Best time to take citalopram

[Louisj]

I have only been on citalopram for 8 days now at 20mg for clinical depression. I began on a Thursday and I noticed on Sunday evening I felt very confident and the depressive issues that were affecting me had significantly subsided. However, everyday has been like this...upon waking I feel depressed still, have had an anxiety attack or two but once 2:00 or 3:00 PM rolls around I feel great again. I completely understand that I still have time to go before it takes total effect and I am being impatient but is this a normal effect when you first begin? I was taking it in the AM upon waking but I figured that since it seemed like it was taking about 10 hours for me to feel better after taking it I switched to 10:00 or 11:00 PM. Should I not have done that?

[Meerkat]

Hello Louisj,
I have been on the same dose, but I deliberately chose to take my meds in the morning for the following reasons.
1. If I take them in the evening, they disturb my nights rest.
2. If I take them in the morning with breakfast they are better and faster absorbed and metabolised and I benefit from the wake-up jolt it gives me.
3. My doc informed me that upon complete buildup, the startup-side-effects that you describe will even out over the day and with me they disappeared entirely.
4. Since I take it in the morning the wear-off phase, takes place when I'm asleep, so it doesn't bother me too much and since I go to bed with a clear mind, I can brace myself for the morning-black mood, that I alwasy have, whether I'm on meds or not, so that latches in nicely with my pre-existing routine.
5. When buildup was complete, that ugly morning attitude where I face the world growling and with bared fangs had vanished completely and my positive strokability factor rivaled that of my beloved cats. Much to the relief of my other pack(family)-members.
Hope that this helps you a bit.
Cheers and good luck
Meerkat

[carie uk]

Meercat,there a julia in dwindling of emotions forum,didnt know if u may be able to help her!

[Mark Anthony]

Its best to take them at night, also if you are a smoker and you have slept all night without one, and the celexa has also run out in the am , that might be causing the anxiety. Brothers, and Sisters, isnt panic, anxiety a bitch from hell or what. Two hours ago i was crying just to releive the pain, took a sed, gotta go back to get more celexa, i stopped talking it awhile back.

[Ringwood]

Has any one tried splitting their dose 1/2 morning and 1/2 night to stop the swings?

Thanks
Ring...

[carpesdiem]

I just started taking citalopram a week ago (20mg/day). The first few days i took it in the morning and noticed that i felt tired. So, a few days ago I began taking it in the evngs w/dinner... And, i sleep fine...wake-up at my usual 7:30am, and by 9 am sleepy again for another 2-3hrs!(momentarily unemployed so it's ok, but i am going to start splitting the dosage to 10mg to see if that helps!) It does help calm my racing heart, tho (am taking if for anxiety).

[Shed]

I take my Citalopram before I go to bed each night. I sleep very well its just the waking up bit I have trouble with. Just before I was diagnosed with depression I wasnt sleeping hardly at all and i've always been a really deep sleeper, so pleased I can now sleep again. I may have a food intolarance which is being diagnosed soon so that may have something to do with my tiredness, I can easily have a nap in the afternoon but dont think my manager would appreciate it!! I have no problems taking the tablet at night, another dr told me to take it in the morning but my dr reccommeded night time for me.

[hello1980]

I am so confused. Can someone give me advice. Should I take 10 mg at night and 10 mg in the morning, split my pill? I have only been on it for three days, and am taking it at night. And mornings are awful. I can get up, but the depression, the weird thoughts

[hisbrokenmisery]

i was on citalopram about a year and a half ago and recently have gotten back on them. i would not recommend only taking 10mg at a time thats a very small dose and if you are fighting off depression you could cause yourself to spiral. i noticed that the first time i was i on them my doctor also told me to take it at bedtime but i found that morning were better especially after i was able to get mine upped to 40mg. if you dont think that its working how its suppose to then go back and talk to your doctor but also remember that with only 20mg it can take up to 2 weeks before your body is fully responding to the meds

[southrngrl]

ok. i got prescribed 2 medications. The first is lorazapam and the second is citalopram. im trying to figure out if i had a panic attak at 3pm today..is it ok to take the citalopram at 11 for bedtime. im a little nervous about this.

[southrngrl]

for that panic attack at 3pm i took 0.5 mg of lorazapam and i want to go to bed at 11pm is the citalopram going to effect me just being cautious.

[name]

"Has any one tried splitting their dose 1/2 morning and 1/2 night to stop the swings?"
My understanding is that it takes a few weeks to build up in your system, and therefore each daily does is a top up. That's why missing a day doesn't matter so much.
Saying that, I began sleeping much better about the same time I started taking them in the evening. Could be coincidence though (as I had beuing doing other things to try improve sleeping).

[Alex]

Hi there, now on my sixth week of citalopram (20mg), I had all the side effects mentioned in the first two weeks. The only side effects that i am experiencing now is the yawning and a little lethargy. I switched between morning and evening at the begining now i take it at 9pm (two hours before bed)and this works just fine. However i still long for the day when i feel happy again

[Fred]

Take before bed. Initial hit helps me sleep. Wake up good and ready to go. Not too much, not too little. Juuuuuussstttt right.

[Sunny today]

Do you take 20 mg or 40 mg before bed? Taking it at night helps you sleep better and you don't feel tired throughout the day? Thanks.

Fred wrote:

Take before bed. Initial hit helps me sleep. Wake up good and ready to go. Not too much, not too little. Juuuuuussstttt right.

[pegasus]

am on 10 mg. doctor prescribed it to calm me down. was extremely irritable. have been on it for about 5 wks now. he also gave me naproxin and valium to combat the tension headaches and backaches. This last week, especially the last two days I feel like I can sleep all day. Am extremely restless at night. But it has been really warm. well I have been feeling really warm. which is odd for me. though my family seems to be in agreement with me and says they feel warm also....so maybe my body is physically norming out? Anyway....i'm not sure if the lethargic feelings i'm having is due to my restless sleep and if my restless sleep is due to being too warm and drinking ice tea in the afternoon. I have school work to catch up on and am nervous that i'm going to fall behind. I was doing really well the first month.

[sadtimes432]

Just to warn you, going of citolopram is a total bitch. So if you just started, SERIOUSLY consider if you need it. Because when you go off it, you could end up like me and suffer nausea, sweating and dizziness for 7 weeks and counting.

[mjj]

hello1980 wrote:

I am so confused. Can someone give me advice. Should I take 10 mg at night and 10 mg in the morning, split my pill? I have only been on it for three days, and am taking it at night. And mornings are awful. I can get up, but the depression, the weird thoughts

Hi, Ive just started taking the pill again after a few years of not requiring them anymore. I'm taking mine at nightime and hopefully i'll get some sleep. As far as the weird thoughts etc.. isn't it just the worst. but hang in there there is hope.things will level out. best wishes

[fretemar]

I take 40 mg, which I first started taking it in the early morning. It was okay for a while, but late in the evening I felt tired. Then I took it at night before bed, which was fine. For some reason I then decided to try it around noonish, and I think that works best for me. I wake up feeling well and somewhat energized, though some nights I have been waking up around 4 or 5 in the morning.

[Elaine]

I started with 10 mg for a week which I always took in the evening and then zoplicone at bedtime which as worked fine. Within 20 minutes of taking the citalopram, I could hardly keep my eyes open For the past 3 weeks I have been at 20mg with the zoplicone, both taken in the evening/night and for the past few nights I am finding it harder to get to sleep and I don't hear my alarm until an hour and a half after it goes off. Is anybody else reacting this way?