Just switched to Escitalopram: my experience

[NervousKel]

Day 22: I'm so disappointed!!! I really hoped I'd fall asleep on my own last night and make it 3 nights in a row without trazodone, but I had to take one :-(. So, now I'm in a low mood, and a bit worried. Anxiety isn't too bad so far, though.

Yesterday afternoon and evening went really well; I felt like I was making progress, but now it's like taking a step backwards with the sleep issue.

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.....and I was so tempted to pop an entire 10 mg pill in my mouth this morning instead of cutting it in half ;-). I just wish I could predict what the side effects would be like.

[will351]

How long did it take you to feel better on celexa. I had a much better day yesterday. This morning back with bad anxiety. 18 day on Escitalopram. I guess it’s up and down for quite a while.

[Mommyof1]

Hey Kel, I really feel like the anxiety you are still experiencing may because you arent taking a therapeutic dose. I have good days and bad, but we went on a 4 day vacation last week. I went into it super nervous but we were so busy I didn't have much time to think about it. We were out on crowds every day and I did great. I ate so much food and had an over all great time. I was worried that when we came home yesterday that I would go back to the morning anxiety and nausea. Nope. Woke up feeling great, filled the kiddie pool and got in and played with my daughter for a while. Made breakfast for lunch. Did some laundry. I even suggested to my husband that we have a 4th of July cookout and invite some friends and family.

Any time I have negative thoughts now i just keep saying "no, I'm having too great of a streak". I'm gonna keep it going as long as I can.v

Of course I'm still worried about the breast cancer scare, but it isnt crippling me like before. I think if you would take the 10 and tough it out for a couple more days, you'd be feeling a lot better. From day 23-28 I've been great on 10mg. I really hope you start to improve.

[NervousKel]

Mommyof1, it sounds like you are doing great!! That gives me so much hope that 10 mg will work for me :-).

Yeah, I really need to move to the 10 mg. I feel like the 5 mg helps me a little bit, but it's not effective enough for me to stay on it. I was really tempted to take a whole pill today. It's to the point where I'm *almost* less worried about side effects, and just impatient to get to a higher dose.

We leave Sunday morning for vacation. It's tempting to up the dosage towards the end of the trip. I think being busy would help minimize the side effects.

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How long did it take you to feel better on celexa. I had a much better day yesterday. This morning back with bad anxiety. 18 day on Escitalopram. I guess it’s up and down for quite a while.

When I was on the Celexa (actually the generic form, citalopram) 5 years ago, it took 3-4 weeks before I felt improvement, and probably a good 10 weeks before all the side effects went away, and I felt great.

Yes, very common to have the up and downs for a while (weeks). The up moments are a good sign that things are improving, and that the medication is starting to work :-).

[NervousKel]

Day 23: I slept wonderfully last night. I had a really tough time waking up and getting out of bed.

I had the usual morning anxiety which cleared up early afternoon. Shortly after that my headache appeared. I've had one almost every day in the late afternoon/early evening.

I noticed yesterday that I haven't been clenching my jaw anymore.

[Mumzy]

Sounds like your doing great well done!!

[NervousKel]

Day 24: Rough night last night. I had to take one trazodone.

I'm actually getting a bit braver ;-). I've been cutting my 10 mg pills in half. There are two pills I cut a bit uneven, with one half just a smidgen larger than the other half. I decided this morning that it's time to move up doses :-). So, I took one of the slightly larger halves. Providing I don't have extremely bad side effects, I'll take the the slightly larger half tomorrow, and then move up to 7.5 mg. I'm just really sick of this, and becoming very impatient.

[Mumzy]

That’s absolutely brilliant Kel well done you!!

[NervousKel]

Day 26 (Day 3 of upped dosage).

It's been a bit anticlimactic upping doses, which is a good thing :-)!!!

The only side effects I've had is that same spacy feeling an hour or two after I take my pill in the morning. It's worse when when I turn my head. I've also had a scalp tingling feeling. It's exactly the same as when I started on the 5 mg :-).

Everything else has stayed the same. Anxiety comes and goes, appetite comes and goes, I slept great Wed night, and then last night had to take a trazodone.

I tried cutting my 10 mg pills into 7.5 mg, but found it way too tricky to cut. When I cut it down to quarters, it just kind of crumbled. So, instead I've cut the pills a bit past the midline mark. I tried to get them equal. No idea what the actual mg is : probably somewhere between 6.0 and 7.0. :-). I'll stay on this until after vacation; maybe longer depending on my work schedule when we get back. Then right up to 10 !

[Mumzy]

You are doing great well done be very proud!