Citalopram - really need support

[katie2812]

Hi all,

I need help. I've been suffering with my mental health recently and panicking ocd etc.

I'm really down to the point where my.messy room which I had no motivation to clean really upset my OCD. I read citalopram is good for OCD anxiety and depression. I've tried everything. I've been in therapy for two months, joined gym, tried to do headspace but nothing is working. I'm so tearful all the time. I'm not sure why either.

The doctor started me on propanol as I kept having huge panic attacks but she strongly advised anti depressants but I did not want them.

Two weeks after this, I'm feeling like I need themz even my family are getting worried but I'm soooo frightened of the side effects. I'm scared of having diarrhoea at work, I'm scared of being tired or having a low sex drive and upsetting my partner, even though he's the most supportive person and I'm petrified of it making me worse.

Can anyone give advice please, even positive experiences of citalopram?

@prittyvacant

Another fan here. I started on 10mg and have moved up to 20mg. Prescribed for PTSD, anxiety and dreadful PMT.

It took a while to get used to it (nausea and tiredness) but once stable on the 20mg it has literally changed my life.

I resisted for a while (I thought it would make me feel not myself - it didn;t occur to me that I wasn't myself anyway, and once the side effects wore off I've felt more like myself than I have for years - even people that don't really know me have commented how well I look).

f anyone tries to take it off me now I'll fight them to the death

Did it hit your libido?

No @HereticFanjo - if anything its improved it to be honest because I'm more in touch with my emotional feelings for my partner and not in a depressed rage for half of every month!

@prittyvacant wow. So happy for you. I'm going back and forth whether to increase. But I agree. I started this thread with so much fear and now about 2-3 weeks later I've significantly improved. I would tell anyone to start them sooner. Although I forgot to take yesterday and I took them at 3am and ended up sleeping most of today 🤣 so I need to stick with taking them at right time

Just to update this thread after over a month of being on medication, I would recommend it to anyone struggling. Nothing bothers me anymore. I havent cried in weeks and I was crying daily before for hours. I have major anxiety with driving and today after a week camping (3 hrs there, took 6 hours back) I was completely fine. I have major toilet anxiety but even whilst I was away, I went to beaches with no toilets on, before I wouldn't have even dared.

I'm actually scared to come off citrolapam. I had to stop the propanol and actually ended up in a and e with severe chest pain and coughing fits like an asthma attack so stopped it and my symptoms have gone and citrolapam is working well on its own.

For now, for the next 6 months Im going to relax. Enjoy life. ☺️ Thanks for everyone's support.

Hi this is most recent post Iv found on citralopram I’m on week 4 and abit and was upped to 20 msg 2 weeks ago I’m not really feeling any better is there still time to improve? I feel like giving up on the tablets most side affects have gone but can’t sleep and having bad days still.

I'm feeling very anxious atm and am considering taking citalopram. Like you were OP I am terrified but this is a really reassuring thread, thank you.
How are you feeling over a year later? Would you stille recommend taking them?

Best thing ever. At first you really have to persevere.I felt sick and wired
and a bit paranoid. I kept waking up at 4 am. I think after about 3 weeks it all settled down. Now I no longer worry or catastrophise about anything. I sleep perfectly. I've learnt to reduce the importance of all worries. I live for the day. I laugh more at life. My nerves have calmed right down. I cope. Wishing you peace of mind.

Hey back for some support. I'm on day 2 now and I'm feeling generally okay but definitely 'weird' like not myself at all. My wife said I'd changed and it's like I'm not here.
I'm not sure if it's the medication or if I'm really obsessed with how I'm feeling I can't concentrate on anything else. Or if my general concentration has just gone.
Anyone felt the same or have any reassuring words?
I was on the fence about medication and I'm really worrying it's the wrong choice.

I unintentionally came off of my citalopram in November after being on them since June last year.
I started on 10mg and after 6 weeks or so I upped to 20mg. Best thing I ever did (although I was so scared to start taking them because of reading about side effects)

yes you’ll definitely be fixating on how you’re feeling, it’s the first thing I’d do when I woke up ‘do I feel anxious? How do I feel today?’ And the whole cycle of anxiety started again.
the medication completely took that feeling away and just made me feel me again.

I have been on citalopram for around 7/8 years. It has literally been a life saver.

I have had no side effects, it stared working within a few days, and I now feel like "myself" again. It hasn't made me feel like a zombie or anything, and although I have moods, get angry etc I just feel like I can take it in my stride - none of the awful feelings I used to get.

Never had diarrhoea on Citalopram or any of the other antidepressants I've taken. Citalopram is fairly mild when it comes to side effects, I don't think I suffered from any.

No I didn’t feel like an emotionally stunted zombie when I was on them either!

Thanks everyone. Day 3 today and feeling better.
Perhaps yesterday I was so preoccupied with how the medication was making me feel that I was just quite anxious about it and acting weirdly.