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Only on 5mg Citalopram and prescribed Klonopin

Posted , 6 users are following.

cherylcheryl123
cherylcheryl123

Hi. I have had horrible start up effects with trying to get on an antidepressant for anxiety. I was on Cymbalta for years and it stopped working. My new pdoc had me start on 2.5mg citalopram for two weeks. Now I'm up to 5mg for another 2 weeks. She also started me on Klonopin .25 twice a day to combat the start up effects. I will be on the Klonopin for one month next week and it scares me to death to be on it. Her goal is to get me to at least 10 mg citalopram so I'll probably be on the Klonopin for another month. I'm so scared I'll get addicted. Should I be worried? She says I'll be fine and we will just taper off.

0 likes, 21 replies

21 Replies

  • michelle45874
    michelle45874 cherylcheryl123

    Posted

    When are you taking it i changed mine to the morning because iwhen i took it in the evening i couldnt sleep x My side effect is morning nausea not nice at all i have tablets for it but they make me really tired . I am 9 weeks in and feeling a lot better its just the nausea now really i went from 10mg to 20mg .Persevere there is a light at the end of the tunnel just go with the feelings you get dont fight them
  • kelly58470
    kelly58470 cherylcheryl123

    Posted

    Is it necessary for you to take the Klonopin to get through the day? If so, I would continue to take it for now and worry about weaning off further down the road, when the Citalopram has kicked in.

    ?However, if you can get through the day without taking it, I wouldn't take it. I would use it only as a last resort, such as if you are having a panic attack and can't calm down.

    • cherylcheryl123
      cherylcheryl123 kelly58470

      Posted

      Thank you. I wish my doc would let me increase the citalopram faster, but I'm so med sensitive. She thinks the Klonopin will keep me from self sabotaging the process. Although the past few days the anxiety is bad even with the low dose Klonopin. Wondering if she she have me go to. 5 twice a day. I'm so nauseated I can't eat. I think it will take another month just for me to get to 10mg of the citalopram. Feeling hopeless.

  • nigel45109
    nigel45109 cherylcheryl123

    Posted

    Kelly's advice is spot on. You need to concentrate on the now not the future. When you are up to strength on the citalopram after you have been on it long enough, it should not be as bad coming off the klonopin, as it is starting the citalopram. I felt same, after starting diazepam a week ago. Worrying about getting addicted. It is something to be aware of, but you should concentrate on the now. That is exactly what everyone has told me, including my doctor. It seems normal practice to take an additional medication in the us, unlike in the uk, while getting used to an anti depressant. Take it just when you need to. As you use it more, you will realise when you needn't have taken it, or quite as much, and you can adjust accordingly. I'm only talking about the klonopin. Take your antidepressant exactly as your doctor prescribed, you can't mess around with anti depressant doses yourself, without medical advice. I've taken roughly half of max diazepam I'm allowed to Take, as i take only what I need. A couple of times I took full allowed dose if diazepam, and felt too tired next day, so have learned I don't need to take quite so much. As I mentioned, I don't mess around with my antidepressant dose though, neither should anyone. The idea is that when my new anti depressant is working correctly, and I've taken it for long enough, then I'll be able to wean off diazepam. Hope this helps.

    • cherylcheryl123
      cherylcheryl123 nigel45109

      Posted

      Thank you. Right now I think it is necessary to be on the Klonopin as I couldn't even work before starting on it. It just scares me. But the last few days I've had a hard time even with it. The .25dose. I'm hoping I can get to a therapeutic dose of the citalopram soon as 5 mg isn't cutting it, but I'm so med sensitive!!

    • michelle45874
      michelle45874 cherylcheryl123

      Posted

      I was exactly like that i did eat anything for about a week and a half i made myself drink build up drinks x
  • kelly58470
    kelly58470 cherylcheryl123

    Posted

    The first few weeks are so awful. It's like it's double the anxiety and depression: you aren't feeling the full effects of the medication yet, but you are getting the side effects.

    ?I think I lost 15 or so pounds when I first went on Cit. I didn't have nausea, but I did have diarrhea (sorry, TMI) and my anxiety was so bad I just couldn't eat. Like with the insomnia, once the meds started to kick in a bit my appetite would sporadically return. I'd have a lunch where I'd eat nearly a normal portion and feel fine, but then at dinner I might only eat a bite or two.

    ?During that time, I did try to keep hydrated. I drank a lot of juice and flavored water.

    • cherylcheryl123
      cherylcheryl123 kelly58470

      Posted

      Thanks Kelly. I'm hopeful that this is just a setback. I freaked out today and emailed my doc about the increased anxiety attacks and she said I should increase the Klonopin to .5mg.... Ugh...I just want the celexa to kick in!

    • lois95799
      lois95799 cherylcheryl123

      Posted

      Don't be afraid to take your diazapam..your lucky doctor gave them to you..most people don't get anything for quick anxiety relief..

    • nigel45109
      nigel45109 lois95799

      Posted

      Absolutely Lois. It's exactly what I've experienced over last week of taking it. It allows me to work better, which is only thing I enjoy at the moment. The more experience I have from using it, the less I am able to need, as to feel the best I can today and tomorrow, I reduce, miss out one, or not reduce what I need. Its only the diazepam I do this with.

    • lois95799
      lois95799 nigel45109

      Posted

      Yes that's exactly right .iam on xanex ..and don't take every day..and when I do I take half of the smallest dose..after my celexa started kicking in ..my desired for xanex started to diminishing...

    • cherylcheryl123
      cherylcheryl123 lois95799

      Posted

      Ok. She wants me to take it consistently twice a day no matter was what to keep the anxiety away until celexa starts working. I guess I need to stop freaking out about getting addicted. I have been having breakthrough anxiety and now she said to increase it to .5mg. I haven't done that yet though. I will probably be on it for two months daily. So I shouldn't stress too much about it,?

    • lois95799
      lois95799 cherylcheryl123

      Posted

      Don't stress out about your diazapem your going to be fine..and your celexa side effects will be much control with your diazapam. And you will start recovering in comfort....

    • nigel45109
      nigel45109 cherylcheryl123

      Posted

      Lois is absolutely correct. Take what your doctor tells you to for now. When the anxiety gets under control, you can 're evaluate diazepam use. I've stopped worrying about the diazepam addiction for now, as this is what everyone has told me. I've found for me that 2.5mg x 3 times a day, does it for me, sometimes just twice a day. I can take 5mg x 3 times a day, but I don't need that much, and it makes me too tired. I take enough to deal with anxiety, and that's it. Take it as described for now, don't be concerned about addiction, as it's unlikely to be as bad as the anxiety issue you are currently in. As you use diazepam for longer, you will be able to tell if you dont need to take as much, but thats a bit later down the line.

    • cherylcheryl123
      cherylcheryl123 nigel45109

      Posted

      Thanks. I see my doc on Thursday again so I'll see what her plan for me is exactly... Especially concerning the Klonopin.

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