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Citalopram causing anxiety and drowsiness

5 replies

Citylimitbingbang · 14/10/2019 13:00

Hi, I've only been taking citalopram for 2 days. I went to the gp about chronic pain I have been experiencing for the last year and got sent away with an antidepressant. I am depressed, mostly because of how my life has been affected by the pain, but anyway thought I'd try it. I wasn't too happy that it was what the gp prescribed me but she wants me to see her again in 2 weeks to check how I'm getting on with it and she said she'd put in a referral to a rhematologist about the other symptoms.

I've taken it twice now. On the first day my heart started pounding and I felt sick and then I fell asleep shortly after. It was the afternoon. So yesterday I took it before going to bed. I did fall straight asleep but I slept in this morning and didn't wake up until 9.10am! I felt like a zombie when I first woke and I had obviously missed the school run. I rang the school and said ds has a bad headache. He is 5. I'm terrified he's going to say something and I'll get into serious trouble. I'm sure it was because of the medication. I've never been great at getting up but have never missed school or work before. I feel like the worst mother in the world not just for missing school but also for lying. But I couldn't say I had slept in.

I feel incredibly agitated. I can't relax. I am worried to death about the school thing and my heart keeps racing. I also woke up with an awful headache that I assume is connected to the citalopram and painkillers have dulled it a little but it isn't really going away. I keep feeling like I'm going to be sick though I haven't been and I have pains in my stomach. I don't know how much of these feelings of anxiety and panic are from my fear over the school situation or whether they're all affects of the medication. Either way, I just feel so awful. I wasn't happy when the doctor gave me antidepressants when I wanted help for pain, and now I feel like this. I don't know what I wanted from this thread but I needed to speak.

OP posts:
Citylimitbingbang · 14/10/2019 13:06

And I want to see the 2 weeks through so I can tell her I have done what she said but I am so scared about missing school again. I was thinking I could try taking it in the morning after I've dropped him to school but what if I fall asleep and miss pick up time. And the feeling of anxiety is driving me crazy. I feel like I'm losing my mind. If that's from the citalopram which I think it is, I don't think I can handle 2 weeks of this feeling.

OP posts:
Citylimitbingbang · 14/10/2019 13:09

I was thinking about going to the shops. The last thing I feel like doing is leaving the house but we do need some groceries and it might distract me a bit, but I am scared I'll get seen with ds out and about. I'm really not comfortable with lying. I very rarely lie. I feel so bloody awful.

OP posts:
bluetue · 14/10/2019 13:14

What dosage are you on?

I have started taking again after a 8 month hiatus and was struggling with the side effects- jittery, cant sleep and more anxious. I have started taking half a pill instead.

Citylimitbingbang · 14/10/2019 13:24

10mg blue. I've never felt this level of anxiety for such a sustained period of time before.

OP posts:
VaguelySensible · 14/10/2019 17:48

TBH I think you're far more likely to be ill with a virus, than that this is a side-effect of the Citalopram.

If you weren't on a new medication, you would think it was a virus, wouldn't you? Several of my colleagues have had a couple of days off with headaches and exhaustion recently, some also complaining of nausea. I think a bug's going round.

Your current state of mind is making you more worried and anxious about everything - your health, your ds's school, everything. But, honestly, you are not going to get into any trouble for your ds missing a day of Reception. You could have gone in late "I'm so sorry, I'm not well and I overslept" and everything would have been fine. Nobody will judge you for being out with your dc in the middle of the school day.

IME with Citalopram, I had a couple of weeks of being slightly fuzzy and uneasy when I started it. The worst side-effect was that I couldn't stop yawning! The side-effects faded away within 2 weeks. It took longer than that to feel the benefit from them.

By all means, check in with the GP, but also cut yourself some slack and treat yourself gently.

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