Experience of citalopram

[Nogodsnomasters]

Hello,

I started citalopram 6 weeks ago, I did 2 wks on 5mg, 3 weeks on 10mg and I've just completed a week of 15mg, I'm due to move up to 20mg today.

Until this week I was seeing no improvement in my anxiety whatsoever. However I'm now starting to see glimmers of hope, I've had 2 good days this week (Mon and yesterday) where my anxiety has been very low and easily managed compared to extremely high and unbearable. This morning however I've woke, shaking like a leaf, sweating and feeling shit scared again.

What I wanted to ask was other people who've been on citalopram - was this similar to your experience where when it started kick in was it very up and down for a while? If so for how long? Thank you.

Hi OP - It has worked for me solidly for 10 years with no side effects. I think it took a good 6 weeks for me to notice the changes. Although every person/body is different in how they react. Good luck.

I have had a few false starts at taking this but am on my first week of taking the full dose . Not really noticed any benefits so far but side effects of nausea, tiredness and no energy.
i took seroxat in my 20’s for about a year and it was a bit of a wonder drug for me . I have also taken sertraline but didn’t really feel too much benefit and Mitrazepine I couldn’t wait to get off as felt it was too strong for me.

Thanks for replies. This is my first time ever taking an SSRI so I wasn't really aware that when they kicked in it would sort of be an up and down process, I thought once it kicked in that was it. But I keep seeming to have days where I can manage okay and sort of seeing light at the end of the tunnel only to be plunged back into the horror of panic attacks and physical symptoms of anxiety again.

How have the last few days been OP any better?
I didn’t take it today as felt it was making my stomach feel weird. Could be the cheap vitamin D tablets I was given though. Not sure.

Woeful with anxiety and poor sleep. I'm 5 days on the 20mg now and I've experienced increased anxiety with every since dose increase so I'm not surprised but just tired of it. Are you going to stop it altogether?

Sorry to hear that my sleep has got worse on it too. I honestly don’t know what to do . I think I need something but I don’t think this is the right one for me. I have to book in for a review. You would hope that after taking it for six weeks you would have had more positive results.

My sleep was already bad before it tbh but on the 10/15mg I was seeing a bit of sleep improvement for a week or two and now I've gone up to 20 the last 3 nights have been shit again.
My GP at the last review a fortnight ago said that for severe anxiety and panic attacks like me 10mg won't work it needs to be 20 at least and I need to give that dose 4wks before seeing any improvement. It's very frustrating.

Definitely speak to the GP and ask if you could try a different ssri if this one is not suitable.