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Original poster

Anyone taking Citalopram?

178 replies

SPARKLER1 · 14/01/2005 17:53

Doctor has just started me on them.
Just interested to know if you have taken them and if you found they helped. Some of the side effects sound a bit worrying but I have taken them as I am fed up with feeling so low (have been now on and off for 3 years).

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Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 14/01/2005 18:09

bump

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amynnixmum · 14/01/2005 18:22

I personally didn't get on that well with citalopram. They raised my anxiety levels and as a result I had trouble sleeping. It took about 6-7 weeks before my anxiety levels settled back down and then I felt better. My friend was on them at the same time though and she had no problems after the first 10 days. When my depression came back I decided that i didn't want to go through the anxiety again and tried venlaflaxine instead which worked really well for me. Stick with them for at least a couple of weeks (unless side effects really unbearable) because it often takes that long for them to start working and for you to feel the benefits. {{{hugs}}} its horrible feeling so low all the time. Hope you start to feel better soon.

redsky · 14/01/2005 20:25

i have responded really well to citalopram. Prozac stopped working - don't know why - then fell into another ghastly episode of depression. Tried ..... ?? (can't remeber what) then citalopram and after 2 weeks they kicked in. Been on them for approx 4 months and I'm not even tempted to stop taking them. Usually when something starts to work for some reason I convince myself I'm 'cured' and want to stop taking them.

mishi1977 · 14/01/2005 20:34

hi sparkler...I took citalopram for 4 mths unfortunately they did not work for me but it doesnt mean they wont for you...they list every possible side effect ever but it is only a few people who suffer the symptoms....hope they work for you...dont worry as it takes 4-6 weeks for them to get into you system...I have been on about 5 different meds so far and just about to start new ones tommorow...its a long process but if it helps it will be worth it
take care
mishi

Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 14/01/2005 23:37

Thank you so much everyone. I know I didn't give my full story when I started thread but I thought you had heard it all. Worried about boring everyone .
When I had dd1 I was fine. When dd2 was born I suffered with PND but didn't admit it until she was 1 years old . GP put me on Sertraline which I only took for a few months. Felt a little better so went back to GP and he told me to wean off them. I never really did feel that much better. dd2 is now three years old and I still feel extremely low. Not half as tearful as I was but things aren't right so I went back to GP and he has restarted me on ADs. He didn't seem to think that counselling would help me as it has been happening for three years now. He said that as it hasn't been going on say "for the last three months" he didn't think counselling would help. I think it will and have to go back and see him in two weeks' time and ask if counselling can be arranged for me. Just had a good blub to dh about lots of different things. Feeling a bit better. Thanks for listening and sorry to ramble on. xx

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Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 15/01/2005 00:19

bump

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Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 15/01/2005 01:05

anyone else taking them or know anything of them?

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Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 15/01/2005 07:48

good morning. just bumping up. Would love to hear some more about these tablets if you can help.

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eeyore123 · 15/01/2005 09:03

I took them a while ago. They did work for me. I was on 20mg. I came off them when I shouldn't have but am now back on them again. They made me feel sick to start with so I took them at night so I was asleep when the side effecs were supposed to be kicking in. Hope you feel better soon. I have only been back on them 3 days so not feeling the effects yet.

Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 15/01/2005 10:45

thanks eeyore. I am taking 20mg too. How long did it take, the first time you took them, before you felt a difference?

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eeyore123 · 15/01/2005 10:50

well i was on the 10mg to start with. that didnt make any difference but when i went onto the 20 i felt better after about a week. maybe it worked quicker cos it was already in my system as a lower dose? i dont know.

Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 15/01/2005 11:03

GP told me that I wouldn't see much improvement in the first week, maybe by the seond. Third week they should kick in properly. I have only taken two tablets so far and I feel sick this morning. Something to do with the huge quantity of wine I drank last night (don't think I should have had it whilst taking tabs . Was blubbing my eyes out last night.

