Does citalopram work?

[Flea]

I suffer badly from anxiety, which is severe in the morning and tends to taper off towards the end of the day.  I feel physically sick, gets pins and needles and feel like I can't take deep breaths as I am so tight in my chest.

I've been taking citalopram for five days and my anxiety has increased so much that I feel almost suicidal in the morning.  It is horrendous and so debilitating.  The notes on the packet say that citalopram can often heighten anxiety within the first few weeks, then it settles down and you start to feel the postive effects.

Has anyone else been on citalopram, and did it work for you.

Please, please respond if you have any experiences to share, as I feel so lost at the moment and tired of my life being blighted by feeling so sh1t all the time....

[heatherm2211]

Hey Amaretto,

I'm on Citalopram 10mg, and I have been taking it for about 3 months now. It is normal to be feeling the way you're feeling, I personally didn't feel much worse when I first started the tablets (emotionally) but I know my brother did. He felt very suicidal when he was taking them in the first few weeks or so. But although I didn't have particular emotional affects (apart from one time when I completely broke down, but I don't think that was due to the tablets) I did have physical side effects, I was feeling sick a lot, and getting bad headaches and also dizzyness. I'm still not completely right, but the side effects do calm down eventually I promise.

I'm sure that your doctor may have told you that the tablets don't work immediately (although I'm sure you wish they did - I felt that way!) and as bad as it sounds, it may take one or two months for you to start noticing differences. I know that's not nice to hear, but don't take it the wrong way, things do get better! After being on them for a while, you might start to notice you feel more able to cope, and maybe feel like your mood has been lifted slightly when you wake up in the morning, thats what I noticed anyway.

But my advice to you is that you get some help besides the tablets, if you haven't got it already. I say this to mostly everyone but, if you haven't already, talk to a counsellor or therapist about things if you think you want to, and I would HIGHLY recommend CCBT - Computerised Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, if you visit:
www.beatingtheblues.co.uk

I says it all there I think, but I honestly believe that Anti-Depressants, Counselling & CCBT is the best combination to start fighting depression and anxiety because it works on 'all the areas' if you know what I mean. Sorry for the essay! but thats my advice anyway :)
Hope that helps, I'm here to talk if you need me :)
Take care x

[Flea]

Thank you Heather x

How are you?

[heatherm2211]

No problem  *()

I'm not too bad thankyou, I think I'm on the way to getting better hopefully! How about you? x

[Flea]

I've been on Citalopram for 3 weeks now and the excruciating anxiety has gone, so it must have been the meds getting into my system making me feel that way.  I'm still a bit anxious, but nothing like before.  Generally feeling a lot better. :-)

I've also got myself booked in for an 8 week (once weekly session) of CBT, so that should help too. x

[heatherm2211]

Thats Great 
Glad to hear things are improving!
x

[darren_71]

Hi

I have been prescribed 20mg daily of Citalopram this morning.  Very nervous about starting them as the doctor said things could feel worse in the first few weeks.  I'm glad this drug is helping you both and makes me feel better about taking it. 

Is it better to take in the morning or before going to sleep?

[Flea]

Hi

I have been prescribed 20mg daily of Citalopram this morning.  Very nervous about starting them as the doctor said things could feel worse in the first few weeks.  I'm glad this drug is helping you both and makes me feel better about taking it. 

Is it better to take in the morning or before going to sleep?

At the start, I took it at night because the side effects were so bad (heightened anxiety and sickness) and I didn't want to have to cope with that during the day.  That didn't help, as I then couldn't sleep!  Now the side effects have worn off, I take it in the morning with some breakfast.  The doctor mentioned I should take it in the morning at my last visit this morning, as Citalopram can have a stimulant effect, so may affect sleeping patterns.

Good luck with it, and stick with it.  When people were saying this at the time, I couldn't see how on earth I was going to get through it; I felt sooooo anxious and didn't want to get out of bed, had constant stomach churning etc.  But now, I'm feeling a lot better, so it must be something to do with the Citalopram working.  I've been more motivated to do things I used to enjoy - I had got to the point where I didn't want to do anything.  Now, I have to push myself to go out and ride my horse or go to the gym, but once I've done it, I feel sooooo much better and the anxiety disappears.  Still need to sort out the morning anxiety, as I feel very jittery first thing, but at least in general things seem to be moving in the right direction. x

[darren_71]

Hi Amaretto

Thanks for the quick response.  I'll start taking it tomorrow morning then.  It sounds like you are beginning to live again and doing things you enjoy.  I am at the stage where I am disinterested in everything but your experience has given me hope.  Hopefully the morning anxiety will start to ease soon for you.

Is the CBT you mentioned the same as the one recommended by Heather?  If so was you able to get it through your GP or did you have to book it yourself? 

[Flea]

Darren,

No it's not, I got a face to face course booked through a referral from my GP.  Though I think the same techniques are used.

Keep us updated, you will get where you need to be...x

[Stormhead]

I was on citalopram 20mg for about 4 months. during the first couple of days it felt like i was on speed and i was whizzing around everywhere and talking really, really fast. Then it swung me around and made me really low for about 2 weeks. after that it started to work and i felt a little bit better. the brief period i was on it made me feel good enough to start looking for a job again, and then i found one so when I came off them i had something to feel good about and keep my mind occupied.
I didn't experience any problems coming off them either. Been off them for 3 months now.

[darren_71]

Thanks Stormhead

Its good to know they have helped you.  I started them Saturday but have not been well so it looks like I have missed out on the initial effects but I am not looking forward to the couple of weeks of feeling low. 

[jilly]

I was prescribed this last week and have found that I didn't get an increase of feeling of anxiety, in fact I feel the opposite!  I can hardly keep my eyes open, keep falling asleep and generally feel like a zombie.
I've been given the 20mg dose and I am thinking of going back to the docs in a week or 2 and asking for a lower dose if things don't improve.

[darren_71]

Jilly, I have been on 20mg Citalopram for 4 weeks now.  I too could not stop sleeping for the first couple of weeks so I went back to my Doctor and he said it was normal to either sleep too much or hardly sleep at all during the first 2 to 3 weeks on the tablets.  My sleep pattern has returned to normal in the last couple of weeks and so has my energy levels.  I think they are helping me cope better and I don't get as low as I did before taking them.

[jilly]

I do feel better for taking them, far less stressed than I have been.  Know it's a long haul ahead, but hopefully I'll get there.  I'm lucky in as much I have an amazing partner who is so supportive and understanding.  Not told my friends yet, just can't seem to shake off the feeling of failure when you admit you have depression/stress and need some help.  Deep down I know they'll understand but something holds me back.