Increased dose after many months and side effects - advice please on Citalopram

[hellbelle49]

Hi all
I hope everyone is OK?
I was wondering if anyone had some advice for a fellow citalopram taker. I started taking it in late August this year and had to start slowly as got severe side affects just taking 10mg at the beginning
So took 5mg for a while and slowly built up to 10mg and finally 20mg after many weeks. I had stayed on 20mg for nearly 2 months and I went and saw my GP for a check-up (it wasn’t my normal one but a locum)
And she said as I still had symtoms of anxiety that I should increase the dose to 30mg. I was unsure but thought I would like to be symptom free.
Since I have upped the dose a week ago I have felt increasingly tired and really dizzy all the time and out of it and cant focus so I have that on top of my anxiety and ocd thoughts as well which is a bit of a nightmare.
I just wondered whether anyone else experienced side effects when increasing after a while of being on a set dose and how long it lasted for or whether by body is particularly sensitive. I am not sure if I should go back to 20mg? but I still have anxiety?
Any help would be great
Thanks a lot
Hellbelle

[chickpea]

I was on 10mg for 5 weeks, before moving up to 15mg for 3 weeks. Then I moved up to 20mg (3 weeks ago) and got the side effects back again - tiredness and more anxiety.

I was told to give it 6 weeks to see how well it settled down, so my guess is that you are experiencing side effects from moving to 30mg and may need to stick it out for a little while longer.

[chickpea]

I should say - the side effects should die down in another week or so, and the positive benefits may take a further month after that to fully kick in.

[hellbelle49]

thanks chickpea,i guess i will stick with it and see what happens. It was strange today, i felt so tired and dizzy all day till about 5pm and then i felt OK again and only have the heavy headachy feeling on its own...hopefully things will settle down...good luck with your meds too

[burberrygirl72]

im the same i started on 5 then 10 then 15 now 20 day 3 and my anxiety and panic atacks are so bad i thought i was over the worse of them side affects i was fine on 15mg but had to up them like you as my panic attacks where still there but they seem alot worse now since i upped to 20mg

[NoPoet]

Hi, please have a look at the Citalopram Survival Guide (click the link in my signature) for more info about citalopram and how it affects you.

PS Thanks for teaching me a new word - "locum" - this happens very rarely