Support with citalopram

[Tweetypie88]

Evening.....I guess I'm looking for some support/advice. I was given citalopram a few months ago for anxiety and I still haven't plucked up the courage to take them....for some reason I just keep thinking I'm fine without them and then suddenly realise my anxiety is not at all getting any better on its own.
So basically I decided yesterday that enough is enough and I'll start them. Then I read so many horror stories online about the first day taking 20mg and I'm really anxious about the first few weeks side effects that I decided against it again!!
Is it really that bad the first day/week/month. I really don't want to be feeling ill, unable to sleep etc.....the list goes on. Someone with anxiety really doesn't need that huge list of side effects to worry about.
Sorry this is so long......any good stories on citalopram to help tell my mind ill be fine and that i really need to to this for my anxiety.

I honestly thought this was one of my posts as it was nearly identical to me! I was prescribed citalopram back in January but was so scared to take them due to side effects I left them in my drawer... obviously my anxiety rocketed so I just decided to start taking them. I decided to start on over a bank holiday weekend just in case I got bad side effects so I broke the 20mg in half and took it with my morning tea. I had the weird yawning thing and little appetite for a few days but no bad side effects. After two weeks I took the full 20mg. Now on my second pack and so glad I did. I'm still not feeling 100% so I'm going to go back to gp after this pack and see what he says. I'd say to start taking them x

I had nausea and a spacey feeling for the first week, but not so bad I couldn't go to work. One of the benefits for me in taking them was that I took them in the evening and they really helped me sleep, which had been a problem.

I don't take them anymore, but they helped get me through a bad patch

I've just woke up and read your messages......I'm going to take half of one today so 10mg. Just gonna make a cuppa and then just do it!!!

Nothing bad can happen can it? Like if I'm really really ill today taking mg will it leave my system quite quickly?

Oh God.....I did it. I feel like a ticking bomb now waiting for something terrible to happen to me!!

Tweetypie the worst that will happen is that you may feel nauseous and keep yawning. Youll be absolutely fine. Well done for taking the first step x

There's a little smile on my face that I managed to take it today.... I thought it would just be another day of looking at the box!
I can't tell you all how much your replies helped...I wouldn't have taken it without reading those. Now fingers crossed for some days of feeling ok so I can stick with it and finally get anxiety to fuck off!!

Well done for taking it!
I’ve just seen your thread, but I took citalopram for years & all side talking therapy, really helped my anxiety. I’ve actually got another packet to start as menopause has increased my anxiety again.

I found that just starting to take it felt empowering as I was taking a step to regaining control.

I was on escitalopram for 5 years and it was literally life saving. I understand your anxiety about starting them OP x

Well done for taking it op, just make sure you take it at the same time every day and don't miss any days because withdrawal is not great. I hope you are one of the ones who don't get any side effects xx

Remember it's just a medication, you have been prescribed it for a reason. If you were diabetic and needed insulin you'd take it, so why not this?
I took citalopram for around 5 years now been 4 years off it, and would recommend it to anyone having anxiety issues

Oh OP well done for taking the plunge, so happy to hear you are feeling a bit better today. One day at any time you are doing fantastic and it's not easy. Also well done for reaching out and asking for help. MN has a very supportive community of women who have been through similar experiences which I think is so valuable when you feel low xx

They didn't suit me at all, I hallucinated on them but they never made me feel ill or anything. I stayed on them for a couple of months until I straight up had a conversation with a customer who wasn't there. I should have known really, she was far too polite to be real.

But the first 2 weeks being awful is not the case for everyone, I was fine.

Hope you don't mind me updating...feels good to talk a little. Only my partner knows about my anxiety, and I'm not sure he fully understands what it's like.

I've been alright today. I felt ok, maybe a little spacey but they could be the heat bothering me.

Tweety the spacey feeling will be gone in 2-3 days x

I'm glad to hear today went OK for you tweety, so do you plan to take another half tablet tomorrow morning? If so I'd go back to gp and ask for a 10mg prescription, just tell them youve been a bit nervous to take the higher dose x

Yes I was planning to take the half again....do you think I'm right/ok in doing that?

I can't give you personal advice because of my qualification but I would say to communicate your plan to your Gp x

Thank you. I will do....i will try to get an appointment with a recent doctor I saw who was lovely (unrelated visit) as I think I'd feel comfortable talking to her x

How are you today Tweetypie88? I took my first dose this morning. I’m worried about insomnia as a side effect as that’s my worst symptom but so far I feel more drowsy and spacey so hopefully that won’t be any issue. Hope you’re ok today

I was prescribed 20mg and he told me just to break it in half for the 10mg

I feel really strange, horrible and I don't like it. I'm floating around work and I really don't want to take the tablet tomorrow, I've changed my mind I think about putting something in my body and I'm all shakey

Sorry @stuckinmyownhead I really didn't mean to be off putting earlier. Huge well done in taking your first step today that's amazing. How are you feeling now.... I had a really strange feeling all morninf but this afternoon I've felt fine. Had a bit of a wobble about taking the tablets and I just don't know at he mo what to do x

Persevere! The feelings won't last forever. Maybe a couple of days. If needs be take a day off work. I definitely felt "out of it" for a few days when I started taking them but then I just felt normal ( well as normal as I usually am haha)

I can't convince myself to take it tomorrow incase it makes me feel even worse than I have today! The feelings passed by about 2. Is it worth switching to before bed instead if I continue?x