Posted , 6 users are following.
I’m sorry I keep posting but I’m scared. I just want to feel better. 225mg gave me some relief but not enough so increased to 300mgs. Now I’m tired, low and anxious. It’s been 3 weeks on 300mgs. Do you think I should give the increase longer?
0 likes, 20 replies
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nigel45109 vicki27618
Posted
im going through the same with anxiety. i think you need the increase. can you go to your doctor, to see if you can have a low dose of diazepam for 2 weeks, to get you through the initial anxiety from the increase? alternatively, drop to 267.5mg, or back down to 225mg, then wait and see how you feel, and try 267.5 again in future. best to speak to your doctor. i think the diazepam option would work best.
vicki27618 nigel45109
Posted
thanks nigel. i spoke to pysch who said to persevere if i can as last increase took 8 weeks before i felt slightly better, but he said if its unbearable to let him know. i have a few valium so will take them when anxiety spikes. im just worried incase the increase doesnt help. as im still feeling low and lost my interest and drive since the increase plus im constantly tired. i guess this is side effects? and i need to give it chance to settle? how are you doing today? any better? hows your mood?
nigel45109 vicki27618
Posted
hello, yes, your pysch is right. i just posted something on another thread, that might help explain things. still finding it difficult after increase. just have to wait
vicki27618 nigel45109
Posted
i read your other reply and it makes alot of sense what you say. and patience is sure running thin. i know your anxiety is up like mine but i wad wondering how your mood is? do you have energy and interest? as im struggling with those right now and alway feel flat and tired. i have to lay down most afternoons. im nearly 3.5weeks on ven. do you think im adjusting and once it kicks in i will feel better? im scared 300mg is to much and i should go back to 225mgs but for now i will persevere.
nigel45109 vicki27618
Posted
im going through the same with anxiety. i think you need the increase. can you go to your doctor, to see if you can have a low dose of diazepam for 2 weeks, to get you through the initial anxiety from the increase? alternatively, drop to 267.5mg, or back down to 225mg, then wait and see how you feel, and try 267.5 again in future. best to speak to your doctor. i think the diazepam option would work best.
nigel45109 vicki27618
Posted
the initial higher anxiety should start to drop in a couple of weeks. if it gets unbearable, then drop. you do need to speak to your doctor for best advice
sheila46630 vicki27618
Posted
I don't think any of these medications work. in my opinion counselling is the best avenue to pursue
nigel45109 vicki27618
Posted
you did your increase to 300 much sooner than i did. i think you would have felt better sooner by staying on 225mg, but that you would have been delaying the inevitable move to 300mg. youve done it now, so no point in dropping back to 225mg, unless you cant tolerate it. my mood is okay at the momemt, not great. it was better during periods on 225, but as time went on, my mood very slowly dropped, although it also became stable. i made good but safe use of diazepam, throughout diazepam, which meant although extremely depressed, i wssnt that anxious. with your increase to 300, your mood should improve over the next 3 or 4 weeks. signs of anxiety dropping will come first
vicki27618 nigel45109
Posted
thanks nigel. its just weird as at about 8 weeks on 225mg i started pushing myself more, i had some interest in things back and started not napping in the day. then pysch increased and ive gone backwards. lost interest, feel tired and foggy all the time. and back to napping in the afternoon. thats why i keep thinking should i reduce back or will i start improving if i stay on 300mgs longer. what would you do? how are you today?
Elvisk nigel45109
Posted
Did you end up staying on 225mg ?
nigel45109 vicki27618
Posted
that improvement on 225mg, was encouraging, especially coming from you. it might have been better to have stayed at 225 for longer. having gone up, i wouldnt go back down, because youve already changed your brain chemistry for want of better words. if you drop, i dont think you will quickly go back to your previous better state. my anxiety is now coming down, so i know im going to feel better in a few weeks. the same happend when i went to 225mg. after a few weeks on 225, my anxiety was really bad, came so close to dropping. went on to have 10 good weeks. the increase has set you back, but long term, you should be better for it. on sunday after 2 weeks of continual anxiety increases, felt id over done it, and i should go back down. due to it happening before, stuck with it, and its falling. i know it will take another 2 weeks, to come back down, its so slow, before i start to feel better. right now, im tired and a little out of it. with your improvements at 225, you just have to wait, to settle back down
vicki27618 nigel45109
Posted
thankyou for your reasurance nigel. im sorry i keep asking but this struggle hasneen going on a long time. to feel a couple of weeks small improvments to then go backwards feels scary. i guess also my anxiety is up so makes the worrying worse! i will hold tight a few more weeks and hope for improvements. the anxiety doesnt feel like real anxiety with palpitations and butterflies. it feels more like stress, tense muscles and worried. i also feel tired and out of it. you have helped reassure me so thankyou. i get very panicked and keep thinking i want to feel improvements like i did on 225, then question the increase. so sorry i panic and ask, its all very scary to me.
nigel45109 vicki27618
Posted
what you are experiencing is exactly what i am now, and what happened at 225mg. dose increases mean 1 step back for 4 or so weeks, then 2 forwards. you would have been worried about it going too slowly if you hadnt. my anxiety has very slowly started to come down, so on track for improvements in a few weeks, same for yourself. it was lois on the citalopram forum that told me not to go down at 225, which i almost did. glad i didnt, as it would have wasted time, again same for you.
vicki27618 nigel45109
Posted
im glad its not just me experiencing this nigel. im also feeling very irritated! i had to ring my pysch today and told his i feel worse on 300mgs. i said i felt irritable, no interest and more tense. he said i could give it longer or drop back he was happy for me to do either. but the comment that really worried me was these medications normally work withing a few weeks! which maybe they do for some but ive read alot of people saying they took longer! and i felt no benefit from 225mgs until 8 weeks. im going to give it a bit longer but his comment really threw me. how are you today?
nigel45109 vicki27618
Posted
just wanted to add. a mood improvement is unlikely to be the first sign its working. you are looking for your anxiety to stop increasing, and day by day, start to drop. thats the first sign you are getting over the increase.