Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with citalopram

Tell me about your experience on Citalopram (Celexa / Cipramil).

SebastianKnight — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:58:53 -0800

I'm about to start a course of Citalopram (Celexa / Cipramil). What should I know in advance? Despite some serious misgivings I've decided to try antidepressant medication for some ongoing depression/anxiety issues. I've been prescribed 20mg of Citalopram to be taken every morning and will be seeing my GP (in the UK) for supervision at regular intervals. I'm hoping that after a few weeks my sleep pattern will be back under control and my judgement less impaired by low mood, anxiety, and exhaustion. If that works out then I'll be in a better position to tackle any underlying issues and generally stop making so many dumb decisions. Here's hoping, anyway.

If you have any experience on Citalopram (Celexa) or similar SSRIs, is there anything you wish you'd known before starting? I'm aware of the potential side-effects and withdrawal symptoms and at this point I'm prepared to take my chances. I'm most interested in your thoughts on the first 8 weeks or so of being medicated. If you'd like to add a comment anonymously, send me a mefimail and I'll paste it in below.

I'll take the first dose this Saturday after asking a GP friend for a second opinion. Can you think of anything I should ask that hasn't been covered above?

(I'm not seeing a therapist, but I am going to start working through Feeling Good as soon as I can. Previously I've used online CBT but found it overwhelming. If you want to talk about therapy, could we do that by mefimail instead? My diet and exercise regime are okay and pretty crappy, respectively. My family/social support network is good.)

Savage Citalopram/Celexa withdrawl headaches.

Suchos — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:55:51 -0800

I have recently stopped taking Citalopram over 10 days, since then I've had a permanent headache which has lasted 4 weeks to date and seen me visit A&E twice. Currently I have been prescribed and am taking : Morphine, Voltarol, CO-codomol and Sodium Valproate which are only providing limited relief. I am also seeing a Neurologist and Psychiatrist who as of yet have failed to diagnose the problem. Has anyone had similar effect ? If so, what was the diagnosis and resolution ?

Citalopram side effects

stenoboy — Mon, 05 May 2008 08:25:10 -0800

Citalopram: I've been taking this for two-and-a-half weeks now, with the last ten days being on 20mg. While the hand-wringing anxiety and depressed feeling seems to be fading, I am having problems with the continual desire for sleep. I've tried taking it four hours before going to bed, and last night I slept for 13 straight hours. Then when I get up, I have very little inclination to do anything other than look at the wall or mindless television. Has anyone else had these effects with Citalopram and did they get better? I know the drug is supposed to take six weeks at least to work, but I never knew my desire for sleep would be so overwhelming. I really want to continue with these as I do feel they are starting to work, and for the first time in years feel there's colour in my life. However, I don't want to spend most of that time snoring my head off!

Also, now that the depression is lifting, does anyone have any good tips for getting motivated again? I find it hard to get anything done these days. I'm hoping that as the depression lifts, my desire to do things will increase and that the indolence and depression are related.

You spin me right round baby right round like an anxiety disorder right round round round

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:14:40 -0800

You're not my psychiatrist, and I'm not your patient. But I need some help evaluating my feelings and setting my dosage within the limits my psychiatrist has prescribed. I'm on Citalopram (generic of Celexa, predecessor to Lexapro) and have been for well over a year. Recently, I've been feeling great, but have been having some sexual side effects and general 'laziness'. I haven't been exercising, so I've gotten fat. I've got about 100 hours of consulting work to do in the next few weeks plus my day job, and I need a little bit more nervous energy and 'edge' to get myself back in the gym and doing the work I need to do. I asked my psychiatrist during my last appointment if I could reduce the dose just a tad, and she wrote the prescription to allow for between 30mg and 40mg. I began the new dose on Saturday night.

Now, I realize that this is a midrange dose, and since the half-life is 36 hours, it's not completely settled down to my new dosage yet. Additionally, it should take a little longer for me to see the effect.

But back on the other hand, I've been beyond jittery and stuck on fast forward all day today. I've been focused and mission-oriented, and I've gotten TONS done, but ... sheesh! My girlfriend asked me at dinner tonight if I had been smoking crack, so it's an obvious behviour change to others. Back on the bright side, the sexual side effects (inability to ejaculate) are already gone.

