Citalopram stories

[wonderwoo]

I started citalopram two days ago. Feeling awful today.

I just wondered if anybody has any positive stories about citalopram, to inspire me? How did it help you?

Do the side effects where off after a while? If I keep feeling like this I won't be able to continue

Not not bit

I've just come off it, and whilst the first bit is pretty crap, I'd absolutely persist. It's worth feeling awful for that first week or two - you'll quickly be feeling much calmer and able to cope after that. It helped me deal with what life had thrown at me no end.
One thing I will definitely say is don't just stop. I very stupidly stopped after a long while being on it, without weaning off it gradually (20mg dose) and that was, frankly, hell.
I truly hope it works for you and you'll soon be feeling better

Sorry to butt in on your thread OP - I just started on citalopram yesterday. I took the first dose at 6pm and just couldn't fall asleep. I feel very spaced out and tired today - I haven't slept in over 72 hours but I think the citalopram has added to the woozy feeling. I feel like quitting today I hope I can stick it out. Hope you're starting to feel better OP

I've been taking Cit for a year- 20mgs which I take before I go to bed. First week or so had wooziness & headaches & slightly upset tummy but benefits far, far outweigh any minor side effects in my op. I still have very vivid dreams but small price to pay. I know it's scary but I would really try & stick with it and try not to over think/worry/analyse (I know, easy to say!) and you really should start feeling the benefits soon. Good luck & enjoy your holiday x

Mummybear8 interested in what you said about coming off too quickly as I came on here to post something similar. I was looking for advice as I have stupidly run out of my prescription & cant get more til Monday. I've been two days without and am shocked by how I feel after such a short time being med-free (angry, sad, emotional etc etc exactly how I was before I started taking meds) but assumed it was pschosematic (sp?!) as thought it can't be that sudden- or is it?

Hi Diane After the third day of not taking it really kicks in as far as symptoms go but when you get your prescription Monday take it straight away and they will subside fairly rapidly.
In total, a month after stopping, the symptoms for me (bubble- like feeling, talking utter crap, feeling sick, upset stomach, sweaty panic) have finally gone. They probably peaked around 1-2 weeks after I stopped my dose.
I used to forget I was about to run out all the time and so have suffered what you've described quite a lot. Try and keep a note somewhere or alarm on your phone to make sure you don't forget to reorder because it's no fun feeling awful.
Hope I've helped

Diane I notice I am badly affected if I miss my tablets for a couple of days. I find it's my mood though rather than any physical symptoms.

Day 1 missing a tablet i feel brilliant but 2 days I feel the absolute pits.

How are you doing betterdaysahead? Did you take another tablet?

I have kept going so far. Today (day 4) was better than yesterday. Quite anxious this evening though, and wondering if I am doing the right thing. Just trying to do what a Diane upthread said: just not over think/worry it, and keep going. That's my plan for a few more days at least!

Thanks for sage advice mummybear, have set a reminder on my phone. Funny how you wouldn't even contemplate leaving it too late if it was a prescription for dc!!?
wonderwoo am so aware that it's so much harder to do than say but I think we (I do anyway) spend so much time worrying about whether we are 'cheating', 'failing', 'self-indulging' when all we (I) should be doing is looking after ourselves & doing the best we can, with help if necessary. We have to be kinder to ourselves- I have to remind myself of that everyday.
Paddypants and Gooodmorning same here... think 'YES! I can do this! I don't need tablets to be a great mum! Then am shocked & ashamed on day two when I find myself doing the washing up with tears rolling down my face & feeling the rage bubble up as I'm trying to put a nappy on my screaming, writhing 18 month old. It's hard. X

Could you talk to your doc about going on a lower dose for a bit if the side effects are that unpleasant? Now you've started them it'd probably more beneficial to keep them up with a lower dose than stop and start them again in a bit. I started on 10mg and felt a bit weird, quite sleepy for about 4 days and then went to 20mg and had the same, felt a bit spaced out for a few days and then fine. For what it's worth, they really really helped me, I was only on them for 6 months but that little stint on them has massively improved my quality of life.

