Should Iincrease dose been on 10mg for 4 weeks no improvement?

Thanks Aimee I'll give it another couple weeks and see. Like you feels like it's getting worse and as I've had symptoms from zop for a year thinking might need slightly higher dose.

Did you go straight up to 20mg wondering if i should try 15 first. Did see a couple of white feathers in my garden last couple days meant mean your guardian angel is looking after you, hopefully they'll spur into action soon,!!!

everytime you increase or decrease you have a honeymoon period where you feel better before symptoms reappear

I went from 10 to 20 straight away and I will be honest the first 10 days I honestly had such a hard time... my anxiety levels went through the roof! Its two weeks today since I went to 20mg and I have come through the worse I think! Lost my appetite completely and thats slowly coming back now x

ok thanks, if i do increase might go up to 15 first as for my age 20mg is the maximum dose you are meant to take. Just bit worried not high enough as anxiety increased bit last week or so.

lemanna you have to take into consideration that aimee87 was or maynot have been going thru withdrawls of another med when she increase from ten to twenty.just saying

I haven't taken any other medications apart from Citalopram x

thank you for that info.my point is that lemanna has to take into consideration that aimee87 is not going thru withdrawls of any other med unlike lemanna is.so you going from 10 to 20 might be alot different for lemanna because of the changing meds .saying prayers for every one on here.

Thanks Lois, think i will try 15mg fir few days see how i get on. Just been really teary last few days and seem to be getting additional anxiety, i appreciate your advice to leave it longer, but it's almost turning into depression now with very bad thoughts just feel 10mg just isn't quite enough. Thanks for your support but even after 8 weeks first time round didn't really feel it was helping the anxiety. Hopefully as only slight increase won't be too bad.

Are you still taking the propranalol that you mentioned in previous post you were taking as well as the citalopram?

yes that only works on the physical symptoms of anxiety though by slowing your heart rate down x

I'm trying 15mg, think have to go with your gut feeling a bit, symptoms getting bit worse and feeling quite low didn't feel like eating doing anything last night so don't think the 10mg quite enough and see how it goes. Only slight increase so hopefully won't be too bad.

I agree, I think you know yourself. I hope you start to feel better soon. If you do get increased anxiety try to keep telling yourself its the meds and all will settle eventually x

Thanks will do, I know people say any dose change can cause problems, but it's only small change, and was previously on 10mg for 8 weeks and didn't have any improvement so think it's just bit too low for me personally although obviously OK for some people.

It depends on so many things, I recovered well 6yrs ago on Citalopram 10mg only, I even stopped taking it cold turkey once i was better with no problems whatsoever! This time around, I gave 10mg 2months and it wasn't touching my anxiety and I'm now on 20mg and taking propranolol too! Everyone is different and every situation. You're doing the right thing by increasing a small amount I think you'll be fine x

i stopped mirtazapine 3 times cold turkey the first 2 were a piece of cake the third was hell but not as bad as cit withdrawal! these drugs are super strong and 5mgs isnt a tiny amount but thats just my opinion!

I have felt bit nauseous and slight heartburn since increasing did you have that at all since increasing the dose? Hopefully they will go off as only a very slight increase. I have couple friend who also stopped it cold turkey no problems. Did feel bit calmer yesterday evening First time round took it 2 months and didnt touch anxiety so think just increasing small amount is worth trying.

Yes I felt sick and couldn't eat in the daytime for the first 11 days or so since my increase. By evening I could eat.

That's really positive if you felt calmer last night, how do you feel today? From my own experience and what I've read on here the morning anxiety seems to be the last thing to subside.

yes morning anxiety pretty bad. Only been 2 days so early days, did have brief moment clarity last night telling myself these thoughts are meaningless but back to normal today! The nausea comes on dinner time but can put up with it if anxiety improves. Think had it with cit first time tried it for little while. How are you?

