Posted , 7 users are following.
Hello all, iv been taking 20mg citalopram from 10mg for 6 days. The 10mg was wearing off so i spoke to my doctor and have upped the dose. I have been feeling abit more tired than i did on the 10mg but not side effects, will it take a few weeks like the 10mg to kick in? Also i noticed its been giving me abit of a headache sometimes.
Thanks
0 likes, 27 replies
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bethanie50616 Marie266
Posted
Hi Marie,
Ive been on 20mg from 10mg for 8 days now and i am the EXACT same as you, really really tired and getting headaches but id take these side effects over what i had when i first started on 10mg anyday! I think they will be in our system and working now as we're having side effects but not sure how long it'll take for the side effects to go
Hopefully sooner rather than later!
Bethanie
lois95799 bethanie50616
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Marie266 bethanie50616
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kyle99 Marie266
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I have been on 10mg for 6 weeks now and I dont think I am experiencing the full benefit of the medication. I did up to 20mg for a few days during the worst of my side effects which was a bit of a mistake since it was the first time on any AD's. I am due a phone appointment with my doctor about upping to 20mg and just checking my progress. It does feel 3 steps forward and 2 back at the moment. I am just wondering if 20mg would be better for helping with my anxiety and panic as I hear 10mg is a very low dose for this. I am conflicted with going back to uni next year because I hear my job goals require a degree but I am just terrified of starting university again as the debt and money is a massive issue to me. I hate spending money or saving money and wish I had nothing to do with it. I am on ESA as I am unable to go out without feeling tearful, and break down when I am by myself, but being indoors will only do more harm in the long run.
Thanks,
Kyle
Grunthos Marie266
Posted
Hi Marie,
This is a bit geeky so feel free to switch off!
Cit has a half-life in the body of 35 hours. This means that if you take a 10mg tablet, 35hours later you will have 5mg of that tablet in your body. Another 35 hours later you will have 2.5mg of that tablet in your body etc etc. As you take the second tablet the following day the first tablet will still be in your body. As you take the third tablet the day after, the first and second tablets will still be in your body ......
It takes 10 days for Cit to stabilise in the body. After that time the amount of Cit in your body will reach a maximum of just over twice your dose when you take a tablet and will drop to about one and a half times your dose just before you take the next tablet.
You really need to stay on the same dose for at least two weeks before deciding to change things. And, as far as getting used to side-effects and, hopefully, benefits, it's probably better to stay on the same dose for a couple of months.
katecogs Marie266
Posted
The meds don't wear off.
What you're experiencing is pretty normal and is how the meds work. You will not get better overnight, in a few weeks or even a month - but these often take many, many months for recovery and during that time your mood will be up and down (blips). It will often feel like you're back at the beginning and might feel like the meds are not working. They are - and this process is a sure way to tell they are.
Took me 6 months to recover. Everyone is different and we all take different times for this to happen. We all get different symptoms too.
Give yourself as much time as is needed and let recovery come to you. You can't hurry it whatever you try to do - if you do you often make yourself worse. A bigger dose also does not mean you'll get better any quicker than a smaller dose. It all depends on what suits your body, and no 2 people need the same dose.
Give each dose a good 2 months (3 even) before deciding if you need to up. Don't rush.
Every time you increase or decrease you will get the side effects / withdrawal all over again. It does wear off.
K x
Rox1992 katecogs
Posted
Hi Kate.
Your posts are very helpful. And you seem like a good person to talk to.
I have been on 10mg citalopram for 23 days and upped to 20mg this morning on my doctors advice. For anxiety.
So all together 24 days.
Last week at about 2 and a bit weeks I had a couple of better days. I was able to cope with the anxiety and didn't feel that low. However since Saturday I have had terrible anxiety and felt very low again like I did in the first week.
I have also had a tradegy in the family which I accept has set me back as it's been very emotional and quite a shock to the system.
But if my mood is so up and down like this is that a good sign that the meds might be working? Xx
katecogs Rox1992
Posted
Hi Rox
Starting on 10mg is good and then increasing. I recovered on 20mg.
Yes having those good days / weeks and then plummeting again into anxiety is perfectly normal throughout recovery. Call them blips or setbacks. Yes it does mean the meds are working as its your body settling down.
You will get these blips on whatever dose of meds you take - you can't avoid them. Increasing meds doesn't stop them and it doesn't mean you've gone backwards. Recovery always seems to be 3 steps forward and 2 steps back ..... all the way. It took me 6 months to recover and I had blips all the way through ..... but ..... they do get easier.
When you get a blip just remind yourself that its normal as you're still recovering. I found some things would trigger a blip - any little upset, even a cold ........ so yes I would think having a family tragedy would indeed set you back. I am sorry to hear that xx. When we suffer with anxiety all our emotions, thoughts, feelings etc are over felt / over thought. Having any upset during a 'normal' life would affect you, so having an upset when you're suffering with anxiety will have a greater impact on you as you'll feel it more.