Oh and I also had them as I had massive rage issues after having children, always followed by awful crippling guilt. I honestly just don't get that anger bubbling up inside me now, after taking them for such a short spell, I couldn't recommend them enough.

wonderwoo thanks for thinking of me - that means a lot to me at the moment. I kept going - I'm on day 3 now. The side effects during the day aren't too bad - I feel a bit woozy and have lost my appetite but I'm able to keep going. However I'm not able to sleep at night - I'm taking my 10mg tablet after breakfast but I still feel wired come bedtime. I'm due to up the dose after a week to 20mg so I suppose it will be a while before the symptoms die down. I still feel very anxious and stressed and I randomly burst into tears this morning but I just keep telling myself it's the start of a better phase in my life. I just wish I had sought help 6+ months ago instead of suffering on because I was too proud to admit I had PND.

scooby that's great to hear that you have noticed such an improvement - I have moments of such rage too, on bad days it feels like my head is going to explode and sometimes I will bang my head off the wall in frustration. I can't believe I'm admitting that - I haven't even said that to my doctor or counsellor. I need to remind myself of that in those moments where I think "maybe I don't need these I bet I can get better on my own".

I had mine for PND depression, I too wish I'd have sought help so much sooner than I did. When I first started taking them I took mine at night right before bed so I fell asleep before I felt mega weird, it felt like I slept through the worst of the weirdness, if that makes sense.

It's so awful having the rage. I always thought I was a nice and mellow person before I got it, and then found myself screaming in my tiny, lovely baby daughters face I'd get so angry. It was really scary as well, it made me wonder what I was capable of as I used to go from 0 to raging lunatic in 30 seconds. I even could feel blood pumping in my ears I would be that wound up. And then once I'd calmed myself down I'd just be filled with self loathing and felt like I'd made a terrible mistake having her and that I wasn't a fit mother. It was a really sad and frightening time.

Like I said before, I only took them for 6 months. I haven't taken them for 4 now and I'm back to being really chilled out, happy and normal. I love being a Mum now, and I'm good at it (hopefully!) My DD is having loads of toddler tantrums and I handle it really well. I don't know how I'd have coped before. I still have to make time for myself every few days, I feel like I have a patience meter that slowly diminishes and I have to refill it by having some me time, normally I draw, do yoga, go for a walk, that sort of bollocks. But life is good now, I can't say for definite whether it was the pills or my mood just improved over time, but I'm reasonably confident the citalapram had a long lasting effect.

I wrote a long post earlier and it never appeared. Annoying.

Interesting what you say about rage scooby. I get that too (massive rage followed by self loathing) and hadn't realised it could be part of depression. Thank you for your honesty and I am glad things are so much better for you now.

betterdaysahead I am glad I helped in a small way. This thread has helped me a great deal. I hope you realise that you are very brave to admit to yourself that you have PND and to do something about it. It's taken me far longer than 6 months to seek help for my issues, so you are not doing bad at all. I wonder if it will help you to take your tablet at bedtime. I take mine then, and am sleeping okay (a bit disturbed but not too bad), mornings are my best time. I am on day 5 now and felt so much better today, so hopefully you will he over the worst of it now too.

Thanks both. DS2 is 14 months and it's been going on all that time - I just feel 6 months ago I should have realised enough was enough. Yesterday was rough - lots of crying and then I felt the anxiety build all evening until it felt like I was going to explode. I went for a walk and it really helped. I'm seeing a counsellor and she's all about the walks, yoga, breathing, that sort of bollocks . I was surprised how well it worked last night so maybe there's some truth in it!

I'm taking mine in the morning - I took it on the evening the first night and I felt completely hyped so I switched to morning. In hindsight I should have given it a few days. I think it's going to be trial and error. DS2 was up crying for hours last night so at least I want lying there waiting for sleep...

