Citalopram 7 weeks in - increasing from 20mg to 30mg

[victor1983]

Hello all,

Another update, just been to see my GP, and have talked it over regarding the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness as is the case here) of citalopram 20mg, so he has advised me to increase the dosage from 20mg to 30mg from Monday onwards.

In terms of side-effects, for 20mg, they have all but vanished, it's just that it's not really making me feel better, my appetite and anxiety is still pretty much the same, don't really feel hungry much, so it's like I am taking medication for no reason at all.

So am upping the medication from monday, it would be 7 full weeks by then on 20 mg, and will try 3 weeks for 30mg, and if that doesn't work, will go another 10mg and try 40mg for another 3 weeks (as per GP recommendation).

So that would make it 13 weeks on citalopram (3 months), and the GP said to come back to him then, and we will try sertraline instead.

That is the plan, again, thank god I don't have to go to work and do this as well, it would be a nightmare! I feel for the people that have to work and go through this as well.

Victor

[Lilac58]

Hi Victor,

just saw your post.

I can only speak from my experience, but this is how it worked for me.

I wasn't getting much of an effect from 20mg and GP upped it to 30mg for a few weeks, still not much and so put up to 40mg and that did the trick pretty quickly and I started to move up from then on.

I got a bit of nausea at each increase and I have been lucky with side effects, but I just wanted to say that getting to the right dose can make a difference and I'm glad I stuck with it to get full advantage from the higher dose.

Of course you have to do what is right for you, but upping the dose can make all the difference.

All the best.

[victor1983]

Hi Victor,

just saw your post.

I can only speak from my experience, but this is how it worked for me.

I wasn't getting much of an effect from 20mg and GP upped it to 30mg for a few weeks, still not much and so put up to 40mg and that did the trick pretty quickly and I started to move up from then on.

I got a bit of nausea at each increase and I have been lucky with side effects, but I just wanted to say that getting to the right dose can make a difference and I'm glad I stuck with it to get full advantage from the higher dose.

Of course you have to do what is right for you, but upping the dose can make all the difference.

All the best.

Thanks a lot for the reply lilac, yeah, will definitely be upping to 30mg on Monday, and trying that for 3 weeks, and if that doesn't work, will go up again to 40mg. Not really worried about side effects, since I am not working just staying at home, so should be fine. Hopefully it will work this time. Thanks again for the advice.