Day 50 Cipralex (Escitalopram) 20mg

[Cocomademoiselle]

Hi,

I thought I would write about my experience to see if it would help anybody who is taking this drug or thinking about it.

I took this for 6 years previous worked a treat. Cant remember any start up effects on 10mg started for a few days at 5mg then up to 10mg. Stayed well on this for 3 years had a blip and increased to 20mg. This year had a blip and thought they were not working (must add that I did not have counselling, CBT anything like that, was just greatful the tablets were working and left it at that - wrong thing to do I think !). Anyway I asked the GP to swap to something else and she suggested Mirtazapine she said do a cross taper reduce Cipralex at the same time as starting Mirt and by 2-3 weeks I would be off Cipralex completely. I trusted this judgement I thought the new drug woudl cancel out any "withdrawal" from Cipralex. Well either I had withdrawal or the new drug didnt kick in fast enough or didnt work because basically it was a bloody disaster ! and I can now see that Cipralex was still working and I was having a blip.

Anyway I am back on 20mg and have been for 50 days now. It was very hard at first as I had to start from scratch as I had no Cipralex in my system at all. I looked back to the first time I took them and how I felt better within 2-3 weeks and thought it would be the same this time. Wrong ! I was worried they wouldnt work second time around AT ALL !! I would feel ok for a day then not the next day ? I felt like crying all the time and felt that I couldnt cry coz if I started I wouldnt ever ever stop. Around the 5 week mark I think that is when I stopped balling or feeling like I was going to burst into tears. Anxious impending doom etc. Must add that I took 20mg pretty quickly though so maybe this is why ? I think I spent one week at 10mg then up to 20mg instead of slowly. I felt like I wanted to get it into my system as quickly as possible but in hindsight if I had done it slower maybe I wouldnt have felt so bad.

Maybe it takes longer the second time around to work ? I feel say 75% better but I keep worrying that IT will come back (depression & anxiety).

This time I have already had my first session of CBT, im reading inspirational books and exercising and cutting negative people and stress out of my life. Im not going to drink LOADS of alcohol or binge.

[karenp]

Coco you have done so well to get to 20mg's so quickly again. It doesn't sound like you've had an easy time of it either but glad to hear you are closer to getting truly well again to not.
I don't seem to be able to cry anymore you know and some days I really want to but just can't at all. It's normally when I first wake up. I'm hoping to increase to 10mg's this next week, scared as ever though ):
I had CBT sessions but didn't find they helped me much though I do try to think more logically and positively now since having them so perhaps they have done me some good really.
Good for you for all the things you are doing not to feel depressed and anxious. Just remember darl 50 days isn't all that long on an ad too, I know it normally took me a good 4 months before I was truly back to normal and 100% good on old style Citalopram. You are doing great and have been so brave to want to get well fast and putting yourself through all those nasty side effects. Well done you xxx

[Cocomademoiselle]

Hi Karen thanks for your reply. Do you really think that day 50 is still in the early stages ? Just wondering coz when I first took this med 5 years ago it felt better after 2 weeks and almost euphoric on just 10mg. I feel like its taken longer this time and wondering can it still get better or is this IT. xx

[karenp]

I'm sure there's def time for you to feel properly better Coco hugs Karen xxx