I'm trying to make sure these aren't withdrawal symptoms and I'll settle back out if I just give it another week. But I'm "spinning" -- that's the word I use to describe when my anxiety disorder blows things out of proportions and leads the monkey on my back to jump to hasty conclusions. A good example: My GF isn't online, which must mean that she was put off by my hyperactivity at dinner, and is going to dump me. Illogical -- I know. But that ol' monkey's whispering it in my ear...

My main worry over the next week is showing signs of 'instability' to coworkers and consulting clients. My life has been stellar since I went on the drugs... the drugs let me channel a little bit of the 'zen' I've been seeking my entire life. Not so much that I act like a pot smoker, but enough that I'm able to let life flow around me and dip into precisely the parts I want to. I'm mostly anxious (go figure) about the effects an increase in hyperactivity will have on my work and love relationships.

So. Grit my teeth and stick it out at the lower dosage and just work myself to exhaustion the next few nights till things settle back out ... or go back on the safety blanket dosage that I'm comfortable with?

I'll obviously call my psychiatrist tomorrow, but I'm interested in the hive mind's opinion in the meantime.

Is this a bad time to begin Citalopram?

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 02:35:25 -0800

Is this a bad time to begin Citalopram? I've been battling depression for a while now and finally decided to get some help. I'm hoping to see a therapist in the next few weeks and my GP has started me on Citalopram, which I began yesterday.

Here's the tricky part. A few weeks ago my wife noticed some bald patches on my head which a dermatologist has now tentatively diagnosed as alopecia (still waiting for blood work to come back to see if it might be something else).

Since that time, my hair has been falling out like crazy. I barely even touch it and it comes out in my hand. It's now looking like there's a good chance I'll be bald within the coming weeks. I've always had a very thick head of hair which I've worn fairly long and so this is coming as a real shock.

I've read about how the first few weeks of Citalopram can be rough with depression worsening. In fact, just reading the pamphlet that came with the medicine as it talked about all of the potential side effects scared the hell out of me. And now I'm wondering if going through this while also dealing with my new potential baldness could be a nasty combination. On the other hand, I'm sure this hair loss is going to add quite a bit of anxiety to my life so maybe it's better to sweat through the next few weeks to reach the benefits?

Advice appreciated. Thanks.

Depression or personaity flaws?

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:42:06 -0800

How should I feel if my antidepressants are working? I've had moderate depression for about 15 years. I had some therapy and medication, and was in hospital for a while, when I first became depressed, but not since.

This year, because of other things in my life, my depression has got too much to deal with, so I saw my GP and have been on 20mg citalopram (Celexa in US - I'm in the UK) for three months.

I'm sure the drugs are having some effect, as my constant thoughts of suicide and self-harm feel a bit removed from me. But I still feel that life is something to get through rather than to enjoy, feel unmotivated, hate myself and find it very hard to do anything except work, lurking on Metafilter and sitting around. (For instance, the kitchen's currently got a week's worth of empty dog food tins sitting on the counter waiting to be moved three feet to the bin.)

What I don't know is whether this laziness and lack of ambition is about my character rather than depression; should I expect antidepressants to help with these things, or do I need to find other ways to solve them? I would appreciate advice on this, as I'm trying to decide whether to request a higher dose of citalopram.

Before anyone suggests therapy - I do realise I might benefit from it, but it brings its own problems and I'd rather sort out the drugs first. And I have a copy of Feeling Good, but am too lazy to read it.

"very tired, lazy, stoned.....oh and did I say tired?"

beccaj — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 12:09:48 -0800

One week into citalopram...will it get better?? Posting for a good friend that I send thread after MeFi thread to...

" I started taking citalopram (generic Celexa) and I feel like crap ever since.
I'm wondering if this will go away or is permanent."

She has been taking it for one week today.
She has been depressed (has very difficult family issues/probably care giver burnout) and I would say is prone to depression. She is also prone to lots of anxiety.

She has gone off other meds due to inablility to function because of pressing work/care giving schedule.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel??

Recreational abuse of medication.

five fresh fish — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 22:07:49 -0800

What happens if I eat all my Celexa (citalopram) at once? Not that I'm going to do it.