Allergic reaction to Cit?????Advice please

[SarahH]

Hi,

Hoping for some medical advice please.

I am very sensitive to SSRI's but have taken Cit before for 10 years.
After a 3 year break I am back on it starting at very low dose.
10 days 2.5 mgs
5 days 5mgs

Yesterday I noticed my eyes were puffy all around eye area. This morning I woke up with puffy lips aswell. I have a general feeling of illness if that makes sense! (lethargy, aches and pains, head spinning) which i can cope with if those are the only SE's.

My concern is the swollen eyes and lips....Is it possible for an allergic reaction top start 15 days into using Cit?...I seems strange as allergic reactions are normally within a couple of days!

Advice would be gratefully recieved:)

Oh and nothing else has been added to my diet or lifestyle for the puffyness.

Thanks

Sarah

[nicola1980]

Hi Sarah, i would ring your gp for some advice, it does sound as if you have had an allergic reaction to something but defiantly give them as a call especially as the swelling has got worse, let up know how you get on x x

[SarahH]

Thanks Nicola,

My thoughts are that the eyes were getting puffy 3 days ago (so 2 days after increasing the dose) and the lips swelling started today (day 6). i havent taken todays dose yet.

Since this morning the swelling has gone down. It's not like I look very different but I can feel it.

Does Cit build up in the system? Will this pass or get worse as I carry on?

any ideas please?

---------- Post added at 12:37 ---------- Previous post was at 12:32 ----------

Decided to take 2.5mgs and see what happens to the swelling..................

maybe I went up too quickly and my body is reacting to the Cit as I am so sensitive to drugs....Grrrrrrr!

Cant get through to my GP practice.........why do these things always happen on a Friday!!!

[nicola1980]

Hi Sarah, yes the cit will be building up in your system, it could be your allergic to some of the ingredients in the tablet as i know you've took cit before with no problems, keep trying to get hold of your gp as the worry is that your throat may swell that's what you need to be careful of with an allergic reaction x x

[SarahH]

Hi Nicola,
waiting for a call back from GP's.
This reaction is so flippin' annoying:mad:I was hoping to get back on Cit as you know. What I have done now is take the smaller dose (2.5mgs) and I am hoping that Dr will say that this might be a passing SE.

Dont worry I am close to a hospital is need be:)

[nicola1980]

Let me know what gp says hun, have you got any antihistimine tablets you could take for the swelling? X x

[SarahH]

Well how strange!!!!!

I have just spoken to the duty GP at my surgery...who I have known for many years and is a senior partner. He explained some very interesting things to me, which makes a mockery of all the "theraputic dose" crap we hear about...

1) In his experience all drugs used for psychiatric illnesses have efficacy's that vary 100 fold!!! He quoted that he has patients that use 2mgs of Amiltryptaline and get the same benefits as those who take 50mgs.
2) He thinks Cit is the right drug for me
3) Says I should stick to the lower dose of 2.5mgs because "it could be that is the right theraputic dose for your body"!!!!!!!!
4) Yes Cit builds up in your body BUT I was on 2.5 mgs for 10 days and 7 of those days I felt well and needed no valium AND my mood had lifted.
5) Keep an eye on the swelling of eyes and lips....they should go down as I reduce the dose.

So there you have it. A GP who knows his stuff....who would have "thunk" it. I trust this GP...he has been at our practice for 25 yrs and I have seen him a few times.......

So I am back to 2.5 mgs from now on and will report my progress.

Sarah

[teej]

He explained some very interesting things to me, which makes a mockery of all the "theraputic dose" crap we hear about...

In my understanding:

Therapeutic doses are determined during the trials of a new drug. It is the dose at which most people have the positive effects from this drug. Think of it like a bell-curve. That does mean there are people (such as yourself) sitting at either end of the bell curve.

There is no way to calculate where a new patient will sit in this bell curve, so giving the therapeutic dose is going to be most *likely* to see positive results.

It's not crap, it's statistics! :D

[SarahH]

Well said:D

But isn't strange.......

Funnily enough he did start the conversation with a chuckle and the words " you are quite a challenge when it comes to medication Sarah".........

He also said "If 2.5mgs lifts your mood then it's having the effect we want!!!"

[nicola1980]

glad you got on ok and if 2.5mgs works for you then id stick with it :D xx

[SarahH]

Thanks Nicola..................I will keep my thread updated:)

[Daisy-chains]

glad to hear you got a conclusion to your problem Sarah :)

[deavane]

Hi sarah, so were you allergic to cit or what happened? I have a fear that I will be allergic to cit even though I took it for over a year at a higher dose with no problem. I cant wait to see your answer please and thankyou

[SarahH]

Yes I am VERY sensitive to SSRI's ...in fact all drugs....but the swelling has all gone now and I am sticking to 2.5mgs (I know a tiny dose) for a few more days then hopefully my body will not react so badly when I put the dose up to 5mgs.

Both GP's I have spoken to in the last week( experienced ones) have said that SOME people only need very small doses of drugs.

Sarah