Has anyone had any good experiences with Citalopram (20mg) - for anxiety and stress...?

[fazz]

Hey everyone,

OK, so I am fairly new to all this Endometriosis fun (and by 'fun', I mean 'stressful, painful rubbish'!) but since my appendectomy and suprise endo diagnosis I have been in constant pain - not helped by the amount of stress and stuff whirling round in my brain - to be honest I was kinda down before any of this happened, maybe my body knew there was something wrong! My doctor just gave me 20mg of Citalopram to start taking as a means of trying to get a handle of things and give my brain some space...

Since I am already nervous and stressed I was hoping that anyone out there has had some positive experiences from taking it? Having to give-up on my anti-inflammatory drugs so I can take these is a gamble I hope is worth taking (I was told I can't take them both together).

Thank you,

K. xx

[Impatient]

My mum loved it - Citalopram- no problem at all or her taking it.

I had two weeks of it a few years before mum tried it, and I had a real problem reaction in the gut, upset tummy and wind, but was switched to fluoxetine by my GP and that suited me so much better. The fluoxetine/prozac did make me very sleepy but I needed restful sleep, so in that sense it worked out to be a handy side effect to have.

It really is something you have to try and if the side effects are a bit too unpleasant there other anti-depressants to switch to, which may suit you better, so do have a word with your GP if you do get side effects you can't cope well with.

Mum has had to go on them once more since and was happy to go back to Citalopram a second time to bring her back up to normal again. Hope is does the trick for you too.

[Hidden]

Hello

I've been on citalopram for about 18 months. Mine was prescribed due to anxiety which then went into depression.

I was prescribed 10mg to begin with then had this increased to 20mg. Initially the tablets gave me a dry mouth and tummy upset. These side effects went relatively quickly and the only thing I notice is my memory isn't as sharp as it use to be. I have also gained a lot of weight.

Due to my endometriosis and other medical problems, I am

intending to stay on the citalopram for the foreseeable future.

I do take NSAID's with citalopram.

My GP has said the citalopram and Tramadol (which I sometimes take) can give you strange dreams though!

Best of luck,

Barbara x

[starsquishy]

I have an intolerance to progesterone in my pill that causes anxiety and depression so I take citralopram. I do feel me again on it and have no real issues. At the start for 2 weeks I had a dry mouth and it made me yawn... everytime I yawned I would feel like I was going to throw up! These symptoms went after 2 weeks though. Hang im there with them x

[liverpool8]

Hi I find the citalopram really takes the edge of the despair I feel. I seemed total manic before I took them but they are very calming and I have had no side effects. Good luck with them hope they work for you. X

[fazz]

THANK YOU all so much for replying - I am very pleased to hear Citalopram has been beneficial for most of you - I picked up my prescription on Friday but felt too rubbish to take them all weekend (oh, the irony!) I am however planning on starting them on Saturday - I might take half a tablet a day for the first few days, I heard that can help lessen the severity of some of the side effects... well, a girl can hope!

Hope you are all doing ok today - I really do appreciate you taking the time to reply. xx

[charlie83]

Hiya fazz

I was on Citalopram (well, escitalopram but it's pretty much the same thing) and found that my panic attacks and anxiety were definitely better while taking it. There were a few side effects, and i felt a bit "fuzzy" but that's a small price to pay for the easing of the anxiety! they do take quite a few weeks to kick in, and they don't suit everybody but it's a good idea to try and see how you feel.

Please, though, if you decide to come off the, wean yourself off slowly under the supervision of a gp or specialist!

i'm sure you know that anyway, but i was stupid and thought I couuld do it all by myself.

Hope this finds you feeling better

Take care

Charlie

x

[fazz in reply to charlie83]

Hi Charlie,

Thank you! Really glad to hear you found it helpful - I am desperate for a break from the anxiety and wobble attacks

The whole thing is like a rock and a hard place though - on the Citalopram you're not allowed to take anti-inflammatory painkillers, but I am still trying to work out which hormone treatment to take - and I'm in loads of pain and neeeeed the anti-inflammatories!

