View Full Version : Cipralex increase bad side effects
Hi I have been on 5mg Cipralex for 1 month started low as very sensitive to SSRI's. I have had very few side effects - a bit of nausea and increased anxiety for a few days. Doc suggested i up to 7.5mg then 10 mg. I have been taking 7.5mg for 3 days - last night I didnt sleep more than 2 hours and had horrible increased anxiety. Is this normal for such a low increase and how long does this normally last? Not sure if i am just too sensitive to these mmeds an should just drop back to 5mg. I would be grateful if anyone could reply.
I guess my first question would be if you are so sensitive to SSRI's why did you increase? Were you feeling okay on 5 mg and just following doctors orders, or did you feel 5 mg wasn't enough and decided to increase?
If you want to stay at 7.5 mg, then unfortunately you will have to deal with the side effects until your system regulates on that dosage. That could take a few days to a few weeks. It depends on the individual. Were you still experiencing side effects at 5 mg before you increased?
The side effects you listed (increased anxiety and nausea) are completely common, and should subside the further you get on that dosage. Until it regulates in your system, this drug will play with your emotions. It did for me also, this is normal.
Take Care,
Mike
You will be ok I promise, the side effects won't last very long at all....I am also super sensitive to AD's for side effects but have gone right up to 20mg's now. It's not nice I know but as Mike says just very normal adjusting to the new chemical in your brain...good luck xxxx
Thank you both for your reply. I went back down to 5mg for a few days as both my Daughters were coming home for the weekend and I didn't want to spoil the weekend if I was having bad side effects. I was hoping to stay at 5mg - I get a couple of good days then bad days - so I don't know if that means 5mg is working or not. Doctor says go up to 10mg as that is therapuetic dose so as I am sensitive to meds increasing by 2.5mg. Karen how long would you stay on 7.5mg before going to 10mg or would you just bite the bullet and do it up to 10mg now? I know from reading your diary you went up slowly. How long before going from 5mg to 10mg before you felt any better? I am getting so fed up with this. I have been reading your diary Karen - you have really been through it and I hope you feel better soon. Do you feel overall Cipralex has ben good for you? Thanks for reading.x
Vonnyj, I would not advise dropping back. It will seem tempting, but in the long run it just sets you back and doesn't help address the reason you are taking it in the first place.
Side effects are to the most part par for the course. No, they are not pleasant, but they are a necessary hurdle to feeling way better. They do not last long - in my experience 2-3 weeks, sometimes less.
There is no right way with these meds, it is what works for you. There is no sensitivity measurement either. I started on Cipralex 10 years ago, straight in at 10mg daily. I had awful side effects - nausea, spaced out, anxiety raised further, but got much better after about 2-3 weeks. I came off it for a number of years, and had to restart it a couple of months ago due to bad anxiety again.
I restarted it myself at 5mg daily as I wanted to start gently, and I thought that at 5mg I would be fine side effects-wise.
Boy, was I wrong. The side effects were just as bad as those when I started at 10mg. They lasted about 2 weeks, then I saw an improvement. My doctor then increased them to 10mg. Again I felt slight effects, but nothing unbearable..since then my anxiety has improved greatly.
There is no 'safe' dose or increase. It is totally subjective to the individual as to what effects they experience from a particular dose. The most secure way to do it is as you are...slowly and gently, but 10mg is the optimum dose and the one I would recommend (as a long term taker at least)
The side effects can be scary, and put you off continuing at a dose, but to drop back is shooting yourself in the foot as you cannot reach the point of stabilising the anxiety, so it is a vicious circle in the long run really.
They won't last, I promise. Hang in there.x:hugs:
Totally true Debs, I dropped back to a lower dose and wish I'd stuck with increasing as when I went up to 20mg's (first 15 then to full 20) I only had side effects for a day or 2 and I'd just been scared to increase really. For me getting to 10mg's was the worst part but I was much more poorly back then I guess too so going up to 20 was easier as I was less anxious and depressed in the first place but the 10mg was just not quite cutting it for me.
In answer to your question V....I went up in fortnightly intervals but have been on 10mg's for most of this year and only decided to go up to 20mg's about6 or 7 weeks ago now but finally feel so much better, still a little if=y first thing but it's nothing really now.
