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.

[walkinthewoodstoday]

I have a gp appointment January and am hoping I will be prescribed this. I feel a failure for needing tablets but I cannot cope. I am 35 and constantly bursting into tears and this Xmas wanted to beg my parents to let me move in with them (they live 200 miles away and I have children ffs) but I just can't adult any more. Crying as j type this on the journey home

[Rose60]

Any up to date success stories please, I'm on week 5 abd just upped it from 20 to 30 but so far I'm not feeling any improvements, please tell me it will come

[sadsister4]

I was drowning in anxiety and Citalopram gave me my life back.

I can't praise it highly enough, and that's after years of trying to avoid anti-d's through therapy, etc.

It's a miracle as far as I'm concerned, and I'm very grateful for it.

[pookamoo]

I was very sleepy this morning but not sure if that was because I had a late night last night.
Apart from that, I feel ok.

[NakedMum33and3rd]

I took 10mgs today and I don't feel drowsy but feel notably more anxious than yesterday. How u feeling now OP?

[pookamoo]

hmm, well, so far so good.

[pookamoo]

naked yes, that's what my GP told me to do at first. 10mg for 2 weeks, then up to 20.

[NakedMum33and3rd]

I have just called my GP and he recommended going down to 10mgs and that should lessen the side effects. Maybe you should start on 10mgs too?

[RatherBeRiding]

Should add I am only on 10mgs. Occasionally in early days l I might benefit from upping to 10mgs but been on it a while now and I think this is like a maintenance dose.

I honestly have never had a single side effect, but maybe because it's at a low dose? If you are nervous, maybe ask GP if you can start at 10mgs and see how you go?

[notagiraffe]

I loved it. Was on it for five years and they were good, happy years. But had to come off it as it made me so drowsy n the end that I was sleeping my life away and gained 20lb in weight.
Currently on Prozac. It's nowhere near as good. Citalopram was wonderful (for me) at lifting mood without blocking out emotions, so I just felt entirely myself but cheerful and capable, whereas on Prozac and Seroxat I just feel numb. Sertraline zonked me so hard I stopped within a week. never done that before. Citalopram was by far the best until the side effects got too bad.

[Crumblevision]

Ah ok Pook. I hope you've had some reassurance about taking it. Obviously starting it is entirely your decision.

[Halfbaked]

I'm on week 3, I've had it before although when I was single and childless and had time off when I started them.
This time I had to carry on with work etc.. I have felt sick most days and it did increase my anxiety for a week or so. It is settling now though and I'm beginning to feel the benefits.

My packet says to be aware that it could affect driving reactions, so I started taking it when I knew I wouldn't need to drive for a couple of days. I don't think it has affected my driving, although I have felt more tired (but that could be just stress related)

I know that it helped before and now I'm coping with the side effects as I know they will wear off and I'll feel the benefits.

[pookamoo]

I might start tomorrow night so I can see how it affects me over the weekend.

[Xoticdreamz]

I think I'm going to start on Sunday night , i could actually do with something to make me sleep !
Good luck OP .

[FrancesHaHa]

I was on 20mg for about a year. Had a week of side effects before it settled down. But I took it in the evening before bed, so it helped me sleep and I didn't feel drowsy in the day.

Side effects were nausea, headaches, a bit of spaceyness but nothing that stopped me working and looking after Dd.

Agree about it giving time to have some counselling, and try some other techniques to deal with the depression.

[pookamoo]

crumble I haven't even taken one tablet yet.

[pookamoo]

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.

[Crumblevision]

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.

[Wolfiefan]

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.

[pookamoo]

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

[NakedMum33and3rd]

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.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

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.

[LimpidPools]

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.

[Crumblevision]

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.