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Citalopram - when to increase?

Posted , 9 users are following.

davidblue85
davidblue85

Hi all,

Hope you are are managing to battle through your own journeys!

As I have now hit the 6 week mark (10mg) and although things have improved from a few weeks ago I'm wondering if I should continue on the same dose or increase?

Reading the Citalopram information online and on this very site it suggests that the full benefit will be felt at 4 weeks, now whilst I've improved I'm not yet the man I was before my 'melt down'!

So my thinking is - if I'm and 6 weeks and this is as good as it gets is now the time to try increasing?

I'm particularly interested in those who have increased, how long before they did and how did they decide the increase was needed?

I'm happy to give this dose a few more weeks and I'm not expecting a quick fix to this 'problem' but I don't want to hold off if an increase is the better option.

0 likes, 35 replies

35 Replies

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  • Marf
    Marf davidblue85

    Posted

    Hi, I've done 12 weeks at 10mg, I'm better now than at 6 weeks, but still feel there's room for improvement xxx it'll be interesting to see what other people have to say about increasing, to wait or not to wait?! xxx
  • katecogs
    katecogs davidblue85

    Posted

    These meds usually take months and months before most people feel the full benefit, so it does seem that you may well be on your way already.

    I believe the typical dose is 20mg.  Increasing your dose will give you side effects temporarily again.  Increasing also won't bring recovery to you any quicker - it'll still take the same amount of time.  You'll probably still feel the same on 20mg as you do now, though of course people do need different doses.

    I actually started on 20mg many many moons ago, recovered and stayed on that for a few years.  Recovery for me took around 3-4 months and improved up to 6 months.  Eventually I reduced to 10mg and maintained my wellness on that for many more years.  

    If you want to increase then it could be now is a good time then.  You may feel out of sorts for a few weeks again, but it'll wear off.

    K x

  • laura86158
    laura86158 davidblue85

    Posted

    Hi David! It takes way longer than that, months and months longer! 4 weeks if your in the 5 percentile I would say. Don't give up! I'm on 6 months and doing well xx
    • Marf
      Marf laura86158

      Posted

      Laura, can I ask what dose you're on? Thanks xx
    • laura86158
      laura86158 Marf

      Posted

      Hi Marf

      I started on 10 for about 3 weeks then went up to 20 and have stayed there. There were times when I wanted to increase thinking maybe I wasn't on a hight enough one. However I stuck with this one and eventually things got got better. xx

  • lorraine52317
    lorraine52317 davidblue85

    Posted

    Hi David

    i stayed on cit 10mg for six week with not really any improvement. Although i got the odd couple of hours of partial improvement occasionally in the evening. On going up to 20 I did notice a noticeable improvement within a few days of the increase. I got a few side effects with the increase but they were not intense like the ones I got when first starting cit.

    I would say .....go for it!

    God blessxx

  • davidblue85
    davidblue85

    Posted

    Thanks all for your comments.

    To be clear I don't want to have to increase BUT if I need a different dosage to get to where I want to be then I'll do it!

    I'm due to speak to my GP the end of next week and we agreed we'd review it then. If I do increase I'll do it slowly and move to 15mg first to see how I get on.

    What I can't judge is how do you know when your on the right dose...i.e. What does being 'healed' feel like or what is normal if that makes sense!?

    • lorraine52317
      lorraine52317 davidblue85

      Posted

      Hi David

      bless you, I love your approach! We may all have conflicting viewpoints here, but I honestly from the heart would not advise you to wait six months like I did! I kept waiting and unfortunately for me citalopram didn't give me full recovery. But increasing the dose did get me out of bed for a few hours. Before coming off cit, I would look forward to the evenings as I knew I would be able to cope with doing a few things.eg. bathing and trying to eat something. In saying that you can see by posts here that citalipram has worked wonders for them. I changed my antidepressant just over four weeks ago. The difference was immediate and I was up and out! Shopping, socialising, eating and an amazing feeling of clarity. I felt alive again. I have had some bad mood swings which last about 20 minutes then vanish. This I believe is citalopram still withdrawing from my system.

      David it really is a minefield knowing what advice to take and what path to go down. I would say go with your gut feeling and then see if your doctor agrees/disagrees.

