citalopram help needed

[mumovseven]

Hi ive been given citalopram 10mg from my gp for my anxiety. Now ive searched the net and noticed these carry lots of undesired side effects which sound like they would make me worse not better. Id have preffered counselling if offered but my gp didnt even ask me anything just "here take these come back 4 weeks". Ive seen several other gps and they said i had low blood pressure,stress and whatever else. No medication was given then. My symtoms are shortness of breath(i have asthma),heart palpitation,nervous toilet visits, i feel like i have the shakes but if i ask someone to feel me im not shaking,bad sleeping patterns,and allways bloody miserable and i seriously think a scratch will turn into an amputation.
So if anyone has any advice on whether or not i should take the tablets or try seek councelling 1st.
If i take the tablets does anyone know if there any good
many thanx in advance.

[ginger]

I know from first hand experience those symptoms are anxiety. Ive suffered from panic attacks for a year, the breathing problems(hyperventilation) and chest pain. In one year the ambulance came to my house 10 times bcuz of my irrational belief I was going to die(every time they came they said my vitals were normal).if you seriously think a scratch will turn into an amputation then that is a irrational health fear (form of anxiety).
I am taking lexapro which has the same active ingredient as citalopram. I have had a bad reaction which I have posted here in this forum asking for advice . Everyones body chemistry is different. As I understand Lexapro and other anxiety medicines benefit a lot of people. YOur doctor prescribed its worth a shot to see if it helps you.
Ive been researching this for days bcuz of the problems Ive been having ,,have come across both problems with it,,and great success stories.

[amberblack]

Hey just wanted to say I'm experiencing similar things.

Just got prescribed Citalopam and am scared to take it...

But I feel i got nothing to lose at the moment almost everything is better than where I'm at....depressed too.

I ave never before taken SSRI's so I'm gonna give it a shot tonight.

I'm sure I'll post a lot here and update how I feel.

I appreciate every single experience anyone has to share about this med.

Good luck to all

[RammerJammer21]

I started on 20mg of citalopram and was on it for about 7 weeks. During that period...starting after about 5 days after the first dose, I started to feel MUCH better (I was highly anxious and depressed). I steadily felt better and better over the next several weeks. Over the last couple of weeks, I started getting a shaky/trembling inside that I thought might be a side-effect. I decreased my dosage (with doc approval) to 15mg and the trembling went away. The last few days have been the best I've had since all of this began back in mid-July.

The only definitive side effect that I have had is decreased libido...but even that is still there. It's just dimmed a little. Also, I have had some insomnia issues that MIGHT be attributable to the citalopram, but not sure.

[Lyndsey]

No need to worry this drug is a standard one they give for anixety I was on the 10mg and then on the 20 mg.
This drug was not the right drug for my problem. When taking it I was a bit tired on the first day other than that there is nothing to worry about most of the time you wont even notice your taking it.
Its fine xxxx

[logan]

Hi im a reader of the forums but read this and had to reply.

About 3 months ago i was in exactly the same position, i had to go to the doctors to get my anxiety sorted as it was making everything in life so much more difficult (and i experienced many of the symptoms you describe!)

I too was worried even scared to start taking these tablets as you start to think you dont want them to change you totally as a person and of course worried about the side effects. My doctor is great and re-assured me that the only thing they would change about me is my anxiety.

The first couple of days werent too fun but managable, most notably was a headache and some sleep trouble, and i did feel awfully depressed with thoughts of suicide (although i know would never actually do it)These can be expected but dont last!.

Three months on i feel like my old self like i was 2 years ago before i started to feel anxiety. My girlfriend and friends have noticed im more relaxed in social situations and i feel it myself, not worrying about every little thing like going to work.

Ive also started to go to a mh clinic where im talking about the root of anxiety and to learn to control it so in the future i can keep this feeling without the medication.

Everyone is different but i have to say if its affecting your life and any loved ones to such a degree that you feel lost with it please try it and you will feel slowly better and it will work. ;)

[damaralenoire]

When I was first diagnosed with depression abotu 10 years ago i was offered Molopaxin which to be honest i am not to sure exists anymore.

However My doctor 2 years ago then put me onto citalapram. I started on 10mg but used to snap the tablets in half because i did not like the effects that they were causing (Sleepyness and shaking) however that was just a temporary thing, the symptoms gradually wore away and i started to take the full tablet, however they had no effect on my depression or anxiety and the doctor increased the dose to 20mg, Then 4 weeks later it went to 30 then onto 40mg before i was offered counselling. Many doctors see Citalapram as the base drug, and tend to allow time to see if it works before offering anything else. Citalapram only works with one chemical hormone that your brain produces. Citalapram did not even touch me and so i was put onto Venlafaxine which works with the two chemicals your brain produces. I started on 50mg again no effect before ending up taking 200mg and thats wheret he side effects started kicking in mainly VERTIGO, head would be spinning, ear imbalance and i would be feeling sick. The symptoms would make me feel worse so I actually stopped taking teh tablets straight away and i know people may disagree with that as your body needs to be wheened off however i flt much better after.

There is a issue when it comes to reading the side effects of anti depressants. Many of the symptoms are symptoms someone with depression suffer with anyway and so you will find on the tablet information that these are symptoms reported not proven to happen by the drug.

[Robbed]

There is a issue when it comes to reading the side effects of anti depressants. Many of the symptoms are symptoms someone with depression suffer with anyway and so you will find on the tablet information that these are symptoms reported not proven to happen by the drug.

Many of the side effects of antidepressants CAN be experienced by those suffering from depression/anxiety. But the question as to whether someone is having side effects or symptoms can easily be answered by looking at this in two ways. First of all, was the person experiencing these 'symptoms' before taking the drug? If the 'symptoms' are new, then they are probably side effects of the drug. For instance, if someone starts to rapidly gain weight after starting antidepressants (VERY common) or experience muscle tremors or 'spaciness' that they never felt before, it is probably a side effect. Also, is someone WAS experiencing a given symptom before taking antidepressants, but experienced an escalation in that symptom, then the escalation is probably a side effect. For instance, drowsiness and muscle tremors are both anxiety symptoms AND antidepressant side effects. But if either or both of these became MUCH worse after starting antidepressants, this escalation is probably a side effect of the antidepressant.