escitalipram(cipralex) uping meds

[alwaysanxious]

hello all ive been on 5mg of cipralex for 3half weeks now, and tomorrow night got to take 10mg from then on.... will there be a big incresase in side effects ???? i need this dose as feel 5mg is not doing enough i know it takes 4 to 6 weeks maybe to feel better but am scared with the extra rise in dosage anyone started on 5 and gone to ten could give me advice i really would appreciate this ....???

thanku

lisa

[Spot-the-frog]

Hi,

I went from 10mg to 20mg of cipralex with no side effects at all, I can't say if the same will be for you. I hope it goes well.

[steveo]

5mg is sub therapeutic so unless you're a frail old lady, it's not really expected to work. It's just given so the dose gets in your system without too many problems. Going from 5mg to 10mg is a fairly small step so it should be OK. Upping a dose is always a lot easier than starting a brand new medication so the hardest part for you is over now. Over the last month I've gone from 10mg to 20mg to 30mg. Only minimal side effects and it always settles down by 2 weeks at the most.

You will be fine! Best of luck and let us know how it all goes!

Steven x

[karenp]

Wow Steveo 30mg's of Escitalopram, that is a huge does now. How are you doing now? Much better I hope.
I started going up from 10 yesterday to 15mg but had anxiety, not terrible though, just nervousness but my mood felt really good though I was asleep most of the afternoon as increases always make me feel so tired and I was in bed at 7pm last night and slept through till 7.30am today but feel flat at the min and headachey but ok...Lisa you will be ok darl! If you do get side effects they are never nice but so tolerable on this drug I have always found and do pass very quickly, the first couple of days are always worse for me and then I settle down. xxxx

[Sober2000june]

good luck on 15 Karen

Paul x

[steveo]

I'll be taking over your job as the resident Escitalopram expert soon Karen hahah.

To be honest I started feeling better on 20mg but here in hospital they don't give me a weeks break from some sort of change !!

30mg is making me feel a bit out of it. It is holding the anxiety back but paradoxically for me, it's causing a worsening of depersonalisation/derealisation which then in turn adds to the anxiety.

They wouldn't let me go from 10 - 15mg. Had to do my jumps in 10mg!! I found that it takes 2 weeks to subside from a dose change but really the side effects peak at day 6,7 and 8. That was what I noted in my diary anyway. We're all different though!

I do believe it's one of the SSRIs with the least amount of side effects which is lucky for us. If this doesn't work for me then I will be saying goodbye to my fellow Escitalopram friends and moving to the Seroxat of Venlafaxine threads! That won't be a comfortable journey.

[karenp]

I only thought they let you go up to 20mg but I suppose hospital's have different rules as they have consultants not just gp's, I'm struggling at the mo, just worrying over far too many things so my dose of Escitalopram isn't helping at all, even Lorazepam isn't helping much and all I want to do is sleep until this all passes again but I am gonna really tell myself off today and say worrying just isn't worth it and problems always get solved in the end and try and think positive to calm myself down again here!!!
I really hope the 30mg's really helps you...that is a whopping big dose of Cipralex. All the very best darl xxx

[steveo]

I think this dose is way too high for me to be honest. I have no energy and I've been getting terrible headaches. The last few days have been a complete nightmare for me and diazepam is barely touching my anxiety.

I have the ward round tomorrow so I'm going to ask to go back down to 20mg as a last option before I change meds to something that I really don't want to try.

Have any of you tried many different meds? Would love to know your experiences.

[karenp]

I've been on Mirtazapine (made me suicidal and was hell to get off), also tried Sertraline, Prozac and used to always be on Citalopram but they gave me Ecitlaopram this time for less side effects but still not enjoying this 5mg increase, I just feel tired until about tea time...I think 30mg's is way too high too Stevo, it's above the max dose, though you'd think an hospital would know what they are doing. How long have you been on it to be getting bad anxiety still?
Im going to stick on 15mg's for a couple of weeks and then go up to the 20mg.
Lisa and Paul how are you getting on??? I think the first 5 days were worst for me last time I increased and then I levelled out.

[alwaysanxious]

Hi karen its my second day on my 10 mg and just fwlt realy tired today and had bad headache. But rook some paracetamol .im taking mine at night . Im still waiting for massive anxiety due to the rise and scared
Fingers crossed it be ok
Lisa xx