Citalopram and Panic Attacks: What Users Say (Page 5)

• jim...
• January 26, 2014

For Panic Disorder "I've found it to work great for depression. But the panic attacks are severe. I got 2 kidney stones while off citalopram. 3 weeks stayed off, 1 month no panic attacks. No hard heartbeat, but I get teary-eyed."

• nic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 22, 2023

For Panic Disorder "I am on week 3 of citalopram 20 mg and still struggling, although I am having times of improvement. I assume I just have to persevere. Can anyone tell me at what point it might be worth upping my dose or changing to a different med? The panic and dread feelings are still there, but not quite as bad. Any advice is welcome."

• Len...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 12, 2022

For Depression "I started taking 10 mg of citalopram 9 weeks ago. It took 8 weeks before I felt the full effect, before that, the first few weeks I felt worse. I had agitation, anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. Side effects such as nausea, as I take it in the morning, wore off gradually. I found I go to the loo more, but it is a small price to pay. I would say: if you were as bad as I was, stick with it. I am now more calm and relaxed and sleep better too."

• amg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 13, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "By far the worst medication I've ever taken. I started it while on paroxetine because I wanted to try a newer SSRI. Once I was weaned off the paroxetine and on 40 mg of citalopram, things got bad. I developed extreme anxiety, panic, and depression (I'm not regularly depressed), and I wanted to die just so it would all stop. I'm going to be transitioning to sertraline, which will hopefully be a great improvement."

• Mov...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 4, 2022

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have been taking citalopram 20 mg for 4 weeks today. I am female, and I do get spikes in anxiety, panic, intrusive thoughts, etc., especially the 2 weeks before the menstrual cycle starts. I should preface this with, I took Lexapro 10 mg for almost 10 years, had a baby, and Lexapro wasn’t as effective. I took Zoloft for 6 months, Effexor XR for over a year, which still wasn’t cutting it, then Cymbalta for a month. I stopped Cymbalta after a Genesight test, and now I am taking citalopram. It has been a bit of a rough road switching from SNRI back to SSRI, but the last 3 days have given me hope. I’ve weaned down from taking 1.5-1.75 mg of Klonopin/day to only 0.5-0.75 mg and have hopes of not needing it at all once citalopram is in full swing. You have to give medication time. 100%. If you haven’t looked into Genesight testing, I highly recommend that as well!"

• Lep...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 24, 2018

For Anxiety and Stress "This medication caused severe anxiety, panic attack on the startup dose of 10 mg. I split the dose and tried to get to the startup dose, could not do it because of the serious anxiety, palpitation, sweat. I do not recommend this to people with anxiety and panic disorder at all. Be very careful with this med if you must try it."

• Gre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 16, 2025

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have been suffering for over 30 years from OCD and depression. I tried many medications. My doctor introduced citalopram in addition to Anafranil to reduce the side effects. At one point, he said we could stop Anafranil and go on with 40 mg of citalopram. As a matter of fact, I had almost no side effects and felt somehow well, but after 3 months, the obsessions came back, together with anxiety and panic attacks. Even though my mood was not so bad, for my pure OCD it has stopped working. Going back to old Clomipramine, after weighing the pros and cons, I’ll keep the heavy effects but with a free, calm, and focused mind."

• hea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 4, 2021

For Anxiety and Stress "Started taking citalopram (Celexa 20 mg) Sept 10th, it will be 6 days 'til I've been taking this medication for 5 weeks. The heart palpitations/fluttering in my chest I was having for two weeks before I started this medication have returned as of Oct 2nd. They are so disturbing and frightening and make me so exhausted. I felt great the couple of weeks on the medication, but I did have nights where I'd wake up wide awake in the middle of the night with my heart racing and in a deep panic, which has happened a few times. I smoke marijuana to keep my calm, but sometimes it does the complete opposite. I'm thinking that drinking plays a huge part in any side effects worsening, as I do drink a little heavier on weekends than I do on weekdays. Usually would have 2-3 bottles of beer a night, but since I've started this medication there have been a lot of family events that I've had to attend, and alcohol ends up being consumed."

• Nat...
• February 24, 2021

For Anxiety and Stress "So I visited the hospital around 4-5 times in just a little over a week. I was on the phone to my own G.P. but felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. I was left 4 months until the hospital ran so many tests on me: a barium swallow, then an E.C.G., and my blood was taken. I also had a CT scan, all of which came back clear. I was suffering from really bad headaches, then I couldn't swallow my own saliva, then I felt as though I had a lump in my throat. Things got worse, I had chest pains, back pains, I was always so tense, I felt scared, I didn't know what was wrong with me. I begged the hospital to help me, I wasn't sleeping, and if I did start to fall into sleep, I was jumping out of my sleep. Then I was in the hospital, and I started having a full-blown panic attack. With that, they had someone talk to me, and they said I had depression and anxiety and was put on citalopram 20 mg."

• Mas...
• January 24, 2018

Citalopram for Anxiety and Stress "I don't typically review medicines, but I feel compelled to after taking one 10 mg dose of Celexa. I've had mild anxiety on and off most of my life. Due to some events in my life, approximately 2 years ago, my anxiety has gotten worse. I still tried to deal with it naturally, finally, I broke down in December and got a script from my doctor for 10 mg Celexa. I held off taking it until 2 nights ago. I NEVER will take Celexa again. I had loose stools almost 1 hour after taking it. The next 30 hours were hard, I could not sleep, I had a racing heart, and then I had a panic attack at work. Fortunately, it has worked its way through my system, and I feel 'normal' again. It may work for some, but this is not for me. To be fair, maybe I'm just not a good candidate for an SSRI medication."

• Sle...
• April 3, 2014

Citalopram for Anxiety and Stress "Day 2 of Celexa for anxiety. Ended up with headache, panic, dizziness, racing heart, and thoughts. My typical anxiety wasn't even as bad as that. Day 1 seemed okay, but after day 2, I'm not happy with it. No more for me, thanks!"

• Svi...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 18, 2016

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I started on 10 mg, then after 2 months 20 mg, then after 2 months 30 mg. So all in all, I have been taking citalopram for 9 months for GAD. I don't notice any difference. The only thing that kept the anxiety and upset at bay all these months was benzodiazepines - saying that I even had a panic attack while on benzodiazepines too, so nothing works. I get the feeling that we are all being taken for fools."

• Eik...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 8, 2017

Citalopram for Anxiety and Stress "Honestly, doesn't do much for me. Still has big panic attacks. Still has bad anxiety."

• Chr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Started 20 days ago, 5 mg for 6 days, then 10 mg. It is horrible to date. I have panic, bad stomach, tiredness, nausea. You name it, I've got it, but will keep on for 3 months."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 10, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Day 3, 10 mg. Weaning off of Lexapro, and I feel dizzy. It's giving me panic attacks. Gonna try to stick it out."