CELEXA ( citalopram )
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I have suffered from depression since having a second baby age 21 my mother died when I was eight. I have had several severe depressions where I seriously tried to kill myself. I took 100 Paracetomol but drank it with milk so I survived.Since then I have been on antidepressants Anafranil Lithium. Venlafaxine which was fantastic it worked straight away. Took it for two years then it stopped working.I took prozac for while when that stopped working. I took Duloxetine 60gm for six months then that ceased to work. I have also spent time in mental hospitals I was sectioned. I do not know why these depressions occur I have no real problems. I use Ativan for anxiety first thing in the morning.I have recently started taking Celexa for a week I have taken 20gm then increased it to 40gm at night. I suffer sweats in the morning and cannot stop crying for no reason I take the ativan to counteract the crying but since I have started taking 40gm I feel really drugged. Should I go back to 20gm as I only gave it a week. I do not know what to do I can still walk my dogs and run my house. But I just want to be my normal self. I am so tired of being like this. Can anybody help. Should I take Celexa in the morning as I did the Venlafaxine?

my email is jonwat@ntlworld.com

There are good things and bad things about my experience with Celexa. I have severe panic disorder as well as a reumatological (joint) condition. I find that if I miss a dose of Celexa, I am a mess. Worse than I was before I started the med, which frustrates and scares me. While on it, I find that some days I feel better than others. It does increase my anxiety, but nothing else seems to work. It gives me hand tremors, muscle weakness, heart palpitations, and makes me very tired. Coming off of it is tough. It helps with racing thoughts and depression quite a bit.

i am female aged 63 and have been taking 60mg citalopram for 3 years. the results are that I am well again, to the extent that I never ever imagined I could get my old self back again. new GP says high dosage and long time, but lets not rock the boat, I agree with this and I am hoping after Xmas and New Year times are past, to start cutting down and stopping altogether. I have a good mindset, once I decide what I am going to do. I was ill with what I would describe as a pretty major nervous breakdown due to several horrendous happenings in my life and sufered from agorapgobia for more than 2 years. Since May this year 2007 I started getting out and about again and I feel well and blessed to be enjoying life, and looking forward to what's in store. Previously I had the same illness and was prescribed Seroxat but I dont want to go there to talk about that experience as it was dreadful.

When I took 20mg citalopram I found that my anxiety levels were raised so high that I could not sleep. I became a shivering and shaking wreck. I began to have hallucinations and paranoid delusions. At one point I could not move and became catatonic. My legs would not stop shaking. After three nights without sleep I became extremely paranoid and had to be sectioned. I was all right before I took citalopram just a bit depressed about my situation. I thought the doctor and his pills could help me. Boy was I wrong. Once in mental hospital nobody would listen to me when I said the citalopram gave me these awful side-effects and continued to drug me with various stronger psychoactive drugs until I was in a right mess taking four different drugs at once. Now it could be that I am a poor metaboliser of citalopram and other drugs. There is a test for cytochrome P-450 2-D 6 which is the liver enzyme that metabolisesis most psychotropic drugs. I think it would be useful if doctors started using this. Also I think doctors should use proper informed consent with their patients and warn them about these side-effects. If a person doesn't know that these drugs, I mean SSRIs, can make a person hallucinate then that person's anxiety is going to be so much worse by which time it is going to be too late for them to read the patient leaflet in the drug packet.

i,ve been on citalopram 7 times always with doctors recomendation.i have ptsd and was assured by competent health professionals that this drug would work.first time i took it i managed to go up to 30mg but could not handle the shaking,sore heads,and racing thoughts.it made me more paranoid and increased my anxiety,i could not sleep and when i did i had lsd like dreams.i had flashbacks of things i had just done and felt depersonalised.the second time i tried it i stayed on 10mg still had same effect but after 2 months i had the adrenaline kick i was trying to get rid of,i managed to change my thinking so nothig was bothering me and felt brilliant(if the adrenaline is there all the time it doesn't get any worse)i was manging to overcome my fears then doctor took me of it as i wasn't sleeping.now im back at square 1,cheers doc

i am coming off of celexa; i have been taking 20 mg a day for the past 8 months and started to decrease to every other day for a week to every third, and when i got to every 5th day last week i tried to cut cold turkey. i am now experiencing being extremely paranoid and scared that somebody is watching me. i have a horrible stomach ache which is not helping, and don't know what to do. please help.

I started taking Celexa 2 weeks ago, and I still don't feel any better! But after reading the horror stories from people that have taken it, I would have to say I don't want to take it! I need to find a way to cope with my panic disorder other than crazy meds! It makes me feel slow, like I can't concentrate on anything! Celexa Sucks!

I have been on citalopram (celexa) at 10 mg/day for just over a month. I was scared to take it at first after reading all the negative posts; however, I figured I should try it since I was so tired of feeling sad, angry and hopeless otherwise. The first week I felt very tired, mild nausea, muscle tension, and mild headaches. Now, after a month I only notice some muscle tension and my appetite is low. I am incredibly HAPPY that I started taking it. My mood has improved immensely and I feel grateful that my Dr. prescribed it for me. It is as if the darkness was lifted to uncover a more relaxed, happier self. I am able to feel genuine joy yet I still feel sadness when appropriate. I am much more patient and calm with my children and I interact with them more. There are not enough positive stories about citalopram/celexa out there. I wanted to post my story to encourage others to give it a try. It might make a huge positive difference in your life. I understand that some people really do have bad reactions to it and shouldn't take it. I am grateful that I have a good story to tell.

I came off citalopram about 2 weeks ago. i never reduced the dose just went cold turkey. Ive never felt so ill in my life, i have been getting constant head aches, nightmares, ive been finding it difficult to go to sleep and extreme dizzyness, ive also been really anxious. Im still getting all these symptoms and most recently heart palpitations which i find really scary. Last night they were so bad i thought i was having a hear attack which made me even more anxious and i nearly had a panick attack! I cant go on feeling like this its driving me mad. please help

I am 16 and was perscribed citalopram .I started taking my tablets on the 1st of December 2008 after I had been run over in a moped colosion on the third day of year eight. Later I developed Post traumatic Stress Disorder.I did not speak about it for three years until the symptoms of my P.T.s.d became such that I felt that I could do anything or take on anyone because I had nothing left to lose.As I had been bullied for the majority of my life (and saw my bullies watching me lying on the pavement after i'd been hit at the time of the collision) it did suprise me that only one friend came to visit (i'd known her since i was four).I did not know it yet but what i considerd the worst was yet to come.A couple weeks after I was discharged from hospital and at home in a cast I experienced a shock from something that i had seen and began to worry about it but the feeling of horror stayed with me.A couple days later my right hand started to become numb I thought it would would eventually just go away but it didn't.After a few weeks it became possible that I could pick up a pen and not feel like I was holding it completely and I knew that next week and the week after that I would feel the pen in my hand less and less.I really wanted to tell some one but it sounded absolutely crazy and I didn't think that any one would beleive me.I didn't tell anyone and that is what hurt the most knowing that this thing was happening but people the chances were high that no one would understand.Even worse still after my shattered ankle healed I returned to school where I took a test I had always been a good student I had my wits about me and would acheive level 6 grades (which was the top grade)I was good in every subject but maths.When I came back to school and took the test I received a level 5 when the top grade was now level 7.When I took the test I found it hard to read information pen and then answer the questions under neath my mind felt different because the numbness in my hand had traveled to the rest of my body and I was beginning to feel a slight bit of a drain in my energy.The only explanation I can think of as to why I felt this way when I think about it now is that I was in a major transition from being physically drained to mentally drained.After this my grades began to dip slowly bullying increased my head teacher called me infront of my peers and told me if I continued to use my crutches she would sent me to a mainstream school.After then I left but I kept quiet about my illness and continued to get sicker. After then my touch sensation started to slowly dissapear and when I joined my new secondary school bullying was worse and only added to my condition . I since developed hypervigilance on the roads ;touch sensation only occured when I felt a really hot or cold object;I did not feel any part of my body was really mine and I in turn felt incredibly detached ,I felt dead litterally like a walking corpse and my mind started to feel like bits were being killed off.After I leaft my second secondary school because of the bullying,toilet paper being set on fire,alarm bells being rung ,flung in to chairs and many other acts that I will not mention.I joined my Third secondary school at fourteen people would say hello to me and I would answer but then go sit alone in the libary and avoid everyone,of couse more bullies one of them said that they were driving to school and they saw me turning back and forth.I made a story up of how I thought I had forgotten something and so was wondering if I should go back to get it.Hiding of course my o.c.d.I finally told after years of hinting.and told my Mum we then booked an appointment with the doctor who tried to convince me that I did not have a problem then I spoke to another doctor who booked me an appointment.Then after seeing someone else I finaly got the help of a psychaiatrist and psychologist .My psychiartrist helped me reduce my hypervigilance.I still felt that amoung all things I wanted my sence of touch back he seemed to ignore this when I brought it up as did many in the medical profession .Since then my class hates that I am not in eventhough i'm on citalopram and find it hard to sleep not that my sleep patterns regulated after the accident .I tried fighting and having no medication to stick it out at school but the pressure from my teachers making snide comments and ganging up on me when i'm well enough to come back is so much to handle .I am taking 9 Gcse's and am constantly catching work up.I feel bad most of the time and go through a few months thinking things will be okay but I realise I had just been ignoring my feelings and letting them build up and they would be eating me away but it has been with the citalopram that I actually think about death .My death more and cutting myself (which I have never been able to understand why any one would want to)I want to sleep but can't,I find myself talking more to my made up friends (sad I know) ,my mind begins to do crazy things as usual but I have more contol over it and when I know that I really need to do something I have a lot less will to do it even though I want to. Although a lot is worse within the first few days of taking the Citalopram I was so happy because I began to feel my legs and arms again however as I continue to take more tablets the feeling leaves me. I still do find it hard to make a permenant descision as I am so torn between my rocky emotions (although recently all I feel is sorrow)I am on a Christmas holiday now but when I start School again in a couple of days I know i'm going to have to deal with the medication and other people and I know that what ever my class mates dish out on me my teachers will just think well she's not here all the time (even though my psychologist has written in and my Mum)and will let them do what ever they want to me.I know that I will go in and have to accept low grades and people thinking i'm stupid but worst of all I will know that when I was young I was picked on for being polite and smart and I haven't to this day ever stopped being strong. Even if i'm alone but I don't know if I will be able to make the most of my time on this earth as I once was able to. I am strong inside and with God I will be okay in the end despite all.

