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citalopram to sertraline

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nick21824
nick21824

Hi folks, been on citalopram for 8 years now, apart from a brief time on miratzipine 3 month last October to start of January, then back on Cit since, however the mood has never really lifted 5 out of 10 at best and the last 2 weeks more like 3 out of 10. So been back at the docs and switching to sertraline 50mg then a 100mg after 2 weeks, has anyone done this swap, and were there side effects, when I swapped from cit to miratzipine last year there was little anxiety but nothing major, the miratzipine made me angry so had to come off it.

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • oldboy
    oldboy nick21824

    Posted

    Hi Nick

    I have done that swap with no additional side effects.  Both drugs are SSRIs so work in the same way.  (Mirtazapine is different).  I did the swap hoping sertraline would not cause insomnia as citalopram did - but it was no different.  I am still on the sert (100mg) but take a low dose of mirt (15mg) with it to counter the insomnia.  That works well. 

    • nick21824
      nick21824 oldboy

      Posted

      How did you do the change over, I was on 20mg Citalopram I'v cut down to 10mg for 7 days.

      Then if I have no side effects no Cit for a week or every other day if I do get withdrawls, then onto 50mg sertraline, and up to 100mg

    • oldboy
      oldboy nick21824

      Posted

      I seem to remember I did the whole swap in about 2 weeks.  It is better to make lots of small changes rather than a few bigger ones, eg take 10mg citalopram every other day rather than stopping it.  You should not have any trouble as both drugs work the same way.
    • oldboy
      oldboy nick21824

      Posted

      No.  It was the low dose of mirtazapine which made the difference.  Both the cit and the sert stopped me sleeping.  The mirt countered that.      
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