How much longer on Citalopram to take effect.

[kath138]

I'm on week 12 of Citalopram, not used this before (I started on 20mg, now on 30mg). I have just about coped with the side effects except for teeth clenching and twitching which I'm still doing. :w00t2:

So far I haven't shown much improvement, my doctor said he wants me to give it 6 months before deciding if I need to try another SSRI. I have only just gone up to 30mg as I'm sensitive to side effects.

I'm just asking to see if anybody else has experienced this length of time before the SSRI works for them? I'm 66 and wondering if this could make a difference? I have suffered with anxiety/depression for years on and of just wondering if it takes longer with my age and length of time I've had anxiety for the drugs to kick in? I'm feeling really low at the moment and trying to be patient.

TIA for any replies. :unsure:

[Suziewuzie]

Hi Kath, I'm on week 6 of 20mg. I've been on them in the past for about 18 months.
Are you noticing any improvement at all? And what other things are you doing to combat the anxiety and depression? I don't know enough about the pharmacological side of things to say for sure but I don't think age would make a difference to how quickly it works.

[kath138]

Hi Suzie,

I tried CBT, hypnotherapy (I paid privately for that) because the nhs waiting list is very long. unfortunately none of them did make a difference at all. I meditate every morning but to concentrate is hard exercise as much as I can manage with arthritis being a problem.

I have slightly improved but the morning anxiety is still quite bad, but I am slowly eating better up to two sandwiches a day! Not really concerned about that cos I am overweight so it has done me good in that respect.

I appreciate your reply, I take it so personally when nobody offers any advice or encouragement, which is part and parcel of my anxiety issues I suppose. Although I realise not everybody can answer my questions and they have enough of their own problems to cope with.

I'm thinking maybe up the dosage to 40mg with my doctors approval he suggested that last month but I have bad side effects so asked to go on 30mg for a while.

Thank you again for your reply. Hope your getting their!

Regards
Kath :bighug1:

[toby]

The 30 will start to work very soon as you have already built up in your system, just hang in there as they WILL WORK OUT THE BLUE they always do just one day you will wake up and bang the sick feeling has gone trust me x

[kath138]

Thanks Toby for your reply, too late my doctor has changed me to Paroxetine as the Cit didn't make any difference after 13 weeks.

So I'm hoping that the Paroxetine will work I will give them a good long try before I come off SSRI's completely and cope as I have done in the past but as you know it isn't easy is it.

I don't think my doctor is keen to change me to a different AD, I feel that I am one of the unlucky ones that nothing works for! :shrug:

[Belleblue]

Good luck with the Paroxetine Kath :) I hope it works out for you. I too am very sensitive to meds.
Anyway it's always comforting to me to see other 60 somethings on the forum.

All the best.

Belle