I have been on celexa for 1and a half years. I thought it was wonderful! I not only felt a sense of well being i also looked very healthy. That was until recently. I started having headaches, nauesa, bad dreams and looked as though i waas sick. I was wondering if any one ele experiance the same problem and what if anything they got that worked as good as celexa once did. Also hes changing me to celexa the brand name not the generic.

I've been taking Citalopram for about one week and cannot stop shaking. I can barely do anything. My sister said she went through the same thing when she started taking this medication and it will stop. Is this true? Should I continue taking the medication till I see my doctor in a weeks time?

i took this medication 3 times and just couldnt handle it my teeth started shattering together for about 3 hours and i just couldnt controll it and my leg and arms were shaking like made for days i also find it extremley difficult to sleep and felt constanly ressless i hated this medication all it did was made me worse and i also now suffer from hullicinations and nightmares. im only 15 and i would rather be deprssed then be on this medication.

I started on citalopram 3 days ago and i almost immediately felt a difference. I was still aware of what was making me sad but i wasn’t feeling it as intensely. I was great the second day and almost felt on top of the world and then now on the third day i feel like i’m back to square one. I feel depressed and im crying and miserable and i don’t feel like i’m in control just existing. I felt like i was making progress and now it feels like it was all in my head or that it wont really work for me. I know that’s probaly very premature to say but that’s how i feel. Has anyone had this experience and had it pass? Now i’m beginning to wonder if the feeling better was all in my head…help please…

I stopped the celexa 20 mg after 4 days the anxiety was worse, nausea was horrible don't know if the cure or the illness is worse. I shouldn't get any side effects was only on them for a week. Please advise

Hi people. I have been taking 10mg Citalopram for just over two months now and I don't think the pills are really helping me too much. The first 2 weeks or so that I bagan taking them I felt really tired and nauseous and had a really strong heart beat that made me feel sick and scared.

