Is this side effects or is it real ?

[Itsonlyme26]

I've been on citalopram since last October , starting off at 20mg , which seem to give me some really good benefits. However I felt like it wasn't enough so I went back to me doctors , like we all do , and he put me on 40mg citalopram. It seems to be working but I've noticed I keep feeling happy then depressed and then I feel like something bad is going to happen , I have no idea why. Its been quite bad today but i don't know if that's because of other reasons such as my bad leg playing up and my family having one big argument , it could be anything. So what I want to know is , is it possible to get side effects when upping the dose ? Does it go away with time ? Thanks

[Anxious_gal]

Yep, I had to come off meds after upping the dose. Was too much for me I guess .
I don't know, if meds are working then you really shouldn't need to increase them.
I do think the symtoms can go away once your body starts to adjust .

[jackie13]

Hi Hun

I have been on 20mg of Citalopram for 5 years, had a bad episode and put up to 30mg. I know exactly what you mean, I have this as well. For example will have a good day then get wired feelings and feel down then up again. I reckon it's the increase in dose, gonna give mine a little while longer.

Jackie x

[Itsonlyme26]

I feel quite good today. New day and all that lol I've been up since 6.30am this morning for work and getting up early seems to help my mood , I'm an early riser. I have to walk to work and I have to walk through a park which is usually busy but since it's the weekend there was no one around , it was really nice to be able to walk without noise. I know we don't ask for these weird depressing feelings , moods and emotions but that's part of life , it's just we feel those more than others.

[Bill]

I've been on citalopram since last October , starting off at 20mg , which seem to give me some really good benefits.

However I felt like it wasn't enough so I went back to me doctors , like we all do , and he put me on 40mg citalopram.

It seems to be working but I've noticed I keep feeling happy then depressed and then I feel like something bad is going to happen , I have no idea why.

Its been quite bad today but i don't know if that's because of other reasons such as my bad leg playing up and my family having one big argument , it could be anything. So what I want to know is , is it possible to get side effects when upping the dose ? Does it go away with time ?

I don't think this has anything to do with side-effects because I think it's a familiar pattern when ad's are used to treat anxiety-related depression.

As far as I know, ad's were made to treat depression hence "anti-depressants" and that's why they lift a sufferers mood. However, when the depression is anxiety-related, the effects don't last becaus the underlying fear is left untreated. When they stop working, the dose is increased until I think the body gets used to them again and then another med is tried with the same cycle of a happy mood wearing off and dose being increased etc.

I can see how ad's do help thogh because when we feel happier in ourselves, we feel less stressed, less afraid and more confident so our fears don't feel so intense. When it comes to anxiety, ad's though are like a plaster because they mask the underlying causes and that's why therapy is usually more effective because it tackles the underlying issues that create the symptoms.

In your case, a bad leg playing up and the family having a big argument will cause stress levels to increase causing your anxiety symptoms to surface so the best thing is to take yourself away from things until the arguments settle. I wouldn't be suprised if every time you get overstressed the same thing will happen but it'll be due to the stress and nothing to do with the meds which will keep you smiling at your underlying issues that are causing your stresses.