Switching meds [Archive]

Steve L

17-12-12, 11:51

I've been on 40mg of Citalopram for 6 months and in truth, not finding its really working. Still feel flat and anxious and have very few 'good' days.

I'm going to the docs on Wednesday to ask about switching meds, maybe to Fluoxetine.

My question is, how to go about switching meds? Do you taper off the Citalopram over a short or a long period then start the new meds or can I mix the two?

I know if I was coming off Citalopram/meds completely I would taper off over a long period to avoid the s/e's, but if switching does this still apply?

Mark13

17-12-12, 13:21

According to MIMS the GP should have you stop citalopram then start fluoxetine the next day at the lowest dose:

http://www.mims.co.uk/news/882430/Switching-Antidepressants

pinkdove

17-12-12, 15:15

steve your gp will give you the right adice, good luck, i have switched meds many times with the help of my gp, as long as you take his/her advice you will be fine. good luck xxx

Steve L

17-12-12, 16:05

Thanks Mark for the link

Pinkdove, have you now found a med that works for you?

Baggs

17-12-12, 22:37

Duloxetine works for me. All the best.

Baggs

pinkdove

18-12-12, 18:43

Thanks Mark for the link

Pinkdove, have you now found a med that works for you?
yea i have settled on venlafaxine, hope you find something that suits you too x

Steve L

19-12-12, 14:09

Went to see my GP today. He has prescribed me 50mg Sertraline and advised me to halve my Citalopram dose for 4 days then start the Sertraline along with a weeks reduced dose of Cit then carry on with the Sert.

Wish me luck! :D

MissHDynamite

19-12-12, 14:15

I am on 50 Lustral (sertraline) but did start form a quarter of that and upped it slowly. I found that it settled after the first 3 or 4 weeks but if your struggling with any heightened anxiety or similar Steve, ask for some diazepam (small dose) just to help take the edge off, it does help.

Good Luck :yesyes:

Ingenious

19-12-12, 17:17

Good luck Steve. I also got to 40mg of Citalopram and hit a wall, then changed (in my case to Mirtazapine) which was the best thing I ever did. You might feel a little off while you switch over but once you find the right medication for you, it can work wonders.

TJSMITH

19-12-12, 21:07

Good luck
I was changed to sertraline 6 months ago and so pleased i did.
I still have anxiety (thoughts) but so much less overwlelming.

Mark13

19-12-12, 22:06

Good luck Steve, hope sertraline suits you. It's certainly helped my wife with panic disorder / depression.

Steve L

20-12-12, 17:11

Thanks everyone, lets see how I get on! :yesyes:

Steve L

26-12-12, 11:31

Well, after a night or 2 thinking about changing the meds I have decided to come off them all together.

I've been on various meds for over a year now and none of them seem to have worked and all this time I have been in various states of anxiety and depression and to be honest I'm fed up with it.

I have started tapering down my Cit and missing the odd day and, do you know what, I'm starting to feel normal again. I've made some big decisions for the coming year and I do not want to be hampered with these meds. I want to be clean and deal with any issues naturally

So rather than wish me luck on starting sertraline, wish me luck going clean! :D

Sparkle1984

26-12-12, 21:56

Good luck, but at least you know you still have the sertraline prescription in case you feel you need it. :)

---------- Post added at 21:56 ---------- Previous post was at 21:55 ----------

Whatever you do, just make sure your doctor is aware. :)

Steve L

27-12-12, 19:14

Steve L

03-01-13, 14:39

Phew, after being 'clean' from Cit for 4 days, I feel awful. I'm tearful, dizzy and feel like I want to sleep all the time but I'm going to perservere :weep:

Sparkle1984

03-01-13, 18:29

That's a shame. :weep: How quickly did you taper down?

I hope you'll feel better soon.

Steve L

03-01-13, 20:08

That's a shame. :weep: How quickly did you taper down?

I hope you'll feel better soon.

Probably a bit too quick!

I went on doctors advice from 40mg to 20mg for 10 days as if I was going over to Sertraline but didnt start Sertraline and have now come off all meds.

