I was prescribed 20mg by the doctor for depression which I started taking 3 days ago. Within hours felt incredibly spacy, and detached. Day 2 (yesterday) I had an awful and terrifying panic attack - in the doctor's waiting room - where I was about to see the mental health nurse for a routine follow-up (never had a panic attack before). She thought I was having a bad reaction and prescribed me 10mg. I've also had appetite and memory loss and woke this morning feeling panicked. Although had been feeling more calm and relatively happier (less grumpy, snappy etc).
So... I started taking 10mg today and now feel back to normal (as in not feeling drugged / spacy / panicked) - BUT I'm back to feeling very low, grumpy and snappy.
Now wondering whether the panic attack on 20mg was all simply part of the normal set of side effects, and I should have kept it going on 20mg. I guess my question is, is it usual to feel back to square one even if a higher dose was being taken? I'm thinking maybe 10mg won't 'hit the spot' and maybe I didn't ride it out long enough. Can and will 10mg actually work? Also IF I do go back to 20mg will I get the panic attacks / racing heart etc again?
I know it's a lot of trial and error - but I need to get this depression under control espcially before I have to return to work in the New Year.
Side effects will wear off after about 4 -6 weeks and the benefits will start, feeling sick was one side effect that is common and will go its worth persevering .
Hi Zanaibar
Yes it's the side effects of the medicine unfortunately. We all go through it. 20mg is the usual dose. Maybe take 10mg for a while and slowly increase to 20mg.
Everyone goes through these awful side effects from headaches, nausea, blurred vision, panic attacks, racing heart etc. Have a look at the leaflet for a full list, though you won't necessarily get all of them.
Recovery on this medicine takes a long time, so you need lots of patience. Don't set yourself a goal of trying to have the depression under control by the New Year, because it'll go in it's own course. It takes about 3-4 months to start feeling the benefits though some people feel this much earlier. You wouldn't expect a broken leg to heal in a few weeks, and unfortunately it's how depression works too. After getting through the side effects you'll start having ups and downs with your mood, and often people think they've gone backwards and up their dose. Don't do that, as you'll give yourself more side effects. This is just how the medicine and recovery works.
Once through all this you WILL recover. The benefits of putting up with all the unpleasantness is so worth it.
So, lots of patience is needed, and accept all the unpleasant side effects - you will get there. Promise.
K xx
20 mgs is quite a high starting dose, try 10mgs for a couple of weeks then get up to 20mgs over the next few weeks. Side effects can make you feel worse before better but I've been on and off Cit for years and just when you think they are never going to work they do! For me it's usually around the 6 week mark that I feel considerably better, full recovery takes a while longer.
I'm currently on day 18 and getting short periods of feeling ok but it's early days yet.
Hang in there it's worth it in the end 