I'm going to see my doctor today. But wondering if anyone has had experience can help me. Started on 10mg. citalopram for 3 weeks. It fizzled out, so went to 20mg. Today is day 6 on 20mg.. I had some effect from the dose starting day 4, but now it seems I don't feel the dose working anymore. Wondering if a higher dosage is needed??
Laura. Reach out to a lady named Katecogs. She knows a lot about this med and can be a big help to you. Good luck.
Thank you, John.
Hi
Thanks John - just seen this too. Hope you're ok too xx.
Laura - these meds take a long time to work, often months, so what you're experiencing is quite nornal. Many people get an instant relief from them but that won't last because during recovery on these you'll be up and down as your body levels out. These meds will not give you an overnight fix .... but they will work if you give them time.
A larger dose doesn't necessarily mean they'll work any quicker and again, they won't give you instant relief. This will come though.
The meds don't fizzle out. Your body is levelling out so you will feel all over the place for now and sometimes may feel like you're back at the start. This is perfectly normal. Just keep going on the same dose - and be prepared for a long wait. You will recover on these though.
K x
Hi Laura,
You need to allow betwen 4 and 6 weeks for each new dose to kick in.
Thank you Kate. I agree with what you said that they take a long time to work. I just see some people are increased quite quickly to 30 and 40 mg. for whatever reason. Kinda scared the 20 won't do anything for me.
Thanks Grunthos. Seems I'm not feeling much from this dose on day 6.
In a way, I wish I was feeling all over the place....then I'd know the dose is working. It is just not giving me a very strong reaction. And that concerns me.
I want to thank katecogs and grunthos for your reaffirmations on sticking it out. My doctor assured me that it works very gradually and slowly.....over 2-8 weeks. She encouraged me to do relaxation and socialize with friends- doing something uplifting to help this along. And to not stress too much about anything because that can aggravate the condition.
She strongly advised CBT as being helpful. Thanks again.
Hi Laura,
CBT works much better when you are stable on anti-depressants. I know from personal experience! If side-effects from Citalopram are still predominant then you may end up being treated for them rather than for any underlying problems you may have. In my case I had a breakdown because I was being bullied at work and ended up being treated for sexual dysfunction caused by Citalopram, a common side-effect.
Hello Miss Kate. I'm doing much better---thanks. I'm on 37.5 mg's of effexor. Took awhile to kick in but I do beleive its working. Still exercising 2 hrs a day which for me is a must!!!!! I'm also really watching my diet. Hope all is well with you and that u are having a great summer!!!!
Hi Laura
I just messaged you too
Lots of people do increase their dose real quick which isn't the way to go really. A biger dose doesn't mean you'll get better quicker, and a bigger dose isn't always needed. You don't know if 20mg will suit you, so why take more than you need. Sadly you have to give one dose many months before you can tell ...... and just because you're feeling bad doesn't mean that dose isn't working ..... it is, but its the way these meds work.
Everyone is different and we all get different side effects too - some more sever than others.
Recovery can be different for people too - it can be your mood feels slightly better but you still have anxiety, you might have fleeting 'normal' moment but still have anxiety ...... and also recovery doesn't just go upwards, but usually your mood will be all over the place. People often mistake this for the meds not working or they're feeling ill again ...... but it means the meds are working and its your body adjusting. For me, at around 3-4 months I started getting normal moments in the evening but would feel dreadful again the next day. Each day would be like this and these normal moments started increasing until my whole day felt good. Each day I'd wake with anxiety though, but after about 6 months that disappeared too. During this time I'd get setbacks when I felt ill again, but they slowly stopped too.
Some people don't start noticing anything until around 5 months ..... sometimes just when you feel you've had enough because nothing is happening, you suddenly turn a corner.
Understanding anxiety helped me as well as the meds. I've sent you a link which lots of people find so helpful.
K x
lol Grunthos, sorry had to laugh. I think I'll stick to CBT for relaxation and anxiety since I'll be dealing with side effects for the next few weeks.
How long did it take your side effects to calm down and become more stable on your dose?
BTW, started feeling a significant boost from the 20 this evening. I suppose it's going to be up and down like that til it stabilizes.
Thank you katecogs. I just felt a boost from the dose this afternoon. And a headache came with it. Your time line description is how it worked for me last year when I started on citalopram for the first time. It really does take awhile. I read reviews on citalopram and alot of people improve so quickly, but that wasn't my experience. Maybe I was in a worse condition that some and that's why it took longer. I had some thyroid instability to begin with, but that is straightened out now. Could have used an ssri years ago though.
I'm new to ssris and appreciate your knowledge of how it works.
Hi Laura,
Don't worry about laughing, I'll do you good :-)
My problem, 10 years ago now, was that Cit turned me into a wreck just before I was assessed by the local Community Mental Health Team. As soon as I told them about my side-effects of loss of libido and inability to have an orgasm they assumed the side-effects were my underlying problem. I told them that my HR department had found me another job in the organisation that I worked for but the CMHT didn't listen and I ended up having six months off work even though I had a course of computerised CBT, where a laptop replaces the usual therapist.
I can't remember how long it took to become stable on Cit but I know I was a complete wreck for at least a month. I've since been on Cit twice for anxiety since then and have currently been on Cit for three months with my dose now at 40mg.
Yes everyone reacts differently to these meds. I've taken these twice, and the second time it took even longer and I had a completely different experience of starting up than the first time. I'm off them again ... stopped last year.
Yes I could have done with SSRI's when I was first ill instead of normal anti depressants which did nothing for me (turns out I wasn't depressed, just anxious). I continued to suffer for years until I was put onto SSRI's .... and they turned out to be a miracle for me as I recovered. To be fair though, SSRI's weren't around at the beginning of my illness, and think I must have been one of the first to try them out. The internet wasn't about either back then so I suffered in silence ...... thank goodness for sites like this and easy access to talk to other people now.
Hey glad to hear the meds are working for you. Yes I exercise every day - enjoy it more if its outside too (making the most of the good weather).
Yes thanks, all is well with me. The summer is good, though I'm not sure what happened to the sun of late
Good to hear Miss Kate. Life has truly been better since I started the Effexor even though I'm on the lowest dose possible. Just need a little bit to get over the hump. Fingers still crossed though!!!!
That's really great!! Yes I took the lowest dose I needed too. I found it just got better and better.
K x