Citalopram

[cookies92]

Hi,

I've struggled with anxiety on and off pretty much all my life. I've been anxiety free for about 4 years but a few weeks ago it hit me like a tonne of bricks and I started having panic attacks. I made myself ill with it, couldn't leave the house, could barely eat or sleep, was throwing up. I phoned the Dr who prescribed me 20mg citalopram. I was on 10mg at the beginning of the year for low mood but I came off it very quickly as I felt I didn't need it. This anxiety is different and much worse so I am willing to do anything to get myself better. I'm a single parent to 2 kids aged 8 and 3 and having to rely on family and friends to care for my 3 year old which is making me feel so much worse. I just want to get a grip of it.

When I was at my worst I phoned NHS 24 in tears and they gave me some diazepam which did help but I know that's not a long term solution plus it made me drowsy for the first hour or so so not ideal with a 3 year old.

I then had a few days of feeling really good but it suddenly hit me on Sunday night and I was up most of the night and ended up having a panic attack and was sick. I've been on the 20mg citalopram for a week now and wondering if this is the side effects as I was told it could make anxiety worse initially and also make sleep difficult and make you feel sick. I also have a very dry mouth.

My question is for those who have been on the same, did you experience the same side effects, did they eventually pass and how long did it take for them to pass?

Thanks

@HateMyJob12345 it's odd that it would effect you differently this time round when it helped you so much before! Maybe give it another week or so and see how you feel. Do you feel better than you did?

Yes I feel so so weird. Like I can’t switch off. But nothing specifically I’m worried about. The dr has given me promethazine today to help me calm down and sleep. Going to have to give the citalopram a chance to work I suppose.

@HateMyJob12345 let me know how you get on with that!

Hope everyone is doing okay today. This is day 10 for me. I have noticed that I definitely don’t get as affected by my negative thoughts anymore. I still have them pop into my head but I’m able to move past them pretty easily whereas a couple of weeks ago, they would have triggered crying or full on panic in me. I don’t feel numb or anything- just not as bothered or engaged by my emotions if that makes sense.

@Puncturedbicycle85 glad to hear that! I'm having a better day today. Kids go away to their Dad's for the weekend which will be a massive help. Lack of sleep definitely doesn't help me which I've been struggling with for weeks now but hoping with my next 2 child free nights that I will get more sleep in. I'm on day 17.

Sounds good. Hope you can have a proper break and catch up on sleep. I think it makes a really big difference.

How is everyone getting on? I'm now day 19. I was supposed to go out for a friend's birthday yesterday and although I wasn't overly panicking I decided not to go as felt it was too much for me. I'm still experiencing mild anxiety here and there but have found getting out distracting myself helps. I find it really hard that I don't live with another adult anymore as that is definitely something that can help. On the plus side I had a great sleep last night first time in weeks!

Still feeling awful. So much brain fog. Really don’t want to get signed off sick from work but don’t see how I can do my job like this

Glad you got some sleep @cookies92 and I can sympathise about not living with another adult. I live on my own but the days I spend with my DP, my anxiety definitely decreases but I know that I can’t be relying on him to make myself feel better in the long run.
Sorry to hear you’re still feeling rubbish @HateMyJob12345. Definitely get signed off if you can to give yourself some time to adjust.
i am on day 12 now. I feel a bit tired and sleepy but that’s probably because I’ve had quite a hectic week and have been ill. I still feel calm and my normal anxiety inducing thoughts don’t bother me as much. I wonder if this is what it’s like being a normal person, lol 😂. I normally expend so much energy on worrying and overthinking things that it’s strange to not care that much. I am hoping to keep challenging the thoughts (mainly relating to low self esteem and not feeling good enough) in therapy but that’s going to be a long process.

i have noticed one annoying side effect which is sweating, night sweats in particular. Apparently it’s very common with SSRIs. Hoping it stops although I’d rather that than stomach upsets.

@HateMyJob12345 I'm so sorry you're still feeling rubbish. How many days are you on now? If you need to even take a week off I would!

@Puncturedbicycle85 yeah you're right you don't want to rely on other people but at the same time it is comforting having someone else about. Glad you're doing pretty good though. I'm now almost at the 3 week mark (tomorrow). Definitely going to give it the full 6 weeks and see how I feel at that point snf discuss with the Dr. As for night sweats I experienced that too! Still do slightly but not as bad.

Just found this thread and was hoping I could join? Just started taking 10mg of Citalopram and on day 18. Haven't taken anything like this before so wasn't sure what to expect. Think it's settling down now. Would be good to hear other people's experience as this is all new for me. Finally got a good night's sleep last night, first time in weeks/months

Yes of course @Littlepixie85 . Glad to hear things are settling down. Does the doctor want you to go up to 20mg or are you staying on 10 longer term? I’m just curious as to what makes some people be prescribed 10 and some people 20. I’m on 20mg but I wonder whether the side effects I had would have been as bad on 10mg. I’m pleased that you were able to get a good nights sleep.

