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Recent change from 20 - 30mg a day and I feel like I am going in reverse. Is this normal?

Posted , 8 users are following.

owen64618
owen64618

My GP started me on 10 Citalopram about 6 months ago for depression. After a good three weeks of increased anxiety, restless sleeping and general dopiness I started to improve and a month or so later started to feel like they were having a positive impact. We upped the does to 20mg and there I stayed for about 4 months. Over the 4 months I felt a real benefit. I was able to find moments of relief and happiness and even managed to laugh out loud (a genuine laugh rather than a forced pretend social laugh) for perhaps the first time in 15 years.

Then I experienced a sudden and worryingly familiar dip back into depression and anxiety. It lasted about 2 weeks and  although not as bad as my peak pre Cit, it shook me - dark thoughts were back, self esteem through the floor, suicidal thoughts were emerging again. I was able to talk to my partner about it which helped and we agreed I should go back to GP, even though after these two weeks I was beginning to feel back on track. GP and I decided to up to 30mg, as she said I should not experience any blips once we have the dose correct. 

Been on the 30mg for about a week. I just starting t get some of the rushes of anxiety I experienced in my initial three weeks again. As I sit here I am finding it very hard to concentrate on typing. Feeling jittery and flighty. I have also had some of the depression symptoms resurfacing - inner dialogue keeps crashing me out with a run of everything I have done  wrong since the age of 8! 

Does this sound normal for an increase in dosage? 

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • leticia89168
    leticia89168 owen64618

    Posted

    Yes, any increase takes time to adjust. I was increased to 30mg 5 days ago and yesterday was a hard day, but they get better.
    • owen64618
      owen64618 leticia89168

      Posted

      I had feeling it was entirely normal but as I didn't experience much of a reaction when I changed to 20mg from 10 it is reassuring ti hear from others. Today was somewhat easier for me. I was far less anxious but I have had pins and needles in my feet all day. 

      Hope your day was better - good luck on 30mg. 

  • raymond01241
    raymond01241 owen64618

    Posted

    Hello I have been on antidepressants for a very long time due to it being clinical.  Have recently gone on to citalopram 10 mg,  Which is a more modern drug than the one i was on.  And was amazed my brain has started to work again for the first time after many years.  I dont think the other drug was doing much, (trimmipramine) . It was mainly sending me to sleep. Now I am up early ever day feeling realy well, Singing to myself in a very good mood most of the time.  Going on these forums trying to help people.  From my experience they realy do work.  I have much more interest in life,  Feel more enthusiastic about my future, And i am 63.  A positive attitude also helps.  Maybe its a question of finding the right one thats right for us.  hope this helps.  Ray.
    • owen64618
      owen64618 raymond01241

      Posted

      Hi Ray - that messages does help. I too found that I had a signifcant period of feeling really content which is why the whole 'blip' situation really through me. Great to hear that the 10mg are working for you and you've got that optimism.

      Thanks for sharing the positivity. 

  • katecogs
    katecogs owen64618

    Posted

    Yes - absolutely normal.  They're called setbacks / blips which seem to be a normal part of recovery.  It doesn't matter what dose you're on either, you'll still go through these blips.  Its just your body settling down and kind of giving you a reminder of it all every so often.  You do usually have to wait a long time on one dose to see if it'll suit you first and see if the blips iron out.  It took me 6 months on 20mg to recover, and throughout this time I had blips though they did ease as time went by.  I mark it at 6 months as this is when the anxiety finally stopped.  Everyone is different of course with their own personal time span and dose too.

    Some people rush through doses thinking it will stop the blips.  It won't.  You have to ride them through and know they're part of recovery.  Each dose increase will give you side effects all over again - dark thoughts etc are side effects of anxiety - when you don't have anxiety those side effects disappear too.  

    ?Anxiety is often a fear of anxiety.  Anxiety isn't a nice feeling so we fear it returning, so when those familiar feelings resurface our body automatically recoils from it causing anxiety about anxiety (hope that makes sense).

    I was ill for 16 years and recovered.  Keep going - you will get there.

    Can I message you with some helpful info?

    K x

    • katecogs
      katecogs

      Posted

      Forgot - messaging is done through this forum wink
    • owen64618
      owen64618 katecogs

      Posted

      Hey Kate - thank you so much for taking the time to explain all of that. It was a very helpful message. I will try and be more patient with the change to the new dosage. 

      Although my diagnosis is depression, and the Cit has helped, I found that the anxiety I had experienced since my early 20s was greatly reduced. Funny that up until recently I just found ways of coping and organising my life around it. 

      More than happy for you to message with helpful info. 

    • monica62597
      monica62597 owen64618

      Posted

      It’s funny you use the words I say Owen!My anxiety is everything I may or may not have done wrong since age of 8!Havent found anyone else like that!That is all my anxiety centers around!Celexa was excellent ten years ago and I weaned off last pregnancy it all came back and I tried celexa right of the bat again 10 mg for two days and it was too strong so I stopped !Started slowly on Prozac and worked up to 40 not helping so switched straight back to celexa!I was good for seven weeks or so no side effect with switch then dipped through 9 weeks so doc upped me to 60 and I stayed on that for 14 weeks!No huge side effects going up but was just up and down and never great then 14 weeks in started dipping big and she took me back to 40 mg!I saw her yesterday and she said after 11 or 12 weeks you know what celexa will do and since I was on 40 mg for ten weeks before we upped dosage she doesn’t think bieng on 40 is gonna give me anymore improvement and she wants to switch!I am so confused and don’t know if I have given it long enough !The second week after dropping back to 49 my anxiety increased and I am four weeks back on 40 and she said my anxiety shouldn’t get worse from the drop at four weeks into dose change!I am so confused!I had good moment first few weeks on celexa 
  • mark89813
    mark89813 owen64618

    Posted

    Perfectly normal, worse before better is the mantra I hear a lot and have experienced many times over the years with dose increases etc. I'm nearly month in and the initial spike in anxiety has lessened a little but only a little. Last year when I went back on citalopram I was a wreck at day1 but fully recovered in 12 weeks, I didn't really feel a whole lot better until the 9th week. Some people recover quicker and you may be one of them.

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