Just keep telling yourself over and over that any heightened symptoms you have now are purely down to the medication! I woke for the first time this morning without that initial fear of dread and panic, I do take a propranolol straight away as mornings are the worst time for me. I am starting to taper off that now though, down to 20mg a day now. I've still got a way to go anxiety wise but i do feel i am able to come off the propranolol now that I'm through the two weeks settling period of my dose increase. My CBT advisor told me to try and eat little and often and that helps your appetite, even if i managed a banana I felt it increased my mood knowing that i at least had eaten something x

NAusea is going off a bit today, did manage to get to hairdressers today which is an achievement as had cancel previous appt couple weeks ago was in in the first couple of weeks of citalopram anxiety! i tried CBT didnt work for me was on NHS though and pretty rubbishtherapist good it works for you though. I have yet to wake up without that feeling of dread glad you are improving though

good for you with the hairdresser.

Thank Lois was in meltdown last time, not too bad this time. Hoping as only tiny increase in cit won't be too bad, really wanted to stay on 10mg, but just wasn't doing it for me. Nausea going off a bit today anyway!My hairdresser been on it in the past and she said she just stopped it no problems, just shows we are all different.

I must admit I know the NHS has its problems but I was a little dissapointed once I got down the waiting list and realised my 'therapy' was literally just to talk to someone over the phone for half an hour every two weeks 😕 I've only had two sessions and trying to approach with as much positivity as possible but I am skeptical! Well done on getting out to the hairdressers today 😃

wow more power to the hair dresser lol.your gut instinct will set you free.im a fan of gut instinct

i had cbt and it was awesome but mine was one to one with the nhs

As mine is a chemicla imbalance caused by zop withdrawal not OCD the CBT was useless. Think it depends what it is for seems be more effective when it is actually for a behavioural thing than just thoughts . Ihad one to one and on line neither of them very helpful. . Book I got explaining what caused the thoughts much better. It is always worth trying as we all respond differently to things though and it works for some people..

Had a big anxiety surge this morning guess it's the updosing kicking in, did yours gradually subside? What were you having cbt for if you don't mind my asking. Think it depends on how good the therapist is, mine just seemed be going through the motions, had keep filling in questionairres all the time. She was only 1 available here so couldn't swap.

Morning! Sorry to hear your anxiety is worse this morning. For the first 11 days after I increased the dose I had the worst morning anxiety. I'm day 18 today and I have slept better the past two nights and have woke up feeling much calmer. Occasionally thoughts creep in but I feel like they don't throw me into a full scale panic.

I'm having CBT for generalised anxiety disorder. This particular occasion of anxiety and panic has been worse than my normal level which is why the doctor referred me and put me on citalopram. I had a health scare in November (everything turned out fine) but whilst it was happening I had bad anxiety that just hasn't gone away even though everything is fine. I am worrying about my health and over thinking everything which I never did before. Why are you on citalopram? I know its withdrawing from a medication but I don't know what it is?x

hey friends, I am on day 21 and this morning I woke up so anxious and like I was back at square one. I hate feeling like this for sure. I see you two talk and seem to feel the same way. just reassuring when someone else is feeling like you are.

Hi Aimee, was forced go cold turkey off zopiclone by new GP after being on it 12 years. Withdrawal been awful for last year ended up with anxiety and intrusive thoughtsas result coming off them.. Tried various therapies nothing helped gradually been getting worse so decided to try citalopram even though was bit wary of more meds but they apparently aren't addictive like zopiclone. Luckily sleep not too bad and do feel calmer in evenings think just getting through the initial change dose.pp Would imagine cbt will work better for you as your symptoms arent caused by withdrawal.

lemanna with all due respect can you stop going on about citalopram being so easy to get off! yes it is for some but its also hell for alot of others, and some have ended their lives because of it! so unless youve come off after many years and been in the five percent bracket that suffer brutal long lasting withdrawals with hundreds of symptoms (not just two!) please dont comment as you havent been there!