Two months in the symptoms have subsided a bit, my heartbeat is still pretty strong but not all the time; my problem now is bad headaches all the time and weird dreams-very vivid dreams.

I still get into down moods for no reason, the other day I felt like crying and I didn't really know why. I feel anxious and paranoid alot...I have always been anxious and paranoid but lately I just get into funny moods and I get all frigged up over nothin

I don't know whether to wean the Citalopram off and try seeing if I'm ok without them as my circumstances have changed alot since I bagan taking them, ( I got out of a very stressful relationship and am now very happy with a really great guy) or if I should up my dose to 20mg. This may help or it may just increase my side effects and make me worse. Has anyone got any advice for me please?

Hi

I have recently started taking (citalopram) day 2!! I'm not enjoying the weird, vague feelings I'm having. Feeling very detached and tired and a bit disorientated and a bit anxious of going outside as my panic has increased becuase of how I'm feeling, the very symptoms that made me anxious in the first place. I have been signed off work for 2 weeks and I'm beginning to wonder if I should've gone on these as I was able to function with the anxiety and now I'm housebound!! I'm hoping that it's just my body and mind getting used to these meds???

Can someone please help, frustrated and tired :)

I took citalopram for about a year (for anxiety attacks mostly). I developed shakiness in my left arm, hand, and leg a few weeks into taking it. My doctor told me in early March of 2009 to slowly wean myself off. I did---however, I still am experiencing the shakiness, but not as intense or frequent. My doctor wants me to see a neurologist as he thinks my shakiness is not related to the citalopram. However, I do not want to go to a lot of expense and testing to find out that that the shakiness is still a result of the citalopram and will take a little longer to completely leave my body. I never had any shakiness until I started taking it. Can anyone share some insight with me from personal experience or knowledge? Thank you. My e-mail address is smckee07@embarqmail.com

I have been taking Celexa for about a month and a half now. I can honestly say that the effects have been great!!! I was having problems with social and general anxiety in college, but never sought the correct help. I began ordering Ativan online and did so for over two years. Ativan, and other medications like it are what I call mood numbing meds. They make you feel better, because while you are under their influence you are just extremely happy. Long story short, I stopped taking the Ativan and went to a doc, who prescribed the Celexa. I just wanted to add this little bit of advice to the page… Because anxiety and depression are MENTAL illnesses, medication cannot be your only source of relief. You should use the medication as an aid to help you change the way you think about and perceive the world. There is no magic pill in life. As with the Ativan, while I didn't FEEL the effects of my anxiety, they were still there, and because I was numb, I was unable to learn how to deal with life in a healthy way. My suggestion would to the augment the Celexa with religion, spirituality, or study psychology. Use these are tools to explore yourself and learn how you tick. Then go out and conquer the world!! Please, please, please anyone who reads this, use my experience as a tool to make your life better!!

P.S. The best way to deal with the side effects is to take the meds at bedtime. I found that the side effect; orgasm (inability to reach or harder to reach), nausea, and even the muscle tremors are worse when the med is taken in the morning. I take mine every night around 7ish and stopped having side effects within a couple days. Just remember to be as open and honest with your doc as possible. Let him know anything and everything. Stay proactive in your treatment!! Good luck and GOD bless!!

I have been taking Citalopram for two weeks now. My doctor prescribed 20mg every morning. The first day I took the drug I was overcome with drowsiness and a tingling feeling in my head. I had to call my mother to come watch my children. The next day I felt wonderful (which is a feeling I have not had in a very long time), but I switched from taking them in the morning to taking them at night. Now, my life is great. My depression is gone and I enjoy everything 10 fold. I now have the energy to be extremely involved with children, and because I am happier so is my family.

I have been taking Celexa 40mg for almost a year now. The first 2 weeks when you start celexa are going to be hell. It will pass though i promise. You may have horrible headaches, stomach aches, nausea, dizziness, and feel extremely tired. Take celexa at night before you go to bed. This helps with the side effects. Your sleeping so you don't notice them. By morning the worst part is over. After a few weeks I began taking them in the morning so that i could get the full benefit of the drug. If I skip a day or 2 of celexa I get awful throbbing headaches. So i don't recommened you skip any doses. Hope i helped!

