Reducing citalopram dose

Hi jenna. When you start or increase an antidepressant that increases Serotonin in your brain and body,you will probably experience increased anxiety and side effects for some period of time. When you decrease an antidepressant dosage or cease completely,you could well experience withdrawal symptoms from mild to severe. These type of medications do not work immediately in relieving symptoms of anxiety like other medications like benzodiazapines that work in a different way. Therefore,as you have now experienced,increasing Citalopram,you don't say wether you increased to 30 or 40mg,will only exacerbate the anxious feelings you had from getting a dog,not relieve them. As everyone is different and can have different experiences on these type of medications, it's hard to say wether you will have withdrawal,but seeing as you only spent a short time on the higher dosage and lowering higher dosages are not as bad as reducing low dosages,you should only experience limited withdrawal. The lesson is to never alter your dosage that's working for you,because it causes upset to your whole system for a long period of time while everything settles again.

Personally,as someone who relied on these medications for 32 years and now been off them for 8 months,I would urge you to concentrate on other means of anxiety relief like acceptance, mindfulness, meditation ,diet and exercise and especially neuroplasticity,rewiring the anxious brain to eradicate anxious thoughts. I've used all these to stop medication after 32 years,and they come without side effects. Good luck.