citalopram

Treatment and medication
1

Can people with experience...(please no horror stories either) give me any reassurance.

I have been taking 10 mg citalopram for 4 weeks and then increased to 20 mg and will have been taking that for 4 weeks tomorrow. My anxiety has got so much worse to the point where I feel I have a lead weight in my stomach which is knotted. I feel very anxious and panicky, my head feels quite strange and I can't seem to think properly! I feel detached from from surroundings and people around me. My eyes feel strange and I almost feel quite trippy....the anxiety has been waking me up in the night too so I havent been sleeping great either....is this mormal at this Stage? I thought at 4 weeks it is meant to get better not worse!

2

This is completely normal when upping your dose. I confirmed with my doctor last night as i am going through the same. Also, alot of people on here have said so to. It can take up to a couple of months to settle in your system properly and for the side efects to subside. Stick with it smile . Iv been there before too when increasing doses but i have only just realised why. Initially i thought i was just going through a bad spell again... Xxx

3

Even at 4 weeks niccik?

I actually am scared im going to go mad!! X

4

Yeah. it can take ages. And longer for some people.. I would give it another 2 weeks and if you see no imporvement go back to your docs. But im sure if you go back now they will say come back in a week or so. When people are first put on these tablest the docs advise that it will generally take about 6-8 weeks to kick in and about a month for the side effects to settle down (everyone different though) and this is the same when increasing doses hun..xxx

5

My doc told me this last night as i wanted to confirm why i was feeling worse on my increased dose. He said it can be like starting them all over again...xxx

6

I know it is hard but stick with it Alison, I was going through the same this time last year and thought it was never going to work, but it will and when it does it is worth going through what you are now, it will happen just takes time. x

7

Hi Alison.  To add to the other posts, the effects of increasing dose can be very strange at first and it does take a while to balance out.  They are right when they save to give it a little longer, feels like the end of the world sometimes but usually it's short lived and will start to improve around the 6 - 8 week mark.  If in a couple of weeks you're still having bad issues, do speak to your doctor again as sometimes the dose is just too high for some people and may need lowering again.  20mg is the 'normal' maintenance level dose for most people but obviously it really does vary from person to person, some need more and some need to reduce back to 10mg to have the best effect.  Your height/weight/body mass will play a part too in how long it takes for your body to reach an even keel.  Just take heart it really does get better soon.  xx

8

How long have u been taking ur increased dose for? X

9

I was prescribed it in may and took the increaased dose for a couple of weeks n felt awful. Not knowing it was just side effects i went back down to a lower dose but kept my 40mg tabs (breaking them in half). Since being a member of this group i have learnt that with an increased dose anxiety can increase so i have decided to start taking them again and ride out the side effects as My doc assured me last night that it will settle down again, and tbh when i increased from 20-30 i had a bad couple of weeks but thought nothing of it at the time. I just thought it was a bad spell... xxx

10

Thanks loxie.

I just seem to have got worse! Especially my anxiety! And more headaches. Urgh I hope it improves soon! X

11

Could somebody clarify for me please...

So each increase is like starting over??

Does that mean that each increase take 6-8 week to feel the benefit??

So if I was in 20mg for 4 weeks,then increased to 40mg...Inhave to wait around 6-8 weeks for this increase alone to work??

I dint mind. It's just something that's been on my mind.

xx

12

Not exactly Gillian.  An increase in dose can cause a recurrence of not so nice side effects etc., that will have been experienced when first starting to take it.  It's unlikely that increasing dose will stop you feeling the benefits you already have gained but you may feel unsettled until the new dose settles in.  

13

Yes these side effects are common for everyone, and 4 weeks is still early days.  Everyone feels the benefits at different weeks, but often around week 8-9 you may notice a small change.  Sadly it's a waiting game, but the end result is so worth it.

With every dose increase you'll get side effects, but they'll peter out and disappear.  I've been taking this medicine for 15 years and it's the best thing I ever did.

K x

14

I am a nurse and answer a triage phone in a mental health clinic. Yes, it is normal to experience some side effects when beginning or increasing citalapram, however extream anxiety to the point of feeling like you are going "mad" is not really what I would want one of my patients to be feelings. As you know everyone is different but side effects should deminish within 2 weeks when going frm 10 mg to 20 mg.Your body has already adjusted to the drug and I'd be concerned about severe anxiety  this increased dose.

15

Thanks for the reply gail0525

I had an Appt with my gp last night amd he has decided to drop it back down to 10 mg as I am clearly sensitive to these type of medications.