I’m on day 15 and feel awful. Constant nervous energy, teeth chattering all day. I don’t know what to do, if I should just stop taking it. I usually feel normal by the evening but then it starts again the next morning. Really desperate for some relief and don’t know what to do. Trying to work but it’s really hard like this, but if I don’t work I’ll just sit there all day trembling.

That sounds really horrendous @HateMyJob12345. Could you get a telephone appointment with GP to advise whether you should stop or maybe reduce the dose? Have you tried taking it at night instead in case that helps you to sleep through most of the side effects? I remember at the start, the really horrible anxiety/jitters came on about 4 hours after taking it and then eased off after a few more hours but that seems to have gone now. I hope things get better because it really sounds like you are having a rough time of it

I’m going to stop taking it I think as this is awful. I feel like there is constant adrenaline surging through my body. I’m usually alright by evening but most of the day is like this. I take it in the mornings but this starts as soon as I wake up…which is usually around 3am

@HateMyJob12345 did you stop taking them? It does sound like you’re having an awful time on them so it may be better to try something else although obviously only a doctor could advise on that.

I don’t know what to do. Can’t calm myself down…my family have had to sit with me all day over past few days trying to calm me. I can’t live like this and want to die but would never do that to my family. The mental health crisis team call me every day but just make me feel worse as they can’t help me. I don’t know what to do. Pharmacist from the crisis team is calling me today apparently to discuss the medication. I know that will just panic me more. Plus I’ve got covid so can’t see them face to face.

@Littlepixie85 I started on 10mg at the beginning of the year. Was for completely different reasons (was based more on low mood) and I had no side effects then. I only took them for a month then stopped. I'm now on 20mg as I was having panic attacks and extreme anxiety. Side effects were pretty awful to begin with!

@HateMyJob12345 it really sounds like this isn't suiting you this time round :( do you feel worse taking them than before you did? If so I would definitely stop. I really sympathise, when I was at my worst it was absolutely terrifying. But you will come out the other side!

I should have a review with GP in a couple of weeks but sounds like moving from 10 to 20 is a big step. I was prescribed it for long term anxiety induced insomnia, as it was starting to really impact me in the day and the brain fog/short temper and exhaustion was making me a bad parent and struggling at work. Feeling a bit better a couple of weeks in but need to give it a few months I think.

NC for this as I didn't want it linked to previous posts as could be outing.

I experienced a mental breakdown (depression and anxiety) at the start of last year and was signed off work.

I started on 20mg of citalopram. I do think it made me worse before it started to get better and unlike lots of people, it took me a good while for it to work. My initial side effects were twitchy hands and brain fog. After 6 weeks I did feel a bit better and my anxiety felt better. I noticed that when I woke up I didn't have the instant anxiety burning in my chest.

However I still had depression. I would be triggered by something small, start crying and not be able to stop. My Dr upped my dose to 40mg and this really helped me transform my life. The depression ended and I finally felt like myself again. I would say in total it took 2-3 months to finally feel myself. The medication took a while for me whereas I know some people start to feel better after 4 weeks.

I did combine my meds with some other tools to help me. I took rescue remedy and I spoke to the pharmacy about herbal sleeping tablets. I ditched caffeine (this is SO bad for anxiety), ditched social media and the news and had daily calls with a friend or family member so I didn't feel isolated. I also took good quality omega 3 for the brain fog which did get better. I don't know if the omega 3 helped but I felt more in control to by doing something.

There are lots of medications out there so if it doesn't work for you speak to your GP to try something else. But mine did take a while and now I feel my life is transformed.

@HateMyJob12345 How's things? Did you decide to come off the tablets?

@Littlepixie85 I was on 10mg about 7 months ago and only for a month so I really started on 20mg this time round rather than upping my dose, so if you had to up it I'm sure it would be a lot easier for you!

@namechange11009 I have heard it can take longer and also a stronger dose is needed for depression. Very positive to hear things greatly improved for you! Thank you for sharing!

I switched to mirtazapine as of yesterday. Fingers crossed these work better than the citalopram

Glad you got some new tablets @HateMyJob12345. Hope you get on better with those ones. I am on day 16 now and the side effects seem to have died down apart from loss of libido (sorry TMI). I am hoping that comes back at some point but I know I need to prioritise improving my mental health.

@HateMyJob12345 glad you're trying something else. Is that in the same family as citalopram like sertraline?

@Puncturedbicycle85 I had that on 10mg. I was only on it for a month so never found out if it was something that would come back but I started seeing someone and it was a bit shit because i felt numb down there hence why I only lasted a month. I'm now on 20mg but am in a worse place and that side effect has come back which I expected. I'm not seeing anyone so not as fussed although my mental health is way more important right now.

I have an appointment with the mental health team tomorrow hoping it's helpful too 🤞

It’s a tetracyclic, not an ssri. The side effects are sleepiness and increased appetite so that thought that would be worth a try as not sleeping or eating