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How important is it to take meds at same time ever day? (citalopram)

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CoalStars

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I take citalopram, usually right before bed. I was taking it between 12:30am and 1:00am usually, but now I take it anywhere between 12:00am to 4:00am (I've been catching up on lost sleep now that college finals are over and it's thrown off my sleep schedule a bit).

Citalopram should be taken "at the same time everyday." My friend used to tell me I was ridiculous, because I always took it within ten minutes of 12:30am when I first got on it, so I let myself take it within an hour. That seemed to work the same. Now I take the meds on an even less strict schedule.

Lately I've been having more panic attacks over things that normally wouldn't bug me so bad. Maybe I'm just more sensitive lately for some reason.

Could it be caused by me taking my medicine at such different times? How strict is the "same time every day" rule?
 
There's something called the circadian rhythms, you should look into that.

I don't know if you're having more panic attacks because of it.

Maybe download an app for your phone, I use medisafe, with alarms for meds, to see if it gets better.
 
It’s possible that you are that sensitive and need to take it at the same time every day. The half life is 35 hours so I’d guess that a few hour variance in when you take it wouldn’t matter that much.

My med has a 16 hour half life so I take it twice a day. Sometimes i take it up to 6 hours off schedule and I’m ok. Then again I can be ok missing a dose, too.

We’re all different so it’s probably a matter of listening to your body and how it reacts.
 
I took citalopram for probably around eight years. When I first started out and was taking 20mg, I didn't have a problem not sticking to too set of a schedule. I could be up to six hours off without having any issues. It was very different when I got up to 40mg. I might be okay taking the occasional dose four hours off of my usual time, but I definitely couldn't make a habit of it.
 
It's more important that you take it everyday. :) So, if you always do it before bed, it becomes a habit. Or, always take it with your noon meal. Or, whatever... It's more important that you remember to take it than the exact time.

Things like an empty or full stomach will matter just as much as "the same time". So, don't worry about being off by a few hours.

For me, some SSRI's are stimulating and others induce sleep. I've even seen some that were initially sleep inducing turn stimulating as I titrated up. If it's stimulating, I take it in the morning. If it's sedating, night. If I forget, I try to take it within a few hours or I just skip it for the day. Like somebody said, our bodies have rhythms. We should listen to them.

Also, enjoy your life. If you're really that worn out from finals, I'd lighten up a bit. (Or, study more consistently so you're not cramming.)
 
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