Citalopram for depression! Side effects.

[Ariesburn]

Hi,

Has anyone else experienced side effects when they first start citalopram? I have taken it for two days now and I take it at night because of it maybe causing drowsiness. This morning I've woke up and I feel really spaced out I'm on 20mg I just feel really dizzy and spaced out today.

Is this normal and will it go away? I have read on Google about this it says it should go away but I've got 4 kids and I'm like oh dear 😬

? Anyone ?

Yes I felt the same at first. It only last a few days.

God yeah. I found it hideous in terms of increased anxiety and panic,no appetite, couldn't sleep. Didn't realise it was the meds making those symptoms I already had worse.

I know now this can be common.

It will pass if you can stick it out for up to 6 weeks. Then it's at full effect, all the bad stuff eases right away and you tend to feel pretty fab or just less troubled, anxious etc.

My GP gave me some diazepam to help alongside this adjustment period. Itself quite addictive so if you need it, take half a tablet.

The other option is to half the daily dose and go slower. You could even buy a pill cutter online and do that yourself.

You know your body better than any GP. You decide what you need then ask them if it requires more from them or a lower dose for now. You know best.

The GP said that to me that it will make it worse to start with then gets better, I had a mild panic attack earlier because my mind started racing and thinking of all different things at once and it caused me to panic because I thought I was actually going mad! But now I'm just super spaced out and sleepy and I've got 4 kids to look after 🤦🏼‍♀️

I stayed on it for 2 weeks then came off it. It has given me tinnitus but I had no side effects other than that. I hope it isn't permanent.

Personally, I would drop to 10mg daily.

GP will not appreciate this unless they themselves have dabbled with all the SSRIs etc.

You know,you decide. 10mg sounds sensible. I can't recall if you get 10mg tabs.

I use a pill cutter for things but you might not get 100% accuracy using that to cut in half

The dizziness etc will pass but you don't know how long this will last ( up to 6 weeks).

Just knowing this is normal and not you - it's the medication ok. Just keep remembering that to control any panic.

I started on 10mg a year ago. The first couple of weeks were pretty bad, felt hungover and dizzy. I started in the evening but it affected my sleep alot, so moved to the morning and it helped.

I upped to 20mg around 7 weeks in and had no bad effects. Been on 20mg since then and I feel so much better. I wish I'd started them years ago.

Once you're through the first few weeks, hopefully you'll start to feel the positive effects. X

I felt horrendous on it. I gave up after a few days, as I started to feel suicidal. I couldn't stop rocking.

I’m on 20 mg and the first 3-4 weeks weren’t great. But GP had warned me and I persevered. Those symptoms passed and at 4 weeks I felt loads better.

I don't think I can do it for that long, I've got kids to look after and I'm on my owns today it's completely wiped me out I can't do anything I feel literally so zonked. I'm so sleepy too!

What time of day do you take it? If it zonks you out could you take it at bedtime so it won’t matter so much?

I hear you though, the first few weeks were pretty tough. If it’s too hard you might need to go back to go and discuss an alternative.

I took it at 9pm last night before I went to bed. I've never had this with two other ones I was put on.

I think most ADs can take a couple of weeks to settle, but more recently it's been recognised that its better to "easy on" and "easy off" by 10mgs at least a day. That has always worked for me anyway after an awful experience with coming off seroxat cold turkey years ago. I've been on and off citalapram for several years and always minimise side effects by making gradual changes. When on 10mgs and needing upping to 20mgs, I have had the extra 10mgs every other day for a week before increasing to every day. So it might be that you're quite sensitive like me and something like this might be worth a try?

Might be worth going back to your gp, it might take a while to settle or it might not be the best option for you. Some people do react quite badly and if you can’t persevere you can’t. There are other options to try so don’t let yourself hit rock bottom x

I think you're right I'm sensitive to meds. I think I need to try something different as I said I don't think I can preserve with this one honestly I've done nothing all day because I have been dizzy and spaced out. It's not me and I don't like it.

I think that's what I'm going to do, I don't like this feeling.

Yep it can happen- I think they are scored so you can try starting with half a tablet until you get used to them.
Also take them a bit earlier in the evening if you can. If that doesn’t work contact your GP and ask for something different

I am horrifically sensitive to meds and I mean bad.

I was on the lowest dose imaginable as these side effects were too much, I thought I was going to die tbh and ran out work crying and shaking and got signed off for weeks 😬🤷‍♀️. When they kicked in, I felt reborn. I wish I never came off SSRIs.

So how about you think about 10mg. Ask the GP their thoughts on this suggestion.

Pill cutters - brilliant for accuracy.

I am on 20mg and had no issue for when I started taking it beyond a dry mouth now and then for a couple of weeks.

I take my dose at lunch time.

It usually takes a couple of weeks for the meds to start working correctly.

So the side effects got worse in the evening, I ended up puking up and barely being able to keep my eyes open, I felt shaky and like I was having some weird hot flush!! I was in bed by 8.30pm as I just couldn't stay up. I ended up not taking my tab last night and this morning I feel fine. That medication is defo not for me, I cannot be taking it and having those side effects with 4 children including a nearly 2 year old toddler. I wasn't able to do anything yesterday because I was literally KO'd from them. Thank you to everyone who replied I thought maybe I was going a bit mad/ or crazy and it was just me who got these side effects. Honestly felt like something was really up with me!

Sorry to hear this OP.

I would definitely ask the GP to prescribe you a different type of anti-depressants.

Have you asked them as well to put you on the waiting list for counselling?

Because medication is really useful but I found it really helpful to also be given several counselling sessions to try to look at the root causes and discuss coping mechanisms.

Yes they have referred me to the mental health team too. My first assessment call is next Wednesday. I have had counselling in the past and felt it really helped. I think the root cause of my depression is my childhood then as I've got older things in life and the stuff I have been through has just made it worse and not helped.