Been given Citalopram tablets for Anxiety, terrified they will make me sick

[nburns2110]

Wow! Just come across this Emetophobia site, so just registered. It's great to finally be able to discuss my huge fear and get advice and answer other people's questions over something all of us on here have a genuine huge fear over. I have been suffering with a fear of Vomiting for more years than I care to remember. The fear is so bad that I will not do anything that might possibly make me sick. If I am around anyone that feels sick for example I seriously panic and hide away. If I feel sick myself I will become very anxious and try to do anything to stop myself being sick, including staying awake all night if I feel sick at night.

I suffer extreme anxiety, not just due to my fear (however the anxiety related to vomiting is huge), but I suffer generalised health anxiety. And my recent Anxiety is over sleeping. I have been suffering Insomnia for the last month, and the anxiety around it has got so bad. I have been to the doctors and I have been prescribed Citalopram which are anxiety tablets. However I am just too scared to take them. I know it is important to take them if I want to start to feel less anxious and to feel able to cope with life day to day, but the fear of being sick on them is preventing me too. One of the common side effects as in 1 in 10 suffer Nausea on them, and another side effect but less common is Vomiting. so by being told by a doctor that it's wise to take them feels like somebody telling me it's wise to stick my fingers down my throat to make myself sick. I have spoken to three doctors now, and all I get back is 'you should take them, all tablets can get side effects and if you want to get better in the long run then a few days of side effects is better than long term anxiety' one doctor did say that a lot of people do not get side effects. But then a part of me says she is just saying that so I take them So that doesn't help. Apparently the side effects if you get them only lasts until the tablets have kicked in which is a few days, but as I am sure everyone on here will understand, a few days is more than enough, half an hour is bad enough!!. Has anyone been on Citalopram and know what it's like? I feel pathetic not taking something I know I need to take, but each time I see the tablets and try to take one I just hear the words 'these tablets will make you feel sick and vomit' that soon stops me taking them.

[sweet]

I was prescribed these a few years ago after the death of my Father. I did not v* from them or even feel n*, I did have quite bad d* within about an hour of taking them though, but not the sort of d* that makes you feel ill, more just an annoyance, it settled down quickly as we'll.

I have to be honest though, I found they did not help me at all. They made me feel sluggish and tired the whole time. I took myself off them after about 4 months, and even though the doctor promised me they weren't addictive, I felt side effects when I stopped taking them for a while after.

Everyone is different though, so if your doctor has prescribed them for you you should probably give them a go. Hopefully they will work for you. I don't think they will make you v* though.

[JasonJ]

You could always see about getting an anti-emetic medication to go with them. I haven't heard of many people ever getting sick from anti-anxiety medications though. If anything, tiredness and weight gain are the ones I've heard about happening commonly. I know what you mean though, I more than likely need anti-anxiety meds to make the suffering I go through stop, but I'm too afraid of getting sick from them. I'm also afraid of screwing up my brain's chemistry with the trial and error of all the different types of meds they have. Really though, I doubt you'll get sick from them, but if you want to try it out it would be worth it to either just go balls out and try, or see if the doc can prescribe you some anti-emetics to go with them.

[nburns2110]

Thanks both. I will try to take one later, see if I can take it without stopping myself :-) Tiredness sounds a good symptom to me seeing as I am currently suffering Insomnia. I hadn't thought of these anti-emetic tablets Jason, sounds a good idea. I will take the tablets and if I start to suffer nausea which knowing me I will as I am now expecting it, then I will get back to the doctors and see if they can prescribe some to me :-)

[zombie0037]

I am on them as, I didn't get any nausea, but took mine at night they we def help you sleep, side effects i got drowsiness, blurry vision and yawning only lasted a couple of weeks.

[ewilkins]

I used to take citalopram and never had a problem with it. The only issue I experienced was sleepiness, but that only lasted a couple of weeks. Take them with food also. That will help to prevent any stomach upset. I had the main issues when I was weaning off of them. I experienced some pretty good dizziness for over a month. It was really weird. Never made me v or n though, just a weird dizziness that would hit and then just as quickly fade away.

[MaybeBaby]

I take it now, and have taken it in the past. The first week I took it I got the yawns, and my face felt funny. But all settled down the next week. No nausea.