Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Jaymacleod on April 25, 2016, 08:23:27 PM
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:'( been to the docs today and has advised me to take citalopram 10mg and go back in 3 weeks to see her. I had bloods done which came back as post menopause. Doc agreed I wasn't post as I'm 47 and still have the odd period. What I'm struggling with is the mood swings and anxiety. My concentration and able to multi task has gone right out the window. Anyone had experience with citalopram as a bit nervous about taking AD's. Thanks ladies
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Did your GP discuss full HRT with you? What other symptoms have you had in the last 3-6 months?
I have taken various ADs since 1989. Now take the sister drug to Citalopram without problems. I take 5mg night and morning, if you take yours at night then any side-effects will be less noticeable ;-). Don't read the leaflet ::)
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Hi. I have taken Citalopram for many years on and off, just back on....no problems for me, found them great. Everybody is different so some side affects can occur but if I were you , just take half a tab for a week and ease yourself into them....I usually always do that with anything new. Good luck. They are a good AD and are supposed to have less side affects than some.
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Nooooooo!!! The doc should not give you Citalopram for menopausal symptoms without first offering you HRT and especially at your age and stage!!!!!!! This goes against NICE Guidelines. If you are getting hormonal mood swings (including anxiety) then you should first treat these with hormones especially at your young age when you need to oestrogen to protect heart and bones!! Blood tests are completely unnecessary at your age too ( for menopause) and the doc need not have done them (again this is according to the new Guidelines).
Please go back and ask to start something like Femoston (if there is no medical reason not to try HRT) which is very well tolerated by many women - you could start with 1/10 and increase to 2/10 once your body is used to it. This should help enormously!!!!
Hurdity x
PS :welcomemm: and I sympathise with your plight!
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Hi and welcome Jaymaccload
As always Hurdity has given you excellent advice - get back to that doctor with a copy of the new NICE guidelines and ask for HRT - Femoston 1/10 is a good one to try first as it suits many women really well. Keep us posted. Dg x
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Thanks for your replies. I discussed hrt with my doctor and we both agreed I don't need it. The reason for this is I am not flushing and the overall menopause symptoms are bearable. We decided on citalopram as my mood swings, anxiety and panic are at a high volume. I am scared of taking them as I have had bad experiences of AD in the past. However I do think I brought on alot of the side effects myself as of course I read the side effects.. bad move I know. I guess I just wanted some reassurance from those who have tried citalopram. I still haven't taken one and keep saying I will take tomorrow etc. I'm thinking take at night but then I think what if I don't sleep.. head in a pickle..
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Are you against taking HRT? If you are missing periods your oestrogen levels are getting lower and you may start getting other problems like VA and increasing your risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.
I do realise that HRT is an individual choice, but as Huridity said Nice guidelines suggest trying HRT first.
I am against taking anti d's myself, although I do realise that some people really do need them. My mother in law was on the for 40 years and they just left her in a trance, these were the old types though.
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Hi I'm on ciprmil which is citalopram I've been on 20mg and has helped with anxiety and mood I swapped from mirtazapine 45mg which didn't seem to help me made things worse any way have noticed the difference between the two of them. I take mine in the morning I've been on it before so I no it's okay and such a low dose too just hoping it will help anxiety etc from the Meno. cause I can't take hrt due to side effects and the fact it makes the symptoms worse too! It's good they are taking it slow with 10mg with you as anything it will take time! Good luck Jan x
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There may be no need for Jaymacleod to take HRT >:( ??? I haven't needed to, other than for vaginal atrophy. My AD/BB/emergency regime is enough. Add to that regular exercise which helps keep bones healthy and regular visits to the Dentist to keep my jaw line intact …….
Taking the AD at night will allow you to sleep through any symptoms ;-). My worst was nausea but otherwise, although not a cure, taking my mix enables me. I take mine an hour B4 bed to avoid heart-burn ::) [another joy of The Change!]
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Thanks for the reply. I just wish I wasn't such a chicken when it comes to taking meds. It is so silly as they are there to help. I just fear it will make me panic more and that scares me. :'(
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I agree with clkd! I can't take full hrt but I take local oestrogen for VA and I'm off to see a pelvic floor specialist for my prolapse to see about excerises for that so it can be strengthened hopefully! By changing my AD over to cipramil
has helped I too have loads of health issues due to Meno including dental problems I wasn't far off gum disease 4 months ago I had to change my dentist .Since then I have had big improvements to receding gums and inflammation. My dentist does regular 3 month checkups on gums now.