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eeyore123 · 15/01/2005 11:06

poor you. I am the same at the moment. only taken my 3rd one last night. I feel sick as a pig this morning. trying to plod through cleaning all the animals out, sorting the kids out and washing and housework on my own. DH is at work. What are you up to today?

Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 15/01/2005 11:07

have been up early. dd had swimming lessons at 9am. dd2 (3) has had her first hair cut. awwwwwwww . We are trying to decide whether or not to got to pizza hut for lunch (shouldn't as am on slimming world diet!). dds have a birthday party this afternoon. busy busy today.

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eeyore123 · 15/01/2005 11:11

good that you are getting out though. I can't stand the thought of having to leave the house at the moment. Hence me throwing myself into my housework.

Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 15/01/2005 11:13

I should be doing my cleaning really. I feel so much better when the house is clean and tidy. Only trouble is with kids it's trashed after 5 mins and I wonder why I've bothered.

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amynnixmum · 15/01/2005 11:18

Sparkler, I know its horrible but you mustn't drink too much while you are on ads as it will stop them working properly. Alcohol is a depressant even though it feels like it cheers you up. With citalopram I felt a bit weird if I drank with them but with the venlaflaxine I felt fine but I only ever drank a couple of glasses of wine. Was dd good at the hairdressers? Don't dare take mine.

Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 15/01/2005 11:21

I know ANM. Feeling really worried about it this morning. Won't be doing it again. Wasn't drinking to drown my sorrows - was just relaxing on a Friday night. Won't be doing it again - have to go back and see GP in two weeks to see how the tablets have worked and I won't know if I drink.

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Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 15/01/2005 11:22

BTW dd was really good and was so excited to be getting her haircut like her big sister does. Bless her!

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Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 15/01/2005 11:22

I really do feel quite rough this morning now and although I know it's from the wine - I won't know now if any of it is from the tablets.

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Surfermum · 15/01/2005 11:30

Sorry to hear about this Sparkler. I used to work for a psychiatrist. They always said that if you have been down/going down for a long time, you won't be back to "normal" (whatever that is!) as soon as you start the ads. You will feel better but it will be a gradual thing and may take some weeks. If you look back on how you were a week or two earlier, hopefully you will notice improvements. Stick with the ad's and give them a chance.

amynnixmum · 15/01/2005 11:32

I don't think you need to worry - if it was dangerous for you to drink whilst taking them it would say so on the leaflet that comes with the tablets. Its only that the tablets wont work properly ( same as with antibiotics) so that if you drink too much there isn't much point in taking them. Not saying that you drink too much. Can't see the harm of a couple of glasses of wine (or similar) at the weekend but if you are worried phone a pharmacist and ask. My bil's sis is a pharmacist and she said it was ok for me to have a couple of glasses so I did.

Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 15/01/2005 11:33

It's funny I didn't think that there was anything in particular bothering me to make me feel this way. I had a long discussion with dh last night and said that I have heard that depression can stem right back to when you are a kid but it doesn't come out until later in life. Don't know if this is right. GP didn't think I need counselling but I think he may be wrong. I might ask him when I go back to see him. I did have unhappy times as a kid and I think the accumulation of that, having kids and everyday things have just all built up. not sure what a counsellor can do though if I have thought of this already.

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Surfermum · 15/01/2005 11:39

You could ask for an assessment by community psychiatric nurse. They would be able to look at your history, and discuss with you whether counselling would help or not. They could answer any questions you have about the ads too.

From what I could see from my job, some people's depression was triggered by events, and for some it was just a biological thing.

Original poster
SPARKLER1 · 15/01/2005 11:42

I spoke with dh last night about my thoughts and told him that I didn't want him or my family to be upset if I spoke to a stranger about my problems. It wasn't because I didn't feel I could talk to them but someone on neutral ground may be better to listen. Dh said he couldn't understand why I just can't look ahead to things instead of remembering the bad things from years ago. If I think I know the things upsetting me I don't know what a psyciatrist or counsellor could do to help me to get over them??

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