Hi all,

I have been on Citalopram (dose ranging from 10 to 30 mg throughout the years). I am still experiencing extreme tiredness and lack of motivation with these tablets, as well as difficulty with remembering things. I feel like a zombie, my emotions are non-existent and I don't have that buzz in my life anymore.

I put on a lot of weight when I was on a high does (2-3 stone) but now I am at a good weight. I wanted to find other people's similar experiences with Citalopram and if they have changed to something else which has actually worked for them?

I was on 10 mg for around 6 months and unfortunately the depression symptoms started coming back and now I am on 30 mg.

My concern is that I start a fantastic job in a few weeks and I want to feel better as soon as possible. :) The tiredness/motivation I think will hold me back.

Hi nickyc, I was only on Lexapro a short time because it made me too sick. I am on Cymbalta now. With the SNRI's (also includes Effexor and Pristiq), most people don't have the fatigue issue. Some have drowsiness a few hours after taking and moved their dose to evenings. Many people found that it kept them awake so take it in the mornings. Personally, I haven't had weight gain although I am frequently hungry and need to be careful not to eat more than I did before starting it.
Iowa

Hello, Nickyc!

I agree with Iowa. What seemed to work for me since going on Pristiq, one year ago this month, is that the introduction of the norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors has been a good thing. I don't feel the fatigue I felt on pure SSRIs, such as citalopram. It seems that with introducing the "N" effects of an SNRI, dopanmine(the feel good neurotransmitter) is also effected. I know this only through research, and pdoc consultation, and I'm not a medical professional.

What I do know is that I feel much better, and have more energy. Citalopram was a horrid med for me regarding SEs. For many this is not the case. With Pristiq, the only SNRI I have tried, I had VERY minimal SEs that only lasted a short time. You might want to discuss this with your pdoc, and perhaps give an SNRI a go!

All this being said, I also understand your issue with starting a new job in a few weeks. I'm just not sure a med change at this point might be in your best interest in light of this. Yet, depending on how much time "a few weeks" might be, it could turn out to be OK. The switch decision is going of course be very much up to you and your doc.

Best wishes,

Deepster

This post has been edited by Deepster: Nov 7 2009, 08:42 PM

I have found that when i am on a SNRI it causes mania in me and also increases panic attacks and worrsens GAD. I was told by my pdoc overseas that lexapro is quite good and new SSRI. Well when i say new i mean compered to the old SSRI's the side affects in clinical trails have been less to any other i did not have much side affects at all when i first started lex but then when i was stupidly upped to 20mg i had seritoum syndrome.
So now being back on it i have started at 5mg for 2 weeks then increasing to 10mg which will be tonight! not going up from that!!! because i suffer severe panic disorder and GAD increased dosing can mack the attaks worse due to to much seritoum, well thats what my pdoc says. Im also taking it with 6mg of klonopin 3 times daily 2mg upon waking, 2mg afternoon, and 2mg just before bed with the lex so im not tired when i wake up. But hopefully after the 10mg of lex starts to work i will taper of the klonopin very slowlly.

Anyways good luck and take care!

Jayman

Jay_Man-

I am glad that SSRIs work for you, but they just aren't for everybody. I never found that SNRIs increased my panic, nor has it worsened my GAD. I have tried celexa and paxil(this one for many years). They were just not right for me. Lexapro may be great for you, yet for others it could just not work, it could be wretched regarding SEs, or it could highten hypo activity in others. I'm glad that you found a balance with this med.

The thing that does bring out the alarm bells for me is the "6mg of klonopin daily". FOR ME, if I was taking 6 mg of klonopon daily I could tolerate about any med out there. FOR ME, that's an alarming amount of any benzo. I think "hopefully" you'll begin tapering off the klonopin is a good thing, as you are likely going to need a lot of hope, and support. Just my personal, "non-professional" opinion but that is A LOT OF KLONOPIN! Sounds like to me that you are smart enough to even attempt this only under strict medical supervision, and it might even require some type of IP supervision. I truly wish you the best in this!

Yes, I too take klonopin(clonazepam), and I have been taking this med for 7-8 years, BUT ONLY AT 1mg/day or less. Today is a .5mg day as was yesterday. Yet, I have seen days that I'll go up to 1.5mg/day. Whewww!
Benzos are wonderful, but I have advised my pdoc that I'll never even consider more than 2mg/day. At that point I want off the med.

Just out of curiosity, can you recall when just .5mg did the trick? How did you progress to 6mg./day, and did it not create some degreee of curiosity in you or your doc? I just want to say that I am all for ad*****tion if it's the answer to an otherwise insurmountable problem. Sometimes folks(especially those with chronic pain disorders) may have to chose the a*****tion over the effects of the pain. I just find it astounding that anyone could even function with 6mg. of klonopin daily, but again, that's just ME. I just cannot imagine a situation where that dosage of klonopin is in anyone's best interest. However, I do stress that that is STRICTLY between you and your med professional. I just cannot imagine that my pdoc would ever allow me to get to that dosage, nor would I consider it.

