[lostwoman88]

Hey there I am 26 and currently having what I call a mid 20s crisis, I have been through a lot in the last few years and few months and it has taken my toll on me, 2 weeks ago I went to my doctors for help, my gp referred me for counselling I had one call from them within the week advising me they will be in touch two - three weeks time, this weekend I have really struggled my head feels heavy and numb, I can't physically do anything, it's affecting my job and for the first time in my life I look in the mirror and hate myself, right now I feel tired all the time and just hopeless.

My gp gave me a 7 day sick note die to my work being very stressful and a months supply of citalopram 20mg to take once daily, I have been advised to take these at night to try due to the side effects

I just want to ask if anyone else has felt the numbness I feel? And has anyone been on this medication before?

Thank you

[atomicc]

Hello lostwoman88 and welcome to PC! I hope someone will come along who can help you with your questions about the medication.
I'm glad you found us here at PC

[Crocky71]

I'm also brand new to the forum, and have been taking Citalopram (brand name: Celexa) now for a year. Granted, every psychotropic medication works differently in different people, but I found that Citalopram has been the only thing that has really worked long-term. I also take it in the evening.

Yes, you can get some general information from those taking the same medication as you are, but you really need to be the one to judge your experience for yourself.

Best of luck!

[Altered Moment]

Feeling totally numb is how depression is for me.

I took Celexa for a long time with Effexor and it was pretty effective. It stopped working though.

[ToeJam]

In the UK citalopram is pretty much the first meds doctors will prescribe. Was what I started with a few years back... dose kept being upped and upped to the point that my gp changed it over to mirtazapine. I'm on venlafaxine now.

I remember it making me very drowsy to begin with regardless of taking at night but that side effect did ware off with time.

As for numbness, yes... I think a lot of people here can relate to that side of depression, you're not alone

Welcome to pc and please keep posting

[Fuzzybear]

Welcome to pc

[ManOfConstantSorrow]

Hello Lostwoman,

I am sorry to hear of your troubles. Since you ask about Citalopram I would say that it has very much helped me in the three months that I have been taking 20mg per day.

It is said that Citalopram takes two weeks to have significant effect, but in my case I noticed changes within a couple of days; very dry mouth and strongly elevated mood - this only lasted over a weekend. Since then no other untoward side-effects have occurred.

For the next month there was a complete and rather alarming absence of anxiety and depression, and what might be related to your question, emotional numbness. I did not exactly mind this as it was welcome relief from the symptoms of the deep depression I had been suffering from for the preceding two years. In any case it passed after a month. On the other hand I had little drive or motivation.

For the following two months I have been neither sad, nor exactly happy, and there is a strong tendency to tiredness (although this could be partially related to a separate medical problem). But I have achieved a level of stability where the crippling descents into despair, anxiety or anger no longer occur, I take pleasure in things that I had lost interest in, I am much nicer to my wife and colleagues, renewed contact with family members, and I can address my situation. It may not sound much and it is certainly no cure, but it is better than I dared hope for. I have recovered my life and there is the potential do something with it again. At first I thought the benefit could have just been one of the periodic mild upswings that punctuate the prolonged deep down swings but after three months I believe the Citalopram must take much credit. I hope you benefit from it too.

I would say that you are wise to take up counselling- in my twenties (1980s) the university counselling service was very helpful in understanding myself and in truth I should have persisted longer with it as I probably never attained the full benefit.