Hi again..Have been taking citalopram for over a month now and side effects have mostly settled. I have had some improvement but not hugely. But main issue that I although the side effects have mostly settled, I am still struggling with feeling sleepy. I could sleep most of the day, given the chance, and am finding it hard to cope. I am sure this is the citalopram as it started when I started taking them.

Is this unlikely to settle down now that I have been taking the citalopram for five weeks or so?

My doctor mentioned trying another antidepressant, but I am worried that I will have withdrawal symptoms from the citalopram, combined with a whole new set of side effects from the new drug.

Can anyone advise me please? Feeling low today and don't know what to do.

betterdaysahead how are you doing?

Gosh I'm so glad I came across this post....I've been taking 10mg citalopram for a week now & feel nauseous with the panic/anxiety still there! I thought it was working at first as I felt calmer & slept better than I had in months but now I feel the same as before! My gp told me to take it first thing in the morning as it was better for the side effects.
I hate my life at the moment & know why I just can't see a way of changing it!! I think I've got PND but probably had depression for a while if I'm honest. I want to enjoy the time with my baby as it was a long struggle to have him. I don't love the father.
I'm in such a negative frame of mind & can't see a good future & blame myself for it.
Really hoping the medication stops me feeling so angry, irritable & wishing I'd not had my baby!

jay sorry to hear you are struggling so much. I am afraid I am not very experienced with antidepressants but hopefully someone will be along soon to answer your questions. I do know though, that a week isn't long and my gp told me it can take a month to feel any benefit. The side effects should settle by about 10-14 days. So I think perhaps its a bit early for you to know if they are going to suit you or not, and it would be a good idea to persevere with them, and hopefully in another week, the side effects will have gone.

It's great that you are doing something to help yourself. I know it's hard now, but you are taking steps in the right direction and with time you will feel better again. Deep breath and keep going in the knowledge that you have made some changes and life will be better soon.

Hi wonderwoo great to hear from you. I'm still on the citalopram - 4 weeks now. The insomnia stopped after 4/5 days thank goodness. Then I had terrible nausea and diarrhoea - which got worse when I went up to 20mg in the second week. I was losing weight rapidly (and I'm already thin) and my GP was starting to talk about changing me when like magic it disappeared. Since then I don't really think I've had any side effects. I'm definitely feeling some positive effects - I'm coping with the kids better and enjoying the company of my DH instead of constantly snapping at him. I had no PMT at all this month which was a revelation!

BUT I feel like I have a lot of work to put in myself - I'm still suffering with anxiety and I need to get that under control. I've started a yoga class and I'm trying to take some positive steps but I have a way to go. So I'm looking on it as the medication will help me take the steps I need.

Regarding the sleepiness - I am tired but I was before and my younger DC is still a poor sleeper so I'll be tired until that's sorted. But I don't feel drowsy during the day. I'm not sure about whether it will clear but I know if you want to change to a different SSRI you'll have to wean off the citalopram and start again so it could be a tough month - but worth it if you find something that suits better.

Jay you're at the worst point now. You're not having the positive effects yet but are in the depths of the side effects. Apparently it's usually 3 weeks before you will start to feel changes. Someone described it to me as chinks of light coming through a shutter - you're not going to wake up one morning feeling like everything's wonderful but you'll start having happy moments again and gradually they'll build. Good luck with everything x

Thanks wonderwoo & betterdays hope you are both doing okay? Today I haven't felt sick which is something & felt a little calmer in myself although that could be just one of the better days, you know how it is.
I still feel guilty for relying on medication but desperately want to feel like my normal self so know I need to carry on. Not sure what I'm going to do with regards to my partner, he's a lovely guy but I just don't love him.
I can't bare the thought of coping on my own as a single Mum. I guess time will tell & if I'm feeling the same once my PND lifts & the medication works I may feel strong enough to do something about it.