HELP please- citalopram

[raerae123]

Hi everyone,

New to this site (not a mamma but you all seem lovely and helpful)

I've suffered with anxiety all of my life and have always been a worrier.
I've had a fear of eating around people and choking in front of others following a bad panic attack a couple of years ago.
This then spiralled into me developing a fear of choking whilst drinking and looking anxious/panic attacks in-front of others..

2 weeks ago anxiety started to affect my work really badly to the point where I was worried about having panic attacks at work. was constantly shaking, waking up anxious and going to sleep anxious, upset tummy and panicking no matter what I was doing.

I went to the doctors and was given beta blockers and fluoxetine- I was constantly wheezing and waking up at night gasping for breath....was that worried that I genuinely stayed up for 36 hours and felt like I was dying- getting sleep paralysis and waking up panicking..
so doctor has taken me off these completely (now I have sleep anxiety FGS! Taking nytol to get through the night)

Doc prescribed Mirtazapene but online reviews and weight gain of 40 pounds/addiction really put me off trying these.

Doctor has now signed me off work for a month (usually very motivated and not been off work sick since 2017)...and has given me citalopram- can I please have some positive reviews? Worried about taking this and I just desperately want my life back, I'm only 23
Sick and tired of crying thinking that I'm never going to get better...

Thanks and sorry for the long post xxx

I've been taking citalopram for about 3 years now. I started off on 20mg for about 8 months initially. Then my dose was raised to 40mg. Over the last year, I've gradually reduced my dose (under Gp supervision) and I'm now on 10mg per day.

It was tough for the first 2 weeks. I felt very sick, extremely tired and had an odd side effect of lots of yawning and then clenching my teeth. It really is worth persevering though.

My Gp recommended I take them before bed, because of the nausea. It meant that the time when I felt most nauseous, I was usually asleep.

They really have helped me, combined with some excellent CBT.

I started citalopram about a year ago. It was the best thing that happened to me for my anxiety however I totally concur with the above poster with regard to the side effects in the first two weeks. The tiredness, nausea, jaw clenching is a bit rubbish but if you stick it out I believe you’ll be feeling better in no time. Hugs

Thankyou ❤️❤️

I will use the sickness bands that I have, doctor has given me 20mg straight away

I hadn't realised about the jaw thing, I have braces- will this affect my teeth?

I clenched straight down, rather than grinding my teeth. As long as the chewing surfaces are clear, I should think you will be fine. If in doubt, you could give your dentist a call.

You might not get that particular side effect anyway.

It changed my life for the better. I was panicking about starting it so I gradually introduced it by splitting the tablet in half and taking half AM and half PM.
I only had tiredness and honestly it was therapeutic compared to my usual 100000 mile an hour thoughts x

Oh yes persevere - first few weeks are a bit rubbish but hang on in there, hopefully they will really help you feel much more stable

I find it very helpful. It has reduced my sex drive but I can live with that.

Sounds like me a year and a half ago.

GP put me on a low dosage of Citalopram, found they took a while to kick in, then slowly wore off and had to keep going back to increase dosage.

Once I was on the correct dosage I felt great! Also took them combined with Propanolol.

That was a perfect mix for me but it's different for everyone

Thankyou so much all of you for your lovely comments, I am going to start taking it in the mornings and hopefully I can get through without having too bad side effects ❤️❤️

If you find the side effects difficult to manage, try taking the tablets just before you go to bed.

Thanks, taken my first one and just feel sick so far!!

If I do get side effects - when will they start?

I'm another lucky person who has had great success with Citalopram for panic attacks & general anxiety. I've been taking it for years & it's certainly saved my sanity, if not my life! I really hope it works for you quickly and effectively. That's not to say I never have bad days but the benefits vastly outweigh the side effects & risks (I'm pregnant now) & I feel so grateful to live in a time and place when these meds are available to us

@Kukumbr @Littlefish @neuroticnumpty @feliciabirthgiver @amrscot @KarBB hello again! Thankyou for all your comments, I am on day 26 of taking citalopram. Certainly had lots of ups and downs whilst taking this so far- for the first 3 weeks I was still anxious but feeling a little better and now I feel nervous all the time that again I'm not going to get better etc etc.

I just wanted to ask- around when was it that you started to feel better and more like yourselves again?

Thankyou❤️❤️❤️

@raerae123 well done for getting so far! I reckon it took me 12 weeks to get to 80% of my former healthy self. And probably 50% at 6 weeks. So hopefully you are well over the worst & will keep improving...