Advice from people who have taken Citalopram

[Sara1235]

Hi everyone

I am now on day 3 of taking citalopram and I've started to think I've made a big mistake these side effects are horrible nausea, no appetite, stomach ache, burning sensation, intense anxiety, faster pulse, dizziness, just want to cry all the time.

Does anyone have any advice on how they got through the first week / 2 weeks? How long is it this intense for does each day get better?

Thank you

@Elliejane I have had a much better couple of days, particularly today has been much calmer.

Hope you are doing okay today. Increasing the dose sounds sensible. Hopefully that will really help.

Wishing you a better sleep tonight x

@Sara1235 @Snowshower and anyone else

how are you all doing ?

I am on day 10 of increased dose of 7.5 escitalopram. Sometimes I feel less anxious other times I still seem to be over anxious . My main things are health anxiety and if I don’t hear back from my teenage sons one who is at university miles away .

I not sure if I am expecting too much . Thoughts ?

@Elliejane

Hi thanks for checking in I've been up and down had a shit day today I did stabilise for a week or so but then it all started up again it's so tiring!

I don't think your expecting to much I get why your anxious and the ups and downs I'm not sure how I would deal with my daughter being away at uni tbh it's a natural reaction as a mother to have worries.

My son says it massively improved about day 11 - he felt exactly the same as you for first week

@Crikeyalmighty

Thanks for replying, I'm on day 37 now recently increased from 10mg to 20mg not sure if each increase causes side affects? I had a good weeknor so after the initial nightmare of side affects then i started to dip so upped my meds but still feeling not great

@Sara1235 that’s same as happened to me. higher anxiety starting then better then relapse then upped medication to 7.5 (15 equivalent for you) then ok again now feel regressing a bit again . I am lucky to have access to private healthcare with my work so see someone again this week . And I have a great gp that I see next week. Just want this medication to work but worrying I expecting too much .

@Sara1235 @Elliejane

It sounds similar to my experience. I have definitely had ups and downs. Thankfully though since I last posted, things have been going up. My physical anxiety symptoms in the morning have not happened for at least a week, feelings of hopelessness and despair have not been troubling me and my over thinking and constant worrying have decreased a lot. I feel like I have got some sort of "normal" life back.

I am still feeling a bit cautious that it might flare up again, but the longer this good spell lasts, the more positive I will feel.

Hang in there. I have always found increasing the dose causes you to feel worse again for a while. My increase was about 7 or 8 weeks ago. I was feeling a lot better at about 4 weeks in I think, then took a real dip about week 5 or 6ish.

It is horrible that it takes so long to really take effect but it is worth sticking with it. Hopefully you are both through the worse of the side effects and will really feel the full benefits soon.

Take care x

@Snowshower

Good to hear your having better days long may they last!

@Elliejane

I know this may seem negative but I've just had enough of feeling like this and the ups and downs! I think I expect too much aswell, I have a good period and then become happy thinking I'm over the worst, then bam back to the start with feeling anxious horrid thoughts worrying about every twinge or feeling just fed up!

@Elliejane

How have you been this week?

@Sara1235 I have been much better this week thanks . I still on 7.5mg (15 ) for yours . I going to increase in a week to 10 . Still not perfect by a long way but no really waking up anxious like I have done for most of 2022 . Hoping you are ok too ?

@Elliejane

That's brilliant to hear I'm glad you've had some rest from the anxiety.

Up and down but scraping through thank you.

@Sara1235 @Snowshower how are you both now and what dose are you on ?
I still on 7.5 and been a bit more on edge this week but also had hormonal week . Thinking to go to 10 soon though .

Anyone had regression 4 weeks after increased dose ? On 7.5mg and was doing much better until last few days ?

is it time to go to 10 ? Escitalopram so 20mg equivalence for citalopram

feeling scared again and low

Hi @Elliejane

I am doing well. I upped my dose of fluoxetine from 40mg to 60mg in the summer. I believe 20 to 60 are the different doses so I am on the maximum now.

I felt a l fair bit better after 3/4 weeks but then similar to you, had a much worse week at week 4/5ish. This really threw me and caused me to get in a bit of a panic that the dose increase wasn't helping and that I was going to need to change meds completely to something different.

I stuck with it though and continued on the same dose for a few more weeks and have been feeling much better again. I would say pretty much "normal" for me by week 7/8.

It is good that you have the option to increase the dose if you and your doctor agree that would be helpful, but it might just be that you need a little bit longer as you are.

Let us know what you decide and how you are getting on.

@Snowshower thanks for replying. It’s helps so much . I at not yet at the theraputic dose so think need to go to the 10mg and then give it a good 6 weeks . I def feel much more anxiety this week so have to try it . Was hoping I could just stick at 7.5 . Just don’t get why you can feel better than regress .

