Citalopram, how nasty are side effects?!
Question: I have been prescribed Citalopram for anxiety with depression. My dodtor said the anti anxiety effect would begin sooner than the antidepressive effect, is this true? How long does it take to relieve either symptom. has anyone taken citalopram for a short time and completely recovered?
Answers: I have been prescribed Citalopram for anxiety with depression. My dodtor said the anti anxiety effect would begin sooner than the antidepressive effect, is this true? How long does it take to relieve either symptom. has anyone taken citalopram for a short time and completely recovered?
i took it. i was under 18 and i suffered really badly with the side effects to the point where i had to be taken off all medication and taken into hospital.
this is one case is so many who have tried it and it has worked for. my partner took it and he was so much better and he really liked it but they took him off it becasue the doctor wanted to see if another medication worked even better for him.
If really depedends on the situation, age, gender, illness, other meds. it depends on so much
my advice is to take them and see how you feel give them a couple of weeks to get in your system then if you feel no better then go bac and get something else from your doctor.
anxiety is about calming your nervs which takes less time than changing the chemicals in your brain which is what anti depressants do.
it usualy takes about 2 weeks for an effect to be seen but my partner saw a positive effect after a week. it depends of servertiy, dosage and you yourself.
I have a negative view of citalopram but it works for some. give it ago just make sure you monitor yourself any negative effect go straight back to your doctor.
Take care
xxx
Sorry but i've never heard that name before.I took some Xanax sometimes though.
the effects usually last about a week and then you start to feel better, i had problems sleeping at night when i was taking them i feel that i've got over the depression i only took them for about 1 month because they where giving me some other unwanted side effects like consipation, loss of appetite, headaches and bringing me out in loads of spots.
Have a look at this site for information on your medication - search box top right corner...
http://emc.medicines.org.uk/
for antidepressive medications to take effect they have to get into your system and then help with the neurotransmitters and neurochemicals in your brain.. but anti axiety meds will take affect pretty much within hours.. Citalopram, is in the class selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.. The brand name is called Celexa in the US.. it came out in the late 80's around 88 or 89 i believe. Citalopram is primarily used to treat the symptoms of depression but can also be prescribed for social anxiety disorder, panic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Also prescribed in Huntington's disease and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Side effects include fatigue, drowsiness, dry mouth, increased sweating, trembling, headache, dizziness, sleep disturbances, insomnia, cardiac arrhythmia, blood pressure changes, nausea and/or vomiting, diarrhea, heightened anorgasmia in females, impotence and ejaculatory problems in males. In rare cases allergic reactions, convulsions, mood changes, anxiety and confusion have been reported.
Citalopram is one of a number of SSRI's (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) which stimulate serotonin in the brain. (Serotonin is a chemical that affects mood). Its' benefits include the fact that most people taking SSRI's only need to take one dose per day, it's safer to take with other drugs and it poses less risk in overdose.
Citalopram does not reach it's maximum effect until 6 weeks after commencing the drug. It is a very effective drug without many of the negative effects of some other anti-depressants. Like any drug it will have side effects for a minority. But for the majority, it is helpful and side effects are rare.
I would suggest you try it for six months and if you find no positive effect, then go back to your GP/prescriber to discuss a possible alternative.
You will also need to to make changes in your life in order to tackle your depression. Whilst it is difficult to find the motivation to exercise when you are feeling depressed, this is exactly what you need to do to help yourself. Try to go out for a walk in a nearby park or other picturesque area. Try to phone or meet up with a friend at least once a week. Make a list of the things that you are unhappy about in your life and another list of what you can do to change them.
And you could ask your GP to refer you to a counsellor at the surgery so that she can support you in the process. Because, however you feel now, things can, and will, get better.
Hey I just started the same med. no bad side effects thus far, and in the past i was on it and ended up feeling great. it gets harder before it gets better, the side effects usually are sleepiness, weird dreams, trouble sleeping, and maybe and this is a big MAYBE a small increase in anxiety. I have had all of the above but it's not so bad that I feel i need to stop. bare throug it, give it a few weeks, week one is the worst, week two is iffy, week three it starts to get better. you'll be ok, we all will, anxiety is so hard to handle and once in awhile you just need some help. .. yes it may help you but even so when you feel better don't stop taking it, it will make everything return. anti anxiety agents such as xanax are a huge help even in tiny doses and work immediately, try that route as well, you won't need either of these meds for the rest of your life, give it a year, it won't kill you and you'll feel more comfortable in the end.
I've been on it for about a while and I feel fine..
YES I HAVE BEEN ON THEM HOW MILAGRAMS ARE YOU ON, I FELT CALMER BUT PLEASE DONT DRINK ALCOHOL WITH THEM.. THEN COMING OFF THEM I SUFFERED ELECTRIC SHOCKS TO MY HEAD..... SO THEY HAD TO REPLACE WITH ANOTHER ANTIDEPRESSANT.. I HAVE TAKEN ALEAST 4 DIFFERENT TYPES,REALY JUST A GUINNY PIG FOR DOCTERS........
I was on citalopram for 9 months. It helped a tiny bit but was otherwise useless. No side effects.
Why don't you just take the bloody things?? What difference will it make to you how other people have resonded to it. ffs
I've been on Citalopram fo nearly 3 years......... I don't really need it now, but continue to take it, "just in case". My doctor is fine wth that as I'm only on 10mg. (never taken more than 20mg daily anyway)
I had a lot of headaches when I first took it, for about a fortnight. If I miss 1 or 2 now, I get a headache. I've had no other side effects, and have felt fine otherwise
Ive been on it for a while, not too long, maybe four or five months. I am married and my husband said he could see the difference as was much calmer but I did lose some lust for life, and also a few other things. As you know, it contains Hydro-bromide, which is what they used to give the troops in the armies in the old days, so it screws with your hormone levels big time, and then it must contain something that works against it in order for you to feel all calm. I have gone off them without my dr's advice, but am fine now, and any problems I have now aren't new or to do with depression. Remember caffeine feeds depression, and apparently sugars too, I believe you're either a depressive or not and if you try to appreciate all the little things in the world you CAN change your outlook on life - but if you're destined to be a depressive, you will always have your grey days no matter what meds you take. Please try and get yourself sorted before you become dependant on it. I have found that some days when I haven't been taking my tablet I will just cry and cry and cry so yes, I was dependant on them, and coming off I had to work hard to keep busy and concentrate on keeping my head above water.
Try praying - it works a dream! God knows what you're going through, talk it out with Him, he's a great listener!
I've been taking it for depression & anxiety & it's the only thing thats ever worked! I haven't had any side effects - it changed my life for the better. Try a self-help course for the anxiety that will be helpful too. Good luck take care
I'm currently on 40mg of Citalopram daily for depression. When I started taking them the anti-anxiety effects happened very quickly, I started feeling less depressed after about 3 - 4 weeks. I didn't really have too many side effects, I did want to self-harm a bit more than usual, but that very quickly passed. i had tried other anti-depressants before this one, but this is the best one for me. I know of others who have been given this drug and they managed to recover from their depression well, I'm on it long term, but I have a different disorder that is recurrent, but Citalopram are good and as a newer drug than some others, don't have too many nasty effects.