      Are you managing to do your day to day activities and are you able to socialise a little on 10mg? If the answer is 'no' it's time to give that increase serious consideration

      wishing you well ♥

      Lorraine xx

    • john_vince54836
      john_vince54836 davidblue85

      Posted

      Hi david,

      Im on the same dose 10mg....on my 4th month now and i can say that it takes months and months for you to notice the big difference... What i can advice is for you to stick with your dose for the mean time give it another month or more...

      Its a gradual process and maybe who knows 10mg is the perfect dose for you although we have different body to cope with..

      This is my second time with it. I take 10mg also during my first time... I also wanted to increase the dose during my second month or third due to gradual improvrment but this site help me to patiently wait and i think its worth the wait...

      Keep us update

      Jv

    • katecogs
      katecogs davidblue85

      Posted

      That is tricky to know if you're on the right dose - actually you don't, not at the beginning - its trial and error getting it right just for you.  You have to just take the dose you're on, wait for the side effects to pass then wait even more for the meds to stabilise ....... and wait some more.   Some people feel brief spells of feeling normal, happy, calm followed by spells of feeling low again, whereas some people just begin to feel happy and it stays.

      Healed - feels free of anxiety, lighthearted, warm, happy, free from depression .......

       

    • davidblue85
      davidblue85 lorraine52317

      Posted

      Hi Lorraine - do you mind me asking what medication you went onto after cit didn't work for you?

      I was given sertraline to try before cit and only managed 2 days as the side effects were horrendous for me!

    • lorraine52317
      lorraine52317 davidblue85

      Posted

      Hi David

      i am now on mirtazipine it's been a life saver! I has ever reached side effect on cit and was so scared about the prospect of enduring shakes, tremors, dizziness, nausea not to mention sweats and a brain that appeared to have unattached itself from reality! Prior to being diagnosed with major depression last year, I had never had a days illness where anything stronger than an antibiotic or neurofen did the trick! So citalopram was my first ever antidepressant.

      To cut a long story short..when six months of cit failed, I asked my gp if she would consider prescribing me mirtazipine. Mainly I was swayed by a number of people here on the 'patient . info' forum, who had taken mirtazipine and had got well quickly. So much so they never bothered coming back to inspire other sufferers. On my first day of taking it i was sleepy but knew i was feeling an immediate improvement. The second day i was up and about, laughing and joking with family, my appetite returned which was something cit suppressed for me. And the best part... no side effects! Wow I felt joy for the first time in half a year. I am now on my faith week and have only had the odd mood swing (withdrawal from cit) but that vanishes as quickly as it comes. Mirtazipine has made me well (noticeably after just taking my first 15mg tablet! I am now doing everything I was doing prior to being unwell! When you asked "what does recovery feel like" it's total elation and pure joy and gratitude. Whilst on cit I never felt that health or clarity of mind. . I wasn't trying to be a 'know it all' when I responded to you. From my heart I want you to feel well without stretching the suffering.

      I now try to remember to thank god every day for my health, and also ask his forgiveness for doubting his existence when I was so ill.

      I hope you continue to share your journey with us David.

      God bless always xx

    • lorraine52317
      lorraine52317 davidblue85

      Posted

      First line was meant to say...Every single retched side effect on cit. This auto correct can get very annoying! ♥
    • jran
      jran lorraine52317

      Posted

      I agree Lorraine i would not wait 6mths thats too long unless its getting better daily to excellent at 6mths. I feel a month is to long but doable just the same. I am seeing big improvement at 1mth so by 2 i hope for excellent maybe wishful thinking but Doc said to stay on for at least 6mths so improvement has got to be sooner.if its up to you David i would increase to 15mg sooner the better
    • jran
      jran lorraine52317

      Posted

      Hi Lorraine

      I was on Avanza(Mirzapine)at night(cant remember the dosage), for about 5years and bad reflux all that time and weight gain but otherwise good. I didnt realize it caused the reflux until i stopped taking it 1 year ago it got lesser and lesser.The weight fell off too. But then i ave up smoking  and went down hard. so on escitalopram now. I wish i had your faith & strength and love.  

    • lorraine52317
      lorraine52317 jran

      Posted

      Bless you jran

      how are you doing now? And we'll done for quitting the cig! Although I am no longer dependent on cig. .I am dependent on my electronic ciggy! Was a big crutch during my six months off depression. Last two days have been a bit of a washout, hoping it's still cit withdrawal and not depression creeping back! Hope your day is a really good one.

      God bless ♥

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