Citalopram 30mg, are they making me feel worse?

Posted , 2 users are following.

Hi, I have been on Citalopram for around 5 years now for anxiety and panic attacks.

I started off on 10mg, a year or so later went up to 20mg and stayed there for a few years.

(I have intrusive thought ocd symptoms but still waiting on a proper diagnosis!)

After having covid in September and having horrendous panic attacks the GP upped the dosage to 30mg, I've been on it since October (February now) and I'm really not sure if it's making me better or worse. I've been able to stop the compulsion side of ocd but the thoughts can still be there some days. I'm not having panic attacks every day but I wasn't before I had covid either. I feel like it makes my mood so up and down in a day though which has never happened before. And I'm constantly questioning how I feel.

The doctor suggested dropping back down to 20mg but the side effects going up were horrendous for 5 weeks and I'm scared to just drop 10mg off my dosage again.

Has anyone found that 30mg actually made things worse rather than better? Has citalopram stopped working for me? Or is it taking time and the changes are so small I'm not even noticing?

Any help is so welcome lol, thankyou.

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Posted

    bumping to see if I can get any replies 😬

    • Posted

      ho chloe i was on 20mg for many years until i got covid in july last year and started woth severe anxiety so was increased to 30mg. its been such a journey but i can now say im feeling much better. its been really slow for me and ive wanted to reduce sometime. may i ask have you noticed any improvments at all? if you have thats a good sign the meds are working. here if tou want to chat. 😃

    • Posted

      hi Lorraine thankyou for replying!

      I keep wanting to reduce too as I find I have such intrusive thoughts sometimes since upping to 30mg. I am a bit better in the respect that I don't have physical symptoms as much but with the thoughts side of it I'm not sure it's helping at all! How many months was it before you felt improvement?

      One day I think ok ill stay on 30 and the next day I think oh get me off these 😂

    • Posted

      hi chloe, its really positive that you have seen some improvement, i started feeling better after 3 months i was still anxious but my mood had lifted a bit so i felt like i wanted to take part in life a bit more. its slowly got better. i am also on quetiapine just a low dose its prescribed off label for anxiety - this med completely cleared my i trusive thoughts and also got me out of the hopeless despair i found myself in, ive only veen on it for 6 months but ive been reducing it over the last 3 weeks to come off it as its very sedating. are you having any talking therapy?

    • Posted

      I'm on the waiting list for talking therapy but as you know the waiting lists are astronomical lol. I've never heard of quetiapine before! I'm just on citalopram but strangely I find the constant changing of brands can make a difference, not sure if that's a thing or just me 😂 xx

    • Posted

      hi chloe how are you doing now? i also am affecfed my different brands of citalopram, i seem to get a different one everytime. i hope you are okay xx

    • Posted

      Hi Lorriane, I'm doing better how are you? I find hormones really effect me also so a week or so of the month also has an effect on the old anxiety lol. xx

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.