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Need advice on going from 10 mg to 20 mg

Posted , 3 users are following.

amys1974
amys1974

I'm going to see my doctor tomorrow and am pretty sure she is going to up my dose from 10 mg to 20 mg of Citalopram. I have been on 10 mg for a month now. I've been also taking fish oil in the morning and magnesium oxide at night. I have problems with anxiety. I have had some really great days with the Citalopram but still have some bad days as well. Night time is the worst as I get night sweats and wake up in the middle of the night. 

I used to take Zoloft earlier this year but came off do to weight gain and memory problems. I know that I will have to take a med for the rest of my life. I can't handle the anxiety on my own.

Can someone please share their experience with going from 10 mg to 20 mg and how long it took before the side effects went away and you were feeling good most of the time?

Thanks for your help. I'm scared. sad

0 likes, 19 replies

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  • hollie92553
    hollie92553 amys1974

    Posted

    Hi amy. I started on 10mg was on it for a week then went up to 20mg I am now on week 4. I went up to 20mg because I felt like 10mg wasn't doing anything for me and made my anxiety worse. When I upped my dose I felt abit spaced out for a few days and even now still have little side affects like shakes and feeling sick but know I got to give it longer. So glad I went up to 20mg as helped a lot and not had a panic attack since, I to suffer really bad anxiety. Hope this helps x
    • amys1974
      amys1974 hollie92553

      Posted

      Thank you Hollie. I appreciate the response. Do you take yours in the morning or at night?
  • hollie92553
    hollie92553 amys1974

    Posted

    Hi amy. I started on 10mg was on it for a week then went up to 20mg I am now on week 4. I went up to 20mg because I felt like 10mg wasn't doing anything for me and made my anxiety worse. When I upped my dose I felt abit spaced out for a few days and even now still have little side affects like shakes and feeling sick but know I got to give it longer. So glad I went up to 20mg as helped a lot and not had a panic attack since, I to suffer really bad anxiety. Hope this helps x
  • chris43551
    chris43551 amys1974

    Posted

    H Amy, You could try taking the higher dose every other day for a couple of weeks and then move onto 20mg daily.   There's no quick fix with citalopram and indeed I feel week 4 is still a tad early to decide how well it's working.   Just asking about the night sweats, have you dismissed age/menopause etc? A lot of us experience higher levels of anxiety in the early weeks (which could also be causing your night sweats) and that can be quite shocking if your expecting immediate improvement, but Ive found that it all settled down in the second to third month.  As to expectations, again this is difficult to say as it does seem to affect us all differently, but if you've managed to go from 0 to 10mg  relevantly un eventfully then hopefully an upping from 10 to 20mg you should experience the same.  Xxx
    • amys1974
      amys1974 chris43551

      Posted

      Thank you Chris for taking the time to respond. I'm hoping it's not menopause since I am just 40 but I suppose it could be early. It feels like a bad sunburn. I feel real hot but cold too. Ugh, no fun but I've come so far so I really want these to work. 

      I appreciate your input. lol

  • Kay77558
    Kay77558 amys1974

    Posted

    Hi Amy, I have been on citalopram 10mg for a month now and my dosaged has just recently been recently increased to 20mg - I felt pretty ropey when I first started the 10mg, increasing my anxiety and panic attacks at night for the first two weeks ....decreasing as the nights went on thank God!! I too, was very apprehensive increasing my dose as I have been feeling really good of late. It was suggested that I take one and a half 10mg tablets for a few days (just in case it didn't agree) and then move on to the 20mg........I'm on day 3 of the full 20mg and to be quite honest I've hardly noticed any different side effects with the increased dose. Just get a little tired a bit too early in the evenings and feel like there's a bit of a metallic taste in my mouth but it's all subsiding.........this medication has had a really positive effect on me. I'm really enjoying my new found enthusiasm for life! It's been a while!! All the best smile 
    • amys1974
      amys1974 Kay77558

      Posted

      Thanks Kay! This is very positive news. I'm glad to hear that you are doing so well on the Citalopram. That is very encouraging and gives me hope. I'll see what the doc says tomorrow. She may suggest the dose of one and a half pills like you took. I am looking forward to a new enthusiasm for life as well. Thank you so much for taking the tine tomes spine. I really appreciate it. 
  • Kay77558
    Kay77558 amys1974

    Posted

    May I also add that my nights have also been very unsettled, waking up feeling very frantic, but it's nice the panic attacks gave stopped.....since being on the 20mg the last 3 nights have been much better.....I had my first full nights sleep last night smile 
    • amys1974
      amys1974 Kay77558

      Posted

      Yay!!! You never realize how awesome a full nights worth of sleep isnunitil you go without. I am so looking forward to that and hoping that it happens soon. Very encouraging. biggrin
    • amys1974
      amys1974 Kay77558

      Posted

      Kay, do you take your meds in the morning or at night?
    • Kay77558
      Kay77558 amys1974

      Posted

      Hi, I take mine every morning between 8 -9am. Has the doctor given you some Diazepam too to help you settle if you feel anxious?, after all these tabs are known to increase your anxiety a lot!! I took diazepam 2mg 3 times a day when required for 10 days when I started the 10mg  and have been given the same for the 20mg, they have helped so much....- my doc has been fab, she even said "if it gets really bad take 2 it won't hurt you" It might be worth you asking for some. sometimes I never need them but it's a good back up if things get bad in the night. My night last night on 20mg wasn't so fab, felt a bit frantic last night and today I have a very stiff neck - even had a little snooze this afternoon, so glad it's my day off today! But things really are looking up, when I think back to how I used to be, I couldnt eat, socialise, sleep, I was a rubbish mother and wife, actually I couldn't even be bothered with anything really. I've improved loads but it does take time, we need to except that, some days are better than others but the bad days never get worse they just strangely get less and less and they'll disappear.  I bet when you think back, you've come along way too. Just take one day at a time, don't think too far ahead. Hope you get some sleep tonight smile 
  • amys1974
    amys1974

    Posted

    Went to the doc and she upped my citalopram to 20 mg and suggested that I start taking it in the morning since I am having problems sleeping. I'm scared to change. She did tell me that she sees many patients for anxiety so that helped me to not feel so alone. I just want to be better.
    • amys1974
      amys1974

      Posted

      Did not sleep well last night. I took my Citalopram this morning at 10 mg and am hoping for better results.
  • amys1974
    amys1974

    Posted

    I had a great day today. I took my citalopram in the morning and stayed at 10 Mg. I have been afraid to move up to 20 on a work day. But I felt so much better today. I felt like my old self and not bothered by stress. Yay! The citalopram seems to be working.
    • Kay77558
      Kay77558 amys1974

      Posted

      Yay! Fab news!!!!  Work your way up slowly, think I'm on day  6 of the 20mg, feeling a bit strange a times but had my second full nights sleep in a week - heaven!!! Not one hint of anxiety or a panic attack in sight last night. Looks like things are looking up for us!! Enjoy your day xx 
    • amys1974
      amys1974 Kay77558

      Posted

      Thanks Kay! I had another great day today. I hope that yours is going great as well. cheesygrin
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