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Increasing citalopram after a year.

Posted , 5 users are following.

kain
kain

I've been on 10mg citalopram over a year now and everything was going great until these last 3 weeks my anxiety has come back with a vengeance i visited my PDoc and he tried me on an additional anti depressant call amitriptyline which didn't work out well i suggested increasing the dose and he laughed at me and gave me no answer as to why i called him and told him the amitriptyline citalopram combination didnt work for me so he said double up on your citalopram see you in a month......so im switching doctors but i guess my question is has anybody felt the effectiveness wear off and has increasing the dose helped or if a ssri stops working does it just stop working? Also i have five 1mg klonopins the hospital gave me when i went to the ER for my anxiety which I've taken .25 2x a day for the past few days to deal with the extra anxiety caused by the citalopram until i can see my new doctor on the 10th, is this a bad idea or will i be alright?

1 like, 20 replies

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  • david43118
    david43118 kain

    Posted

    I don't believe the medication just stopped working, you are on a low dose, have you tried taking the extra 10mg? I agree about your doctors attitude though. If you increase atleast you will know if it is working better, not at all, or worse when you see the new dr. I am switching ssri from 40 mg of Citaloprame to eventually 100mg of Zoloft. Been a week can feel some changes just going with it for now. Good luck!
    • kain
      kain david43118

      Posted

      I'm going slow i took 15 last night and tonight beside feeling kinda nauseous , more anxious and a little insomnia but nothing the klonopin cant help so the side effects aren't that bad. But thanks a lot man good luck to you as well.
  • David_21660
    David_21660 kain

    Posted

    Hi Kain,

    That Doc is an ****hole and probably needs extra training or better still getting a new career, not sure what, but maybe he's found it!

    I Agree with David (I thought I was the only one, anyway I don't mind sharing! Lol!) you wre probably on too low a dose too long, simple as that. I can only talk about Cita, that it does work, but differently for everyone. The important thing is to give it time and up yer dose if need be. I have done this and now on the max 40mg. However, before upping I talked with my Doc (who knows a hell of a lot about "sticking plasters for the brain" and probably the best general practitioner in the world!). She helps so many like us that she does put others to shame. Mind you, some do not need help!

    I hope you find a similar Dr to most of us, in the meantime keep reading and keep posting. There are some great people here and they can help!

    Best Regards,

    David

  • katecogs
    katecogs kain

    Posted

    Yes, your medication hasn't stopped working, it just doesn't.

    May I suggest that what you're experiencing is normal.  If you've had anxiety for the last 3 weeks after taking meds and feeling well for the last year, then I reckon this is just a blip.  Often when we recover we start feeling well then get anxiety out of the blue, but it will disappear again if you just accept it, don't try and push it away, try and stay calm and it'll ease off.  You can get this months after feeling well and even a year.  For me, if I've not been getting my sleep I notice I start to feel slightly antsy.

    I imagine thats what may be happening with you?  Often people rush to up their dose which of course can give you side effects again, but that'll on,y be temporary.  You're on a low dose so you could increase to 20mg but you may find that just staying on 10mg, understand that is will pass, try and go about life in a calm manner, eat well, get exercise, plenty of sleep and you may find this phase will pass in time.

    So I think it's a temporary blip, and one that will pass.

    K x

  • Felis
    Felis kain

    Posted

    Hi Kain

    your doctor sounds like an incompetent feckless fool who hasn't a clue about anxiety sufferers. Thank goodness you are going to see someone else soon! I agree with David and Katecogs you need to up your dose and then try to accept the unpleasant symptoms while your body adjusts. The more you fight against IT the worse it gets.A wonderful expert Dr. Claire Weekes who has died now but her books are still available States that you need to let the anxiety symptoms flow through you until they subside.In other words go with the flow act as if you're OK and you will manage it better. Anxiety feeds on anxiety until it escalates out of control.I used to listen to relaxation tapes in the middle of the night until I went back to sleep.

    Eventually the higher dose will start to work but it takes time.

    Do let us know how you go and don't feel alone We are all here to help.

    • katecogs
      katecogs Felis

      Posted

      Oh yes, Dr Claire Weekes books are invaluable.  I read them all when I was first ill.  She describes the illness in such simple terms it takes some of the mystery out of it.  Very helpful books.
  • Felis
    Felis kain

    Posted

    Hi Kain 

    i agree with David your dose needed adjusting and your doctor should have told you to expect some side effects and to monitor you properly. Glad you are seeing a new professional hopefully who will be more empathetic. Let us know how you get on and take things slowly it will get better promise you.

  • kain
    kain

    Posted

    Thanks for all the help guys i really appreciate it. Do you think taking the .25 of klonopin is ok or is it going to do more harm than good?
    • katecogs
      katecogs kain

      Posted

      I'm not familiar with Klonopin and am sure they're ok to take with Citalopram.  They do have side effects too of course as does lots of medicines.  Are they just to tide you over for a few days?