I've been on Celexa/citalopram for only about 6 months, but I think it has been helping me. I had some of the negative side effects mentioned on this post, but only for about the first two weeks. I started out for about one month on a 10 mg dose daily. When I took it at night, I was very anxious, had night sweats, and weird dreams, and when i woke up I was too anxious to go back to sleep. However, both when I switched my medication time to the AM, and after a few weeks, that has gone away, and I'm able to sleep normally (although I remember more dreams than I used to). I also had some GI problems for the first two weeks, but that went away after 2 weeks. I also lost weight during the first month I was on it (which rocked!)

I feel like it has really helped me, although this is the only antidepressant I have tried so possibly not. I don't have moments when I am depressed and cry for no reason, I overall feel like I am in a better mood and feel more outgoing and less anxious that I was before (and I am currently taking 20 mg daily). Even feels like I am a bit less paranoid and OCD than before. My concentration seemed to be better during the first few months I was on the medication, so I'm not sure if there has been a big change there, although I'm taking generic citalopram currently so that might be the reason for the change. I actually really like Celexa, so I would recommend it.

I have been taking celexa for a few months now for an anxiety disorder that I developed after taking the Chantix drug to quit smoking. Don't take that stuff let me tell you. ruined my life and I did not even quit smoking.

The first couple weeks of Celexa were very difficult. I just didn't feel right. I wanted to stop it, but my doctor urged me to give it more time and we actually increased the dosage to 40mg. Now, I love it. I feel more like my old self than I have for a long time. No anxiety. No panic. Generally more happy than ever before. It is great. I worry about having to go off it, or that it will one day quit working, but that is just something I will have to figure out at that point.

I just started citalopram (Celexa) about 4 days ago. I am noticing that I feel nausea and my appetite has descreased (which is kinda nice). I am worried about sexual side effects, however. Any other men out there taking this drug?

I am trying to get p[regnant and my doctor advised me to stop taking celexa...I have been off it for over a week and I don't know if it is stopping the medication or what but I am feeling sad all the time for no apparant] reason...has anyone else felt this way or is it just me?

I was put on these after trying Zoloft for a week, which landed me in ER because the tremors got very bad one night. I have been on Citalopram for 3 months. I could not go above 20mg because of the side effects, tremoring etc. I cut back to 10mg after a month, and a lot tremors stopped. For the last week I have cut down to 5mg-so far I rarely have a tremor and feeling much better. I got second opinion from another doctor as the doctor I was going to insisted there were no side effects on this drug and wanted to increase me to 40 mg, I know my own body and felt strongly that they were causing me the tremors/headaches, sure enough once I started cutting down on them, they are basically gone. Two other doctors told me that it's not common with the tremors but not unheard of,every persons body and makeup is different,especially with SSRI's. I don't think my body can tolerate, and I will not try another one. The first several weeks on Zoloft/then Citalopram were TERRIBLE and scary for me...... I never want to go through that again. I am a stresser, big time stresser,within the last few years my father passed away, my children have grown, one has gotten married and I took on my Niece to live with me. I have learned to deal with stress much better, things will happen, life changes, we can't conrtol everything, and just try to look at the bright side of things. When I think of my children not being babies anymore and grown, I think, well I am blessed my children are still here and healthy, and I have lived to see them grow. I give myself pep talks all the time. Even with economy, and worries of my job.... what is meant to be is meant to be, in the end, I have a loving family and friends......and in the very end, that's all that matters. Everyone is different....... but this meds or SSRI's were not for me. I have always been a fighter ... maybe that is why my body fights these meds, hopefully i can continue to be a fighter without these drugs. I do realize some folks must have them, and good luck to them. I have read a lot on these..... lots of folks have no problems at all when starting these, but I have read where some do, I am sure some have it worse than others in the start.......and I feel so sorry for anyone that deals with it, it does get better as far as how you feel in your head.....but my body tremors,etc didn't get any better and I could no longer tolerate. Love yourself, take care of yourself, and realize at some point, you have to take care of yourself before others, if you don't take care of you, who will..... no one can take care of your mental health BUT you. Peace to all.

i have been on celexa for about a month, it has helped with my depression and oerwhelming feelings of sadness but it has also given me more panic attacks, insomnia, agitation, my mind feels wired at night and my body feels tired, headaches so severe i cant sleep. so it has helped make me happy but also given me alot of side effects

Had been on Celexa for over four months, it was working. I was no longer having panic atttacks or nightmares, I was losing weight gradually (a good thing as I was overweight to begin with), had tons more energy and felt happy moments for the first time since memory.

