Alternative To Citalopram?

[thesloaneranger]

ok, as some of you know i went to the quack 3 weeks ago and was given 20mg of citalopram, once a day. i was warned that i may feel a bit sick for about a week but other than that i should have no problems. what i found was that they made me throw up constantly, i couldnt sleep, i had no appetite and i felt spaced out, even though i was told they wouldnt have that effect.

i stuck with them for 2 and a half weeks but stopped taking them as i was getting waaaaay worse with them.sleep deprivation was definately the worst part as it made me even more emotional. im going to go back to the doc tomorrow to see if i can get something different to take the edge of the way i feel, but dont make me feel like death. has anyone else been bad with these and found a good alternative that will still allow you to drive?

[S1CKK]

are you only on citalopram??? That was my very first anti-d, too. It went horribly wrong for me. However since it doesn't make you suicidal and "only" deprives you of your sleep I might have some advice. My pdoc at first didn't only start me on citalopram. He prescribed me citalopram (morning) and mirtazapine for the night. Without that I wouldn't have fallen asleep either. Might wanna try that combo?

The food cravings are really bad though...but it's managable. I like mirtazapine

[thesloaneranger]

thank you for your reply S1CKK

sadly they did make me suicidal - when i got that way i knew i was in deep crap.i started making a will and making sure there was enough money in my account to cover my funeral as i didnt want to be a burden to anyone. at one point i actually phoned up my husband begging him to come round and hold a pillow over my face to get me out of my misery. seeing as he had left me i thought he would enjoy doing it, but he came round and hugged me instead. i think it made him realise i was not just upset, but pretty messed up and now he understands he is a little more considerate and is trying to help me a wee bit. i suppose that was the one good thing to come out of taking the citalopram.

i dont know how much of how i felt emotionally was purely down to sleep deprevation so ill ask about the combo, but im pretty scared of citalopram now so hopefully there is an alternative.

[thesloaneranger]

well, got a bit of a hard time for sticking with the pills as long as i did! apparently i shouldve gone back sooner - ever get the feeling you cant win?

anyways, ive now been given fluoxetine (20mg once a day) so i hope i have a better ride with these :unsure:

[S1CKK]

Well my pdoc is certain about one thing. If any SSRIs make you suicidal. You mustn't take them!!! Don't!!!!!! It's beyond believe dangerous. Another SSRI won't do you any good. If you're feeling suicidal you need to stop immediately. Your doc will be ok with it. Unless that idiot changed citalpram for prozac. Did you tell him how it made you feel, like really tell him?!

My doc switched my to venlafaxine after that....which causes a pretty bad reaction either but it is not an SSRI. It is an SNRI.

[thesloaneranger]

ive seen 3 different docs at the practice in 5 weeks - and ive been honest with each one as i really dont want to be like i currently am.the first was more hacked off id not had a smear in 8 years, the next gave me citalorpram and apparently sent my details to the local mental health crew, and the 3rd went spare thad stuck with the pills so long and gave me a bollocking for dong so! its her that gave me the the current course, and ill be honest though and say that apart from the insomnia im feeling better on the new pills than i ever did with the citalorpam - ie: im not being reunited with a bag of haribo after enjoying it the first time! ive had a terribly day all in, but taking an extra pill and grabbing someone by the neck seems to have worked better!

im thinking there may be a ingredient rather than the main drug that im sensitive to?? god knows what, but already i feel an improvement and even if i do

want to cry i cant!

[piuma]

hi i am meant to be on citalopram too, i got similar side effects but no vomitting the pdoc put me on diazepam, but i quickly adjusted to that and as im quite ddictive personality they put me on seroquel, its an anti pychotic but they use it in small doses as a non addictive sleep aid to, you could ask for that, the only down side is that, even a small dose of 50mg makes you zonked out, and i find when i do actually take my meds, i am left drowsy the next day!

[thesloaneranger]

never noticed your post there piuma - soz hun!

ive been on propranolol (80mg) and fluoxitine (20mg) both once a day for around 6 weeks now, but still suffering with insomnia and anxiety so today ive had diazepam (2mg) and zopiclone (7.5mg) added to the mix to see how i get on! i have to say ive got the feeling im going to rattle a bit, and im not too keen on taking these new pills, but im so tired that ill give anything a go!

still not seen the same doc twice at the surgery yet, but have FINALLY recieved acknowledgement from the local "doing well" programme this week, and have made some progress with my own counsellor so heres hoping it all comes together! lol!

[Roses]

I was on and off every drug going. The thing that helped me in the end was lithium and lofepramine. They are both older drugs. The modern ones are what they try first. There are a lot of people have said that mirtazipine has given them horrendous side-effects. xxx

[successful_workthru]

trazodone chills you out, and helps you sleep.

I've only been on it two weeks, so am still feeling anxious and depressed, but no suicidal thoughts such as the ones I got when I was on mirtazapine.

I posted somewhere else on here, they should just be starting to kick in for me, I saw my doc yesterday. I am looking foreward to being able to just go outside again, and to smile for the first time in ages.