How bad is a 10mg to 20mg increase?

[karenp]

I feel the time has def come to go up to 20mg's, I have a few probs going on in my life and maybe that is why I am depressed but every day I wake up at the mo and just want to sleep again so that is not good. I've not felt so low for ages as I was good on 10mg's and though I aren't getting much anxiety the depression is making me cry all the time.
I have put it off an don off and off out of fear of side effects but remember when I upped from 20 to 40mg's of regular Citalopram which is like going up to 20mg's of Escitalopram it wasn't half as bad as I expected, it's feeling anxious and paniky that scares me most and my sleep is so rubbish at the mo.
Any advice would be greatly welcomed good or bad :) I think once I get up to 20g things will really even out and I will be off the Lorazepam in no time.

[nicola1980]

Hi hun, i think you should just bite the bullet and go for the increase, you may get a few side effects but you know these pass and you've got your loraz to help you, i remember when i was on cit and i increased from 20 to 40mg i didn't get any side effects and felt great a few weeks later x x

[karenp]

Thanks Nicola, so glad you had a lovely holiday by the way xxx
I was the same going up for 20 to 40 on Citalopram, I was really surprised as it had been hell to start up on in the first pace but I can remember talking to my pharmacist who had been on 40mg and he told me that as I was already used to having the Cit in my system any side effects would be minimal and I'd probs get a few headaches and a bit of flushing which in the end I did and was totally back to normal after a few weeks and so I don't know why I am so scared to do the same thing with Escitalopram now when it's been much easier to tolerate side effects wise any how, probs as I have read people have had a bad time going up but I am not exactly anxious now but just so depressed every day and not sleeping without tablets to keep me asleep.
I've just met a man who is a psychiatric nurse and he's told me to also go for it as even if I get side effects it will be 2 weeks max feeling off it. It's been really interesting listening to him talk about all the diff ad's and he says not one of them is side effect free. He teaches CBT courses mainly, what a useful man to have around hey when he works with people with GAD every day, ha ha ha. My Mum thinks it is so funny!

[Sober2000june]

Good luck with the 20mg Karen x

it's great that you've got a mental health professional four encouragement:).

take care:bighug1:

[karenp]

I took 5mg's extra last night and have had no sleep but had a run in with my husband over some dire behaviour with my son, he let him lay across a railway track with his friend and took photos so I was on the phone last night saying I intend to show my solicitor the photos today and my beautiful house, that I was real OCD taking care of is a total dump and will never sell, not that he will even put it on the market so I have been awake feeling very anxious and shakey. In crease to good though unless it's the other stuff so I am thinking of asking if I can try Mirtazapine at a very low dose again and also take Escitalopram at 10mg's as Mirt made me sleep well but was never good for anxiety were as normally, if I sleep Escitalopram is good for it!! I can see what my GP suggests as Zopiclone poops out on me now, I take it but wake up too early now and am needing 2 which I don't want to resort to.
The only thing that worries me about Mirtazapine is I felt very weepy on it last time and had suicidal thoughts but I think it's pros because I was just so panic stricken nd didn't touch anxiety that made me so depressed so if I mix n match, who knows????