We are all different and not everybody can take hrt but being on the right AD can help to keep you going thats for sure I to had to change my doctor for this! Jan x
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You also need to remember that not everybody gets side effects or maybe just mildly.
I take betablockers, there seems to be a lot of people who hate them because of side effects....I have been on them for 15 years and they cause me no problems so far.
My daughter took them for a while because of anxiety, I was concerned about her taking them but she tolerated them really well and they helped her through a sticky patch.
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Thankyou Jan and I hope it all works out for you. X
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Thanks tinker bell. You are right we are all different to need to pull up the big girl pants and take my first one..
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And remember you can discontinue if you don't like it...although do get advice on how to do it.
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Thanks again tink. Doctor said to try and work through the first week if side effects so will pluck up courage and take one tonight. Seeing her in a few weeks so hope it will be worth it
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What's the worst that you think might happen?
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I would think you would have worse side effects from the Citalopram, are they not supposed to be linked with heart issues? I may be wrong but I would not hesitate to take the bio identical hormones such as the rub on gel and a friendly as possible Progesterone, before I would even consider an AD if its meno symptoms you are having....and see how you get on....and yes the anxiety, mood swings, panic attacks all that are def peri meno, it annoys me when Drs are so quick to rush for the script pad for AD really....
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Could you explain Cassie: where you get the heart link : thank you. My GP nor psychiatrist have ever made such a suggestion and anyway, that bus might be along later so any issues don't get the chance to develop.
Although Progesterone might be 'friendly', it is still made in a Lab..
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You only have to type the word Citalopram and heart into google, I always check these things as the Dr wanted my mom on it at one stage....I would imagine one would need to have an underlying problem already not sure....but I have not seen such side effects for HRT. Each to their own of course.... :)
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I agree in what you say clkd!!! And I liked the bus part! For me personally full hrt has caused me alot of side effects it's been scary! Anyway ADs can help it's like trial and error like hrt I'm afraid! X
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I thought the problem with Citalopram and heart problems was at the doseage of 60 mg which is why the maximum doseage available for C is now 40 mg.
Therefore I wouldn't have thought it would at all effect people taking 10 mg.
I don't agree with AD's but I am on them too!
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Gee whizz now I'm really worried about taking 10mg of citalopram. Last thing I need to hear is heart problems when I already have panic attacks and anxiety. :'( Surely if my gp advised me to take them then that is the better option. She said HRT is something to look at possibly in the future. My doc is 50 and going through the same..
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You won't know unless you try.
I work with a lady who's been on Citalopram 20 mg for 10 years. She says she loves it and it worked wonders for her. She's coming off it now been taking it alternate days and having no problems.
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Ty Miismum71. I am gearing myself up to take one tonight. I keep looking at the and say "they are tiny and can't hurt me, will make me not want to kill someone" lol. Not funny but I guess we have to look at the bright side. Being a woman sick. . We did get the short straw!!!
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For goodness sake :bang: :bang: :bang:
Cassie - how old is the 'link' that you are worried about? Who did the 'research', was it Peer Reviewed, Dr Google knows NOWT! Do you really think that GPs would prescribe something on a regular basis that might be dangerous to everyone who takes them? Of course with every medication there will be patients who have bad reactions: either to the active ingredient and often to the fillers/packing/coatings. But if this drug was as dangerous as you think, it would not be registered by NICE.
Enough! I can't tolerate feeling nauseous so any drug that makes my gut roll is a no-no whereas others may well be able to tolerate them. With Trial and Error eventually an AD was found that works. Not a cure but it enables me.
MisMum - why is she stopping it? My GP made the suggestion at my Annual Review and I almost lynched him but he was box ticking ::) Why don't you 'agree' with ADs :-\ ………
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Yes Mis71mum I think its doses of 40mg or more which can cause arrythmias, only going by Dr Google and as CLKD says, he knows NOWT.... ;)
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So maybe stop 'quoting' what GOOGLE suggests without posting Links, Calls for Papers, Abstracts etc.? Ladies here are anxious enough without being fed possibilities ::). I know, I was that lady ………..
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Chill! ;)
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Shan't! I have an issue with the media pushing 'information' without following it up with Authors etc.. It's a problem with the internet, anyone can post stuff and none of it has to be true. >:(. If the media had to include References etc., the public can then read more if they so wish.