The mornings are the hardest but I have two young children so I HAVE to get up and get on with it and do you know what its the best thing! Once I'm up and in routine I feel better (not perfect) but better. So that's my advise, just power through and try and get up and do something 😃

With all due respect this post isn't very helpful or constructive. We are here to help build eachother up, not pull eachother down.

i totally agreed with you .these chats are to help and to share what ever you ecperience thru out this journey.best regards

not being funny but i am going through hell with this withdrawal and constantly listening to someone saying it doesnt cause problems triggers me badly, im entitled to share my thoughts as much as youre!!! anyway ive tried blocking various people but for some reason (unfortunately) it does not work, i wont be forced out as i have many people who private message me for help and started a very successful withdrawal group for another antidepressant which has helped numerous people, i wont have my point of view silenced by anyone, have a nice day and really hope you settle soon 😃

listen to you lois, only a few weeks back you really upset someone by saying and i quote (do you just swallow any drug without knowing what theyre for" nice! oh and by the way its (agree) not agreed with you 😃

that has nothing to do with experience on this drug!!!!at least i dont call these drugs poison like you do.!!!dont come to conclusion to quickly toria not a word was intended for you to feel guilt.

your in this Predicament for sWallowing tablets without knowing what they were for?so lets not talk about swallowing pills.every one on here should know what they are swallowing.information is a must.

i havent said theyre poison for everyone, but it is for me!!! by the way have you spoken to gs? hes not good he thinks he has akathasia from benzos!!!

i had akathasia from no meds .for nearly 30 years.and celexa n the benzo relief me from all the madness in my life.including akathasia paresthesia agraphobia ocd migrains and fear.thank god for celexa

Well said. I did finish my post by saying we all different, zopiclone was awful for me to come off but some people stop with no problem, which was the point I was trying to make evryone's experience is different!!

I havent said it doesnt cause problems, I said last time I came off them it didnt cause ME any problems x

going to leave you lot to it, and just crack on helping others! enjoy yourselves 😃

Hi Aimee i was watching bit lunchtime tv yesterday had counsellor on re anxiety saying how crippling it can be suggested trying box breathing when you first wake up, when you breathe in hold it and breathe out again google it explains it more. Might be difficult with young kids i appreciate but I'll give it a go along with the citalopram.

ive been on 10mg for nearly 2 weeks im wondering if i should take the full 20mg for the full effects i feel like im not benerfitting to much of 10mg but i dont know if its to early to up?

Thanks ill google it. how are you feeling today?x

If it was me I would at least get through the first couple of weeks on 10mg before changing as it does make anxiety worse in some people when they change the dose, I would see if you settle on 10 first 😃

what would i do without your advice amz haha

Not too bad how about you? Yesterday pretty bad for various reasons!!! as I'm only increasing dose my small amount hopefully be OK? Think you said you do mindfulness it's very good for anxiety but the citalopram seem to help lot people so ever hopeful. Must be tough for you with small children to cope with on top of every thing else.

I do 10minute meditations twice a day at the moment and have done that for 5 weeks - it really helps me relax before bed. I'm overthinking something today - I have a bit of a numb/weird feeling in one of my hands and its a listed side effect of citalopram and propranolol but I'm managing to convince myself its something more serious - so annoying!!!

it definitely is a side effect.i had the same thing .and me having health anxiety did not help me .it is annoying.hope you feel better soon.

Thanks, its reassuring to know that. Its not helping my anxiety either 😦

Very impressed you manage to meditate with 2 kids. The Paul Mckenna self hypnosis CD's quite good.Ineeded something else to help with sleep as the zopiclone tends not work very well if you're on it a few years due to building up a tolerance to it I got the sleep one which was quite relaxing. Hope you soon level out..

What do you do for the meditation, I tried mindfulness couldn't get to grips with it, but wasn't a professional one, just group of us listening to a cd .

I use youtube and also have the calm app. Try doing the meditations on there that are to relieve anxiety. it takes practice but if you do it everyday you'll get into it and find it does help 😃 I'm going to do one soon my anxiety has come back a bit this evening, overthinking symptoms of the medication x