Feels like I have the flu and a bit emotional but it's something I'm going to ride out

Sparkle1984

03-01-13, 21:26

Yeah that does sound pretty quick! Seeing as you changed your mind about starting sertraline, I'm surprised that the doctor didn't give you more time to come off citalopram. Don't feel obliged to ride it out if you don't want to - if I were you I personally would go back and ask to spend a few weeks on 10mg, then go down to 5mg before coming off completely. There shouldn't be any hurry to come off meds, unless you were feeling really uncomfortable on them.

I'm going to ask my doctor if I can come off the meds this year as I feel a lot better now, so I'll see how I am without them. I'm only on 10mg as that was all I ever needed (I must be extra sensitive), but I'll make sure I ask for as much time as I need to come off them - I'll probably spend a few weeks on 5mg as I really don't want to be ill with withdrawal effects (especially with flu) if I can avoid it.

Steve L

04-01-13, 13:17

My Doc is unaware I've come off completely as it wasnt my intention at the time. I dont want to go back on any meds as I have had enough of them, they turned me in to a bit of a zombie.

I remember going to the docs back in July 2011 because I was just feeling a bit low and, because I was with BUPA, I was referred to to The Priory hospital in North London, one of the top pschyiatric hospitals in the UK. There I was diagnosed with mild depression and was was put on Mirtazipine on Sept 19th 2011 and ever since then all I they have done is up my dose, change my meds, add another med and all during this time I have never felt myself. 'Unfortunately' I have since been made redundant and lost my BUPA entitlement

The only positive that come out of my treatment was CBT which I found very helpful but that was because the meds were making me incredibly anxious and emotional all the time. Something I never was before I started taking any medication

When I went back to my GP a couple of weeks ago and advised him of the situation, in his own words I was on 'quite a lot' of meds i.e. 40mg Cirt, 150mg Lofepramine and 4mg of Flupentixol daily...all for mild depression!!

It was at this point went he prescribed me with Sertraline that I thought 'hang on' I'm going to be on 4 meds for mild depression for a period and thought 'sod this' I'm going to get better on my own, hence the decision to come off meds all together.

So in short I'm not just coming off Cirt, i'm also coming of Lofepramine and Flupentixol and going cold turkey. Not great fun but the alternative is being drugged up on a cocktail of, in my opinion, over the top meds

So thats my story and why I have come off meds the way I have done, nearly 18 months of pure frustration.

TJSMITH

04-01-13, 14:03

Steve keep us posted.
I'm on sertraline and yes got me out of dark hole but mine all started with an illness that led to anxiety then depression and I do wonder if I would have been better letting my body do its thing.
I also wonder if it's now holding me back and stopping a full recovery as I never suffered this before but now always underlying.

Good luck x

stormyok10

04-01-13, 14:47

Hi Steve,
Just read your post & know how you feel. I have been on a few meds over the last couple of years, cit,mirt & now 4weeks into fluox & feeling horrendous, am back at docs on tuesday & seriously thinking of coming off them as none of them have worked for me. Like you only had a couple of panic attacks & mild anxiety, & 2yrs on no better x

Steve L

04-01-13, 19:45

It seems I have a choice of staying on meds, be it Cirt or Sertraline or whatever and experiencing the side effects and feeling crap for longer, or coming off the meds and letting nature take its course, as I was assured and 'promised' by the professionals that I would get better.

I was advised this was just a 'depressive episode' and thats all and it will end naturally. The meds would assist me through it but I genuinely think the meds have made me worse

I will keep people updated on how I go but I do not want to take anymore meds. I want my life back!

I've been 'clean' for about 5 days and to date I have felt emotional, light headed and tired. Not a lot different from when I was on the meds to be frank, so as much as everyone advises NEVER go cold turkey well I'm going against all the advice and on my head be it, although I will add, everyone tells you not to go cold turkey because of the effects, but everyone accepts that there are side effects when starting up meds which seem just as bad from what Ive experienced and read daily on here. Is there much of a difference, maybe someone can tell me? Does cold turkey last longer? Are the symptoms different? I guess its down to the individual.

I know I sound frustrated and angry but I have had a difficult 18 months and I put it mostly down to the AD's although there have been events such as redundancy which have not helped

I must make it clear I am only talking about me here, I am sure these meds work wonders for many people but I can only report on my experiences.

Give it 6 weeks and I'll probably be back on them! :D