Then I stopped, without letting my doc know, when I began to feel like I had a handle on my life. Boy was that a stupid move!

The depression I have suffered throughout my entire life returned ten fold, I had been worse only once before. I slept all day, spoke with no one I didn't have to, almost got fired from work, stopped paying bills, ceased any communication with friends, and attempted suicide.

After three hard and long months, I forced myself to call my doctor and have the Celexa perscribed again. It took me another four days to make it to the pharmacy, but I got it.

Eight days later, I'm feeling like I can live.

I WAS TAKING 20MG FOR A WEEK HAD TO GO BACK TO DOCS AS THEY MADE ME FEEL 10 TIMES WORSE HE LOWERED MU DOSE TO 10 MG BUT THAT HAD NOT HELPED SO I JUST CAME OF THEM STRAIGHT AWAY HAD A FEW BAD DAYS NOT SLEEPING SO MANY VIVID DREAMS FEL MUCH BETTER NOT TAKING THEM STILL GOT STUFFY FOREHEAD HOPE I WHERES OF SOON HAS ANYONE ELSE COME OFF THESE QUICKLY

Took only one half tablet 20mg or so just once and have never been so sick in my whole life I have hallucinations all the time wake up hot cold and shakey my heart races my pupils are huge from hallucinations and my whole body is soar all over I would not reccommend this drug as it reminds me of being on a constant lsd trip its has been over a week and im barely able to function on top of this i quit smoking and caffeine for fear that all 3 would put me over the edge I wish the feeling would just end I feel like a zombie i cant feel pain sadness pleasure and my sexuall desire has decreased a large ammount I dont think I was depressed to begin with so the pill might have not helped me for those it does help I dont know how aslo I quit a.s.a.p right after one half tab you would never think one little thing could make you feel so shitty ?- Thanks BJZ

Been off my prescribed celexa prescription for 3 days now cold turkey, reason being didnt have the cash until next paycheck to renew subscription. The cannabis Sativa is currently doing a wonderful job keeping my mood in check, also on another prescribed medecine, no the herb was not prescribed yet was stated by my Dr that it would and could and does help with my anxiety issues. Suffer from G.A.D, generalized anxiety disorder. Not sure why DR has me on Celexa.

God bless Marijuana and it's healing effects. Natural from our mother earth, from the creator whomever, whatever he may be.

I have been on celexa for 5 months and have noticed a drastic change (for the better) I do not think of my anxiety on a daily basis and can do things that would have made me panic before. I did not gain weight and my sex life is still healthy. The only side effects I have faced is lose of appetite for the first couple weeks, and vivid dreams. The dreams are nothing to be afraid of and are nothing close to nightmares; I just remember my dreams better. I was that person that was afraid to go on medication and now wish I didn't wait so long. There are so many horror stories out there that I read and it scared me. But medication works differently for people and if you don't like it you can go off of it easily. I am hoping to decrease/go off the medication after being on it for a year. I am not too worried about going off of it. I missed a day here and there with my meds and did not notice any difference. I think if you are working with a good doctor they will know how to get you off without side effects (going off slowly). If you are just starting the medication give it time. I did not notice a difference for the first couple weeks. It will not be a light switch turned on, but all of a sudden you realize you are not worrying so much and things are slightly different. You have to trust that it is working because during it you don't realize it is working but then looking back on it you can see that it has worked. :-)

i have been taking citalopram for a week now. Ive heard it takes up to two weeks to really start feeling any relief from my depression but i must admit that i feel great. I havent had any shaking or any other bad side efects ive read from other users. Today is actually my 6th day and i feel great. My problems already dont overwhelm me anymore like they did. I am on 1 20mg. a day. Hopefully in another week ill feel even better. I have never taken any anti-depressents before but im glad my doctor suggested this. Good luck to everyone else. God bless you all

I've taken citalopram since 2002. Initially at 20 for the first 2 months, then 40 for the next 5 years and finally 60 mg in the last 2 years. Over the last 6-12 months its effects seem to be lessening. Could there be a more effective medication? thanks

I was suffering from depression since age 19. I am currently 21 and am taking Celexa for a little over 3 months now. I am so grateful for making this choice. It has helped me so much. I felt so much better about myself and almost everything around me. My anxieties went down a lot and I am having more social interactions with everyone. I am smiling more each day now!

