General poll for time scale & dosage

[Andy1718]

Morning people
I would to take a poll or get a feel for people's dosage and timescale of when cit started working. I know that many people are on different dosages, time and how they are feeing or even if the tablets are working. You don't have to put the reason. I will start the ball rolling.

Time & dosage: cit for 2 weeks 10mg followed by 7 weeks 20mg
Propranolol 20mg as and when needed

Working: feel 60% better than I was I believe tablets have not taken full effect.

Reason: work related anxiety in meeting, presentations, work stress and work load.

[Mojo61]

Time and dose: 12 weeks @ 10mg, just over 3 weeks @ 20mg, so 15 weeks in total.

Working: Difficult to say. I'm definitely better than I was before I started the meds, but I'm still not right and the condition continues to affect my life on a daily basis. Morning anxiety is horrid, sometimes it eases off during the day but mainly it hangs around until late evening. Appetite still poor, sleep is hit and miss, feeling woolly headed and nauseas.

Reason: Who actually knows? I woke up one morning last November feeling like this. Went to the doctor who diagnosed me with anxiety. The rest is history.

[Becky2785]

Time and dose 10mg cit for 11 weeks propananol 3 times a day 10mg

Working: I'm definitely better than I was still have days where I feel crap like today intrusive thoughts are still there but do not scare me as much although still do scare me lol. Morning anxiety not as bad either some mornings are worse than others. Sleep pattern is also better but still wake 1 or 2 times a night but not for as long appetite is ok eating well again although still losing weight which is probably worry due to thoughts although I feel better still not 100% and the thoughts are really starting to wear me down.

Reason: had a stressful year with 3 family members dying a massive family argument and family troubles although suffered since I was 21.

[Debs21uk]

Okay guys if you doubt citalopram can work I'm proof here it does.

Time& dosage; 12 years (yes years!) usually maintenance dose 20mg, through blips 30mg but had a lot of carry on recently by who I refer to as Dr Doom!

Working: works great when it does, have travelled the world and not thought twice about anxiety. A doctor messing with my dose has caused a lot of problems, I should have stuck to the 30mg that I always use if needed. Doctors (esp GP) don't always know best. Only just settled on a dose for 26days now so still waiting to see if things settle.

Reason: initially for an illness which caused health anxiety and depression. Any blips are usually the depression that comes back first due to uni work, part time job that's been ongoing temporary for 4years, never know if I have a job for more than 2 months at a time, start up business, overtime. You could say I did far too much this time!

[mark84]

great thread Andy, excellent to see some positivity surrounding an anti depressant :D

Time & dosage: 7 weeks at 20mg, moved to 30mg because 20 was working intermittently. I've been on them for nearly 2 years now.

Working:much like Debs above, I've travelled and a now in a loving, long term relationship. My anxiety isn't magically gone but it's manageable now.

Reason: primarily social anxiety, with a touch of generalised for good measure. I've suffered with both things for the majority of my life(the last 15+ years)

[Victory2016]

Time & dosage: This is my third time on Cit. I was on 10mg for two weeks Then increased to 20mg I have been at this dose for 16 weeks.

Working: This is my third time on Cit. It worked well the first two times. However this time around I don't find that its as effective. I feel better, but not like I did the previous two times. My psychiatrist just added a mood stabilizer to my treatment yesterday, so we will see how that goes over the next couple of weeks.

Reason: Thyroid Disorder, Job Burnout, Nervous Breakdown & Death of Mother.

[pollynewsome]

4 weeks at 10mg. 14 weeks at 20mg and 2 weeks almost at 25mg.
Working. Better than I was but not 100% increasing to 30mg tomorrow. Doctors orders.
Reason. Ex.. family.. friend..

[karenp]

I started at 10mg for a week, then went up to 20mg (horrible) and eventually after many weeks up to 40mg and got 100% well. My GP pulled me off after three years though so here I am again, ill and depressed.

Trigger: first time I was pregnant with chronic sickness, 2nd time my Yorkshire terrier died, 3rd time divorce, 4th time was put on Escitalopram and never worked, also Lorazepam and pulled off after 3 years so went into wd at the same time as my bf had to return to USA and then we split up.

I have been given Citalopram again but so afraid as have such a high tolerance to benzos now to help me through. And SSRI's gibe me panic attacks for a while. Tried Mirtazapine, Trazadone, Amy etc.

[Bike Rider]

Time and Dosage:- 4 months @ 20mg, helped but not enough, 5 months @ 40mg a lot better, worked wonders.

Trigger:- retiring after 35 yrs, 7 days a week and eve call out doing a job I didn't really enjoy. Brain is now so used to being "fed up" it doesn't understand what being happy is about.