Citalopram

[panic_down_under]

I recently cut down to ten as they were giving me heavier periods but struggled on 10 after being on 20

Taking sub therapeutic antidepressant doses for extended periods can be counterproductive as it may 'train' the brain to stop responding to the med. The usual citalopram therapeutic adult dose range is 20-40mg/day.

[prue1956]

I will do and thankyou so much for replying.

[MN]

Taking sub therapeutic antidepressant doses for extended periods can be counterproductive as it may 'train' the brain to stop responding to the med. The usual citalopram therapeutic adult dose range is 20-40mg/day.

do you mean that it wont work AT ALL - or it might take longer?

[panic_down_under]

do you mean that it wont work AT ALL - or it might take longer?

It may stop working.

Antidepressants have no direct effect on anxiety, or depression in the way say aspirin has on a headache. They work by stimulating the growth of new brain cells (neurogenesis) to replace cells killed, or prevented from growing by high brain stress hormone levels. The therapeutic response is produced by these new cells and the stronger interconnections they forge, not the meds directly and this requires a minimum level of the med in the system to initiate and sustain.

The problem with taking sub/borderline therapeutic doses is neurogenesis may be interrupted whenever the antidepressant plasma levels drop below the amount needed to sustain it which could lead to the second issue, the growing evidence antidepressants become progressively less effective every time they are stopped and restarted. Two studies, Amsterdam JD, 2016 and Amsterdam, 2009 found the likelihood of antidepressants working after each restart drops by between 19-25% (see also: Amsterdam JD, 2009; Leykin Y, 2007). This applies whether returning to a previously taken antidepressant or a different one. Taking a low dose for months may create a similar situation as stopping and restarting it. While the neurogenesis interruptions may only be of short duration, they will probably occur much more frequently.

[MN]

Hopefully by increasing the dose to 30mg (like mine) i should see some difference?

[Beckie4567]

My docter has ensured me they will still work fine I only went down for 3.months and now going bk up

[panic_down_under]

Hopefully by increasing the dose to 30mg (like mine) i should see some difference?

Hopefully, yes. But as with everything about antidepressants, there are no guarantees. :(

[prue1956]

The doctor has just rang me this morning i told her of symptoms which are diarrhea indigestion no appetite and ive lost 5Ibs in weight so shes put me down to 10mgs to see if things improve i have to go back in a week she gave me the option of going onto fluxotine but decided to stick with these for now she did say that you worse at first with citalapram and i might be one of those people that cant tolerate it,so again we will see how i go....

[prue1956]

The doctor called me today i told her of my side effects which are nausea diarrhea indigestion and loss of appetite so she suggested i drop to 10mg as perhaps my body cant handle it on the other hand she suggested i try fluxotine but decided to stay with citalapram as i really didnt want my insides more mixed up than what they are as i i have now lost half a stone being 9st now shes also given me omerprazole..?

---------- Post added at 14:58 ---------- Previous post was at 14:57 ----------

The doctor called me today i told her of my side effects which are nausea diarrhea indigestion and loss of appetite so she suggested i drop to 10mg as perhaps my body cant handle it on the other hand she suggested i try fluxotine but decided to stay with citalapram as i really didnt want my insides more mixed up than what they are as i i have now lost half a stone being 9st now shes also given me omerprazole..sorry if ive posted twice wasnt sure i had pressed the button