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First Encounter with Anti-Depressants
Citalopram (Recital)
Citation:   Spoonbender. "First Encounter with Anti-Depressants: An Experience with Citalopram (Recital) (exp24155)". Erowid.org. Aug 16, 2006. erowid.org/exp/24155

 
DOSE:
T+ 0:00
20 mg oral Pharms - Citalopram (pill / tablet)
  T+ 0:30 20 mg oral Pharms - Citalopram (pill / tablet)
  T+ 0:00   smoked Tobacco (dried)
BODY WEIGHT: 62 kg
I gained two Citalopram pills from a friend of mine, and decided to try them after researching about the drug for a while. I did not use any MAOI in the last two weeks or even month before taking the Citalopram, and I was not on any sort of medications during that time. I have never taken any anti-depressant drug prior to this experiment, or any SSRI. It is also worth mentioning that I am not supposed to take these pills, I was never diagnosed for any problem that demands anti-depressants. Here is the text I wrote documenting the experiment, as I wrote it in real time:

T+0:00
It is now 22:00 and I just took 1 pill of 20 mg citalopram (brand name – Recital). I had a nice meal about 3 hours earlier (200 grams of meat, with salad aside), and smoked my last hit of weed about 4 hours ago and I am now feeling pretty much lucid.

T+0:30
Swallowed another pill. Feeling pretty normal, with a weird background feeling of... ah... something... can't really tell if this is the pill's effect or just me playing tricks on myself.

T+1:00
Feeling a bit drowsy, buzzed, and somewhat apathetic. Nothing more than that.

T+1:30
I find it a bit hard to focus on the text in my internet explorer. Smoked some tobacco in my pipe earlier, didn't feel any difference in doing so on Citalopram or doing so lucid. I feel a little bit nauseated, but nothing serious.

T+02:00
I feel more drowsy and sedated than before. Nausea decreased and is almost unnoticeable. Empty headed a bit, with no motivation to do anything other than lay my head and stare at something. My mouth is dry, but I can't say if it is out of the ordinary (a little lack of drinking, and a summer night...) or the effect of the pills.

T+2:30
Effects seem to have stabled or even a bit decreased. Nausea completely gone, a bit less sedated than before, still apathetic, still dry-mouthed. I had some water and coke, and my mouth became dry again, I think I can safely say the pills are at least partially responsible for that. Less thoughts running through my head. Focusing is still harder than usual.

T+3:00
Effects are noticeably decreasing. I am much less apathetic, and also less sedated and drowsy. I can more easily focus. My mouth is somewhat dry, but not as much as before. I am not lucid now, I can still feel the stuff running in my head, but I am surely coming down. Reminds the come-down of a marijuana high, but less aggressive and no mood-shift towards depression (actually the desired effect, Citalopram IS an anti-depressant...).

T+3:30
Most effects have dramatically decreased compared to my situation an hour ago. Still a bit drowsy, but I am not apathetic anymore. My mouth is still dry. I have much more energy now, and my thinking seems pretty normal.

T+4:00
Almost at baseline. I am feeling slightly less focused than usual, again reminding me the final phases of a marijuana comedown. The only effect that seems to last stronger than the others is my dried mouth, but that has also reduced in the last 30 minutes.

All in all, an interesting experience. Wasn't too much fun, while being apathetic was the major downside for me. Feeling drowsy and sedated was nice, the dried mouth was annoying (especially since it lasted after other effects diminished), and the nausea was negligible.

Exp Year: 2003ExpID: 24155
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Aug 16, 2006Views: 95,938
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Pharms - Citalopram (227) : Alone (16), First Times (2)

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