I suffered form sever panic disorders when I was anywhere other than my home. I became basically house bound at a very early age. Docs had tried Paxil, Prozac and I could take nothing for more than a week and could not handle the side effects. Doc tried Celexa and gave me my old life back. I can do anything withour any fear, anxiety, panic or depression. It has been a miracle medicine for me. Never any side effect just wonderful to feel alive. I work, I travel all over the world and hold a great career. Without this drug I am afriad I would still be hiding in my home letting the world pass me by.

I was on this drug for about 4 or 5 mo. to combat my severe anxiety/panic attacks. Previous to being on the drug, my panic attacks had gotten so bad that I began to shy away from social activities and went out less, after being on the drug for 4 mo., I didn't leave my dorm room ever in exception for exams or other necessary reasons. I gained 45+ pounds, and literally lost all control of my emotions. My mind state was so bad that I did anything to take myself out of it meaning i drank and smoked pot very heavily after the first 2 mo. because that felt better than the way i felt sober. The worst part was how unaware I was that I was even depressed. Not until one of my friends told me that they thought I was going through a serious period of depression did the light come on for me that I in fact did not feel as terrible as I had in the mo. before. The one thing I will give the drug credit for is that although I was severely depressed while on it, my panic attacks diminished (i now happily take them in comparison). I have now lost 65 lbs. since going off of it, and realize that my issues with panic attacks will have to be resolved by myself addressing their underlying causes. I was prescribed this medication by a university health center psychiatrist, who I now see was totally incompetent. I have extreme anger over this experience and do not think that the drug should be written off (since it really is a miracle worker for some people) but my advice would be to be CONSCIOUSLY AWARE of how you felt before taking the drug, and after being on the drug for a few months. Prior to being medicated I had never considered suicide in my life and I literally began to plan a date and way to do it after being on the drug for only 4 months. It all seems ridiculous to me now.

Ive been taking citalopram for four days now. I havent really noticed any beneficial effect yet. Perhaps because i am too busy focusing on all the bad effects. Muscle tension in my neck and shoulders which leads to horrible headaches, muscle twitches in my arms and legs and stomach aches. I also have diabetic neuropathy (muscle and nerve damage) so these side effects only intensify my existing physical problems. I switched from AM dose to PM dose after these side effect presented the first dosing. It hasnt eased the issues any so ill give it another week before talking with my doc. Hope this helps but as of now im more stressed and feel worse than i did without the meds.

I was prescribed citalopram/celexa last week. After reading these terrible stories I am beginning to worry, however most of the stories do not include warnings your doctor might have told you. My doctor forwarned me that while taking this drug I will experience feeling much better taking two steps forward and eventually taking two steps backward, three steps forward and maybe two steps back again. The drug itself is not a drug that you are going to take and feel instant happiness. That's not what it is meant to do. When you are as low as I am/was you should be able to notice a difference but maybe not right away. I do feel a little wired at night but notice I am yawning a lot more than I used to. Also, I found taking the medication early in the morning before work with a HUGE glass of water the nausea has went away. The first few days were not so good. Hopefully for my case I will only have the side effects for a short time.

I took citalopram and in the first week i had very vivid terribly scary dreams. I woke up shaking and was scared to go back to sleep because I didn't want to get back into the dream. I don't know if I should keep taking it?

Citalopram has done nothing good for me so far. I've had terrifying dreams, hallucinations and it makes me feel worse then before i started taking it. I think I've had one good day on it but I'm definately trying to get on something else.

hi i am currently on my second day of taken 20mg citalopram an feel bad , i didnt sleep much last nite an my doc told me he would give me tablets to help me sleep i am feelen quite panicky and funny has any one got any addivice that would help

After finding out the guy I was involved with for 5 months was still with his girlfriend of 2 years. I had a major meltdown and went into a state of depression. For two weeks I was a train wreck! I had a nervous breakdown everyday. The lying cheating guyfriend was the least of my problems. I had bottled up my emotions for too long. (a year before I was raped). So an meltdown was inevitable.

