The Student Room Group

citalopram

i started taking this today to help with my depression.
thing is i already feel very very tired and i can't stop yawning, after i yawn, i have a brief feeling of nausea which then subsides. i feel dizzy and slightly faint too. is this normal? i don't like the side effects at all, will they stay with me a long time? :frown:

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
do some research on the side effects, if its not whats happening to you then go see your doc.
Reply 2
what would happen if i stopped taking these tablets altogether? i've only taken one so far, would it be okay to just stop completely or do i have to carry on now?
Nausea is a side effect of citalopram. I took it for 9 months, and for the first week I felt quite sick and dizzy. It does subside but you can feel groggy for a couple of days. If you don't get on with it, pop back to your GP who may suggest another type of medication.
Reply 4
okay thanks. but could i just stop it altogether? like not take them. i've had one and it feels like hell.
Reply 5
Don't stop taking it, that's what I've been told. I was on Escitalopram up until yesterday and had what you have described. Yawning is definitely normal, and I also felt dizzy/faint when I got out of bed. Apparently it's to do with low blood pressure. I've also had horrible nightmares for weeks, but I was told that I'd have to put up with them. The impact of the side effects does decrease after a while though :smile:
I started taking Citalopram yesterday myself.
Don't stop taking it, whatever you do. If you really feel strongly about stopping it inform your GP and talk it though with them.

Can I ask what doseage you're on??
Had the exact same thing for the first two weeks of taking Citalopram, yawning then feeling sick immediately afterward. I never drew the conclusion that it was the pills until just now! It went away pretty speedily, the only side effect I'm left with is delayed orgasm, and that has it's upsides hehe.

I would give it a while, I found they really helped me. However, if you are insistant, don't just stop them, tell your GP and let him taper you off.
Reply 8
Hi OP:

It would be okay for you to stop taking the pills after only one; perfectly fine, in fact. It's when you've been taking them regularly that you have to ease yourself off.

The side effects sound very normal. For the first two weeks, you should expect this. After two weeks, the side effects should wear off (as your body becomes used to these new chemicals) and you'll feel 'normal' (that is, as normal as can be).

Having said that, you should be aware of the side effects and compare them to what is common and decide from there if the medication is doing you any good. It's very possible that it doesn't agree with you.

If you believe that medication could be the right way to go, do it properly - don't skip them at any point, and don't drink or take drugs (it really is asking for trouble - I did this once and, apparently, I sat in a corner rocking backwards and forwards for hours, mumbling to myself).

If you decide at any point that medication isn't right for you, it's your right to come off them. In my experienced opinion, doctors like to shove depressed patients away with a box of whatever without actually trying to diagnose the condition and/or prescribe the right treatment.

But, y'know, you are an adult. Decide for yourself what's right. And good luck. :smile:
Reply 9
hi, the doctor put me on a 20mg dose, i was feeling quite suicidal. i've previously taken an overdose.
seeing as i've only taken one tablet, i am just going to stop. i have no support emotionally or physically as nobody knows about my depression here at home. i might start taking them again once i am back at university.
i know its silly to be put off by the side effects, but i already feel like a zombie after just taking one, and sort of emotionless. i'd rather have my good and bad days than become emotionless and flat.
Anonymous
hi, the doctor put me on a 20mg dose, i was feeling quite suicidal. i've previously taken an overdose.
seeing as i've only taken one tablet, i am just going to stop. i have no support emotionally or physically as nobody knows about my depression here at home. i might start taking them again once i am back at university.
i know its silly to be put off by the side effects, but i already feel like a zombie after just taking one, and sort of emotionless. i'd rather have my good and bad days than become emotionless and flat.



I really think you ought to go back to your GP, there are other types of anti deps, just explain to him/her what you explained on the board. when u go back tp uni, ask to see the student counsellor.
Reply 11
i've had counselling for the past 5 months. the reason i chose to opt for antidepressants was because my doctor persuaded me to, otherwise i wouldn't have done. i'll see my GP next week sometime as i can't get an appointment this week.
Good Luck with that.
Anonymous
i started taking this today to help with my depression.
thing is i already feel very very tired and i can't stop yawning, after i yawn, i have a brief feeling of nausea which then subsides. i feel dizzy and slightly faint too. is this normal? i don't like the side effects at all, will they stay with me a long time? :frown:

Those are normal side effects of most antidepressants. Your body usually gets used to them after a few weeks and they subside.
Reply 14
Hi.

I was on Citolopram for many months and as with most medication, there will be side-effects. My doctor advised me to take mine in the morning with breakfast as a full-stomach would reduce the effect of the side-effects.

Seriously though, are you just going to quit after 1 tablet? That's pretty pathetic imo. I suffered from depression (obv.) and it was that bad that I was happy to accept the side-effects because I knew that I'd eventually feel better. I'd rather feel a little sick than go through a cycle of self-harm etc again.
Good luck :smile:
I was feeling quite suicidal for the first few weeks and have taken overdoses too, but I figured I'd just have to ride it out.

Is the counselling helping?
Reply 16
Hi OP:

I forgot mention that I took my tablets at night time so that the side effects wouldn't get to me during the day. The doctor agreed that it was good idea and I never had to deal with the nausea, etc.

Having said that, you said taht you've felt suicidal. I would strongly advise that you speak to your doctor before you leave any treatments behind. Believe me, even if you feel in the slightest bit okay now it could still go tits up. You can't just mess around with chemicals and expect that you'll be okay - don't get m wrong, I'm not saying that this is the case and I'm not trying to patronise you. I would just like it if you made sure you're sorted in terms of support and treatments. Depression will just slap you in the face when you least expect it.

Also, I've found that emailing [email protected] is a big help when it gets a bit too much. They're always there and your email comes through as anonymous so there's no shame is saying what you really feel.

Plus, if you can stomach it, tell a friend. Sometimes, they're more than willing to help you through and, you never know, they may understand this condition more than you expect.

Apart from that, I don't know what else to suggest.

Let us know how it goes, yeah? :smile:
Yours told you to take it at night? Now I am confused. I started doing that with escitalopram but I got side effects at night. When I went back for the weekly review, my doctor told me to take them in the morning.

Samaritans are really helpful. I found them great when I was at my worst.
my doc said it doesn't matter as long as it's the same time every day.

to the op: i started it a few weeks ago ... i was sick for the first week but it got better.

You still need to fight it though .... keep busy .... fill your time, do things you like ... start a new hobby or something. i've started fishing.
Reply 19
Anonymous
i started taking this today to help with my depression.
thing is i already feel very very tired and i can't stop yawning, after i yawn, i have a brief feeling of nausea which then subsides. i feel dizzy and slightly faint too. is this normal? i don't like the side effects at all, will they stay with me a long time? :frown:


Oh you sound just like me when I started to take it :p: When I started it, I almost fell asleep wherever I went and it lasted for a week then it stopped. Then when I raised it, it came back for a week.

I think you should wait a couple of days to see if it subsides and if not, talk with your doctor. Side-effects that lasts are no fun.