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

Meant to say re the early morning anxiety. You probably already know this but just in case. The stress hormone cortisol is high on a morning. It plays a role in getting us up out of bed. But if we are sensitive to it it send signals of anxiety which then bleed into the rest of the day.
It's worth trying to label it 'I know this is just early morning cortisol'and then get on with what you were to do to reduce its power.
It's not easy to do but it's worth trying.
(Obviously I'm very good at writing things down - hopeless at actually doing them myself !!)

@kizziee
Hi, I'm sorry to hear about the insomnia, I had that too when I started back up on citalopram, it did subside but the past couple of nights my sleep has been great getting off, then waking at 3/4 am,a bundle of nerves, it's so exhausting, have you had any days where you've felt any positive moments or glimpses of your old self? As
that is a sign of the ad's starting to work, they can take a really long time to adjust chemically in your brain, so if you have had any good moments even for 10 minutes, it's a sign that they are working x

@kizziee
Yeah the uninvited stress hormones first thing can do one!😂 Its just so difficult to rationalise it especially at 3am, when all I want to do is go back to sleep 😫

I had a little glimpse last week but I think the lack of sleep is confusing everything. Going to give it another few days and then review

@buddyb5 @kizziee

I tell you what ladies every day is a school day I didn't no about cortisol being high in a morning either!

I get too sleep OK, then an hour or 2 after I've fell to sleep I wake up with panic I feel like I can't breath, tight chest and a weird disconnected feeling like unsure if I am alive or not. Then it takes me ages to get back to sleep i end up down stairs.
Do either of you get like violent jolting/ twitching in your body when falling to sleep?
I've had it before but it had settled down.

@kizziee I am glad you had a glimmer of a good day I hope you have more good days than bad days. I think deep down all 3 of us know what we need to do it's just being able to push through it. We can challenge this we are strong women we must be to deal with this day in and day and be here cheering each other. All the advice for me from you lovlies has given me a glimmer of promise and I'm holding on tight xx

@Sara1235
I did used to get the jolts when dropping off, now I get the weird electric feeling when I wake up and the sweats, it's all good fun!
I started taking magnesium glycinate a couple of months ago and found it to be really helpful in staying asleep, maybe that's something you could try ?
@kizziee that's good that you've seen some glimmers, I'd say keep going, did you have insomnia before on the previous dose?

Haven’t RTFT I was on 20mg Escitalopram initially and now on a maintenance dose of 10mg. I also felt sick and slightly spaced out to begin with, but that passed after a few days. After three weeks, my anxiety had really subsided.

I find taking it at night works better for me. Before treatment, my anxiety was causing terrible insomnia but perhaps taking it before bed relaxes me as I slept much better almost immediately?

Anyway, persevere with it and try different times. It really can make a huge difference long term. 💐

@buddyb5

Thanks for the advice I will get some and try it anythings worth a try 😊

@HamBone if I have to switch from the tryciclic I'm on (I really hope I don't - really dread haven't you start over again) escitalopram is one that has been suggested. Good that you have found it helpful.

@buddyb5 with the magnesium glycinate. How much do you take and what time do you take it. I have insomnia as a side effect of my AD - in the past this has improved after a while but hasn't this time. Someone has suggested magnesium glycinate to try.

@kizziee
I use the barefoot nutrition magnesium glycinate and take 1 about half an hour before bed 😊

Thank you @buddyb5
Did you find it worked quickly for sleep or is it something you need to build up over a few weeks?

@kizziee I think it took a couple of weeks to feel the effects, good luck with it and know you are not alone, I was awake at 3 this morning, managed to drift off again on and off but boy it's a rollercoaster.
@Sara1235 how's you? X

Thank you

@buddyb5

I didn't have the best night sleep. I brought some magnesium glycinate from Holland and Barratt today so will try that but I've been working on accepting the anxiety it's bloody hard but I'm determined to win.

How are feeling?

@Sara1235
I woke at 3 this morning feeling so anxious, stomach churning, so got up made a cuppa and put a podcast on, managed to drift off again, took myself out for a walk later on, otherwise I would have just stayed home and let anxiety think it's stopped me from doing things, it is so difficult when all your mind is saying is no, don't do it, it's too scary, I do think the citalopram is helping though, as it's made me calm enough to just get on with things anyway, so who knows in a few months time, it could get better and I'm hoping the sleep thing is just temporary as I was getting better nights only last week, have you read Kate cogs messages on patient uk, just google Kate cogs and it should come up, she is a wealth of information regarding citalopram and explains so well how long it takes to go through recovery, I'll try and send the link 😊 hope the magnesium helps, it might take a couple of weeks to kick in but it does help x

@Sara1235

patient.info/forums/profiles/katecogs-229578

It's a good read!

@buddyb5

That's amazing that you got on with your day! Really has made me smile i know it will not have been easy. Can you imagine had this been a few months ago? We both would never have left the house today!

I agree the Citalopram has got to be working. Thank you for the link I'll have a read.

I took you advice and started listening to The Anxiety Guy Podcast - Dennis Simsek he was a former Tennis Player and went through 6 years of it interested to learn how he beat it.

I've also downloaded Calm there is a 7 days of sleep you do some meditation before bed might be worth a try for both of us and @kizziee xx

That's what we have to keep reminding ourselves, look how far we've come 😊
I'll check that podcast out, the disordered one is good too, also the panic pod is worth a listen, let's hope we get some decent sleep tonight!

@Sara1235 would you mind posting how you get on with magnesium glycinate please. I might try it

@kizziee

Yes no problem I will keep you updated. Tonight is proving particularly difficult but I am not putting it down to the Magnesium glycinate, oddly I do tend to have worse nights than others it's like a pattern very bzr!

@buddyb5

😊absolutely I will give the one you said a try where can I listen to that it doesn't come up on Deezer?

I hope you have a peaceful night sleep

@Sara1235
How was your night? Mine was awful, went off to sleep well then my body kept trying to panic in and out of sleep, eventually woke at 4, I've got a really upset tummy and just burst into tears,hope you are doing a lot better x

@Sara1235
The pod casts are on the podcast app on iPhone 😊

@buddyb5

😔Lack of sleep because of anxiety is so exhausting its no surprise you have an upset tummy and have that emotion sometimes a good cry is helpful its always better to let it out than keep it in.

I wish I had better news but last was particularly shitty too I woke up at 12am with a horrible panic tight chest and couldn't breath manage to get it under control and drop off then the same happened 30 minutes later. I came down and went back to bed around 4am. 😏

@Sara1235 Ughhhh it's so exhausting, I'm sorry to hear that, I had the tight chest too but the weirdest thing is my body was too tired to do anything about it so just kept going back to sleep, could be the magnesium helping 🤷‍♀️ are you able to take it easy today?