@Sara1235 how are you ? Hope you are ok

@Elliejane

Yes, it is so strange and so unnerving when you have a worse spell. But it is very common I think. I have definitely had it this time and I remember it in previous times too, particularly when I first went on ADs years ago.

I think in your case it definitely sounds sensible to go up to 10mg. Hopefully that will make all the difference.

Hi all. Im considering starting citalopram but very anxious about it! How is everyone feeling now?

Hi I'm now 4 months in and on 30mg of Citalopram and feel like my old self.

I started on 5mg and the side effects were horrible but I am sensitive to medication I felt worse for a good 2 weeks but started to come through the other side. It was a bit of a roller coaster and took a while to level out I increased to 10mg after 2 weeks and then to 20 my after another 2 weeks and recently upped to 30mg but I haven't felt the side effects on the increases. I think I have my dose right now! Good luck with your journey they are worth taking and this site has is brilliant for getting you through the bad and celebrating the good!

@Sara1235
Hi Sara, I have been following this thread closely, as I am currently back on citalopram after being on it for over 10 years after it seemingly decided to not work as well, my anxiety levels had gone through the roof, this was back in November 22, after trying some other ad's, the doctor decided to put me back on the citalopram, as it had worked for all those years, started at 20mg, I'm now on 30mg day 21.
The journey so far has been horrendous, I feel more anxious, can't sleep properly, everything little thing is a worry, appetite poor,I feel like my whole life has been turned upside down and I'm going crazy. the doctor says I need to give it more time, which I am but I feel like this all so overwhelming.
I was wondering how you are getting on now you've come through to the other side and if you have any words of much needed encouragement I would be very gratefull. Thankyou.

Hi @buddyb5

Like you I was on Citalopram years ago came off them as I felt better and went back on them in August 2022 I couldnt get a grip on the anxiety and lost all control. You are on a high Starting dose so it's no wonder your feeling even worse I felt worse and I had a gradual increase I never thought I was going to get better I thought I needed to be taken to hospital at points I felt so bad and at times like I had no control. Every single syptom your having I experienced on a small does so I think your incredible and are stronger than you think with starting off so high!

How did you feel on 20mg and why did the doctor up it so soon?

It is really rough but a good day isn't far away and yeah you may have a bad day but they do eventually become less and less I still have the odd bad now but I did CBT and that's helped me control the feelings rather than them control me.

You will get through this I know it feels like you won't people would say it to me and I would want to scream at them that I wouldn't the fear was gripping that I would never be better but you do get better you will get better!

Try and eat little and often I got that advice from a lady on here it did help and try as much as you can to distract yourself come out of your head even if it's for a little bit allow yourself that time I used Calm app and would meditate don't be too hard on yourself either rest when you can it's exhausting going through this!

Thankyou Sara for getting back to me, it's messages like these that reassure me that I'm not going crazy, the feelings are so overwhelming and fearful, I like you was convinced I needed to go to hospital, so thanks for the reassurance it's not just me.
The doctor upped to 30 because I was experiencing more anxiety and because I was on 20 before and it had stopped working, it seemed like the logical thing to do, at this point I'd do anything the doctor says just to get better. So here I am.
I have felt little glimmers of hope and the old me, which are soon taken over by the anxiety, although I try not to let it take over me, keeping myself busy and trying to have outdoor walks with my dog, which is really hard to push myself to do. I have a wonderful partner and kids 22&14, they are being so brilliant with all of this, it can't be easy for them to see all of this happening.
How did you find your sleep? I've being having awful nights, waking up panicked or some nights just not being able to sleep at all, bedtime has now become a real battle for me, when I used to love my sleep so much.
I'm just praying that better days are ahead, I miss my old life x

@buddyb5
It's uncanny how similar our experiences are.
Like you I never struggled with sleep even when I went through it before but this time I was so fearful of going to sleep I'd wake up with panic attacks all through the night and had a weird feeling of whether I was alive or not silly to say I know. Then getting to sleep became harder and harder. Still now within the first hour or so of dropping off the odd night I can wake with panic but it's just the once and I get back off fine citalopram has helped settle all my symptoms. I honestly think the increase in anxiety was due to going back on them and then because you was fearful they wasn't working and the doc upping them has caused your syptoms to become worse which does actually mean the Citalopram is working and your body is adjusting to the serotonin which is what makes everything worse for a while. Its great you have your families support. You will get through this nothing lasts forever xx
Happy to chat anytime

Thanks for your reply, just finding it so hard to deal with, just so fearful of everything, I'm also on my period, so I'm sure that's not helping.
Slept ok last night but still had the panics, woke at 4 and awake til 7,then slowly fell back to sleep until 8.30, which is a bit of a win, normally there is no way I'd get back to sleep. Now trying to kick start the day, worrying about every little thing, I do find the early evenings are a bit better.
I'm so glad that you have found peace again and you give me the confidence that I'm going in the right direction, just wish it would happen sooner! Keep well and thanks for the offer of chatting,
Emma. X