restarting Cipralex

[Cocomademoiselle]

Hi I am just wondering if anybody has any experience of stopping and re-starting a medication. Did you find that it took longer to work the second time around ? I havent had a big gap of being off of it maybe 6-8 weeks. I remember when I Started if 5 years ago I felt better very quickly. Now, although I feel better well not getting progressively worse, I dont feel that it has reached its full effect as it did before ?

Thanks to anybody that takes the time to reply x

[karenp]

I've only been on normal Citalopram 3 times and got better on it each time but can't really remember how long it took to take effect but think it was roughly the same each time. I've been on EsCitalopram 3 weeks and find it so much better even though I've had my first not so good day since I started it today.
Really hope you feel better again soon any how darl, the first time I came off Cit I was only off it a couple of months before I had to go back on it after I had my little boy but I went a year feeling great last time my doctor took me off it but think I need to be on something forever (:
How long did it take you to feel really better on Escitalopram, do you mind me asking, last time you started it and what dose was you on? I'm only on 5mg's at the mo.

[Cocomademoiselle]

Hi Karen thanks for your reply. Well I first went on Escitalopram years ago and I felt it started to work pretty early on so I was encouraged by this. I can definately say it gave me my life back. I was started on 10mg but as I was worried about side effects (had previously tried Citalopram for 3 days and felt 100% worse). I broke it in half and took 5 mg for about 3 days took it at night so hopefully I would sleep through any side effects. Went up to 10mg no problem at all. Was on it for 3 years, had a blip and went up to 20mg again fine on this for 3 years got a bit down start of winter, I think I get seasonal depression perhaps anyway I went to the doc as I thought it had stopped working (which I found out I was wrong after 6 weeks) The doc said to do a swap from Escitalopram to Mirtazapine I could take both at the same time whilst reducing the Escitalopram and after 2 weeks I should have stopped Escitalopram all together. Big mistake I went into massive sprial of anxiety panic attacks and depression. I think mainly because I was low anyway and stopping 20mg in two weeks - she told me the new drug would counteract coming off the old. I stuck with it for 6 weeks on Mirtazapine although it helped me to sleep it did not have any antidepressent affect at all. I know see that Escitalopram was working keeps me stable, you will have the odd blip. So now im 2 weeks or maybe nearly 3 of being on it. Still feel crap. So maybe thinking it takes longer to help you second time around ? I dont feel worse in that im back at work etc but I dont feel great either.

I think your low dose of 5mg is for anxiety etc and 10mg helps more with depression. The thing that helped me to have the courage to take the 10mg was that a few friends had also taken Escitalopram and had great results, I know everybody is different but that did encourage me.

[karenp]

I think I am going to need 10mg's too as I had a panic attack thie morning when I woke up at 4am. I've just been on Mirtazapine for 7 months and it made me worse and never helpd with my sleep at all ): Really counting on Cipralex woking.

[Thumbelina]

Hi karenp,
I have been on cipralex for 4 years, then stopped for over a year, and restarted ab 10 days ago. I am still in a serious anxiety state - still cant eat, sleep. I have trembling all the time especially in my belly. My chest is always tight and i am extremely tired because of sleeping problems. But its only been 10 days ... And i am taking 5mg only.
Last time i remeber it took few months for my tablets to start making me feel any better. It says it can be up to 6 month until they have a full effect.
So dont discouraged by any strange feelings ans symptoms - it will get better.

[Tunnel]

I think I am going to need 10mg's too as I had a panic attack thie morning when I woke up at 4am. I've just been on Mirtazapine for 7 months and it made me worse and never helpd with my sleep at all ): Really counting on Cipralex woking.

It will work Karen. Stay positive.

Mike

[Cocomademoiselle]

Just wanted to write something positive. My above post I wrote on Friday followed by a horrible weekend, anxiety, panic, crying so scared especially Sunday. Then yesterday Monday I felt ok in the day and by the afternoon I felt nearly normal again. Its still early days and I was convinced the tablets wont work second time around but dare I say maybe they are starting to work. I counted and I re-started 10mg on 12th November and 20mg on the 19th so like 15 days at 20mg. I thought that they would work quickly as I had only been off them six weeks but the doc said that when you stop and start again even with a month break its like starting again or maybe he was just trying to make me feel better about myself.

[karenp]

and 20mg is the biggest dose isn't it so I make no wonder you felt so anxious but glad you sound to be over the worst of starting up again. HUGS Karen xxx

[Cocomademoiselle]

Thanks Karen, thing is when I went from 10mg to 20mg in the past I dont remember ANY side effects or anything ?! But then I suppose Ive gone from nothing at all (disaster stopping and trying to start a new med - worst thing everm my doc said stop Cipralex over a week or 2 and start Mirtazapine, the new drug will overtake any withdrawal you get, well I had nothing in my system and Mirt wasnt working at all, that's not to say it doesnt work but after 5 weeks I had nothing) a few days of 10mg then straight onto 20mg. I never had the "feeling worse before better" the first time around so its strange its happened to me on a drug Ive been on before. Im still taking 15mg or Mirt at night as it helped me to sleep and hopefully that will help boots the Cipralex. Originally I had a blip on the Cipralex and I see that it was a blip now because when I stopped taking it to start a new medicine god did I know about it awful awful awful.

[karenp]

I was on Mirtazapine for 7 months and it did nothing for me only made me worse and I went through hell coming off it the withdrawal was so bad. I'd never touch it again and it didn't even make me sleep in the end.
I'm really not enjoying being on Cipralex much at all this week either as I suddenly seem to be having a bit of a rough ride on it but it's not totally horrendous like normal Citalopram and I know I am always sensitive to any ad but I am sticking with it as it defo seems to make most people better and old Cit always worked fine on me despite defo going through worse before better.
So glad to hear things have imporved for you so quickly by having the guts to go straight back on 20mg's. It's funny you've had side effects this time isn't it and not the first time, hey but as long as thes epilsl work in the end hey!!!! (: