Doctor upped dose today from 10 to 15mg escitalopram

Hi Don, thanks for replying, oh I hope I'm lucky like you then with side effects, I had them when I upped from 5 to 10, did you?

I feel really flat and tired so hoping the upped dose helps and stick with it as hopefully yours will kick in soon

I also get so emotional, want to cry a lot!

Hi

I started on 10mg after switching from citalopram

Yes I switched from citalopram too with awful side effects and no good results! Apparently escitalopram is better or at least I hope we both get good results

Hi

I'm suffering from negative thoughts what are your about ? Mine about what people think about me and are the looking at me funny etc

Hi

When u say don't take them at night do u mean the escitalopram? I take mine about 6 in the evening and the morning are still a struggle

Hi Don, yes the escitalopram I take in the morning about 7am, I've always taken in the morning and don't really want to change as I sleep ok and don't want to risk the insomnia some people have! I'm on day 3 of upped dose and I feel really tired and shaky

This sucks this anxiety!

Hi loo loo, thanks for replying, just so fed up and hoping that the 15mg works for me too. Got through my holiday with the lorazepam and as soon as got back I didn't take it and doc said to up dose! I'm suffering with side effects all over again, wish I didn't feel so tired, it wipes me out!

Also really jittery and shaky and flat feeling, it seems another 4-6 weeks is ages to wait all over again!!! Sorry to moan as I know we are all going through it or have done!

glad you got through your holdiay ok. you could try taking half a lorazapem every other night while you are getting used to the 15mg, to soften the side effectss.xxx

I never thought of that, I will see how I go! Thanks again x

Hi

When u say don't take them at night do u mean the escitalopram? I take mine about 6 in the evening and the morning are still a struggle

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Hi Don.  No, you are best to take the escitalopram in the morning. Try changing to this method & see if it helps. maybe take 5mg dose tonight, 10mg dose tomorrow morning, then take full 15mg dose saturday morning  You could always ring your gp to make sure this is ok to do to transition you to taking it in the morning. my gp & pharmacist both told me this med is best taken in the morning when i started them. x

Hi Don, just wanted to ask did you get side effects again when you upped from 10-15mg escitalopram? I'm on day 4 of upped dose and feel really anxious and have upset tummy, feel a little nauseous?

Hi Sue, hope you don't mind me replying when you actually asked don this question...... it is normal to get side effects again when you increase dose, but not usually as badly as when you actually start the medication at the beginning. also, did you stop the lorazapem you took on holiday cold turkey style? if you just stopped after a week or 2 of using it every day, that might also be adding to anxiety symptoms. perhaps try the suggestion i made the other day about taking half a lorazapem every other night while you get used to increased dose of escitalopram for a few weeks & see if that helps. whatever you decide to do, dont just stop the lorazapem dead - you need to reduce gradually over a couple of weeks to nothing for best results. you can still just take it occasionally like i do with not having to "wean" down, but if you've been taking it continually for a week or 2, its best to stop gradually as i said above. you also have a lot to cope with as you are perimenopausal which is probably contributing to your anxiety -i do understand - its very difficult to get the balance right. but i have managed it with effective doses of escitalopram, & propranalol (beta blocker for anxiety) & more recently hrt (which you need to bring up with your doc next time you see her, as another lady also said the other day on here- perimenopause i mean to discuss , but you might also want to talk about poss hrt). try to stay as positive as possible, i know its hard getting there Sue. xxx

Thankyou loo loo, of course I don't mind, you are a great support on here!!! I saw a therapist yesterday and he said as I only took them for 10 days he said I could have tapered off and yes it might be adding to my anxiety but he and the doctor just want me to keep just on escitalopram as they wont know if it's working! I said it's a shame but they won't prescribe them long term!

As for HRT he did touch on that and I explained that dr tried me on HRT but the type you're not meant to bleed on as my last period was well over 2 years ago but he told me to stop as I bled a proper period for 2 weeks solid but he didn't offer me an alternative but I have an appointment with Dr on 30th and I'm going to ask and also I think the therapist has noted it for the doctor to reassuring so hopefully I will get sorted! It's been 8 very long months and I'm also feeling very tearful and keep having random crying spells! Thanks for caring x

Also sorry to nag with questions but when on ads and HRT how do you know which ones helping? X

Sue, you're not nagging hun.  I've been on ad's more often than not since aged 19. my current spell on escitalopram started over 4yrs ago, & been on the propranalol for anxiety many many years. the perimenopause only raised it's ugly head at the beginning of this year approximately although i had had 2yrs of irregular bleeding before all the other symptoms kicked in this year. i was fine on the ad's & beta blockers before the peri stuff started. also i increased my escitalopram from 15 - 20mg to begin with in march pending a doc's appt that i had to wait a few weeks for  as i was desperate & thought it was depression & anxiety getting worse at first. the increase did not help - it just made me feel sedated. when i saw my doc she put 2 & 2 together & diagnosed me as perimenopausal. it was only 2 or 3wks after starting the hrt that the mental symptoms & headaches started getting better, which made all the other symptoms eg night sweats much more easier to accept/deal with. so i need both - as i have suffered very long term with anxiety & depression & it always creeps back when i have tried to come off them so i take maintenance level doses (maintenance level for me). the hrt is dealing with the hormonal issues of peri. although saying that, I've had 2 horrendous all day headaches this week (got one today) along with physical symptoms & light bleed. so hrt is great , but hormones fluctuate so frequently, even on hrt , we have to accept the odd "bad day". but on the whole, i would not be without the hrt. i am off sick & ill with bowel problems at present still under investigation with hosp &  i 100% believe i would be in a deep spiral of depression & anxiety because of this if i hadn't started hrt when i did in april.  xxx

Thanks and sorry to hear about your bowel problems, hope you sort that out!

