Citalopram : Anyone taking these?

[SmileyHappyBeing]

Hi,

Anybody else taking these, I got prescribed them a couple of days ago and am just wondering how effective other people have found them.
I was on fluoxetine a while back but stopped taking these after about 3 weeks as i have never really wanted to take anti depressants, but ive come to a point now where i really feel i need some help.
I had mc a short time ago and me and my oh have just split up (hes now living with someone else 3 roads away from me), I have always been quite an anxious person and have been through quite alot of *hit in my life and im finally at a stage now where im fed up of feeling low or anxious and trying to cover it up all the time, and now that ive split with oh etc i have finally decided to do something about it..

I know there can be some side effects in the first couple of weeks, i have had the shakes since starting taking them and a really fast heartbeat, i know these will go in a couple of weeks hopefully just a pain having the shakes all the time lol...

Anyway , just wanted to know if anyone else has found these effective :)

[EthelBloggs]

hiya..

I've been taking them since last summer.. I've not had any side effects even at the start so I guess I was lucky.

They;ve been very effective for me.. I was at the stage where i wouldn't leave the house, didn't get dressed for days on end, wouldnt answer the door or the phone or even open letters.. and now I can do all of those things. I do still have the odd day and I'm not immune to stress or any kind of emotions but I am better able to cope, if that makes any sense?

Pop into the depression thread, lots of people there are on citalopram too and will be able to tell you more about it :)

Hope you feel better soon

xx

[Ted_Hutchinson]

Crazymeds Citalopram information (http://www.crazymeds.org/celexa.html)

You may also like to compare that with Escitolapram (http://www.crazymeds.org/lexapro.html) that I've found useful.

Cost-effectiveness of escitalopram vs. citalopram in major depressive disorder. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17293711) This research shows better results for escitalopram.

[SmileyHappyBeing]

EthelBloggs

Some of that sounds so like me, I basically force myself to lead a normal life but when it comes to answering the phone or door etc i did/do exactly the same.
My oh used to take dd to nursery (basically i dreaded taking her as having to stand around and make small talk etc), and i realise i cant go on like this as i dont want dd to suffer.. Its funny because everyone says how confident i come across, but its just a mask and alot of the time i am cringing inside..

Thanks for your reply, its good to know they are effective.. Il have a look at the depression thread ta.. (god i hate admitting im depressed!)

[loobs40]

I have been taking them for a couple of years now and had no side effects at all. They seem to keep my mood more balanced, rather than ups and downs !

I am on a low dosage and I intend to stay on them as long as I can

[EthelBloggs]

EthelBloggs

Some of that sounds so like me, I basically force myself to lead a normal life but when it comes to answering the phone or door etc i did/do exactly the same.
My oh used to take dd to nursery (basically i dreaded taking her as having to stand around and make small talk etc), and i realise i cant go on like this as i dont want dd to suffer.. Its funny because everyone says how confident i come across, but its just a mask and alot of the time i am cringing inside..

Thanks for your reply, its good to know they are effective.. Il have a look at the depression thread ta.. (god i hate admitting im depressed!)

Yup, you sound just like me too :D I'd even pay out for a taxi with escort to take mine to school when they were little, rather than brave the school gates..

I know what you mean bout admitting to being depressed but there's no stigma to it.. so many people have it nowadays and a lot of times its to do with a chemical imbalance or something... thru the winter I started takings vitamin D as recommended by Ted and it did help but i think I left it too late and wasn't taking a big enuff dose.. I'll know better for next year tho :)

[SilverScooby]

Different antidepressants suit different people, but you need to allow at least 2 weeks for the antidepressant effect to build up, so stick with them.

I've been on various ones, and the one that suits me best is Doxepin, which is a relatively old one that has sedating effects so I take it at night. Its good for anxiety but you do put on weight.

I've tried Citalopram but it didn't suit me. It sent my blood sodium very low (side effects are bad headache, puffy face, potentially this is v dangerous) but this is relatively rare.

Like other SSRIs Citalopram is known to reduce heart rate slightly.

Good luck!

[bluezone]

Hi ya I've been on them for nearly 4 years now and no major side effects except I do sweat a lot more than I used to (mainly when I'm asleep). But I see that as a minor side effect rather than me climbing the walls, crying, and being VERY moody when I was off them

[SmileyHappyBeing]

Thanks guys, glad to kno im not the only one!

Its funny because i can rationalise in my head that im being silly etc by feeling like i do, but i cant stop the feelings if you know what i mean... and i dont want to still be like this in ten years time...i just want to feel semi normal! (whatever that is lol)....

I guess the heart rate thing could be why im shaking too then.. im not worried by it but its just weird lol.... il see how i feel after 4 weeks and if i am still getting it il tell my doc and see what he says... thanks again x

[Fritha]

Smiley, I'm just coming off my citalopram after being on them for just over a year. I got the most dreadful side effects at the beginning (you know the ones in the booklet? I got ALL of them!). I went back to my doctor who told me to take them with food as it helps, stick with it and to come back if I needed to. I persevered and after just over a week all the side effects went away. (That was a cause for celebration let me tell you!)

