Splitting dose of citalopram- any thoughts?

I've been on citalopram 20mg for 4 mths and had awful.nausea and anxiety

Hi there.  How long have you been on cit and how long did it take to settle down?  I know everyone is different but ive been on it for 6 weeks now and the last 2 weeks were great.  Then on Saturday, back came the anxiety etc. Does it come and go? x

Hi Debbie,

Started on citalopram 10mg which I had for 3-4 weeks, anxiety came back so told to increase to 20mg which I've been on nearly 4 months. As you know it's come back again but due back at work. Now told to increase to 30mg, I'm really fed up at the thoughts of those horrible side effects again , let's hope I get lucky hey. I've got nausea and constant tingling in my legs which gp said is anxiety.

I've always taken it at night so will probably do this Saturday there seemed to be a pattern to the side effects.

Wow Debbie- 143 pages !! Enlighten me please !!

Right, if you google 'Anyone not had any side effects on citilopram', it will come back to this site and will go straight on to the discussion.  It took me two weeks to read the whole thing but helped immensely.  Pretty much everyone struggled, some for days, some for weeks, some for months but they all appear to have got there in the end.  I guess that as they got better, they disappeared off of the forum, probably because they didnt want to be reminded of how crappy they felt.  Others have stuck around and help out with us newbies!!!  Without that discussion, I am sure I would have given up the cit by now, believe me x

I am actually gonna split my dose today gonna take 20 and then 10 see how it goes, I just can't deal with this anxious and anxiety it's driving me crazy.

Let me know how you get on as it will be interesting to see how it works out x

Sanja, do you take a small dose of valium to help with the anxiety when it's at its worse?

You're telling me it'll be interesting, I'm dreading it 😔

How long gone have you been on it altogether and what we're the dose increases?

No, the doctor gave me clonazepam for my bad days, but I have not taken any as I wanted to fight threw it.

So I started on 10mg back in like June then went to 20 4 weeks later and I was on 20 till November 26 which at that time I increased it to 30mg, to be honest every time I did an increase the side effects got worse and worse, when I first got on 30mg the first few weeks were not bad at all, it's been the last 3 weeks that has been such a roller coaster ride.

I will for sure I took my 20 am hour ago and thinking about taking the other 10 around 5 ish

How long were you on 20mg for before you increased it? Also are the side effects now worse than when you started taking it?

How did you know it wasn't just a blip? That's what I'm not sure about

About 5 months, I was ok on 20 and then my anxiety came back so I just pushed threw it then I started noticing I didn't want to do anything, and everything I wanted to do became a fear, so went back to doctors in a complete panic and she said to increase to 30 and it could be that I just need more, so here I am on 30mg with the same issue still what I have noticed though is before the 30mg I would fall into anxiety mode then fall into panic mode, the panic attacks are now gone, the anxiety is still there though but seems like I can manage it better. So the meds are doing something just not as fast as I want them too. My doctor said she won't change nothing till 8 weeks on 30mg before she decides is a decrease or increase is needed.

That was my exact problem when I was on 20 I was still managing work life leaving the house just with anxiety and panic. Now I don't wanna leave. I guess it's pretty much a guess, but she says being on them for months and still not feeling good is mostly like that an increase is needed.

If you use face book u are more than welcome to add me, it's Sanja lepener my picture is of me and my son.

I'm really fed up as been off work since mid August and was hoping to go back this week. Feel.like putting up with it as don't know if I can face the side effects. I don't have panic attacks but have symptoms of anxiety.

Have you read any Kate cogs stuff on here. She talks about blips and riding it out till it.passes.

No I haven't. I did talk to another person though and they also split their dose up and they had little not no side effects. So I am trying that today and see how this week will work. Same I wanted to start work today but there is no way I can function like this, so here is to another week off.

I just did this great big response and my iPad crashed!!

will try again!  

I would try and see how it goes, you feel crappy anyway so just go for it and have the Valium when needed.  You and Sanja are my guinea pigs...I'm going to wait and see what you guys feel like before I maybe move up. I'm such a woos!!  But I've also got to wait out the period as well just in case that's caused the blip. I also had another thought...the menopause!  I'm 48 now and there is always the possibility that this is starting! Who'd be a woman!! X

good luck, it will be ok x you can't feel any worse as you're already on the 30. ITs a shame we are all over the world as maybe it would have been nice to meet up...or maybe we would drive each other up,the wall with our issues, who knows!! 

Me, you and Gerrymoo (rhymes!) need to stick together. We will be fine x

Im off to cbt now, see what they have to say! X

I've read Kate cogs stuff and yommymommy and they are both so helpful.  Hopefully they will see our plight!, x

please try and go to work tomorrow. Even if you get there and feel the need to go again, just try.  I was fine at work last week but this morning I had to keep getting up and pacing about. I'm better this afternoon, as usual, but just see how you go. It's going to be hard but we are here for you x

It's super nice to talk to you guys as we are all going threw the same thing, and it's nice to make new friends.

Debbie I can't just come and go like that. I work.for the NHS and it's all highly structured. I've got a meeting at work tomorrow though but gp has signed me.off for another month. Thanks for the support. I might just try going up by 5mg not sure about this blip thing

I understand. It's harder for you. With me, I used to own a car repair garage but sold it last year to the two mechanics that work there.  I stayed on as they have no idea how to do the accounts etc.  But it was on the understanding that my kids come first and that I would come and go as I please which was fine with them. Don't get me wrong, I don't just walk out on them but if I need to go, they understand completely. I'm very lucky in that respect.

good luck at your meeting, you will be fine x let me know how you get on. Hopefully another month off and an increase will do the trick. Just take it easy. I've sent you a private message about the cbt! X

Thanks Debbie, I've messaged you