Just wondering if anyone is taking Citalopram and what their side effects were like. I've just started taking it for Depression/anxiety and I'm feeling pretty yuk. Sleepy, dizzy head, dry throat etc. How long did your side effects last and did it help you in the long term?

Hi, I had the same symptoms, plus bad bad headaches, the runs as well. I was on 20mgs. Took about a week and then I started to feel the positives of it!

Wow you just read my mind!!!

I was about to do a thread on this! I started taking them on thurs and feel horrible. Really quezy aswell as the rest you are feeling. I'm getting horrible head aches too. Did it ever affect libido?

Wondering what other side affects there are and what suter if positives did people feel from it??

Yup, it affected me similarly. the dizziness is the one I remember most. But they faded after a week or two and I felt so much better overall that it was well worth it! And my libido got better after those first couple of weeks too.

But it was so amazing to be able to enjoy life again, to actually feel happy and positive and not on the brink of tears all the time. I could socialise without it being a super-human effort. I could get out of bed in the morning. That drug undoubtably saved my life and my marriage.

I wish there was a like button for this!!

I had a bad reaction the first few nights on citalopram (nausea, overheated, paranoia, crazy thoughts, sleeplessness, diziness) and that was only half a tablet so 10mg.

but that was only a couple of nights, and then I felt sort of spaced out for a few weeks, but it was ok. (better than feeling depressed or crying a lot / stressed)

After that I felt good on citalopram. I don't think you feel the FULL benefits of the drug for some months though.

i have been on it 2 years now. on 20mg. has helped me a lot, but think I may reduce the dose/come off it slowly this year and see how I am.

once you have been taking it for some time, try not to miss a dose, If you are a 'drug-sensitive' person you may feel very yucky missing a dose. I definitely get withdrawals after about 16 hours or so after missing a dose.

good luck and hope it helps. if you are really needing it as help, then hang in there and give it a good go for at least a month - keep your gp informed of where you are at, and if you consider stopping it, please ask your gp's advice.
do not just cold turkey it yourself.

the other thing is that I decided (after asking gp) to take it at night before bed, rather than in the morning, as I was very very groggy for some hours after taking it, and it was affecting me too much, especially looking after a toddler at home.

libido wise - I think mine dropped for a while at least. for a while it felt dead, but has improved again. (could have been other reasons - not just medication)
I asked my gp about it and he said it is only men whose libido is affected by it, but I don't know how true that is!

Thanks Neats, I was hoping to hear from someone with a positive response to it. Your comment about being on the brink of tears all the time is exactly how I feel (along with more serious depression indicators). And have felt for about 6 or 7 years. Only now have I got the courage to talk to someone about it.

After having 2 GPs brush me off that "oh its just PMT you will be ok" I finally talked to a wonderful GP that really made me feel like someone cared and wanted to help.

Libido can't get much worse, so hopefully a slight improvement will happen.

I had a sleep yesterday afternoon as I was feeling zonked and after that I felt great. Slight insomnia last night (not too bad though). Taking 20mg but only taking 10mg for a few days (in the morning) on the pharmacists recommendation.

Having counseling as well, so I hope all this will work together.

I've been on half tablet too till today.

Feeling so shattered by afternoon so wondering about taking it art night. Why duo they recommend taking it in morning?? I am bfeeding aswell so that could be making my tiredness worse.

Qt I have also been referred too counselling. Mine is pnd related and traumatic stress from ntt baby bring both with a Congenital Hreat defect and going thru months of pain an stress and open heart surgery, now that its over its guy me like a brick and I'm falling to pieces. I never really believed in depression unroll now where I feel myself getting worse and worse. Im praying that these pills help me be happy again, work they the trauma of the past 6month s, so I can enjoy my family again.

With my husband just gone thru surgery in his knee last week he silk be off work for 6 months, so now I have to go back to work.

What are the side effects if coming off it?

wow, you've had a real tough time.
I'm not sure why they say to take it in the morning. Maybe the beneficial effects are better in the first 12 hours after taking it? but you just have to get through the first little while of the negative side effects.

I think withdrawal side effects are similar to when you first go on them. I'm not sure as I haven't gone off them yet,
but I wouldn't worry to much, you'll get through it all.
If you need some help now, just focus on what you are doing now, and don't worry about the future. xxx

I was initially advised to take it at night by my GP, but it doesn't make me grggy at all so I now take it in the morning. I am currently on 40mg having just reduced from 60 (was going through a rough patch and SAD).

I found that I was much more responsive to CBT once I felt able to function because of the Citalopram (and I'm on buspirone for anxiety too). neither by itself would have been as efective. I really hope it works for you guys as well as it did for me, but do keep in touch with your GP and they can help with dosage/other medication if need be.

Also, we do have a private depression & Anxiety forum on this board. We are pretty quiet, but it is nice to have a secure place to talk about stuff where there is no public access. PM Wendy if you would like to be added.