Hope you're feeling ok.

Kate x

[charlie83 in reply to fazz]

Hi again Kate

i totally understand, i am extremely wobbly at the moment and seriously consdiering going back on it! i am on amitriptyline, though, for a different condition and can't take both together so am stuck myself!

i am confused as to why the gp says you can't take ibuprofen etc whilst taking citalopram? i did, and didn't find any problems...?

xx

[fazz in reply to charlie83]

I'm sorry you are feeling wobbly too, it's a really rubbish feeling but I hope you're doing ok.

Can they up the Amitriptyline dose to see if that helps with the anxiety?

My doc told me to steer clear of mixing citalopram & anti-inflam's as it causes a stomach ulcers. Interesting (but good) that you had no probs with it though. The doc gave me Valium in the meantime - and that's not a long term fix...

AND I just need to work out if I want the pill or the coil. Decisions, decisions!

x

[Hidden]

Hi Fazz,

I have been on Citlopram for 8 years! When the doctor reduced it or I missed a dose I would be very moody and get pin and neddles and panic attack....this proved to me citlopram definitely helped me. I also take propranolol for my migrianes but helps with aniexty also.

Hope you start feeling a little better soon.

Helony x.

[fazz in reply to Hidden]

Hi Helony,

Great to hear it's been so helpful for you.

I am looking forward to starting it if/when I can get my pain under control.

Thank you for your message

Kate x

[mollymm]

Hey there. I have had experience, but it completely depends person to person.

I took citalopram for 6 weeks and it made me really ill. I had terrible tremors on it and my body was twitching violently and seriously there were days when I felt so ill I couldn't get off the floor.

Having said that, my best friend was on citalopram for about 12 months for depression and it was a life saver for him!! It really suited him and after a few days of mild side effects he felt far better than he had for a long, long time and didn't have any adverse reaction at all! He loved it.

You're really not going to know till you try it. I told my Doctor after 2 weeks that I felt poorly and they asked me to wait for 6. I called again after 6 and a different Doctor said I should have come off after a month. Interestingly he explained that because of the way that citalopram works, if like me, you do get nasty side effects that last more than a couple of weeks, it's an indicator that it's not going to be effective for you as an antidepressant. Something to do with the way it works on your body and where it works. Too long ago for me to remember exactly how he explained it medically, but it made perfect sense. He took me off and put me on Prozac (fluoxetine) which worked really well for me. It's a case of trying and seeing. Citalopram works quickly apparently, so if you benefit from it, it has an impact more quickly that something like prozac, which takes longer to build in your body because of it's half life.

Good luck. I hope it works really well for you.

[beckettj]

Best to take dose prescribed as that is small dose. Side effects are normal and a sign meds are working unless go on after about a month. You won't get any benefit if you don't take proper dose. I'm a psych nurse but have Endo and have been prescribed Duloxetine as this helps with Endo pain. No contraindications for anti inflammatories which you will definitely need with Endo at some point. I recommend getting an Endo specialist involved as pain management crucial. Amytriptyline also prescribed for Endo type pain and depression but can make you drowsy. Citalopram fine for anxiety and depression but not if you can't take anti inflammatories.Good luck and take whatever tablets you choose..Now ! Jan 🙂

[Exsugarbabe1]

I had good and bad experiences on this drug. I avoid anything that changes my state of mind but my anxiety was crippling me. For a few days I felt like I was fighting through cotton wool to get things done, but my mind cleared and I felt better. I did feel a little dead and robotic so I weaned myself off them after a few weeks. My problem was intrusive fears, I decided when I stoped thinking ebout my horrible thoughts nothing changed so they were pointless. I then had therapy, this helped more than the pills.

[Amelia_52]

I started taking Citalopram about 6 months ago ( bought them regularly from meds-pharmacy.com ) and must say it has been wonderful. I take mine at 10am every morning...this medicine is doing a great job at 20mg once a day. I'm totally in control, I'm responsible, I have the ability to cope very calmly in very stressful situations. I can't imagine I will ever stop taking Citalopram.

Best wishes !