I'm post menopausal so don't know if HRT will help but will see what Dr says, thanks again, you're a star! X

Hi Susan

When I up dose things weren't to bad but everyone's different im weeks in now and just switched to taking it in the morning pharmacist said that's the best time to take it

So sorry Sue, i thought you were peri not post!!  even so, hrt might be an option to discuss with doc next time, as it sounds very much like it could be a factor for you. xx

Thats great Don. hope it makes a difference for you.  keep us posted on here.

Hi Hun, me again! Hope you don't mind but I've forgotten if I felt like it before (I think I did)!!!

Woke a little shaky this morning but not too bad (6 days on upped dose) but an hour after taking my dose I feel all shaky and really tired and generally uneasy and low mood! Is this normal and how long will this last? Thanks if you can help x

Of course i don't mind Sue.  yes its normal -  its a bit like starting again, but not normally as bad as initially starting the med from scratch. everyone is different, but temp side effects should fade away gradually 1 - 4wks. hopefully it will be sooner rather than later for you. remember too you stopped the lorazapem suddenly so could be a contributor &hormones!  uuuuggghhh its a drag isn't it!!!  take care hun. xx

Oh thanks loo loo, you are such a great help and hopefully me knowing its normal will set my mind at rest!!!

Yes it is a drag I just want to be me again, hope it doesn't take too long!

Thanks again, really appreciate it x

Hi loo loo, just wondering how you are?

I've settled right down on the 15mg escitalopram just like you said I probably would!!!!! I'm now the nearest I'm going to get to being me! Still have off days but don't we all!

Hope you see this as you were such a big help to me,

Sue x

Hi Sue. I am fine hun, thankyou for thinking of me!! I have been back to work since december after 7mths off with my chronic bowel probs(still under investigation!). my consultant managed to be put on a couple of meds in november that slowed everything (my bowels) right down & thus the pain enabling me to go back to work. the only downside is those meds make me even more tired than before i started them, so that's the hardest thing to manage presently. i am loving being back at work, but find i am using most of my 3 rest days out 7 just sleeping for most of it, hence i havent really had time to answer/follow patient uk much last couple of months. i hope i can manage the tiredness better with time.  i also have gynae issues(under investigation too) so no doubt that adds to the tiredness!

I am glad you are feeling more like old self hun, & yes you're right we do all have off days - after all we're not robots are we!!!

xxxx

Hi loo loo, glad you're back to work, I am too but only very part time but at least I didn't give it up although at times I wanted to! Never thought I'd get here but I did!!!

Sorry to hear you're still having bowel and gyeany problems but sounds like it's loads better than it was so that's good!

Anyway take care xxx

hello its me

my doc upped mine to 15mg because 10 mg wasnt working. is that why you went to 15 mgs? i feel my anxiety coming back so we are going to try 15mg. i thought i was fine and then tried to quit and that was a huge mistake. i cut down to 7.5 qnd not good.

Hi Daka, sorry to hear you are still having an unsettled time!

I was like you when I was on the 10mg, I was up and down on the 10 but when my Dr upped me to the 15mg it seemed to settle and have been on this dose since Aug of last year! I still had a little anxiety in the first six weeks but it gradually got less and less and now I feel like I'm coping really well!

I think for myself and loo loo the 15 is a good dose and hopefully it will work for you too!

Keep at it and good luck, x

Hi looloo . I'm curious what you were put on to slow down your motility . I've struggled with bowel problems for years and haven't had much luck slowing down my hypermotility. Thanks

Hi Rotten.  The 2 key meds that i was put on in november 2016 that have really helped my bowel motility are: amitryptilline 20mg just before bed together with buscopan 2 tablets per dose which i take am with my liquid breakfast of half a pint of milk, & 2 at teatime in evening after dinner. they are both "anti cholinergic" drugs which slow down the part of the brain that controls digestion & bowels. i am now down to an average of 3 bowel movements a day, well controlled without that awful urgency without fear of "an accident". i still have roughly one looser bowel movement a day(usually the 2nd or 3rd one) but not anywhere near like the urgent watery explosive diarrea i used to get daily.

It took me 3/4wks to get used to the amitryptilline gradually increasing the dose from 5mg to 20mg-it made me feel a bit drowsy/spaced out initially but it wore off as i got used to it. i still get quite tired on it combined with my body always fighting off inflammation/flares, but a small price to pay needing extra rest to be able to go to work again , socialise & go shopping . x