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Citalopram, weening onto it

Posted , 6 users are following.

annelise.k
annelise.k

Hi everyone, Ive suffered from moderate to severe panic disroder for a while, and Ive been quite debilitated because of it for roughly 2 years.   

My main trigger is my health, specifically nausea and vomitting.  

My doctor initially prescribed me teva-Lorazepam 1mg which is working great for in the moment situations where I need imediate relief.  

However I, just like thousands, want my old life back.  

My doctor prescribed me Citalopram 20mg back in october of 2016, I was to take 10mg for 7 days then take 20mg per day afterwards with a follow up appointment a month later.  I read the side effects and saw nausea and vomitted came up a lot.. I refused to take them out of complete fear up until 3 days ago ( January 10, 2017 ). At my appointments between then and now we had talked about natural and alternative ways to help fix it, with out much success happening though.. At my last appointment in December we talked about weening onto it in very small incriments.  I was still very weary about it though.  I finally bit the bullet though this week and realized I dont want to live the rest of my life the way it is right now.  I took my doctors advice and I am taking it in 2.5mg doses and uping it by 2.5mg every 5 days until I reach 20mg which should be by mid-February.  

So far no bad side effects, really none in general, except I get drowsy an hour after taking it for an hour or so then I go back to normal.  

I just want to know if anyone has had success weening thmeselves onto it slowly like I am.  I also take gravol every night before bed because I cant slepe at night otherwise ( been taking it for over a year daily ).  

My doctor and pharmasist said that this is a good idea ( to slowing up my dose ) so I dont experience bad effects while doing it. 

I just want to know if anyone else has done it the way I am and how it worked out for them !! 

THANK YOU XO

0 likes, 19 replies

19 Replies

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  • annelise.k
    annelise.k

    Posted

    Im also a nursing student, so I amaware of lots of facts in correspondence to medications in this feild, but Im still curious to hear from others ! text books only tell you so much !!

     

  • Zio10
    Zio10 annelise.k

    Posted

    Iv been in medical sonce 18! I to look everything up, research ect... im in U.S. Im on my 7th med, Citolopram. Started at 10mg (halfing a 20mg) in morning for 7 days. Today is day 3 of 20mg. Half in am half in pm. But I have noticed now at night dose, I have some insomnia. I also have been on 0.5mg Clonazapam for 2 yrs now prn (as needed). Half it. So far no real digestive probs. Prozac was horrible. Zoloft was good mentally but physically so sick, like toxicity. Liver enzymes went up. So Cymbalta started (i have fibromyalgia) nothing really. Helped pain but numb everything else. Wellbutrin XL I was in a rage all time. Lamictal brought up (why I dont know! Its for bi-polar) took 2 days an felt absolutely horrid. So tryin Celexa. Give it a whirl. Do it your way. However you feel comfortable doin it but give it a try an dont expect a break through until at leadt 3-4 wks. Everyone diff. Im giving it at 20mg for 4 wks an we'll see. Exercise and Omega-3 ( a GOOD one!) An Vit. D an magnesium help me.

    Goodluck!

    • annelise.k
      annelise.k Zio10

      Posted

      Thankyou so much !! That really helps !! It's a hard drug to take !!

  • borderriever
    borderriever annelise.k

    Posted

    Personally I would not want to cut the medications, to do that will loose effectiveness and the 10mg dose is not a high dose, that is why your GP have started at ten then increased to 20mg. All you are doing is slowing down your recovery, although I understand your thinking, I feel it is not a positive way to go.

    Follow all advise from your GP, the medication comes in 10mg you are slowing your treatment and possibly loosing part of the drugs healing

    BOB

    • annelise.k
      annelise.k borderriever

      Posted

      Hi there,

      As I mentioned my doctor and I had discussed weening onto them the way I am doing so right now. I just wanted to know if others had done the same what their experience was like doing so!!! Thank you though !!!

    • borderriever
      borderriever annelise.k

      Posted

      I have not heard  of this method when the drug is introduced at such a low level. Eating into a tablet like this will reduce its effectiveness 

      If you GP and chemist ? has agreed to this that is what you follow. 

      In my eyes it is a waste of time

      BOB

    • annelise.k
      annelise.k borderriever

      Posted

      Yes but if you actually read my initial post, I stated my main cause for myosnic disorder. The listed side effects cause me to go into panic attacks at the thought. My cocern isn't how soon it will alleviate my anxiety, it's about slowly introducing my body to it 5 days at a time. I am to work my way up to 20mg daily, by in order for me to do it comfortable I have to very slowly introduce myself to it.

