Citalopram

[JudyC]

It's not for me but our oldest son who is in his 30's. I don't want to go into detail about the last few months but he has now been prescribed these. He has always avoided taking any medication but thinks he should now give it a try as other avenues aren't really helping enough.
We are all due to have a short UK break a week on Monday and I'm concerned he might have a rough time with the medication the first couple of weeks . Has anyone any experience of how it affected them the first few days . He is still working and doesn't want to be off sick.

[sully301]

Everyone is an individual and most people are absolutely fine. Have a look at the common side effects and prepare for them. If it would cause more anxiety then maybe weigh up the risk/benefit of delaying starting.

[JudyC]

I know this sounds bad but he was looking forward to having a couple of beers while we are away. Obviously alcohol and medication shouldn't mix, maybe he needs to decide which is more important or wait until after our break

[JudyC]

Originally Posted by sully301

Everyone is an individual and most people are absolutely fine. Have a look at the common side effects and prepare for them. If it would cause more anxiety then maybe weigh up the risk/benefit of delaying starting.

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As he has Asperger's he worries about everything he reads regarding side effects. Mainly the reason he has chosen not to take medication in the past

[meboo]

As above, it is hard to say re an individual, but I have personal and anecdotal experience of antidepressants and the initial side effects (coming on and off) have not been enough to cause problems with work. Mine were dizziness and slight queasiness

[WhereIBelong]

Originally Posted by JudyC

I know this sounds bad but he was looking forward to having a couple of beers while we are away. Obviously alcohol and medication shouldn't mix, maybe he needs to decide which is more important or wait until after our break

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The main page for Citalopram states:

Alcohol: avoid alcohol while you are taking citalopram, especially when you first start treatment. Drinking alcohol while taking SSRIs can cause drowsiness and affect concentration, putting you at risk of falls and other accidents. It can also cause agitation, aggression and forgetfulness.

So I would be urging caution.

[JudyC]

Originally Posted by WhereIBelong

The main page for Citalopram states:

Alcohol: avoid alcohol while you are taking citalopram, especially when you first start treatment. Drinking alcohol while taking SSRIs can cause drowsiness and affect concentration, putting you at risk of falls and other accidents. It can also cause agitation, aggression and forgetfulness.

So I would be urging caution.

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Yes I read that too

[dubletrub]

Originally Posted by JudyC

It's not for me but our oldest son who is in his 30's. I don't want to go into detail about the last few months but he has now been prescribed these. He has always avoided taking any medication but thinks he should now give it a try as other avenues aren't really helping enough.
We are all due to have a short UK break a week on Monday and I'm concerned he might have a rough time with the medication the first couple of weeks . Has anyone any experience of how it affected them the first few days . He is still working and doesn't want to be off sick.

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I have been on various doses of citalopram for around 5 years, nausea when starting is one of the most common but I was fine. The doctors usually start on a low dose.
I very rarely drink except birthdays and Christmas and then only a couple, can’t say it affects the medication.

Try to enjoy your break, it will probably do you all good

[Sandra & co]

I didn’t get on with them and they made me hot and sick and I tried twice, I take sertraline now for anxiety and they are good apart from feeling tired. I think I felt a bit spaced out to start but am ok now. I would start them when your back if possible, have a lovely time xxx

[JudyC]

I think it's probably advisable to wait until after our break away and if he wants to start taking them then. It's up to him obviously but I think he would prefer that as only one more week of work to get through after tomorrow.