Moving from 40mg to 60mg citalopram, advice please

Wow, only just found out there is a citalopram forum on here!

I have been on citralopram for 2.5 years. First I was on 20mg and then about a year after that I moved to 40mg. The thing is I think I now need 60mg.
I feel so fed up, I don't feel like there is any thing in life to look forward to, I consider harming myself but I never would because of my son, I cry at any thing, I'm even crying while I write this. I just want to sleep the day away every day so I don't have to face any thing. Obviously I can't always do this because of my son but if he is with his nan or at school and I'm not at work then you can guarantee I will be asleep.
I would rather be asleep then see my friends. How sad is that? I don't even need the sleep, I just sleep because then I don't have to be awake thinking.
I don't look forward to any thing any more. I went out with a friend tonight thinking maybe it would cheer me up a little but it hasn't. To be honest I didn't feel any excitement about going out at all whereas I did used to.
I'm going to go to the drs in the morning, I have been gradually feeling worse for the past couple of months and now I just feel awful, I feel like I'm stuck in a hole and I can't get out of it!

Any way what I wanted to know was does any one have experience of transferring from 40mg to 60mg of citalopram because I could really use some advice. How did it go? Did any side effects pop up? Thank you in advance.

Hi cassy,

I'm sorry to hear you're feeling awful right now, sending you loads of hugs....

In terms of the meds, it's maybe best to get your suggestion verified by your doctor as if they've stopped working maybe increasing the dosage may not necessarily be the answer, your doctor may suggest changing them altogether depending in how you'd feel about that. See what they say though.

As to everything else you've said, I know how you feel as I've been feeling the same for a while now, not really looking forward to much, not even enjoying my friends company and if anything I try to avoid it as much as possible..

Again the sleeping thing.. I feel like that at weekends when I'm not at work I just want to sleep the weekend away and not have to worry about anything ... It's sad because I'm also not even actively enjoying my hobbies, the motivation has somehow vanished ... But I am hoping it's just a habbit that I've gotten myself in to that I somehow need to break out of... The sleeping thing for me is so that I don't feel the anxiety so much and I feel safer asleep ..

Sorry of I haven't been of much help... I hope it goes well with your doctor tomorrow .

Take care of you for me :)

pretty sure 40mg is now maximum dose so be sure to get advice.
Been on these for while now, big help at 30 mg but have played around with time of day. Presently take late pm but now now sure if this is right time.
Tried reducing dose for a few days, big mistake...went back to 30mg after 3 days.
Also I go to gym, big effort at first but before I took citalopram I had stopped going for 2 years (this is a life time habbit which was previously my only means of coping).
Get some new/extra medical advice before you change anything.
Take care (good night)
W

Yup 40mg is the maximum to go to now Cassy

You probably need something like CBT alongside medication as that alone will not "cure" you I am afraid.

Go back to doc and discuss both things

Thank you for replying every one. I had no idea the highest dose of citalopram now was 40mg!

Well I went to the drs and she isn't keen on changing my medication any way.
She thinks I am ignoring underlying problems and that I should deal with them first.
Dr has referred me for counselling for adults who were abused when they were children (my father abused me when I was 12) because I have been having nightmares about him very often and she thinks this is making me feel a lot worse.
Also she has said to me I need to stop the sleep in the day time and get into a proper routine and make sure I eat a good breakfast every day and try to cut right down on junk food.
I have to go back in a month and discuss how I have got on, I really hope it works. I was hoping for another pill that might help me but I guess the dr's advice is best xx

---------- Post added at 16:54 ---------- Previous post was at 16:52 ----------

Deepestblue, that is exactly how I feel when I sleep in the day. I feel safe for some reason and also I don't have nightmares at all. It is going to be so hard to cut the sleeping in the day out completely! I didn't even manage it today! I came home from drs, my son is with his nan at the zoo so I went to sleep!
If you ever need to chat I'm here x

Hi there
Im new to all this if honest and its the first time i have suffered depression, i am on 20mg been on it 7 weeks now and alot better but still along way to go.
I feel i have to comment on this as a couple friends of mine who are helping me through this (had no idea they were even on antidepressents until i was) were on cit originally both of them said after a while they felt the old feelings creeping in and both of them were changed to sertreline and it helped in both cases so maybe worth a change. I can also say both long term users of AD one 8 yrs and the other 5. Maybe of some comfort. Hope you get sorted x

Hi Cassey, I posted this item a while ago - worth a quick look because it may put into context what you are dealing with. Might be worth showing to your doctor.
Best from me...

Old message as follows:
Bit heavy so go careful but may be useful
First heard this on BBC World Service:

Maltreated children show same pattern of brain activity as combat soldiers

5 December 2011

Children exposed to family violence show the same pattern of activity in their brains as soldiers exposed to combat, new research has shown.
In the first functional MRI brain scan study to investigate the impact of physical abuse and domestic violence on children, scientists at UCL in collaboration with the Anna Freud Centre, found that exposure to family violence was associated with increased brain activity in two specific brain areas (the anterior insula and the amygdala) when children viewed pictures of angry faces.
Previous fMRI studies that scanned the brains of soldiers exposed to violent combat situations have shown the same pattern of heightened activation in these two areas of the brain, which are associated with threat detection. The authors suggest that both maltreated children and soldiers may have adapted to be ‘hyper-aware’ of danger in their environment.
However, the anterior insula and amygdala are also areas of the brain implicated in anxiety disorders. Neural adaptation in these regions may help explain why children exposed to family violence are at greater risk of developing anxiety problems later in life.
Dr Eamon McCrory, lead author from the UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences and the Anna Freud Centre, said: “We are only now beginning to understand how child abuse influences functioning of the brain’s emotional systems. This research is important because it provides our first clues as to how regions in the child’s brain may adapt to early experiences of abuse in the home."
This research is important because it provides our first clues as to how regions in the child’s brain may adapt to early experiences of abuse in the home.