For personal reasons, I began using citalopram as a temporary aid to get through a tough time. It has been helpful, although I have every intention of discontinuing it at the earliest opportunity.
I found that two weeks after starting the regimen, I lost my desire to run. One day I ran a decent 9 miles, then the next day I just stopped. One day's "rest" stretched into days, then weeks.
Has anybody had any similar reaction to a medication such as this; if so, what did you do?
Sane well adjusted people simply don't run. Sorry Pete.
For most of us runners, when the going gets tough, we get running.
Running is our anti-depressant, our counselor, our therapy session, our punching bag, our way of not taking pills.
Good luck buddy.
my shrink said running is actually more effective then meds
Hey,
I went through a similar situation. However my anxiety was due to my coach overworking my body, having me run too many races, and various injuries. So once i went on the meds i wanted nothing to do with running. It\'s been a year since then and I love running again and run everyday without fail because it is an essential part of me... i guess all i can say is...runners never want to hear this...it takes time...sometimes u just have to ask yourself why you run. Because u love it? or because you have too?
gl wrote:
For personal reasons, I began using citalopram as a temporary aid to get through a tough time. It has been helpful, although I have every intention of discontinuing it at the earliest opportunity.
I found that two weeks after starting the regimen, I lost my desire to run. One day I ran a decent 9 miles, then the next day I just stopped. One day's "rest" stretched into days, then weeks.
Has anybody had any similar reaction to a medication such as this; if so, what did you do?
Classic SSRI effect. Your sex drive may soon follow, along with your ability to get an erection. You will find your appetite increasing and your concern with the injustices of the world decreasing. Watch for a marked reduction in your desire to rock the boat, pay off your debts, stop the war in Iraq, or eat healthy food. Soon you will find nothing more satisfying than planting your expanding ass in front of the TV and staring at the bright lights while listening to the loud sounds. They will tell you what products you need to buy; you will buy them. Among them will be more drugs--erectile dysfunction drugs to deal with your limp willy, statins to deal with your now high cholesterol, blood pressure meds for the same reason, ADHD meds to help you counteract the "like a blob" feeling you have all day long, and sleep meds because the ADHD meds will keep you up otherwise.
SSRIs and Modern America. Like PB&J. Ham and Cheese. Chips and salsa. Simon & Garfunkle. Hospitals and doctors. Television and stupidity.
Well written sir. You know exactly what they're up to.
Of course you are aware that the government is putting SSRIs in our water supply. They're trying to dumb us down. Freedom is Slavery. Slavery is Freedom. Wake up people. They want you to make posts on message boards about running rather than actually run at all.
Classic SSRI effect. Your sex drive may soon follow, along with your ability to get an erection. You will find your appetite increasing and your concern with the injustices of the world decreasing. Watch for a marked reduction in your desire to rock the boat, pay off your debts, stop the war in Iraq, or eat healthy food. Soon you will find nothing more satisfying than planting your expanding ass in front of the TV and staring at the bright lights while listening to the loud sounds. They will tell you what products you need to buy; you will buy them. Among them will be more drugs--erectile dysfunction drugs to deal with your limp willy, statins to deal with your now high cholesterol, blood pressure meds for the same reason, ADHD meds to help you counteract the "like a blob" feeling you have all day long, and sleep meds because the ADHD meds will keep you up otherwise.
This is an extraordinarily accurate post.
I wouldn't listen to these people. Some people have a real need for these medications. You may want to experiment with something else. Talk to the prescribing doctor and find what works for you. Perhaps once some time passes you won't need (or will cut back a lot) on SSRIs...
I think Adam Goucher was on an anti-depressant but he got off it cuz he thought it affected his performance...
