I have been on cit for 14 weeks all together. 1 week on 10mg, 1 week on 20mg and 6 weeks on 30mg then 4 weeks on 40mg then 2 weeks ago dropped to 30mg. I felt pretty goid for the first 7 weeks then started to feel bad so they put my dose up to 40mg I felt even worse but stuck it for 4 weeks. I was then told to drop back to 30. I felt a bit better but still really crap. Tingling on my skin, nausea and high anxiety and stopped going out. In the first 7 weeks I was eating, going out etc.
Now I am trying to decide if I should drop back to 20ng. If I do should I go to 25mg first and generally what the hell is going on.
It is like it worked in reverse on me felt good for first 7 weeks then just when it should kick in I felt terrible. Maybe 30mg is too high ?
Please give me some advice I m feel so tired and head hurts and very confused. I am also on 45mg of mirtazapine and have diazepam. I m a mess.
Sorry
Trying yo decide if I should drop to 20mg as I felt better early on. Feels like as it has built up in my system I ve got worse. Can t eat can t go out.
Sarah. Whatever you do take ur time reducing. If you dont youMAY get side effects from the reducing. Try going 5 mg's at a time. Keep checking in here as a lot of ppl post in here. Good luck and keep ur chin up and best foot forward!!!!!
Honestly I don't understand why your dose was increased so rapidly!!! It takes 4-6 weeks to start working!!! So if I were you I would cut your pills down and decrease by 5mg. I would continue to decrease to get back to 20mg which is a therapeutic dose. Once you get to 20mg give it 4-6 weeks then go from there!!!!
sarah
You have jumped about a bit with various doses of this drug and now have stablised your dose. You seem to be suffering withdrawal, although I am no Doctor. Give the medication and body time to stablise, a few more weeks and if you are still bad talk to your GP again
BOB
Hi Bob
I don t see how it is withdrawals as I only dropped my dose once from 40 to 30 2 weeks ago having been on 40 for 4 weeks.
I do agree that moving the dose may not have helped. My doc has said I could jyst drop to 20 but after 3 months on 30 or more I m not sure I agree.
Sarah
sarah
It seems to work out at a reduction for two weeks, You also dropped from 40mg to 30 after four weeks so you have taken 40mg for 4 weeks then you dropped again to 30mg for three months, there is a reduction you may need to catch up on however small as your body will strive.
Some people can take drops easier than some while others can struggle. Sorry if Have missread your dosage regime I must be getting tired.
Thes medications can take upwards of six weeks to work well you have been withdrawing when the body was getting used to the drug, you will need to withdraw in a consistant way to allow the body to readjust to the lower dose, Your GP is allowing you three months on 30 plus some additional weeks before He reduces again to twent, you will need catchup on a drop frm thirty to 20mg so will will also be a withdrawal period where the body will work on twenty
As I say I may be reading it wrong I have been watching a contractor cutting our hedge, it makes me tired watching him Lol
BOB
Hi Bob
I am tired also.
I have only done one drop 40 to 30 2 weeks ago. I did wander about withdrawal but my doc said after just 4 weeks on 40 that would not happen but it could, take 2 weeks for the negative effects of 40 to wear off.
I feel like I will never get better. I have a young baby and I feel worse than before I started cit.
Anytime you change your dosage of an SSRI of any kind you can experience some side effects for 4-6 weeks while your body adjusts! Hang in there you can either wait another two weeks while on the 30mg to see if side effects diminish or drop to the 20mg and start the clock over again for 4-6 weeks. I have had bad side effects increasing my citalopram from 10mg to 15mg 4 weeks ago it is like an emotional roller coaster! I am wondering if I should increase or reduce back down! The thing is you just don't know till you have waited the full 4-6 weeks! Ugh I am going to see my doctor tomorrow so I can make a decision! Hang in there eventually it will pass don't give up you will find the answer! 😁
Hello sarah
I am sorry if I was abrupt with you, I am here to help you .
Do not feel discouraged with regard your condition and medications we all go through the same sort of thing and I went through the same type of problems when they were working out my drug types and pathways.That was twenty odd years ago.
Just go with the flow, it will sort out soon and you will feel the benefit of the medication, possibly sooner than you think
All the best
BOB
I always say you should stay on one dose for a good couple of months before you can tell if you need to increase, stay or decrease. Feeling good for a few weeks then starting to feel bad is perfectly normal and part of recovery - this is often where I feel doctors make the mistake of increasing because that does not stop this. Its natural. Whatever dose you're on you will still go through that up / down phase. Increasing your dose just gives you more side effects, when you should try riding it out first. Yes you might need to increase, but you need to try riding through.
As you get better you'll have many ups and downs - you can't avoid it. Its your body adjusting. A high dose is not the answer in most cases.
To keep changing your dose your body won't know if its coming or going. You get those ups / downs, increase your dose and get more side effects, continue getting the ups / downs increase again and get even more side effects. Things don't settle so you decrease and get withdrawal. You prolong the healing process and you swing up and down. Settle on one dose and stay there for months - and stay some more, and continue to wait. You'll find that though you continue to get ups and downs, they'll start to level out. You cannot avoid them - you have to let the downs be there, just let them do their thing, accept whatever is thrown at you - physical aches, nausea, weird thoughts, anxiety, headaches ...... everything. Try and relax and let go of tension in your middle/core - it won't happen overnight, but continue to practice this as you go about your day will help to calm the body. Eat healthily, exercise a little each day - do all this whilst you wait for your body to heal. You can't hurry anything.
Stop chasing recovery and let it come to you. It will if you wait.
K x
Hi Sarah,
The best advice I can give is dont read forums or get advice in places like these.
Look for official reliable resources such as " mind " or " Nhs " ...and also you must tell your gp or psychiatrist, ask them questions to put your mind at rest.
Personally im taking citalopram mainly for anxiety, panic attacks caused by negative thinking and just personal upset really.
Started 10mg 8 weeks
Then 20mg 10 weeks
Then up to 30mg for the last 3 weeks.
When i started and when dose went up, i defintely felt very awkward, shy, anxiety, very sweaty around my forehead...just felt really uneasy.
I forced my DR to give me a mild sedative for the bad days, so i had diazepam/valium to help...without that, i can imagine it would of been hell ! ( personally i cant even work right now, i was working before when i started taking these ssri meds, it was a horrible experience...i thought i was purposely being tortured ( but that was sertraline YUK ! )
GOOD luck... Do yourself a favour dont listen to personal experiences, it will only confuse you - most people dont even know what they are experiencing.
Know this...ssris are neuroregenerative and increase neuroplasicity ...so aswell as the meds,you need to do therapy like mbt, dbt or think different, be different, change your life ...and your brain will change too.
Miss KAte. U shud write a dang book on these meds. Great advice once again.
Wow. You sure have a lot of advice for a person who says dont come into or listen to ppl who come in here.
This is not the first time ppl come in here and give their 2 cents. Opinions are like as*****s. Everone has one. When someone is reaching out for help or advice, the last thing they want to hear Is dont listen to anyone but me. I know I benefitted a lot from coming in here. Ppl with experience have given me great advice. My Dr couldnt give me any. So I'm thinking "thank God for this forum" cause I sure would have been lost without it!!!!
I absolutely agree there is no way one doctor can give the advice and experiences that everyone on this forum has to offer! I am so happy and grateful for all the advice and opinions I have received on this forum! Besides who better to get advice from than people who have actually experienced the problem or taken the medication!
You are absolutely bang on the Dalene