Citralopram for sleep disturbance and anxiety

[Ophelialovescats]

Anybody tried citralopram for insomnia and anxiety during the menopause?

Do you have any other symptoms ? Are you pre meno or post meno ? Do you take herbal remedies or are you on hrt ? Do you know if this insomnia and anxiety is solely due to menopause or personnal issues ? Sorry for the questions but if you are to take anti depressants, best to make sure you take them for the right 'condition'.

Hi Disco, I am menopausal (aged 52)I have night sweats and periodic insomnia and anxiety. My need to pee in the night has increased too.
I went to the docs to explore the possibility of starting on HRT but she advised me to try 20 mg of citralopram for a month first and then review.

I found Citalopram a great help during menopause for anxiety etc, as I couldn’t take hrt for medical reasons, however it did nothing for insomnia. I started peri menopause aged 50 and from that day on until now aged 61 , I don’t sleep for more than 3 hours without waking up.
As I didn’t really suffer from any other symptoms I have just accepted the sleeplessness. As I have now retired from teaching I don’t have to get up early. I find I get the best quality of sleep between 5 am and 10am so have just adapted my daily life. I am still hopeful that 8/9 hours sleep will return to me one day soon!

Ophelia only you know yourself well enough to assess if you are depressed or not, the need to go often to the toilet will take you back to the doctors as it will most probably get worse and they will prescribe you some local oestrogen in the form of pessaries or cream which will sort vagina and bladder. I was prescribed Citralopram as a plan to stop my peri symptoms but i knew i was not depressed so i refused to take them, found a menopause lady who recognised my symptoms as menopausal and prescribed hrt. I am happy i took this course of action.

I'm on 10 mg Citalopram for menopausal related anxiety (panic) and hot flush. I'm not depressed either but 10mg wouldn't help with that anyway. Has definitely improved things. Yes, my sleep still not as good as it was a few years ago but more liveable with.
Ophelialovescats, talk to your GP, if you're only taking Citalopram to help with menopause symptoms then they've shown that there is no more benefit in taking 20mg than 10mg.

Your GP is a little out of touch because the NICE guidelines (pinned above) advise no ADs etc for meno symptoms unless there is depression or medical reasons not to use HRT. Your symptoms are classic meno symptoms caused by loss of estrogen. Up to you what you do of course with the information.

I've heard what Polly's saying too - better off on HRT than ADs.
I have used Citalopram before, for depression and anxiety. At first it was excellent - couldn't fault it but after a while, it made me sleep my life away and i put on weight. Felt very happy on it - blissed out most of the time but really not very sharp mentally. So weigh up the other options as well.