***Citalopram Buddies... ;o)***

[ShinyHappyPurpleSeveredHeads]

Well.. jumping in on the act of the other "buddy threads", there seem to a shed load of us on citalopram.

How many of us are there exactly?

What dosage are you all on? Is it working?

I'm on 10mg for anxiety. It certainly takes the edge off the panic feelings and stops me waking up with that dreadful, crippling anxious feeling, as if my stomach's in a vice. But being as things are a bit crap at the moment, I do feel generally down even though I've never been technically considered depressed (just suffering from lifestyle induced anxiety!)

DH is on 20mg. Similar reasons, slightly different symptoms.

We have been on it since June.

I came off mine (sensibly) a month of so ago but the horrid panic came back and I just couldn't face all that again. It makes life "un-do-able" and I have a lot of stuff that I have to get done everyday/responsibilities etc. So not sure what the answer is but I certainly don't want to stay on anti depressants forever and GP originally mentioned a 6 month time slot.

What are other's experiences?

PS I hate the "no orgasm" side effect of citalopram!! It really really bothers me.. main reason I wanted to come off it.. but I hate the anxiety more! Anyone else on it suffer in that way?

Hi TrinityRhino, I have a shocking memory too. I keep my packet of pills near my alarm clock so I see them every time I am in my bedroom. I take mine at night so they stare at me when I go to bed until I have taken one

Until recently I was on all sorts of meds, I had one of those boxes with the days of the week on the lids so I knew whether I had taken that day's tablets or not - i am just as likely to forget I have taken them as to forget that I havent

I'm now taking three medications in the morning so I keep them in a bag on the table and take them when Tink gets her breakfast. I have to take one of them three times a day and know when I've missed it because it's a painkiller and it really works lol, if I miss it I am in agony again.

I think my insomnia is wearing off.. today I was so tired, I went home on my lunch hour and slept on the sofa for 20minutes.

Tiger Feet - I am also not worth what I am getting paid. This was noticed slightly today (although I had already explained a bit so wasn't that surprised).

I take my tablet just before bed and have only forgotten a couple of times.

also take the citalopram at bedtime since reading this thread.i think it is better.interseting to read about the hot flushes.i have been roasted in bed recently when normally i have to snuggle sh to keep warm.have to start off sleeping with no covers and am still in summer jammies.never realised this might be the tablets.

lol sh =dh

Hi All
Can I join you please ,I have been taking 20mg citalopram for 4 weeks for pnd. I am mum to two girls (2 years and 4 months)and I think the pnd truly started off when my youngest was poorly in hospital at 4 weeks Have found that the citalopram has taken the edge of my anxiety, but omg I am finding it really hard to sleep, even though I am knackered when I fall into bed. Going back to GP tomorrow but don't really want to take anything to help with getting to sleep, so has anyone got any good tips?
x

Hi All
Can I join you please ,I have been taking 20mg citalopram for 4 weeks for pnd. I am mum to two girls (2 years and 4 months)and I think the pnd truly started off when my youngest was poorly in hospital at 4 weeks Have found that the citalopram has taken the edge of my anxiety, but omg I am finding it really hard to sleep, even though I am knackered when I fall into bed. Going back to GP tomorrow but don't really want to take anything to help with getting to sleep, so has anyone got any good tips?
x

hey ceri

i was put on cit when my son was 8 weeks old. He too was very ill (medication etc) i was convinved he was going to die, thought i was the worse mother, thought everyone was staring at me, severe anxiety!

I know how you are feeling, glad cit has helped a bit thou

Hi Ceri (and all the others who have joined since I stopped posting so much)

Can we have a quick pole on who tkaes their when? and if you've tried other times of the day which did you find better and why? I'm reluctant to take mine at night as I once had antibiotics that I had to take before bed and I had the most horrific (very violent/full of fear) dreams.. so much so I'm scared to take any tablet before bed.

mascara, i take mine after i have my tea... Dont seem to have any probs..

MOh i have had tht experience with antibiotics too, but not with citalopram.
hi ceri

Hi, have been on citalopram for a couple of years, am currently on 60mg a day. I take mine last thing at night, was advised to do this when they were making me drowsy when I first went on them. Suits me fine, Im getting weird dreams now but I think thats more because I'm 33 weeks pg! Didnt have them before.

Ceri, re going to sleep at night I dont suppose the normal stuff like dont nap in the day, do outdoor exercise every daytime and having a routine for going to bed works very well when you have a 4m old. Do you have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep?
Try to have a warm bath and a hot milky drink before going to bed. I dont know if you have ever done relaxation, but I find doing the whole 'relax every part of my body, one bit at a time' thing helps; I have a hypnotherapy CD which goes through this which I listen to on my Ipod. Even if I dont go to sleep I'm too relaxed to care, which is half the battle. Theres nothing worse than lying in bed not sleepin and worrying that your going to be really tired again tomorrow.
Anyway, one of the symptoms of depression is not being able to stay asleep, and lying awake in the early hours worrying. I would mention this to the dr, who might adjust your ad's but prob wouldnt give you sleeping pills; they hate giving them out.

Hi everyone
I'm currently on 10mg of Citalopram and 37 weeks pg.

I bought some Hypericum at the weekend but have been told since that its St Johns Wort.

I know that you cannot take St Johns with any AD's.
Can anyone shed any light on this?

found this for you NBG
hope it is helpful.

thank you cremola

Hi
I take mine in the morning when I get up and found that ok. Thingamajig thanks for suggestions done most of them-wish I could get the chance to have a nap in the day- can't get both kids asleep at the same time though!. Am waiting to get on the relaxation course at the local hospital but might try finding one of those relaxation cds anythings worth a try is'nt it.Mad4mybaby sounds like your situation was a lot like mine did feel like worse mum ever. Oh well the only way is up eh?
X

I take mine at night. I get very vivid dreams but on the whole they are benign so not to much of a problem. I did try taking them in the morning for a while but they wiped me out to the point where I could barely function so I went back to night time.

I take mine just before going to bed. I found that taking them earlier in the day makes feel very nauseaus (can't work out how to spell that ).

I find ADs make me have fewer vivid dreams which is good.

I take mine first thing in the morning as I have to take other tablets then too. I am absolutely exhausted all the time but I don't know if it's the tumour, or the medication, on top of the insomnia!

I take mine at night - remember to take them by putting them next to my alarm clock which I set every night.

I found taking them in a morning made my insomnia worse for some reason??

Wilkie - SNAP! My doctor told me to take them first thing in the morning as they would keep me awake. After about two weeks of not being able to sleep at night but being shattered all day, I directly swapped to taking them at night - problem solved awake during the day and sleeping at night

I must admit - I do get fatigued during the day but at least I can get to sleep at night!!

Had a good night's sleep (helps that DD didn't wake up ) and bounced out of bed early enough to get the early train (I work 8 until 4, but got here at about 7. As I am generally at my best in the morning, this is good.