Again, I do trust that you are under proper med supervision, and that you are an active participant in your med care, and it sounds like that's the case. For me, I just kinda freak out if I even feel the need to bump by benzo intake to over 1mg/day, and I'll even struggle a day or two to get the proper effects back below 1mg/day.

I wish you the best!

Deepster

This post has been edited by Deepster: Nov 8 2009, 12:49 PM

Deepster

Thank you for your input and support, Now with my situation i have been on numorous AD's paxil, effexor XR, Zoloft and Lexapro.
i have also been on benzos for about 5 years now starting off with valium 5mg as needed when i first went to see a GP about my
panic attacks and GAD. Now as he was a GP he is not a Pdoc and trained in mental heath so i didnt have anyone else, and i also
couldnt get an appoitment with a pdoc. So to try and cut a long story short i went overseas which i go every 4 months and i go
to one of the best international hospitals in the world. my first vist to that hospital was my the best care and advise i had ever got
i was refered to a Pdoc on arrival becasue i was such in a bad way and i started to discover what the difference was between a GP
and a Pdoc. i was told what treatment was the best for me and that what i had was severe panic disorder and severe GAD together!
i was told that i neeeded to be on a newer SSRI like lexapro and to change from paxil, as it wasnt working and had to much weight gain.
The Pdoc also said that a anxiolitic like xanax was needed along with the lexapro as valium was to old also and is slower acting
and was no good for an acute panic attack! Anyway while i was at the hospital i was shaking, sweating, heart pounding nausues
and just sick to the stomach with extreame worry that i was going to die! so before then i didnt even know what xanax was so the pdoc
pulled 1mg out of her purse and said please take this know! i mean man i was scared i didnt know what xanax was and plus im a worrier
i was in the shambles!!! but after i reasured myself i was in a hospital i took it and in 10 min wow!!! what a relief i could acually go and
have something to eat as i havent eaten for 3 days!

So i was given xanax 3mg daily in divided doses and also a medical report to bring home with me to give the GP regarding opinion and
current treatment e.g chnager from paxil to a newer SSRI like lexapro and also use xanax 3mg daily and also extra 2mg as needed
in case of panic! i was reasured and told please dont worry about addiction becasue im taking it as needed and that if i let my panic
become to high it will get worse and worse so i shoudl not hesitate to take th extra xanax. the maxium dose of xanax is 20mg daily
not that i ever took that much but thats what you could take.

Anyway in other trips overseas to see my pdoc, one just recently which i just camer back 4 days ago i was given another medical report
to my Pdoc whichi have here know. Now i am taking such a high dose of klonopin because in Australia we dont have xanax XR
and thats what i would of been given along with lexapro so in place of xanax Xr i was given klonopin becasue it is long acting and
also stronger than valium. my pdoc said that she was a little worried at the start of the klonopin treatment that i would feel sleepy
and drowsy but in about 2 weeks time it would reach a steady blood level and i would be stable on it which it has been 2 weeks and i am feeling fine not sleepy or drowsy or even sedated just stable and relaxed from my severe GAD and panic! Some
Before i was given klonopin i was heavy on xanax so the klonopin has helped me and i have not taken one xanax pill in 2 weeks!!!!
anyway im only taking the 6mg daily for 3 months then tapering to 3mg daily for 3 months, then 1mg upon waking and bedtime for 3 months
and the 1mg just before bedtime for 3 months, so its a good 1 year taper so i dont go through withdrawl or heavy dependence i have a full
taper plan written for me and while i am stable on the klonopin i hope the lexapro will do its work and i want to give it a good time to take affect.
the klonopin has also helped me with my xanax intake which was a problem and thats all the meds i was on, just xanax!! so know im on a AD
and and anxolitic which is the core treatment for panic disorder and GAD. I guess some people can take higher doses of benzos and some get knocked out by 0.5-1mg for me that was never the case with me. Even from the start i was able to take a higher dose then most people
that must be just how my body is made.

Anyway i see your point with the high dose and my pdoc down here in Oz was a little concerned about the 6mg for 3 months but he approved the
treatment and i told him i have knwo problem driving or working and i feel so much better now then i ever had before. But i guess i will really know
in a good 6 weeks and see if the lex has helped my severe cronic worry, panic disorder and fear! klonopin is just there for prevention and so i can
at least get along with my life and go to work and drive in traffic! the pros outweigh the cons and i have full trust in my Pdoc she is so caring spends time with me and answers all my questions i need to ask.

take care

Jayman

Hi guys,

Thanks for all your replies and taking out the time to do so. I'll read them in more detail soon. :)

I have a doctor's appointment soon and they are considering putting me on Venlaxfaxine (SNRI). I can only assume this shouldn't make me tired and put on weight?

I've been on Venlafaxine (Efexor) on and off for 3 years and I didn't notice weight gain on it, nor was I tired. I actually had problems getting to sleep, still do and I almost wish an anti-d would make me sleepy haha. But if you want something more activation i'd say Efexor could be worth a shot. I just couldn't handle other side effects with it.

I've been on Lexapro a few months at 10mg and have noticed a big gain in weight for my size, i'm not sure what it is in stone but at a guess I think around 15 pounds in a month. We go in kilo's here :) Good luck!