Advice please!!

[Mt]

Posted on here before so apologies if any of this is similar or repeated.

I've been on citalopram coming up to 10 weeks on Wednesday. The first 2 weeks on 10mg then upped to 20mg and was on that dose for about 6 weeks. I hadn't really seen any improvement at all to be honest. But I do understand that it can take a long time for these meds to start to take any affect.

Recently I have been really struggling so last week the doctors suggested to up my dose to 40mg. However I didn't want to jump straight to 40 as I didn't want to take a dose too high. So Instead upped to 30mg.

About 3 days ago I went back to the doctors and they said to just start taking 40mg,as it's recommended to up your dosage in 20mg and as I'm struggling at the minuet to just try it.

I'm just wanting reassurance that there still as chance this medication will work? I have both anxiety and depression. Since being on citalopram I haven't really had any improvement or changes at all. I would say that sometimes I don't have much anxiery, but then the depression will be worse. Or then sometimes the anxiety can be worse. Sometimes I can even feel quite numb?like I can't be bothered to do anything kind of attitude. I'd just feel really miserable and exausted.

I'd say I've had the odd 'okay' moments where I've thought that things are slowly starting to look up, but they don't last long and Haven't had many of them. I keep having moments where I feel as though I'm just going backwards, feels like I'm getting worse or going how I used to be.

was also wondering how will I know whether the doseage in taking is too high? As right now I'm feeling so out of it. Don't know if this is just all in my head or not but I feel kind of drugged up? If that makes sense? Just don't feel with it all.

Would really appreciate any advice/ reassurance. X

[panic_down_under]

I'm just wanting reassurance that there still as chance this medication will work?

Yes, there is still a good chance citalopram will work for you, but there are no guarantees. Antidepressants typically take 3-12 weeks to kick-in from when a therapeutic dose, usually at least 20mg for citalopram, so you're only at 8 weeks atm, and a week at 30mg is unlikely to have had any positive impact either, just negative ones.


As right now I'm feeling so out of it. Don't know if this is just all in my head or not but I feel kind of drugged up? If that makes sense? Just don't feel with it all.

Is it probably mostly the med, but some of it may be down to the anxiety/depression too. Unfortunately, there is no way of speeding things up.

The truth is antidepressants can be gawd awful medications, especially at the beginning, which no one in their right minds would touch with a bargepole...except when they work they can dramatically improve lives, so don't give up just yet.

[Mt]

Yes, there is still a good chance citalopram will work for you, but there are no guarantees. Antidepressants typically take 3-12 weeks to kick-in from when a therapeutic dose, usually at least 20mg for citalopram, so you're only at 8 weeks atm, and a week at 30mg is unlikely to have had any positive impact either, just negative ones.



Is it probably mostly the med, but some of it may be down to the anxiety/depression too. Unfortunately, there is no way of speeding things up.

The truth is antidepressants can be gawd awful medications, especially at the beginning, which no one in their right minds would touch with a bargepole...except when they work they can dramatically improve lives, so don't give up just yet.


Thank you for the reply. So do i now have to wait another 3-12 weeks to see if 40mg will help? Do you think going straight up to 40mg was the wrong thing to do??

---------- Post added at 10:33 ---------- Previous post was at 09:57 ----------

Since I've gone up to 40mg. Alls I've wanted to do is just stay in bed. I've just got no motivation or energy at all. No interest in anything. Finding it hard Think clearly. Just exauhsted.

Could this just be side affects or is the dose to high? Or is it just the depression/anxiety?

[panic_down_under]

So do i now have to wait another 3-12 weeks to see if 40mg will help?

It will take some weeks for the extra dose to begin having an effect. How many is anyone's guess. Probably not 12 weeks, but likely more than 2.


Do you think going straight up to 40mg was the wrong thing to do??

There is no way of knowing how much you need. I probably would have waiting a little longer than 6 weeks before increasing the dose, but this is one of those situations where whichever option is chosen the other one would probably have been better.

But no harm will be done. With antidepressants taking a bit more than needed is probably better than not enough. One of the many curious things about these meds is they seem to have little if any affect on the brains of those that don't need them. At least this is the case with mice. They may still trigger the usual side-effects, however.


Since I've gone up to 40mg. Alls I've wanted to do is just stay in bed. I've just got no motivation or energy at all. No interest in anything. Finding it hard Think clearly. Just exauhsted.

Could this just be side affects or is the dose to high?

I think it is just side-effects. If it becomes too much try dropping back to 30mg for a while after first clearing it with your doctor.