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 can't say ... I've always taken mine with my cup of tea in the morning. Some people say it works best before bedtime but I never have. I just know it took me a few months to pluck up the courage to take them and I really had to plan for when I did. Like take a few days off work and not do much. I stayed at home at just did little things. Watch tv. Read a book etc. This is your first tablet so your body may take a little while to get used to it. Sorry I can't be more help :/

That's fine I appreciate your reply. I can't really take any time off work but I struggled a bit today....manageable but I was so light headed all morning. I just worry it'll be even worse in the morning when I'll have 3 lots if tablets in my system by then. Or am I over thinking?

Hmmm I'm not sure. I don't know what would be best. Perhaps it's best to ring your doctor and ask what they advise?
Sorry I can't be more help. I understand how you're feeling tho - it really wipes you out ... but the more you take it then the quicker your body will get used to it. Are you sure you can't ring in sick tomorrow and Friday? And then you'll have the weekend as well. So hopefully by
Monday next week you'll be feeling better? X

I don't think it will get any worse, probably slowly better as they say the first few days are the worst. My husband felt a bit spacey the whole week but each day slightly less and less, the first day probably didn't show much because its taken the full day for it to get into your system, id say today will probably be as bad as it gets x

It took me two weeks to get used to then when I first started taking them. I felt dizzy and sick at first

I started taking citalopram 2 years ago. I started on 10mg for a month and then went up to 20 after that. Ended up on 40mg for the rest of the time but managed to wean off in March this year.

The first 2-3 days I felt dizzy, spaced out, by with it, but then I felt fine and clearly in the 2 years my anxiety went as I now don’t need them at all.

Don’t think of the side effects as a negative, it is just your hormones rebalancing which takes a couple of days.

Does anyone know of it'll be worse tomorrow? I know everyone's different.

I don't know for sure, but I honestly don't think it will be worse. It wasn't for me. Yes, I had that fuzzy feeling, but after about two weeks I slowly started to feel better.
It would be good if you could keep going.
For me, it felt a bit like waking up after being shut away and closed in once it started to work. Give it time.

I've woken up and can't convince myself to take it today!🙁

I did it😊

Sorry you are feeling like this op. I’ve been taking 20mg since October. I felt like you jittery and hard to hold my concentration. I would sit army desk with my leg bouncing up and down. Only lasted a couple of days for me and I’m fine now.

The gp gave me the phone number for councilling but I can’t bring my self to ring them.

It’s your anxiety making you feel like this all medication has side effects.

Hope you manage to take today’s tablet

Yay! 👍🏻😊

Keep going - you are now a couple of days in and getting closer every day to getting yourself back on an even keel. I didn't have much if any side effects... bit headachey and vivid dreams I think. Try to keep in mind that the worry of taking it is also linked to the anxiety you have been prescribed it for. If that makes sense. You are clearly sensible about medication and what you put in your body, but sometimes a bit of help is needed. If I have tonsilitis for example I will be prescribed antibiotics. I know that it will make me feel sick in the first few days but I push through because that will pass and I will be feeling better because of it. I'm not comparing tonsilitis with anxiety but the medicine for it will also give me side effects. Anxiety is just horrible and I sympathise so much. The bonus with citalopram (at least for me) was that you can still have normal highs and lows that come with life rather than keeping you and your feelings within a tight boundary. I accept there are times when that is needed for some folk but if you haven't been given meds before then citalopram is a great place to be started. Again this is my personal experience but I felt just like myself and with the same spectrum of emotions but it stopped me from straying into the anxiety and panics of before. Take it a day at a time and let your body get used to it and very soon you should start to benefit ...sending you lots of luck

I'm so glad I managed to take today's tablet.... I just went for it and there was no going back then!!! I haven't felt dizzy or floating at all today. I've got a bit of a headache at the moment but could be the heat. I'm just a little out of sorts today...don't particularly want to engage in much conversation/ dont feel like I could hold a conversation actually, like I'm thinking of the words but they are coming really slowly. I haven't had any sleep issues. But boy I can not stop huge massive yawns!!!!! Constantly!!! So far I'm happy to take another tomorrow

I've been on it for over 2 years and honestly it's changed my life! Try and stick it out, my first two weeks were slightly tiring and weird but no issues after that at all!

Hiya just wondering how your getting on a few months on x