Citalopram - wonderful outcome

[LifeInTheDogRun]

Just making this post in case anyone is starting/thinking of starting Citalopram.

Have now been on it for 1 month and my life is 100% different; I'm enjoying life again, going out with friends and family and no longer feel 'unsafe' all the time (as though I need constant help).

I really was at an all time low before taking it, not going out by myself, no longer enjoying things I used to love and bursting into tears constantly. My anxiety was ruining my life.

First few days of taking them were hard going, was tired all the time and had terrible dry mouth, however my life is now happy again - if you're considering them and unsure, please take the leap, it's worth it in the end.

I take the medicine about 8am. I wake up bolt wide awake at 2-3am and can't sleep again. Don't want to try sleeping tablets just yet, or at all really. The nose bleeds might be because I had a cold so seem to be ok now.

Yeah they could just be the cold but we have anxiety! So we are obviously anxious about taking a new thing and we don't know what it's doing to us so we're heightened and more worried and constantly assessing how we feel. It's exhausting. I get it, it's scary. Even after two weeks I'm still wondering if this is the right thing but I'm on the cit train now! So I'll give it more time.
Hopefully your sleep will calm down but get some headphone in and the sleep stories/music/podcast or something so you can still rest but your mind is occupied. Helps me sometimes when I can't sleep

@walkinthewoodstoday how are u now ? X

Just to jump in on this thread in case anyone is curious about cipramil
This time was my 3rd time going on it and it works for me everytime.
This 3rd time was def the worst for me for side effects I don’t know if it’s true but I had read online that the side effects increase each time you go on it
It took me a good 8 weeks to see any improvement and during that time I was crippled with anxiety- but was before the meds anyways so if anyone is currently starting or thinking of starting Don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t work within the 4-6 weeks it may take a bit longer.
Why it might have also taken longer for me as well was that I increased my doses gradually so it took about 3weeks to get up to the 20mgs
I am now back to my normal self I still have anxiety but it’s not to crippling levels and I can live my life and engage properly in therapy
wishing everyone else the same luck with this medication x

I’m terrified of feeling worse for the first 2 weeks as suggested.

Im a single parent and don’t want to feel worse while looking after children.

But need something to help - Catch 22?

Same, I am scared shitless.

I've been on hold with the GP surgery trying to get through for the last 39 minutes. The longer the queue goes on the more I'm losing my nerve to do this and just want to hang up and cry!

Please don't be so scared. As the GP said to me many years ago, people take daily medications for diabetes, high blood pressure, blood thinning, cholesterol etc without a second thought to side effects or thinking should they?! There is nothing different about our brains which are having a wiring blip to someone's body not making enough insulin so why do we feel bad about it?.

And if the alternative is to feel the way you are feeling forever surely its common sense to give the medication a try. There are many options if the first one doesn't work.

This is exactly how dh thinks about it. He has a chemical imbalance of the brain. Just the same way I need thyroxine and other daily medications for my autoimmune issues.