Thyroxine and Citalopram experts please help me!

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This might be long.

I have recently had my dose of thyroxine doubled to 100mg. At the same time I was prescribed 20mg of citalopram for anxiety and depression.

I had been extra tired before the thyroxine was upped but it has made no difference.

I went to bed at 10 last night. Was woken a couple of times by my dd, but dh actually got up for her, I got up for work just before 7 (had a shower even) lay down for a minute after while dh got kids up and off to nursery. I realised I wasn't able to go to work. Called in just after 7 and fell back asleep. Woke up at 11.30.

This is not a one off. The only time I feel ok is mid afternoon til the evening.

My mood is much better since starting citalopram so reluctant to stop. But, how do I survive when I just want to sleep?

Please help. Can't get a gp app til Oct!

Call them and ask if you an reduce the citalopram to 10mg maybe, you can get used to a lower dose, and then increase back up to 20mg.

What time of day are you taking the citalopram?

I take it early evening as thats when I'm most likely to remember. Take my thyroxine on waking.

Maybe I should try to take it round lunchtime. Often out or at work but might help the tiredness hit while I'm actually sleeping.

Do you think it's just a side effect of the citalopram? I am worried that it could be something else.

How long have you been on 100mg thyroxine? If your does was upped very recently it might not have fully kicked in yet and you aren't feeling the benefit. If that's not it maybe you need to try a higher dose. I take 100mg which is the right dose for me and I feel energetic, much better than when I was on a lower dose.

In the past I have taken citalopram but never remember it making me feel sleepy.

The best thing would be to go see your GP and tell her/him how you are feeling. Perhaps ask for a TFT to see where your levels are at.

Sorry for the late reply. Been a sleep.

Only been on new dose thyroxine for 3 weeks. Maybe I'm expecting miracles as when I first started on it I felt the benefits almost overnight.

Or asleep

Citalopram started 6 weeks ago.

Bump for evening crowd.

tell us more about the thyroxine - tsh, t4 and t3 levels?

also have you had ferritin, b12 and vit d tested? what were the levels?

Oddly, though citalopram can make people feel a little drowsy, it can actually reduce the amount of REM sleep you can achieve, meaning you can then feel less rested. It might be worth trying taking it in the morning for a while to see if it helps. It effects people differently, and some people have no drowsiness, others have it quite badly, so may be worth trying less.

Thanks. Will take in the morning for a few days and see if that has an effect.

I had iron, ferritin and vit d checked as well as blood sugar. Didn't see actual levels of tsh or if t3 & t4 were checked but doc said tsh level meant I should double my dose. Everything else was ok. Again didn't see numbers.
Thank you monty and merci for trying to sort me out.

Might pop into docs and ask to see the actual results.

Had to get up this morning to get oldest to preschool. I feel less exhausted but still just come home and plonked other one in front of cbeebies. Bad mummy! Can turn it on for the dc's but not so easy for work.

With vitamin d you can be a bit low, but still in the acceptable range. Might be worth asking for the actual figures (and ask for the normal range on the test too, as different places have different "normals"). If its on the lower end a supplement wouldn't hurt.

You have a lot going on with work, DCs and low thyroxine. No wonder you are knackered! Hope you feel better soon :)

sympathies, i was the same 18 months ago, horrible

you really need to get the results with the ranges, good you have had them all tested anyhow

as already mentioned, you can be low in range but 'ok' by gp, but feel completely different when you take vitamins to raise levels. i felt exhausted until i sorted out my ferritin, but gp never mentioned it being one point off the bottom of the range

i also suspect you will need a further increase in levo, are you booked in for a blood test in 3 weeks time?

Next app is 1st October. First available with the same gp.

I have some child free time tomorrow so hope to pop in and ask for copy of last results. I'll post when I get them.