Citalopram, week three

[roisinagusniamh]

I want to post an update on my Citalopram journey.
I would like to give some people hope and encourage them to continue taking it as I have found the support on this forum to be very helpful in encouraging me to continue when I felt worse .
The first three weeks on Citalopram for me were hell....my anxiety went through the roof, I couldn't eat (lost almost a stone, very distressing as I was not overweight) or sleep (except in short bursts)
I had been on 10mg for almost two weeks and then the GP upped it to 20mg and the side effects worsened !! But now, into my forth week I feel calm and in control and happy!
Nothing in my personal circumstances (that caused the anxiety) has improved but my ability to deal with it and be rational and positive has.

I'm so glad it's helping you and thanks for sharing. Citalopram also great for me despite difficult start... encouragement on here is invaluable when you are feeling rock bottom.

Thanks for posting this! I’m new and just been prescribed 10mg which I know is a small dose, but I am so scared to try it. I don’t feel ready to as I’m having a good few days at the minute. Appreciate reading peoples experiences though.

I have also been prescribed it, I'm in the first week so far on 20mg and I've not had major side effects yet except a bit of nausea.
It's very early days, glad to hear you've come through the other side of the side effects OP and are feeling better.

How is everyone getting on with citalopram now it's been a few more weeks?
I'm feeling much better, but I've noticed I do get cold and yawny, and my muscles tense up like i clench my jaw a lot. Anyone else?

Just an update on this, I ended up putting on 14kg (2.2 stone). I noticed after about 6 months it had crept up but after 1.5 years I had gone up from a 12 to a 16 even 18 at some places, and it has been really hard to lose the weight. This was the summer before lockdown as well that I first noticed. I came off citalopram gradually about 9 months ago and have lost a couple of inches around my waist but I'm nowhere near what I was before. It's not as if my diet was wildly different to what I had before, I'd never in my life put on that much so quickly, wish I had never gone on it.

I'm on the verge of starting taking this again, I started several years ago then weaned off, but anxiety has been creeping up again recently, to the point I was sat at work trying to swallow back tears and I can just never relax. I either feel guilty sitting quietly because there's always something that needs to be done, or I'm waiting for something bad to happen. Literally.
I thought it might help. I was constantly in tears the first time around so this is a bit different.
However, I am already struggling with my weight and couldn't cope with it going up more. It's a major source of constant anxiety/stress. I think about it much of every day but feel powerless o change it.
I just don't know what to do. Got a phone appointment with the gp lined up and I don't even know what I'm going to say.
This has put me off taking it tbh.

That's so awful for you I'm so sorry it's got bad for you again. I have heard that there are some anti-depressants that don't make you put on weight like Wellbutrin so that may be an option for you. I have considered this too, due to the same symptoms returning albeit not as bad as before. Sending hugs