Everyone takes different times to recover - some quicker than others. Don't base your recovery and timescale on others - you might be quicker, or even longer. Just let the meds do their thing and try and go with whatever comes along.
Relaxing throughout the day, whether walking or sitting is also a great help. When you have anxiety you subconsciously brace yourself against it as you naturally want to fight it and also you rush about. That's the worst thing to do. Anxiety likes a tense body. Relaxing helps to reverse the process. Take things slower.
You can't hurry recovery, so let it happen for you in its own time. The meds are working in the background even though you won't feel or see improvement often. Let the blips come and go ....... you will get there.
My wishes to you too throughout this difficult time for your and your family.
K x
Rox1992 katecogs
Posted
Thank you for replying.
I had only been having the bad anxiety since the 14th of October due to being abroad. But when I came back I was still anxious and having panic attacks. So after 6 days of anxiety the doctor prescribed me the citalopram. I had never had anxiety like this before.
In your opinion do you think an antidepressants was the right thing? And do you think it's best that I got medication so quickly before it escalated?
I just feel that theses tablets have made me so low xx
Marie266 katecogs
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lois95799 Marie266
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Rox1992 lois95799
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Rox1992 Marie266
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Marie266 Rox1992
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Rox1992 Marie266
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lois95799 Rox1992
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Anxiety...and yes I felt worst for months....that's the nature of this medication.but I felt worst without Medication for years...
Marie266 Rox1992
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Rox1992 Marie266
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Yes I've had anxiety probably worse than other days. But it's also made me really low. Did it make you feel low? Xx
Marie266 Rox1992
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Rox1992 Marie266
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katecogs Rox1992
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Hi Rox
Anxiety is awful to suffer with isn't it - and do you know the reason it hangs around is because we become afraid of it, causing more anxiety. We get stuck in a cycle of anxiety / fear / anxiety.
Antidepressants are there for a reason - to help you recover. Not everyone wants to take them, and there always seems to be a stigma about taking these type of meds. There are meds for headaches, epilepsy, diabetes, etc etc and nobody ever questions taking these. Some people cope well without meds, but others, like myself, struggle on trying to sort themselves out but find they get deeper embroiled in it. Many people don't understand anxiety, how it has appeared, why you can't get rid of it, so end up getting help eventually after many months of suffering. For me I suffered for 16 years and though I was on antidepressants, they weren't SSRI's. Once on the correct meds I recovered within 6 months.
Don't feel guilty about taking meds - they will help. Yes you will feel low to start with as the meds will make you worse before you get better. They work slow, so don't expect to feel well yet. You need a lot of patience with these, but they will really help you. As you recover you'll be up and down too (blips) as it may feel like you're back at the beginning. Its perfectly normal and how they work. Increasing your dose won't stops the blips as you get them whatever dose you take. Just go with whatever happens on the meds.
You'll get there.
K x
katecogs Marie266
Posted
We all suit different doses, so I expect the 10mg is better for you. You can go up to 15mg if you found 20mg too much, and don't forget you will get side effects every time you increase. They do wear off.
K x
Rox1992 katecogs
Posted
Thank you. I've only been on the 20mg for 3 days today but I felt down before switching to these. Does it makes a difference that the 10mg has been in my system for nearly three weeks already or not? Are you on yours for anxiety or depression or both? If you don't mind me asking? Do you have any tips for when you're having a really low day? Xx
katecogs Rox1992
Posted
Hi Rox
No it shouldn't make a difference you've been on 10mg for 3 weeks, but try and let each dose settle. Going up to 20mg should be fine. A good tip is too stay on one dose now for a few months to let is settle. A lot of people race up and down doses hoping it'll stop their anxiety - it won't. You cannot stop anxiety dead - it takes time. Racing up and down the doses will just cause more side effects and withdrawal as your body tries to adjust each time ......... it takes time to adjust. These meds take a long time - but its worth the wait.
I'm not on these meds anymore - I recovered and stayed on them for 16 years and felt great. I came off last year and am still doing well. I took them for anxiety. Yes I felt low sometimes because the anxiety for me down, but the meds were for anxiety mainly.
You will have low and high days as you wait to recover. As hard as it is, just try and go with whatever you're experiencing. Relaxing is good, whilst you move about, not just sitting. We tend to hold our bodies tight / tense, fighting anxiety. That's the worst thing to do as anxiety thrives on a tension. Your nerves are over sensitised at the moment so you'll over think, over feel and be over emotional about everything because your nerves are on heightened alert. Relaxing and taking life at a slower pace helps to reverse this - desensitises the nerves - helping to calm them and your body.
Can I send you a link by private message? I think it'll help explain a few things and will help you.
Rox1992 katecogs
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Rox1992
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Marie266 Rox1992
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