Here at least we can share experiences. Feel what others feel even if we don't want to :-\
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Hi Jay
No they won't make you do anything daft....I've thought that each time I've tried different ones. I'm on my third one now and have been for 6 months. They have helped me sleep, sorted out the anxiety and kept my mood even.
CKLD - my friend is coming off them as she is out the other side of the menopause and feels more able to cope with things.
Oops my other line should have read "I do agree with AD's, I'm on them"!
AD's have their place and many many people use them and I think it's time any stigma associated with them should be challenged. Saw it on Loose Women the other day, one of the panel said she used them and the helped her out of a sticky patch.
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May I ask Mis71Mum what AD you are on and dose I'm trying my second AD now cipramil it's better than the last one just wondering if mine will help with the insomnia? I'm on 20mg if it can help any ideas on time with that one?
Good luck Jaymacleod!! Jan x
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Hi Jan
I take 20 mg of Duloxetine. It gets a lot of bad press because it's quite hard to withdraw for and you have to open the capsules and count beads.
But for me, it's been okay and really improved my sleep and anxiety at the lowest dose.
I tried Sertraline and ended up in back of ambulance with BP of 166/126 which was scary.
My current one had side effects but I've settled on it now.
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I pulled out the leaflet from my box of E-cit earlier and it goes on and on and …….. suggesting that if someone thinks they have any health problems they should speak to their GP or Pharmacist B4 taking the medication. As this is prescription only, the GP should already be aware ::)
Feel muggy headed this morning due to busy dreams and waking at exactly 6.00 a.m. :o >:(
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Hi Mis71Mum,
Thanks for reply I'm glad you settled now. Those horrible side effects eh! You've been through it !! I personally suffered on hrt with horrific side effects so I've finished with it now so hoping cipramil will help a bit! Thanks again x jan
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Hi Im new on here! I had Citalopram for 8 years and was peri but after the initial 3-4 weeks of side effects, they worked wonders. Was on 20mg a day. After being off them for 5 years and having tried two types of HRT, 2.5 yrs ago, which back fired, I am on day 1 of the envorel conti patch as my symptoms came back after I had a virus. Im hoping that this works as I am sick of the menopause now and want my life back!!!
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Welcome Clare663 - browse round!
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Well I take Cipralex (Escitalopram) which is the sister drug to Citalopram and the same one CLKD takes. Yes the anxiety gets worse to start with and I woke up with panic and crazy dreams which I didn't like and I was on the point of stopping and kept saying to myself - 'one more day and I will stop if it is no better'. then it started to get better but I still had woozy head for about three weeks then it started to clear and my moods started to level out. then I started sleeping better and the anxiety started to get less.
I had a review at the doctors today and it was all good and I am going to carry on with them because it took a while to get here but I am now starting to feel the benefits.
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:thankyou:
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thank you CLKD. I would really love to find out more about peoples experience with Evorel conti patches? Can you direct me in the right place please? :)
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Hi - been out all day, not ignoring you! If you use the 'search' button in the box under your name, type the product in the box and press, should bring the subject up. Will go search and bump …..
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just re read my post ::). How many times can you say 'started' in a couple of lines? ;D
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;D
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Glad you're feeling better BJ :foryou:
I'm struggling at the moment.
Don't know if this anxiety and funny heartbeat is down to my mirena coming to the end of its life.
Couldn't get an appointment until May 25th to see a GP to talk about it.
I was depressed but feel 95% better. It's just this dam anxiety. ::) :-\
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Dyan - that's a MONTH! >:( why not speak with your Practice Nurse? If the Mirena is running out that may well account for anxiety :-\
I would be writing to my MP too about the time of wait for an appt..
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I know ::) terrible. Apparently there is only one GP who deals with the menopause and he is booked until then. I use to see a nurse but she has now left. Even if I was to ring up at 8am one morning I probably won't get in with the meno Gp.Hmmm, I could give it a go though............. Have to wait til Monday now.
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Hi, I was on citalopram 20mg for about 8 years for anxiety and depression (this was years before I had any meno symptoms though.) I didn't have any problems at all while I was taking it, the only slight issue was when I stopped taking it. I followed Drs orders and slowly weaned off it but going from 5mg every other day to none at all wiped me out for a couple of weeks. However I wouldn't worry about that if you're just starting it, after all it's the benefits of taking it that is important to you at the moment. Xx
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Monday is Bank Holiday though :-\
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Oh yeah ::) Tuesday then ;D
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Same here, forgot it's Bank Hol. Monday so haven't enough meal worms for the birds = robin and blackbirds following me around the garden >:(