AD's: I feel worse!! How long do they take to work??

[TinyGang]

Help! Been taking Citralopram for one week and feel worse! Info with he tablets says this might happen. Has anyone had this too? How long before they kick in and do you feel much better when they do?

About 10 days to a fortnight usually

Dh took this for a long while, he was told six weeks (they didn't work for him though, so after six weeks monitor carefully- but DONT STOP TAKING WITHOUT MEDICAL ADVICE, OK?)

Thanks PC and MrsD. Bumping for any others. Thanks

They can take up to 6 weeks to work TinyGang but generally are supposed to kick in after about 10-14 days, like MrsDoolittle says. This link gives some more information about how long ADs take to work and possible side effects:

treatments for depression .

HTH.

Hi Tinygang
I've been on citalopram for 7 months, and they do make a difference eventually.
I was told at the beginning thay they would take 2 weeks to work, and that was the case.
I did suffer from a few bad headaches in the beginning weeks.
I was told there could have been numerous side effects-headaches being one of the most common, but all in all, so far it has been worth it.
I just don't want to be on them forever!

I hope you get on well

Yes you do feel worse initially. I have had several depressive episodes, not all baby-related, and in my experience it takes ages (about 8 weeks) before you really notice any significant improvement in mood. But gee is it worth it then! You will not feel crappy for 8 weeks though. The initial crappiness will start to wear off after a week or so.
If you feel REALLY bad then ask your doctor for Valium for the first few days, to mitigate the anxiety that can come with anti-ds. Don't take Valium or any sedatives for longer than a couple of weeks though, as they quickly hook into your chemistry and then it is hard to get off them. I speak from experience!
It is worth sticking with the anti-ds as in a couple of months you will feel so much better. Trust me!

about two weeks for side effects to stop, and for them to start kicking in, i'ld say a couple of months to notice a substantial improvement.

TinyGang, I took a different AD (sertraline) for 4 days before listening to family/GP advice and packing them in. I wish I had kicked them earlier, as those 4 days were even worse than the PND: I started to get panic attacks, for eg, which I'd never had before.
Eventually I worked up the courage to try a different sort which suited me much better.
Yes it's usual to have some side effects, but if you feel ^terrible, do go back to GP quickly.

I've been on lofepramine for nearly 2 weeks and I am still having mild side-effects but it is definately doing something. I have gone from feeling detached to weeping like a fountain. I felt dreadful for the first few days though, like I was very, very drunk. Kept walking into walls. I think it does take a while to settle down and start working...