40mg which is the max dose). Whenever i increased doses i did find that my anxiety increased for a short time, this is quite common so be aware of that. I am only talking about a week though and if you do experience this you can ask for soemthing to help.

I would say my experience was generally good. 20mg is the minimum dose to be affective really.

I wouldnt call it life changing, but life saving.

I'm nervous about everything, ratherberiding

Great stuff. I was on it for around a year, it made me feel like me again.
The first couple of weeks I was very tired - early-pregnancy-tired. And clumsy - kept knocking my tea mug over which was just strange. But that stopped.
I came off it very slowly and had no side effects then.

Don't be nervous! If they suit you (and it's a very popular medication so no reason why it shouldn't) you will probably find that nerves/anxiety is under control.

I've been on it for ages. Life is just so much better on it, I really never want to stop taking it!

It was ok. It calmed me down and made me function and get back to work. I stopped it because it killed my sex drive. The withdrawl made me feel a bit drunk from time to time but nothing major. It didn't make me feel bombed out when I started it especially either

I think it's the idea of side effects that are making me more nervous.

claraoswold is loss of sex drive a common side effect? My low mood has eliminated my sex drive so I was really hoping it would help, not make it worse.

I've just started taking 20mgs three days ago and I feel drunk and drowsy. I'm not coping at work well and have been considering stopping but everyone keeps saying I need to stick at it for a week at least. Hope you don't get too many initial side effects.

Thanks NakedMum The GP and the pharmacist both said to me that it takes 2 weeks to start working properly.

Drunk and drowsy I can't do as I need to drive and look after my two DC!

Same here. I had to get DH to drive me home from work yesterday! It's really difficult but I'm hoping for the fog to lift soon.
It may effect you differently as I know some people have no side effects at all.

I'm on 20mg and have been for about 5yrs. It took about 2 weeks for stuff to settle down. I recently went down to 10mg but after a couple weeks I became completely emotionally incontinent.

My GP didn't tell me any of this. She said that in the first couple of weeks I might feel that my anxiety is worse, but that it would settle down.

I suppose I could stop if it gets weird but I have a lot on over the next couple of weeks where I need a clear head (not to mention driving and childcare!)

It sounds like sometimes people need to clear a week in their diary to get started on this?

I have a packet that I have meant to be starting for the last week , 10 mg then up to 20mg after 4 weeks .
I'm a bit nervous as well , I have been on Prozac before but stopped as it killed my ability to orgasm and I got mind blanks when out for drinks .

My anxiety levels are really high since the beginning of the year so I thought I would give this a shot.

When do you plan to take the first one OP?

Well my original plan was tomorrow morning, but I have to work in the day, then drive to a friend an hour away in the evening and back (motorway).

So I am not sure if I should put it off, but I am working every day next week (school hours although not a teacher).

I haven't taken any medication like this before

For me, it was life changing. It gave me my life back. I was concerned that i would feel out of it, or "altered" in some way. Nope! I still feel like me. Only much less anxious. I completely agree with Putdown's statement that it was like a fireblanket over his/her anxiety. The only side effect I have had is occasional weird dreams. PM me if you want to discuss further. for you OP, hope you get some relief soon.

You could always build it up more gradually too. Start on 5mg, work up to 10mg, 15mg etc. That's what I did with escitalopram and I had no problems.

I was drowning in depression, 6 weeks ago, when I went back on citalopram, and now my mood is much more stable. I am coping with life, where before I was struggling so much. I am even coping with dh staying away for work, where before it was filling me with despair, and making me wish for death.

I think it has saved my life.

I came off it a couple of years ago, because I felt I should be able to cope without it, but I have come to accept that that's the wrong attitude for me. If I had diabetes or an u deractive thyroid, I would not feel a failure for having to take tablets for life - so if I lack whatever it is that keeps me at peace and not depressed, and need to take tablets to make that up, for the rest of my life, that's fine.

My GP didn't tell me any of this either. I have a massive meeting next week at work and I really need a clear head. I'm hoping things will have settled by then as I was considering stopping but my DH is insisting I keep going as recommended by the GP. It's just weird because I feel like maybe my anxiety made me better at my job/being a mum. Does that make sense?
I totally understand the feeling of taking the first pill. I was terrified.

I wonder whether the fuzziness would stop overnight if you just stop taking it.

I hadn't taken anything before I was put on Citalopram.
I was anxious about it. Hugely so.
It helped. It really helped. It gave me the stability and lift I needed to start CBT and address the issues.
I have been off it for about a year I think now. I have lots of techniques that help me and I know what to watch out for to try and head off a relapse.
Please prioritise your health. I was a teacher and forever pushing myself and saying I couldn't do what I needed to make myself well because of my job. Until it made me so ill I couldn't continue. Get signed off if you need to.

OP don't stop taking it immediately, you may end up feeling worse - I'm not a GP but it's widely reported that anti depressants should not be stopped suddenly and without the supervison of your GP.

It gave me the stability and lift I needed to start CBT and address the issues.

These are pretty much the exact words I said to the GP today. I saw her a couple of weeks ago, and we had a review today. I have started a group class for CBT and have ordered a book on prescription from the library. I just needed a break where I can get myself together and pull the motivation out of the bag to fix myself.

crumble I haven't even taken one tablet yet.