Hi
I have been taking 30mg of Citalopram daily for 7 months now because of debilitating anxieties about my health. After some initial adjustment over the first 2 weeks where I had mild stomach problems I have been much better and have had far fewer attacks. I have attempted to reduce the meds twice in the last month on my doctors suggestion, but both times I have had problems. I stopped running for a short while (due to the anxiety not the pills) and then built back up very gradually and just this last week have run my first decent (for me) race. The pills have made me feel a little less concerned about things in general but my desire to run is greater than ever.
A good read is Phil Maffetone's 'In fitness and in health' which explains how certain types of running and certain foods can affect anxiety. Best of luck.
That "classic SSRI" effect may be the case for some people, but for me taking antidepressants temporarily (I think it was about 8 months) helped me to get through a very bad time in my life, change things, and come out of it stronger - and I'm not entirely sure I'd be here today without them.
Yes, I did put on weight, which took over a year to lose, but that was a small price to pay for being able to live my life.
It's not the same for everyone.
It sounds more like the meds aren't working, sure sounds more like the illness of depression rather than a side effect of the drug (other than perhaps the erection thing). Talk to the doctor and find one that works for you, perhaps from a different class than SSRI. Wellbutrin perhaps.
Thank you all for taking the effort to reply to this post, even the critical comments (really). I regard these drugs with a certain amount of suspicion, and like I said, I plan to get off this one at the earliest opportunity.
I am socially anxious, and my current work situation requires that I become much more involved with people than before. If I were single I would have changed position, even taken a lower paying job, but I have I wife & children whom I love very much & want to provide with a good life.
I am now seeing someone to help me adjust my current self-critical way of thinking. After creating natural ways to cope using this therapy and through continual immersion, I plan to reduce / eliminate this chemical crutch.
Now, perhaps by switching drugs, my desire to run will return again. I will certainly talk to my doctor about this, but before I do does anyone else have any firsthand knowledge about this particular effect that could be useful?
Ativan(lorazapam) has been very effective for me in dealing with anxiety disorder, which was affecting my health with all the stress hormones released. (.5mg) a very low dose up to twice a day has had no effect on my running or sex life whatsoever. It's an older, more time tested drug. Perhaps a switch may give you the relief you need without the unwanted side effects.
There are plenty of NATURALLY outgoing people who could fill that job. I hate it when dopers like you steal jobs from clean talent.
Experiment with ramping down your dose. SSRI's as an anxiolytic shouldn't change who you are, just take the edge off your anxiety a bit.
End goal should be that you take the edge off, teach yourself to effectively deal with your anxiety and gain some confidence. At some point you may find that you don't need the same dosage and it's time to ramp down. If not, go give a cognitive therapy a try.
I took Lexapro (10mg per day) for while because of this freakish feeling of impending doom when I walked into a room full of people, like a kid walking into a haunted house at midnight. It was paralyzing. But I kept my dose down low enough so I could just tolerate the fear. After a while I started to forget to take it which was a sign that I didn't need it so much.
I never lost the desire to run.
that was good
Isn't it a little bit ironic that you anti-anxiety medication has now made you anxious about the fact that you no longer have the desire to run?
I congratulate you for seeking fellow runner advice. Knowing you are not alone is an integral part of getting better. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) or Panic Attacks can aflict anyone, including athletes. It is a physical reaction which is not yet fully understood, not a sign of "weakness".
Prior commentary mentioned that running helps reduce stress (a trigger for GAD). This is true for recreational running. However, competitive sports may actually have the opposite effect due to the pressure to perform. Therefore, depending on the severity of your condition, you may have to scale back on the comptetitive aspect of your running until you feel better. The entire process (i.e. medication, counseling and reduced stress life-style) may take close to a year to have a lasting effect. Don't fall into the trap of ramping up as soon as you feel better. Good luck!
I was very reluctant at first to start on anything in the 6-8 months following a girl breakup, but once things were too difficult I started off on 50mg of one coupled with therapy once/wk.
On a positive note, I've set PRs in the past year (my last yr of NCAA eligibility) since starting on it. This may be encouraging news but I can't be 100% sure as to whether it's ever had a detrimental effect on my running.