If you're worried go back to your doctor, they'll either find a way to help you keep taking them (I went onto a half dose for a week and then back up to a proper dose which helped ease the effects, but it was easy for me as I take them as drops rather than tablets) or he'll set your mind at rest that it's all ok and you just need to stick with it.

After a couple of weeks all the side effects will be gone and you should start to gradually feel the effects.

Everybody's different tho so don't feel bad if you want to pop back to your doctor for reassurance. :-)

Hope that helps :-)

[nodwah]

hi everyone,
I took citalopram for about a year and the side effects I had seemed to be uncontrllable giiggling and Ahem excessive wind, oh yeah also yawning. It was weird being on them as I felt I was in a bubble where nothing could touch me and everything had a sense of unreality to it. The worst bit for me was coming off them - I had the most awful cycling feelings of depression and elation, terrifying dreams and suicidal feelings. That part was worse than the actual depression, but did only last about 2 weeks. If I ever get depressed again I'll think very carefully about taking drugs again even tho it did get me out of a really bad place.

[Busybody]

I have been taking these for about 12 months, got up to 40mg now I am down to 5mg (done it gradually with docs help). They really helped me.
I had a few of same side effects as you at first but settled down.

[SmileyHappyBeing]

Im glad you have all had the side effects too, its a really weird feeling, il give it a couple of weeks and hopefully all will be well... I couldnt sleep last night for ages , was really agitated and my heart was going like the clackers lol.. and today ive felt really on edge, and shakey... no concentration at all...

Thanks guys x

Edit ; Thanks for that fritha, il try them with food next time x

[ShirleyPark]

I had really bad side effects when I first started taking them that lasted about 2 weeks, then after about 4 months I felt very disconnected to the rest of the world which was the most horrible feeling in the world, so I stopped taking them.

I'm now on sertraline which for me is great, like various people have said, different meds work better / worse for different people. If you think they aren't working, or the side effects get too bad go back to the doctor as there are plenty of other ones you can try.

BTW citalopram worked better for me if I took it with dinner in the evening

[astonsmummy]

I have had a few, the first was when i was 15 they were amytriptiline, i think they sort of worked, but i did feel weird when i came off them , it was the weirdest sensation, i can only describe it as a heartbeat goning through my whole body like a massive palpatation, then I was prescribed fluoxetine a couple of years ago but had the most horrific migrane after the first dose i never took another, i've also had citalopram but stopped taking them after a few days coz they made me feel buzzing, too buzzing where i felt like i wanted more.
I now take Escitolapram (http://www.crazymeds.org/lexapro.html) and they suit me much better, i think we all react to meds differently so you just have to see how you get on.

[starlette44]

Hi everyone,

I've been on these for about 5 months and although I was reluctant to go on them at first they started working really quickly. Side effects were yawning and feeling a bit too perky (like the sensation you have when you're a bit tipsy). I am lucky to have a great doctor who really understands my needs.

I was originally on a 20mg dose but I got a bit worse just before Christmas so my doctor put me up to 40mg which I am still on now. However, I'm suffering a bit at the mo. For a couple of months I've felt spaced out, like I don't care about certain things, like getting up for work and making myself look respectable. I alo have trouble getting up which is not me at all...
I've got a docs app booked soon so hopefully I will be bale to sort it out. I think maybe I need to decrease my dose and/or change to another anti-deppressant which makes me feel more alert.

As mentioned in the posts, everyone reacts differently so I guess my experiecnce wont be much help.

Good luck I hope you get on okay xx:o

[pamaris]

Hello,

I have been on citalopram for 2 months. DH has been on for 2 months as well. DH has chronic long term depression. Mine was stress and circumstance related. It has helped both of us immensely! We haven't had an argument since we've been on it.

It's been good for us. No major side effects; just dizzy feeling the first 2 weeks. I will probably stay on it another year until things settle down in my life (just moved over from the US 3 months ago).

[geminiemerald]

Hi have been on citalopram 20mg for a year now due to family stresses and deaths etc, the first month or so was hard work couldnt stop yawning but managed to sleep which was great. Chilled me right out (i felt that I had constant pmt before). Am actually reducing my dose to come off them at the moment (10mg every other day) you have to do this gradually can take a few weeks and is much like starting off on them with the tiredness etc. Best thing I ever did to sort myself out amidst certain peoples comments (MIL) that they are a waste of time. The only thing I have found is that I have gained weight, (just over a stone) my appetite is sometimes insatiable! although i have heared some people lose weight on them, lucky me, have got to get off my backside and get it all off now. The drug really helped me with social situations, I would panic about going to get my shopping and go into town with lots of people around. They even helped with my confidence to get a little part time job. Go for it and good luck! xx

[SmileyHappyBeing]

Thanks everyone for your replies..

The side effects are gone now and im definatly feeling slightly better, got the docs in a week so il have a chat with him then, have to admit ive felt a bit dozy on them too, but i just thought that was me ... so maybe it is the tablets ... anyway thanks again x