Citalopram - Poop out or dose too low ?

[Devonchap]

Hi all

I am a newbie so please be gentle with me.

I have been on and off of 10mg of citalopram for the past 3 years or so.

It was working fine, but just before xmas 2012 I experianced really bad anxiety each morning until lunchtime - after lunch I'd feel fine all the way through until next morning...when I'd feel anxious again until lunchtime...every day.

My doctors 'upped' my dose to 20mg. I had the usual horrible side affects which never settled down at all (I gave it 8 weeks, and after 8 weeks thought enough is enough and went back down to 10mg again.

Down to 10mg and the side affects were all fine again...but - guess what - the morning anxery is back with avengence.

I swapped taking my pill from mornings to night time - but this has not done anything at all for the morning anxiety.

I just find it strange that the anxiety 'stitches off' at lunchtime (as long as I havent spent the morning stressing about my morning anxiety)....its annoying.

Does this mean my 10mg isnt enough, or does it mean that I have pooped (but why am I ok in the afternoons and evenings)? or it is a morning 'chemical' thing, such as cortisol or low blood sugar?

Oh - and if I take a Mirtazipine (doctors gave me when I was having sideys on the 20mg), I am generally fine for a few days!!

Help?...any ideas?

[lisa2512]

i havent experienced this myself when i was on cit for 18 months before, im now on 4 weeks of starting it again. but from what ive heard from other people, after a couple of years your body seems to get used to the dose and the anxiety comes back, they then normally up the dose and that solves the problem. before taking cit did you have the anxiety your having now

i would suggest trying to up the dose again but do 15mg for 1 month then upto 20mg, the side effects should wear off after 8 weeks or so, some people its 12 weeks before they settle, i would give it another go before changing meds

[Devonchap]

Yes, I had bad (worse) anxiety before taking the cit than i get now....now i get relief in the avo's and eve's so at least i know there is a part of the day where i wont be too anxious .....just have to ride the mornings out.

i am really loathed to up the dose as it was awful for 8 weeks before, but maybe if i step up in 5mg increments it wont be as bad??

[Emphyrio]

What kind of side effects did you experience at 20mg that you don't at 10mg?

I have heard that side effects can take months to fade. I'm on a low dose of citalopram, coming up for 8 weeks, but its still giving me blurry vision. I heard that the body compensates for it over the longer term but it can take a while.

Its interesting about the Mirtazepine however - how long were you on it for? Would a low dose of Mirt work for you in conjunction with the 10mg cit, or were the side effects from the mirt too much as well?

[Devonchap]

Om 20mg the worse side affect by far was extreme tireness. i am a massively active / buzzing character and not one for lying around and feeling sorry for myself..but at its worst, 20mg knocked me sideways tired.

The Mirt is great - a marvel drug - if you cant sleep. Taking it drowns out all of the side affects of the cit.

I could go on both, but dont really want to be on two meds. I;d rather not be on any meds at all.....but have been down the 'ne meds' route too - and I am a far happier / better person when on 'something'

[Emphyrio]

I'm exactly the same - I came off meds in early November and by early Feb I was feeling so low/unmotivated. I'm determined to keep my dosage as low as possible though as I've become very sensitive to meds in the last couple of years. I'm only on 5mg of citalopram now, but it has improved my anxiety quite considerably!