I meant to say also that I found them great and they did exactly what they needed to quickly for me. Dh is also on them and they have literally been a life saver for him!

It all seems to be going okay for me in terms of side effcets. I'm a bit tired, incredibly thirsty and decreased appetite. Frequent urge to pee though (not I am not pg) - I guess it's all the extra water I am drinking. Big headaches but nothing that can't be dealt with.

DP takes them and has found them much, much better long term than Floxamine (Prozac) - he's been on them for just about a year now and his only complaint is apparently he sweats like a running tap...

They do take a couple of months to work properly and make you feel generally better all round though. And yes it does appear to affect men's libido

Initially (first 10 days or so) felt in a daze and fuzzy and headaches too, but now after the initial adjustment, they are awesome and i totally feel like i am living my life again and enjoying it and now (9 months later) am thinking i may need to talk to GP about weaning myself off them. I had/have them for PND and it was a very dark hole i was in at the start but now feel like i could probably cope and be 'normal' by myself and not worry about the safety of my kids anymore!
I am all for taking meds that help improve the quality of life. Hope Quietone that it all settles down soon and you reap the benefits!

I do remember saying to dh a few weeks in 'OMG I feel like myself for the first time in years'! He couldn't understand until he was taken off fluoxetine and put on them. I have been off them now for about 6+ months, couldn't afford another docs appointment for more and was feeling good, so just started taking every second day and then stopped. Prob not the right way to go about it but worked ok.

Acid Trip - thanks for your thoughts. I am feeling fabulous. No side effects bar a bit of tiredness and still thirsty but nothing else. I feel like myself again for the first time in years. I'm not constantly anxious. I'm not on the verge of tears. I'm not snappy and I am more patient (most of the time) with my kids.

I had a cider the other day and it was fine but one glass of wine another evening and I felt a bit yuk in the middle of the night. Can any of you have a glass of wine without side effects? Not that I really mind though as I just feel so good that I will do anything to keep feeling like this.

So glad it's starting to work for you. I can happily have a couple of glasses of wine with no side effects

glad you are starting to feel better
Definitely helped with my anxiety / constant worrying.

I drink while on the medication and have no problem, although I don't drink a large quantity.I did half 3/4 of a bottle of wine once and spun out though, but that was probably just me.

anyway, just take it easy and once you are settled on a dose then your body may handle alcohol better. but yes, they do say to limit alcohol on the meds.

Qt when did you start taking Citalopram? Its been about 15 daysfor me and all no change.

And has anyone experienced dulled sensation down there when being intimate?? And how did you over come that?

I think my sensation (as you describe) is definitely decreased, but not sure if it is the medication or just the after effects of a traumatic birth?

Interested to hear other's experiences.

WandersA - I started it about 3 weeks ago now. The change in how I feel emotionaly is huge. SOrry that its not having much of an impact on you

I have been on citalopram for three months, and initially the main side effect was insomnia, for which I took lorazepam (which I had anyway to counter panic attacks at the time)

Psychotherapy has been excellent for building my resilience and giving me coping skills, but I think the citalopram has helped heaps as well, and I reckon I have only just started feeling the positive effects. I am on it for general anxiety disorder, not depression specifically - although I was having depressive symptoms which are all but gone now!

My doc recommends six months at least before weaning off.

Yes, its that sensation that 'I feel like myself.'

Nightsky, interesting about the first couple of nights...the first night I took it I had similar symptoms and TOTALLY freaked out...went to the ED in an ambulance as I was convinced I was going to die. But it was just a major panic attack. I have never been on any meds before in my life, so it freaked me out...

Night sky the desensitisation is slightly improved, not back to normal though.

Qt I'm glad its making a difference too you! I think it its slowly helping my anxiety.. Don't seem to to be a stressed out as much. My emotions seemed to level a little.

So 6 months minimum before you wean off GA? Why us that? Are thur symptoms worse if weaned sooner?

Hey WandersA...my doc said he bases that simply on the number of people who come off before six months, and end up going back on again.

I am only on 20mg (one tablet) a day, so hopefully it should be relatively easy to wean off.

Was it Nightsky who said she can't miss a dose? I have actually missed a dose here and there, and its not been a problem. So it obviously effects people in different ways. Of course it probably depends on dosage with that, too.

I've only got 3 pills left and can't get any more till monday do I'm going to miss sunday. Hope it dosnt affect me.

I'm only on 20mg too.

You can get emergency scripts filled at any pharmacy over the weekend if you have your package with your details on from the last lot. I wouldn't recommend missing a day.

I think it depends on symptoms, triggers and severity... DP has to stay on them for 12-18 months but also depended on his working on the triggers - when he didn't do that and came off them last year, all hell broke loose and we had to start again!

I have tried to come off ADs a few times and haven't managed to be able to stay off them.

Honey what do you mean havnt been able to stay off them? as in you couldnt function propery without them/