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How do you get 15mg. citalopram dose?

Posted , 6 users are following.

laura79036
laura79036

I see alot of people titrating their dose from 10mg. to 15mg.

Wondering how everyone does it.  I imagine by cutting the 10mg. pill in half.  But it isn't scored, so is it okay to do?  Would you get the same amount every day or is it not an issue?  Welcome all ideas on how to increase dose slowly. Thanks.

0 likes, 27 replies

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  • maria40821
    maria40821 laura79036

    Posted

    I wanted to reduce my dose from 10 to 5 and the pharmacist said I could just cut the 10 in half with the pill cutter I got at the pharmacy. The pill wasn't scored and it worked just fine. You could do the same to add the 5 you need. Hope it works as well for you as it did for me.

  • Grunthos
    Grunthos laura79036

    Posted

    In the UK Cit is available as 10mg, 20mg and 40mg.  Maybe alternate 10mg and 20mg every 2 days for a while?  When my GP started me on Cit it was 10mg every other day for 4 weeks then 10mg per day for 4 weeks and so on and so forth  ...........

    I don't think the variable dose is an issue as it takes 4 to 6 weeks for the new dose to kick in anyway.

    • laura79036
      laura79036 Grunthos

      Posted

      That's an idea, although I'd worry about the 36 hour half life and then not feeling even by taking it every other day.  Good to know it worked for you in case I consider having to do that.  Thank you.

      Been 3 weeks on 10mg. and it's looking like I need to increase.  

       

    • Grunthos
      Grunthos laura79036

      Posted

      Hi Laura,

      I believe the 35 hour half-life means that an "uneven" dose will stabilise very quickly.  If the half-life was smaller, say 12 hours, then an uneven dose probably wouldn't be recommended.

  • laura79036
    laura79036

    Posted

    Any more suggestions and encouragement on what worked for everyone is appreciated.  I probably could just go to the 20mg. and hopefully will be fine.  It's just taking that initial step. 

  • gillian176
    gillian176 laura79036

    Posted

    Yes just get a pill cutter. About £1.99

    Use 10 mg tablets. Cut those in half for 5 mg

    Keep a seoerate bottle for the bits

    They can be used the next night

    Any slight inconsistency in size:dose will even out

    I reduced 20 mg down to 1.25 mg nightly over a year back in 2013

    But I kept a record chart of what I was on as I would have varied doses 20/17.5/20/17.5 etc and so on

    This avoided drug errors

    I personally would not advocate missing doses or huge drops in dose

    Alters the levels too much

    By taking a year I had no withdrawel effects

    But I did have to go back on it again this January

    On reflection the need for Cit came back 6 weeks after I fully stopped it

    I foolishly hung back from seeing my Gp to go back on it as I knew how tricky that was

    I will maybe try in the future to reduce down from 20mg. To maybe 10 mg BUT if I have to stay on it for life so be it

    It's changed my life back to how I was

    • laura79036
      laura79036 gillian176

      Posted

      Thanks gillian.  I had the exact same experience.  I was on 20 mg. for 6 months and felt the need to reduce it, due to some side effects.  Got down to 10mg. over 8 weeks.  Stayed on 10 for 5  weeks, then off.  Anxiety came back at 8 weeks.  Like you, I  am thinking I need to be on this.  
    • gillian176
      gillian176 laura79036

      Posted

      Tx for sharing that experience Laura

      Justifys my own!

      I was much more focussed in my reduction dosages than yourself I think. Maybe you just go back on at 10 mg?

      If that's stable stay there?

      Let me know how u do

  • gillian176
    gillian176 laura79036

    Posted

    Oops Sorry.... I just reread that and see it's upping your dose u want! Not reducing

    But the principle of cutting it stays the same

    If I had to up dose , knowing how each increase can bring back the side effects I would be dithering between wacking back in at 15 mg or doing 12.5 mgf for cple weeks then 15

    Hmm it's very individual isn't it

    I think I would just go straight to 15 but it's up to you

    But yes just cut 10mg in half and store the bit for next nite

    Good luck👏👏

    • laura79036
      laura79036 gillian176

      Posted

      Well, I ended up just going to the 20mg. It's been okay so far on day 6.  Feel a boost every few days.  

      Yah, it took me about 4 months to become stable on it last year, with up and down days into month 5 and 6.  Then at 6 months, had side effects that I wanted to knock down, so I reduced and went off.  Hindsight tells me it was not a good idea.  Maybe if I would have stayed on 15mg. or 10 I would have been okay.  But don't know that either.

      Will keep working with the doctor on this.

    • ellen40147
      ellen40147 laura79036

      Posted

      My doctor started me out on 10mg to help get my system used to the drug. At the 5 weeks mark had me to buy a good pill splitter and closely increase my dosage. Went from 10 to 12.5 then to 15. He said to make each increase no more than every 2 weeks so I could see how I reacted to each increase. We were aiming for 20mg. but once I reached the 15 it seemed to start evening things out for me so we decided to stay with that dosage and see how things go. So far so good. I started on Citalopram in January so I have now been on it about 6 months.
    • laura79036
      laura79036 ellen40147

      Posted

      Thanks Ellen.  I went straight to the 20mg.  although I feel the 15mg. would suit me better.  I had been on the 20 for 6 months and needed to knock the dose down a bit, but ended up going off of it over the course of 14 weeks.  After 8 weeks off, I needed to go back on it.

      I think that's neat how your doctor advised you.  Mine has never suggested to do any in between dose.

      Are you using 10 mg. pills to get your dose?

    • gillian176
      gillian176 ellen40147

      Posted

      That's one way of doing it 👏

      I wud like to get down to 15 wen I have my next review

    • gillian176
      gillian176 laura79036

      Posted

      Exactly what happened to me in 2014

      6 weeks later I realized it was a mistake but foolishly it took me until this jan messing about with herbal stuff. Counselling meditation etc

      But it just was t strong enough

      I will never come completely off it again

      Am 64 but I have my life and mind back

      Would like to get to 15/10 in future tho as I was stable even down at 1.25 mg!

      But without it at all was HORRID

    • laura79036
      laura79036 gillian176

      Posted

      Sounds like you struggled for a couple years between 2014 and now.

      So Gillian, if you started it this January, how was your start up experience and how long did it take you to feel better?  

    • gillian176
      gillian176 laura79036

      Posted

      It was tough

      I knew I would be.. I had done it before but that was a much quicker recovery which I foolishly expected to happen again

      I am medically trained as well so I do understand these things but that doesn't stop you thinking this is not working/ is the dose right/ how long will it take.....

      6/8 weeks the light slowly dawned

      😎😀so much better now

    • laura79036
      laura79036 gillian176

      Posted

      Gillian, if you don't mind me asking.....did you feel weird in the first weeks of starting back on the 20 dose?  Did you have anxiety and how did you deal with it?

    • gillian176
      gillian176 laura79036

      Posted

      Not at all. Happy to help

      Yes I did feel anxious insomnia bad dreams tummy disturbances , wondering if was doing right thing

      All usual side effects

      But I had been there before....

      I ploughed on with life the gym and occasional work

      In the afternoons I watched entire seasons of line of duty on Netflix to distract myself !!

      I was a bit of a misery tho am sure!!

    • laura79036
      laura79036 gillian176

      Posted

      Thanks Gillian.  Glad to hear you are doing well now.   I suppose after struggling for a few years without it, and knowing how you feel now, must be reassured that it was the right move.
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