When to increase Citalopram dosage?

[June83]

I have been on cit since May this year. Things had been going well but over the last month I am starting to feel how I was before I started taking the tablets. I am back to crying for no reason, unable to sleep again, the horrible nightmares are back, my moodswings are awful and worst of all I am back to occasionally cutting myself again. (am on a diet so gorging until sick on junk food like I used to it not an option in my warped head!) My counselling stopped months ago and I am still taking my 20mg tablet of cit faithfully every day but it is not working! (on the plus side have not have panic attack in ages!)

My problem is doctors don't take me seriously! I am embarrassed by being depressed so I always end up with a stupid grin on my face, laughing off the fact that god I wished a car would run me over and end all of it.

I am tempted to start snapping my tablets in half and try taking 30mgs a day for a while but I am too scared the doctor will shout at me! I am just so tired of feeling like I want the whole world to just leave me alone while on the same time equally desperate for someone to hug me tight and tell me it will be ok. I think today is going to be a long day - but I think doctors appointment is needed again.

Does upping the dosage work or does cit just not work for me anymore?

[TJSMITH]

Hun one thing struck me the stupid grin I was doing this and knew it I almost felt I was on a false high but inside I felt no different I changed to sertraline 3 months Ago and so much better x

[lauz_lea]

Good question, and I'm kind of asking myself the same thing. I've been on cit since the Jubilee week, although it took me a long time to pluck up the courage to go from 10mg to 20mg. I've been on 20mg daily for about 8 weeks now I think (I should have made a note of the date but didn't). I still have ups and downs and am certainly not 100%, 100% of the time, it's more 90%, 90% of the time, which I suppose I should be satisfied with, but that 10% can really mess up the 90%.

I'm having a bit of a blip this week, but I know the causes of this. Usually my blips don't last anymore than 7-10days, but what a long 7-10 days they are :( but I suspect this blip won't end until the causes are correctly addressed as there are external factors at play this time.

I saw my doctor last week and she was thrilled to see me to well after so many months of being so ill with it all so I'm not due to see her for another couple of months, however I will probably need to see her sooner.

I'm going to stick with 20mg for a while longer because it's definately having a positive effect in so many aspects.

Have you considered just upping to 25mg instead of 30mg? My concerns are always the "what ifs?", i.e. what if 30mg is too high, how will it make me feel? What if 30mg doesn't get me where I want to be, do I go up to 40mg or try yet another med?

I've been on other meds in the past, specifically paroxetine (seroxat), and on it I was 100% for years, but I don't remember how long it took to get to the magic 100%. sadly it made me worse when I went back on it nearly a year ago, so my doctor wanted me off it instead of giving it more time.

It's such a confusing, distressing illness, and we take wellness for granted so much but we'll get there, this doesn't last forever.