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Citalopram

Posted , 5 users are following.

susan45741
susan45741

Hello

have been on citalopram for 7 months now (10mg) and feeling much better (suffer anxiety, panic, depression) - went to doctor today and he has suggested to up to the 20mg - said to try for a couple of weeks and let him know whether I wish to carry on at the 20mg - just wondering if anyone has upped the mg at the 6/7 month stage? And if you did, how are you getting on?

thank you

susan

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • katecogs
    katecogs susan45741

    Posted

    If you're feeling better on 10mg then why does he want to up your medicine?

    I've always taken 20mg which is the usual dose for most people.  I  recovered on 20mg and after years of taking it I did decrease my dose to 10mg and maintained my well being on that.

    When you up your dose you will get side effects again - happens with every dose increase, but they'll ease off after a while.

    If you're not feeling quite well yet, then the increase is a good idea, but if you're feeling ok now I'd question why increasing it.

    K xx

     

    • susan45741
      susan45741 katecogs

      Posted

      Hello -

      Not really sure but could be that 20mg would be the usual dose as you say for most people.

      i have been on this drug twice before at 10mg and 20mg over the years but when I've come off them the symptoms slowly creep back!

      i usually just struggle on for as long as I can before going onto meds!

      i would probably cope with the side effects.

      will chat with my husband tonight and decide what to do

      thank you for answering my question

      regards Susan x

    • katecogs
      katecogs susan45741

      Posted

      I came off this meds a year ago and took a natural SSRI, but restarted last August due to family illness and the stress of it began to drag me down so I restarted them before I hit rock bottom.  I'll come off them again soon.

      During the time I was off them, I took 5-HTP and l-tyrosine, both bought over the counter.  You need both together.  5-HTP is apparently very similar to SSRI's.  Read the book by Michael T Murray called Thr Natural Way to Overcome Depression - it's a very interesting read.

      So, if ever you decide to come off them again, give them a go.

      Why have you come off the medication before?  You can take this for life if need be.  Maybe try the 20mg and get yourself feeling back to being great, and then eventually reduce it to 10mg or 5mg and see if you can maintain feeling well on that.  Some persistent side effects lessen too with a lesser dose.

       

    • susan45741
      susan45741 katecogs

      Posted

      Thank you for response - i shall keep the natural remedy in mind and shall obtain the book from amazon.

      I have come off this twice - both times thought i would be okay and twice it came back - in between times i just struggled on with the panic/anxiety/depression which really upset me and family - so this time i really need to stay on long term i think - having talked with my husband tonight - am going to try the 20mg for a couple of weeks and see - dr said to phone in two weeks and let him know if I'm okay taking the 20mg!

      Regards

      Susan x

    • a18842
      a18842 katecogs

      Posted

      Hi katecogs....interested in the supplements I'm just wondering was there a certain dose u had to take as when I buy ant herbal supplement I never no how much to take 😧
    • katecogs
      katecogs a18842

      Posted

      Hi a18842

      I just took 1 tablet of each per day (don't remember the doseage recommended in the book, will have to look that up), but my bottle of 5-HTP is 50mg and says take 1 - 2 per day, and l-tyrosine bottle is 500mg and that's 1 per day.

      You mustn't take these with Citalopram or any other SSRI by the way.  Only take when you stop taking the meds.

       

    • katecogs
      katecogs susan45741

      Posted

      It is strange how it comes back isn't it.  I've come off them before too and I can just feel it creeping back.  The last time though I took 5-HTP etc I was fine for about a year.

      That's good you'll try 20mg.  Should try that dose for a long time though.

      K x

    • a18842
      a18842 katecogs

      Posted

      Thanks I'm not planning to take them yet as I'm on citalopram but it's good to no for the future if ANC when I come off these 😀
    • David_21660
      David_21660 katecogs

      Posted

      That's interesting about the natural SSRI. We'll look into that for when I am ready to come off and the Doc says to start reducing. In the meantime I shall do some reading!

      Cheers Me Dear!

      David x

    • katecogs
      katecogs David_21660

      Posted

      You can take SSRI's for life if needed, they're not addictive.  But do get the book about the natural one, it's really interesting and makes sense.

      K x

       

  • gwen1953
    gwen1953 susan45741

    Posted

    When you say you feel much better do you mean much better than you were without it or much better that you feel back to normal.  There is a big difference.  The doctor might think and see an improvement in you but feel that that extra 10% could make the difference between feeling better and feeling your normal self again. He's only asking you to try it for a couple of weeks. If it doesn't continue to improve things then you come of 20mg and revert to the original 10mg. There's nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
    • susan45741
      susan45741 gwen1953

      Posted

      Hi - i mean that i feel better than without it - i agree that doc wants to see if an extra 10% may do the job and i have talked to my husband who doesn't seem to think i need more but if i want that i should try for the two weeks at least! As you say i can always come back to the 10mg - thank you for your input, much appreciated - Susan x
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