Scared to start my anti depressants, pls help

[mickey1128]

Hi, I just want to know what the side effects of citalopram is because I was started on half a tablet for 14days then the full one for another 14days but I took my first one and I just felt so shaky and stopped taking it,I am to scared to have severe side effects because I can't go through this mental breakdown everytime, it's ruining my life but I am willing to take anything to help me with my thoughts but am so afraid of the side effects. Pls help.

[i_am_who_i_am]

Citalopram was rough for me at the start. 3 months later i was soo glad I took it. Talk to your doctor about the side effects and see if they can give you something to take in the mean time to help with anxiety .

[Paxiled]

Well, be careful with that "something."  Make sure it's not benzos taken every day.  

[mickey1128]

No I'm going to stick to the fluoxetine till the Sox days something different. I just want to feel better, but I do feel like I'm dry in the nose, and a bit drowsy bt can't seem to jst go sleep. Well I will rather stick it out until I feel better and until my final result finally arrives.

[bracknelson]

Look side effects such as sweating, dry mouth, and tiredness are common. But If you are going through such serious side effects like if you get a cut unstoppable bleeding may occur, shortness of breath, chest pain, or pressure, and in rare case, it's possible to go through with a serious allergic reaction like "anaphylaxis". If something like is happening call a doctor straight away

[mickey1128]

OK so I went to a doc today and the doctor prescribed fluoxetine and I've decided to start taking it 2mo.have you any comments about this anti depressants?

[bracknelson]

Any other medicine prescribed with fluoxetine? as in some cases, olanzapine is advised to take with it. But don't take it without dr.'s advice

[mickey1128]

Nope just fluoxetine, it'sy first day so no side effects yet and feeling OK bt I know it's not the tabs, it's gona take a week for me to even start to feel differently.

[Paxiled]

I don't believe the above post is accurate.  Basically, you've been put on the original SSRI, Prozac.  It's actually the best one to start out on, because it stays in the body a lot longer than all the other SSRIs and for that reason appears to have fewer problems stopping it.  But as to side effects, again, you won't know until you try it for awhile.  Everyone reacts differently.  So we'll see.  It's the best one to try first, in my opinion, though, as again, it appears to be the easiest to quit.  It will have some side effects if it works, they all do, they only don't when they don't work, which often means it isn't being absorbed well.  Side effects are therefore a sign you're absorbing it.  But as to the level of them, again, only time can answer that with any medication, including aspirin.  Peace.

[Paxiled]

And is should elaborate, taking two medications at one time when you're just starting out is not the safest medicine.  If one works, why take two?  And you can only find that out by trying one first.  A lot of docs do pile on the meds right at the beginning, but how is one to know which one is working if you do that?  And it also piles on the side effects.  So just trying one and seeing if it works is the way to go.  If it doesn't work at all, there's no reason to add anything to it, you'd want to stop taking it then.  Meds are combined when the first one is working but not well enough, and then another might be added to see if it works better.  You're not at that point, and as you know where this all started, as opposed to most of us who just got this kind of nonsense out of nowhere, you can work on it in therapy as you know what to work on.  

[Paxiled]

I kind of answered on your other post.  People don't have the same side effects from medication and the same person has different side effects from different meds.  It takes some trial and error to find one you can handle.  It's unlikely one pill would have any effects on you, though it's not impossible, but the range of possible side effects is quite large but for any given person unknown.  In other words, the catalogue of side effects means some people reported them but it doesn't mean everyone gets them or that most people get them.  Your experience won't be exactly the same as others.  They put you on that one probably because by reputation it supposedly has fewer side effects than others, but not necessarily, and truthfully, we don't know if that's really true or not.  But you do get used to them and if they work you get used to them a lot easier than if they don't.  Of course, if they don't work, and you won't know that until you get to a therapeutic dose for 4-6 weeks, you won't keep taking it and will transition to a different med.  Side effects of starting an antidepressant are seldom severe.  They are more on the annoying side.  The hardest part isn't taking them, it's when you decide to stop taking them, and that can be dealt with if you have a really good psychiatrist who tapers you off and on meds at a pace that suits you, not the same one for everyone they treat.  All medication has problems.  It isn't food.  We didn't evolve to take medication.  But most people do okay on them.  And if you don't, you taper off and try something else.  If your life isn't liveable, you're getting side effects from life, so it's not like you're doing great without medication.  It's up to you how much you can take before therapy works for you, if it works.  It's up  to you how well the passage of time pushes your trauma away from you.  If you need medication, it is what it is, just as it would be if you had any other medical condition.  If the condition is severe you need meds.  If it isn't, you don't.  Same with mental problems.  Peace.

[mickey1128]

Thank you so much, I was thinking maybe I should just start it again but I also don't know because the doc who prescribed it to me didn't make a follow up appointment with me so I don't know as I also only have 28dsays supply.

[SkaterDave]

Citalopram was awesome for me, but I didn't have any sides effects worth speaking of. What about Escitalopram? Is that an option? I found Escitalopam better and it helped me sleep all night immediately. I'm sorry you're having that reaction. So you think it's all physical, or could some of it be high anxiety about taking a pharmaceutical?

p.s. I stopped talking citalopram cold turkey after 4 years on it. Let me tell you, don't do that! It sucked. Best of luck!

[Paxiled]

I would only say that if you do want to start medication, get a psychiatrist.  As for only getting a 28 day supply, that is also odd, as usually you get refills, but you don't say what the dose is.  A safe way to start a med that is done by good psychiatrists is to taper you up slowly to a therapeutic dose to allow your body to get used to it just as stopping is done at a taper slow enough to minimize discomfort.  I hope whatever you choose to do helps you.

[mickey1128]

Hey guys, I was started at taking a half a tab for 14days then upping by taking a full tab for another 14days,it's 20mg a tab so it wud be 10mg for 14days and 20mg for another 14days. I. Currently re thinking taking it because I do feel very down and hate feeling this way but I wana first discuss this with a doc  before I start, maybe I don't know.

[Paxiled]

That's a taper up.  The lowest therapeutic dose for most people is 20mg.  I can't remember my dose when I was on it, but I think it was higher than that.  I am wondering why, though, you are starting on Celexa rather than Lexapro.  Interesting choice.  Lexapro is the newer form of Celexa, and supposedly has fewer side effects than other SSRIs, though whether that's actually turned out to be true or not I don't know.  I was on both of them.  And don't worry about the post below, the list of side effects of almost all medications is pages long, especially for antidepressants, but that doesn't mean you'll get any of them and you certainly won't get all of them.  Only trial and error answers that.