You will be fine, hopefully by Christmas so much better xxxx
Thank you for your reply - I have started back on the 7.5mg and will give it a few days and go up to 10mg. You are right the sooner I get on with it the better!!! How long was it before you saw an improvement on the 10mg? Like all of us I just want to feel like myself again. If the side effects only last a couple of weeks I will just grit my teeth and get on with it. My worst anxiety symptom is nausea and struggling to eat - plus insomnia. I really hope cipralex will help!! Thanks again for your support and i hope you are doing well too.
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Oh it is so great to have this support!! Did either of you suffer nausea and if so did you find anything that helped? I have lost over a stone (not that I couldn't do with it lol!!) but don't want to lose any more. I have no appetite and have to force myself to eat - thank god for complan. I do have the odd good day and I can eat anything then so I don't think the cipralex is totally causing the nausea or I would still feel sick on good days. Also when you started to feel better did you still have good and bad days or just felt better most of the time? This can be a lonely journey - my friends are great but haven't been through this so its good to speak to people who truly know how you feel. Thank you xx
Thank you for your reply - I have started back on the 7.5mg and will give it a few days and go up to 10mg. You are right the sooner I get on with it the better!!! How long was it before you saw an improvement on the 10mg? Like all of us I just want to feel like myself again. If the side effects only last a couple of weeks I will just grit my teeth and get on with it. My worst anxiety symptom is nausea and struggling to eat - plus insomnia. I really hope cipralex will help!! Thanks again for your support and i hope you are doing well too.
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Oh it is so great to have this support!! Did either of you suffer nausea and if so did you find anything that helped? I have lost over a stone (not that I couldn't do with it lol!!) but don't want to lose any more. I have no appetite and have to force myself to eat - thank god for complan. I do have the odd good day and I can eat anything then so I don't think the cipralex is totally causing the nausea or I would still feel sick on good days. Also when you started to feel better did you still have good and bad days or just felt better most of the time? This can be a lonely journey - my friends are great but haven't been through this so its good to speak to people who truly know how you feel. Thank you xx
Hi again Vonnyj,
Yep, the nausea and loss of appetite has always been a huge symptom for me with Cipralex. Just feeling sick at the thought of eating, or having a plate of food in front of me and having no hunger whatsoever. Awful.
Like you, I literally force food down for the sake of having to really.
I have never found anything to combat that, as it is just one of those things that you unfortunately have to go through, but it does get better, again within a couple of weeks or so in my experience. On my worst days with it, and if I couldn't face a full meal, I would eat something like a bowl of soup and some bread which is a bit more bearable and still nutritious.
I too struggle with insomnia, and still am at the moment. I am not sure how much is the meds and how much is anxiety really. It is tough, I know.
I restarted Cipralex on 22nd September at 5mg, and then increased to 10mg a couple of weeks later which I've been on since, and I am still not 100% but am a lot better. I felt better within 2 weeks on 5mg, then as I mentioned before, increased to 10mg and just continued to feel a lot better, but much sooner and with far less side effects as I already had the drug in my system.
I have good and bad days. I find I have moments of feeling anxious and spaced out, but much longer periods of feeling fine. The main thing is - in my experience at least - is that the absolute worst symptoms of anxiety ARE gotten shot of. You may find that underlying anxiety may rear its head now and then, but the difference is you have the support of the meds mentally to combat them, and just feel stronger within yourself....that is how I can best describe it. xxx:hugs:
Hi there
I have been on Cipralex for 6 yrs now. Started on 5 mg but that is because thats the starting dose and then after 2 weeks went up to 10mg. Im also uber sensitive to meds but like the others said try and stick to the higher dose and i promise the side effects will soon go away x
Just to say thanks again for all of your replies. Been on 7.5mg for one week now and most of the side effects have gone and I have had a few good days so may stick at this dose for at least another week and see how it goes. It feels when you are going through start ups/increases that you are never going to get there but you do!! Karen P hope you have settled with your increase - I have read all of your diary and feel like I know you!! Its a big help to other people going through the same thing! Hope you are all looking forward to Christmas! Mike if you read this hope all is going well for you too! Take care all - will keep you posted.xx
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Debs
It was just as you said - you still feel the anxiety at times but you can deal with it. I know just what you mean - thanks for explaining it all so well.x
Just gone up to 10mg - keep your fingers crossed for me hoping the side effects wont be too bad.x
Once you get settled on 10mg I am sure you will feel such a difference, it worked really well for me but I still had blips though really brilliant normal days too. I'm on max dose now (20) and hardly get any bad days lately, now I have been on that dose for about 6 weeks I think, I found increasing fro 10 to 20 the easiest, getting to ten was worst but once I was there, things did get much better xxxx
Well - increased from 7.5mg to 10mg last Thursday - Monday today and I did not notice any increase in side effects - maybe a tiny bit of nausea that was all!! Feeling my anxiety decrease little by little each day so fingers crossed!! Going to take each day as it comes. Doing loads of relaxation and visualisation and making sure I get out and about. Hope everyone else is doing well!!!