      The mix may make you feel a little more tired and confused, but should wear off when you stop taking them.

    • kain
      kain katecogs

      Posted

      Well right now I've been taking .25 in the morning and at night to try to deal with the extra anxiety from increasing citalopram until i see my new pdoc in a few weeks or until the anxiety becomes bearable again. Whichever happens first lol.
    • katecogs
      katecogs kain

      Posted

      Some people do take an extra medication to help with the anxiety - I do hope it takes the edge off for you.  In time of course, your anxiety will ease off as the Citalopram kicks in.  I hope your new doctor is a good one - that's so unprofessional for your other doctor to have laughed at you and seemed unconcerned about your medication.  Doctors have no idea how it feels to be ill plus taking the meds.  They should be made to take them so they can experience it too.  I get so irritated at people and medical professionals who don't take this illness seriously.

      Citalopram takes a long time, so try and go with it all and let recovery come to you.  You can't hurry it along and there's no overnight fix.  It will get better though xx

    • kain
      kain katecogs

      Posted

      Thanks katecogs ya i ended up researching my doctor and he had horrible reviews the worst part is he's the owner of the practice. The reviews stated he does whats best for his practice and takes payments from medical companies which probably explains why he throws new prescriptions at me every time i go to see him. Initially when i started seeing him he told me if citalopram didn't work within 2 weeks it wasn't going to but i was prescribed citalopram at a psychiatric hospital and i trusted there judgement more which when i told him i would rather wait 2 months on citalopram before switching to something else he said "I've been in practice 29 years and the doctor you saw has been doing this for 10" then he prescribed me mirtazopine,hydroxyxine,buspirone,gabapentin and propranolol and told me to mix and match them and see what worked....so i didn't take any of them except the mirtzapine with the citalopram like he said and had an awful experience i phoned him and he said dont take it then see you in a month lol....so eventually i stabilized on the citalopram didn't need the ativan anymore and havnt seen him for almost a year until the anxiety started creeping in again and he gave me amitriptyline in addition to citalopram and after trying that and feeling worse increasing citalopram seemed the way to go.
    • katecogs
      katecogs kain

      Posted

      Hi Kain

      Oh my, I can't believe what an incompetent fool your doctor is.  'If Citalopram doesn't work within 2 weeks' ???  It's idiots like him that make people suffer more, when they already suffering a nightmare illness.  You cannot dip in an out of any SSRI medicines as also stopping them abruptly will make you very ill.

      I get sick of hearing how doctors dish out SSRI's without fully prepping their patients about what to expect, how long it takes, easing onto them, withdrawing from them, and above all ..... giving them support throughout.

      29 years in practice eh?  Perhaps he should go back and study medicine for another 29 years then and add onto it 'bedside manner' too.  I'd like to swear on here, but am not allowed to lol.

      He prescribed 5 medicines for you to mix and match?  He'd be better off working in a fashion store and mixing outfits willy-nilly to see if it works instead of medicine.

      I'd seriously make a complaint.  He's playing with people's lives.  Sometimes people feel suicidal, and if they sought him him out and received the same treatment, god knows what the outcome would be.

      Well, you've come to the right place here Kain.  People here may not be medically trained, but they can offer support and give you their experience and guidance.

      I'd stick with Citalopram.  It'll take a long time for you to feel the benefit of it, but it's worth the wait.

      Keep in touch - we're all here to help.

      K xx

  • Felis
    Felis kain

    Posted

    OMG Kain that doctor is more than an incompetent fool he certainly doesn't have your interests at heart.

    In my experience stick to the citalopram and give yourself plenty of time to adjust. The only thing I took while adjusting to cit and this was in the early days was .25 of a Xanax which are now called Kalma in Australia.They are a sedative and certainly take the edge off anxiety and the other awful symptoms but these are prescribed with strict directives and monitored by your doctor so talk to your new doctor about them as they will help you through the adjustment period after that the cit works so well that you won't need them .

    do hope you're feeling better and rest assured we are here for you .Your idiot of a doctor makes me so angry as anxiety sufferers need the utmost care and support he has no empathy and is totally incompetent! 

    Thank goodness you found us! 

  • David_21660
    David_21660 kain

    Posted

    You are certainly on the right road from here on in Kain, just read the proper advice yer getting and really start to settle with this "sticking plaster for the brain!" and eventually level out (whatever that may be).

    As advised here and for me they work, I take vitamins B6 and D3 to help the old seretonin levels a bit, a plecebo? Don't care, they cannot do any harm if they are taken as per instructions and I may also consider a S.A.D. visor to help live with our weather here in UK! Lol!

    If I haven't said it before then I shall say it now "Welcome to The Club!" Memership is all inclusive and comes with free 'Guardian Angels' so, always remember you are not alone.

    Anyway, time I got on have the Celtic New Year to celebrate from sunset onwards and there is a GREAT game of rugger on today too!

    Best Wishes,

    David

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