Another question about 10mg citalopram

[Mojo61]

Hi guys,

If I'm only taking 10mg Citalopram instead of 20mg will it take twice as long to reach the therapeutic dose? Been on 10mg for 3 weeks today with no improvement, in fact I would say I'm a bit worse than when I started. Dr wants me to stay on 10mg for another week, but then I got thinking that maybe 10mg takes longer to work than 20mg - if that makes sense?

[Suziewuzie]

I've been on 10mg for about 12 weeks & didn't really notocr a great improvement til about week 5. I don't know a lot about 'therapeutic doses' but am relatively happy on 10 x

[Mojo61]

Oh that's good to know Suzie because I'm only on week 3. I was beginning to give up hope of any improvement, but if you say you didn't feel any better for 5 weeks then maybe there is hope after all?

[danithegirl]

Mojo- I feel the same. I'm only on my second week and haven't noticed much change, but hearing others say 4, 5, even 6 weeks gives me hope. Hang in there. :)

[Mojo61]

Are you on 10mg too?

[danithegirl]

I started on 20 and remained. A few days in I said that I should've asked if I should taper on, but I think the doctor would have said otherwise. Plus I figure maybe I'm just getting all the nasty side effects over with.

[Suziewuzie]

Yeah I noticed a difference about week 5, and started to feel like my old self about week ten. I didn't just rely on the meds though I did lots of meditation, online CBT & lots of self help books and audios. Also my 'good' might be different to everyone elses, when I started the meds I was unable to leave my flat, couldn't work, could barely sit and watch Tv with my boyfriend I was a wreck. The pills have cushioned the blow & allowed me to get outside, back to work. I'm still working on feeling normal & don't think the medication can change my thoughts so that's a work in progress x

[Mojo61]

Is it dose dependant? What I mean is, does 10mg take longer to get into your system than 20mg?

[Suziewuzie]

No, doses get into your system and do their job regardless of what dose they are.
The job of this tablet is to make you feel better and enable you to help yourself, if after a decent amount of time you feel that it's not helping then of course, increase it.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Is it dose dependant? What I mean is, does 10mg take longer to get into your system than 20mg?

It's as Suzie says, all doses will be treated the same by your body in that they are metabolised, distributed and eliminated in the expected number of hours that the drug is produced to work.

The question then is whether 10mg is enough to provide the benefit you are looking for. It's half the minimum therapeutic dose, so it's perhaps early days.

[Shazamataz]

My understanding is that 20mg is the therapeutic dose and sometimes people start off on 10 then go to 20 to reduce the start up effects. That said I didn't tolerate it at all.