Vonny that sounds really promising, that is how it was for me, less and less anxiety each day so I think it is working for you xxxx
I am really good now on 20mg's, a little ify today but have been brill for days now. Today is like an hung over feeling as I only had 3 ours sleep last night, too much cola and I was skyping friends late so was just wide awake, lol.
You are doing great though Vonny, hopefully each day will get a little easier xxx
Thanks Karen your support is appreciated! Had not a brill day yesterday cos I had a night out to go to and think I was worried if I was going to be ok. I just said to myself in the end bugger it I am going no matter how I feel and I was fine!! It just shows how it is all in the mind! I had a week of feeling really good then when you have a bit of a blip it makes you panic and think the ADs are not working, but I don't suppose they take every bit of anxiety away and I have only been on the increased dose for a week. Hope you are all organised for Christmas - its great when you have young children - my 2 Daughters are 20 and 25 and don't live at home but they will both be coming for Christmas dinner. I refuse to let anxiety spoil it!! I think you are from my neck of the woods - I live in Huddersfield. Small world!!! When you went up to 10mg from 7.5mg did it take a while before the full effects kicked in? Thanks xx
Oh does anyone know if its ok to have one or two drinks when you are on Cipralex? I am not a big drinker but wouldn't mind the odd one or two over Christmas!!! It says do not drink alcohol but hopefully a small drink or two wont harm!!
Just an update as I know people out there read these threads looking for reassurance. Been on 10mg for 12 days now and I am definitely improving - its slow but sure and its not a light bulb moment where you think yay! I am fine. Its gradual and you realise that you haven't had a particular symptom for a while. You will still have the odd not so good day - don't let that knock you down - just keep building your confidence from the good days and accept the not so good philisophically - pay them little attention and tell yourself these are normal on the road to recovery and will soon pass.
Things I have found which have helped.
Nausea - as soon as you wake up (if you suffer from this in the morning) eat a dry cracker straight away.
Ginger capsules also help
Eat breakfast as soon as you can even if you have to force it down - an empty stomach feels worse
If I wake up feeling a bit iffy I tell myself I am going to be fine and anxiety is not going to ruin my day and I act happy, dance around the room a bit and sing - your brain doesn't know what is real and what is not so acting happy tells your brain you are happy. Weird but worth a go.
EFT - Look at Brad Yates on youtube - Tapping for anxiety. There is scientific evidence this works - even if you don't believe in it give it a try what have you got to lose?
Progressive muscle relaxation - again loads on youtube - you cant be anxious when your body is totally relaxed. It does take a while to get this right.
Swishing - Look at youtube Tony Robbins fingernails. This uses NLP - watch it - it is self explanatory.
Read 'At Last A Life' by Paul David - its about acceptance of your symptoms and getting on with your life - you can buy this as a digital download for about £12 and he has a really good website - Anxiety No More. Hope that helps!
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PS
Passiflora is good for calming you down and also 400mg magnesium daily make sure you dont get oxide - you need the citrate. Google magnesium for anxiety. There is loads of info about how it helps anxiety.
Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas!! I have had no anxiety over Christmas despite being very busy - cooked Christmas dinner and had an open house Boxing day - which was a very long day and night!! Had a couple of drinks - didn't cause me any problems. Hope this helps anyone starting on Cipralex. I have now been on 10mg just over 3 weeks. Stick with it... it works!!!
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