My doc diagnosed me with major depressive disorder and i think it was melancholic subcategory. Prescribed me celexa, my mom has despression too and she takes paxil and warned me against taking it. But its my senior year of college and my depression was getting in the way of my school. First i took 10mg/day and it worked for a while but wore off and i was back to being depressed, then i upped to 20mg in the morning, at first it was horrible waking up in the morning and waiting for the pill to kick in (it takes 3 hrs). and the muscle tension in my neck and shoulders is kind of annoying. but to have myself feeling like my old self its worth it. im still in the first week of my 20mg/day. hopefully my morning sideeffects go away, when i first take it i feel queasy and out of breath.

for me the benefits outweigh the side effects, but as i type this now im so tense in my shoulders and neck ughh!!!

I have suffered from depression since a small child and have been on medications on and off since I was a teenager. I may only be 24 now but I feel like the expert. I have been on citalopram for over a year and a half now and on the whole I have to say it has been one of the best anti-depressants I have been prescribed. When I started on it I was in a terrible state, feeling very suicidal and could not have gotten through that time without the help of some talking therapy as well - I thoroughly recommend people do not rely solely on the medications. If talking therapy isn't for you then there are some great books out there (Buddhist teachings, even if you ignore the religious aspect can be very helpful) and websites. But don't just use medication if you are contemplating suicide, or are severely depressed. Anyway, for well over a year the Citalopram did work well. There were times when I had to increase the doseage from 20mg to 30mg, or sometimes 40mg (taking one 20mg at night and another one in the morning). But these increases were short and just to help get through tougher times. Generally I felt pretty normal. However in the last few months the pills seemed to stop working. I couldn't stop crying all the time. I didn't feel as depressed as I had in the past but still could not stop crying. At the recommendation of my manager at work I went back to my doctor who put me on 40mg. One tablet. It made me so ill I couldn't move. First week my stomach hurt so much and I was so dizzy and nauseous I couldn't move or eat or anything. The nausea did subside but I my appetite was lost altogether (along with my libido). I was also getting increasingly

I have suffered from depression since a small child and have been on medications on and off since I was a teenager. I may only be 24 now but I feel like the expert. I have been on citalopram for over a year and a half now and on the whole I have to say it has been one of the best anti-depressants I have been prescribed. When I started on it I was in a terrible state, feeling very suicidal and could not have gotten through that time without the help of some talking therapy as well - I thoroughly recommend people do not rely solely on the medications. If talking therapy isn't for you then there are some great books out there (Buddhist teachings, even if you ignore the religious aspect can be very helpful) and websites. But don't just use medication if you are contemplating suicide, or are severely depressed. Anyway, for well over a year the Citalopram did work well. There were times when I had to increase the doseage from 20mg to 30mg, or sometimes 40mg (taking one 20mg at night and another one in the morning). But these increases were short and just to help get through tougher times. Generally I felt pretty normal. However in the last couple of months the pills seemed to stop working. I couldn't stop crying all the time. I didn't feel as depressed as I had in the past but still could not stop crying. At the recommendation of my manager at work I went back to my doctor who put me on 40mg. One tablet. It made me so ill I couldn't move. First week my stomach hurt so much and I was so dizzy and nauseous I couldn't move or eat or anything. The nausea did subside but I my appetite was lost altogether (along with my libido). I was also getting increasingly paranoid, anxious etc. Although I was tired all the time and was completely zombified I really struggled to get to sleep at night. And when I did the nightmares came. When I was awake I was often not really there; I seemed to disappear into another place (hallucinations?) and was easily confused and forgetful. You get the idea, it wasn't good. My mother dragged me back to the doctor and I am now back down to 30mg, despite me asking to try something else entirely. We'll see how I get on but I have lost my confidence in Citalopram now. I know a lot of people it has worked wonders on (including me for a time) but cannot help but feel it is only good as a short term solution. In my opinion your body will get used to whatever you're taking and at some point you will need more or something else. I don't recommend taking 40mg or more (unless you have a strong tolerance for such drugs). The side effects are not worth it.