Do i need to up my citalopram dosage or is it just a setback?

[claireyb87]

Hi everyone.
I am new to this site and i am desperate for someone to talk to about my anxiety and panic attacks. Looking back now i realise i have suffered panic attacks most of my life but until around about 6 weeks ago i didn't realise them so much and now i have the anxiety too. I was put on 20mg of Citalopram 5 weeks ago after i had a really bad episode of panics and anxiety. They really affected me and scared me but i learned ways to manage them and i started to feel alot better..even back to myself maybe. I was so proud of myelf for a few weeks but these last two days i feel back to square one:weep:. I feel VERY anxious on a morning and have panics all through the night as i did before. I feel i can cope alot better with the panic attacks as they pass but the anxiety is really bothering me and i can't shift the feeling. Is this normal to feel so bad again after feeling better for a few weeks? have i gone back to square one or is this just a blip? Do u think i would benifit from increasing my dose or will it pass on it's own? sorry for all the questions but need reassurance :blush:
Many Thanks

[marcusmaximus]

Hi I've only started mine day 6 so I'm on increased anxiety at the moment. I think you should get to the doctor I'd its a blip and you might need to go a higher dose.

[lg123]

How did you get on claireyb87 - did the doctor increase your dose? I've been through the exact same thing. I felt better for a few weeks after taking the 20mg dose of citalopram but now I feel like I'm back to square one... My doctor put me on betablockers as well but I don't find them very useful.

[Emphyrio]

I would be wary about upping a dose - we all get blips from time to time - having a higher dose may not change anything, and give you a lot of new side effects as well.

Two days of feeling bad is a little short for making a decision - when we have taken medication for just a short while our bodies spend time getting used to it. I had terrible side effects until my 6th week of prozac, then I had two weeks feeling great, then another 2 weeks feeling terrible again. Now I'm feeling a lot better again.

Sometimes little things can bring us down - have you been eating healthily? Drinking too much alcohol, sugar or caffeinated drinks can affect us in a number of ways - I'm a lot more wary of what I put into my system. I would take it easy for a few more days, eat healthily etc, get enough sleep, and if there are no improvements, then go back to the doctor and speak with him/her.