      You clearly are not a medical professional, and I am 3rd year nursing student. I do know that you can ween on to and off of any medication and still get the same end result, it mate take longer but it doesn't affect how it will work for you in the very end. I was just wanting to know other people's experience doing it this way.

      Thank you

    • Zio10
      Zio10 borderriever

      Posted

      Actually the 20mg tablets are scored which means they can be cut in half an not hindered the strength. You would be just taking 10mg. Any pill scored can be cut in half.
    • Zio10
      Zio10 annelise.k

      Posted

      Here in U.S. it is done rather frequently slowly titrating up. Everyones body is different. Some can handle the full on 20mg but some cannot. I WAS on 10mg (per a PSYCHIATRIST-BOB!) for 7 days then went to 20mg, now end of day 3. Not many side effects doing it this way as Iv had before going full blast to therapeutic doses. Some are VERY sensitive an going to full therapeutic dose could very well cause someone to just not take the drug due to horrific side effects. I say (been in med field since 18 an Im 48 & on med #7!) Do whats good an comfortable for you. But remember each titration up you will have side effects again. An give it 3-4-5 wks. You prob already know all this! For some, titrating is the best thing.

      Goodluck!

    • annelise.k
      annelise.k Zio10

      Posted

      Yes, I have 20mg tablets which are scored, so I can cut them in half, but I also have a pill cutter which my doctor told me to use to cut each 10mg half into half and half again, then up to 5mg then 7.5 then 10mg.  I might be good with even only using 10mg per day and have the affects I desire from it.  So Im very positive about it all already.  The reason for taking suhc tiny steps up though is because my panic disorder and anxiety is triggered by feeling neuseaus as my brain thinks Im going to throw up from any sort of neusea.  So Im just giving my body as much time as possible to adjust to it so I can limit my side effects smile 

      Thank you for your input !!!!

    • borderriever
      borderriever annelise.k

      Posted

      If you know the answer and are a nurse, why are you asking.

      As I have mentioned, I take 2x10mg tbs and the 10mg is not scored. The 10mg dose is the lowest. If the 20mg dose can be scored that gives you the option to split. A dose.

      The 10mg tb is small and under that situation the tablet split could be problematic. All I know when I was put on this drug the problems I had were minimal and I have been on the drug now for near on a decade.

      I am not going to discuss dose rates again on these sites, it is an old chestnut that rears its head many times each day. This is not really a support issue, it feels like flogging a dead hourse

      BOB

      I will explain I am a patient like most people on here. Many Laymen on this site enter for information because they are having problems getting appointments to see their GPs or the rationd treatments of CPNs

      I am not a Doctor or Nurse

    • Zio10
      Zio10 borderriever

      Posted

      She is asking how others feel an others stories. Don't be a bully.

  • ryan06165
    ryan06165 annelise.k

    Posted

    Hi annelise,

    I was on citalopram for a total of three years. During the beginning stages of getting on citalopram, I was skeptical, to say the least. The doctor wanted me to start on 10mg, but I felt that was too much. I initially took the 10mg, but it made my anxiety 20 times worse. I felt disconnected from reality.

    What worked for me was starting at 5mg per week until I got up to 20 mg. That's where I stayed for 3 years.

    I will mention that even 5mg increases still gave me side effects, but that could have been in my head as well.

    It was pure hell getting on celexa, but one day I woke up, stayed busy and slept like a baby.

    I loved celexa. It did wonders for my panic attacks! I went three years without a single attack.

    Just do what works for you! One day, hopefully soon, you'll just realize that you're feeling better. Your panic will be at bay and you'll simply smile to yourself! Stick with it, you can do it!

    Good luck!

    -Ryan

    • jenny23690
      jenny23690 ryan06165

      Posted

      hi ryan,

      thanks for your reply to orignal poster as i am in the same situation, I have been on cipramil now for about 2 and a half years or more, 10mg, I feel it is not working well as I have extreme bouts of obsessive thinking and lots and lots of worry..

      Anyhow I upped my dose myself to 15mg over a week ago but it seems for me it took a few days to have side effects appear, overall i feel more anxious and ocd seems worse and i am having bouts of crying, which is something i do not do usually, I feel all over the place, also have alot of sinus pressure.

      I suffer with sinus problems anyway and this seems to be making it worse. 5mg I cannot believe all the side effects. I want to take the leap to 20mg but i am worried and over thinking the whole thing.

      I hate this in between stage it is tough going but I have to do this in the hope it will help with my pure ocd.

      best wishes.

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