Citalopram to Escitalopram

[Jubnut]

Hi all!

I know this has been talked before, but does anyone have any experience and tips when changing from cit to ecit?

I talked with my doctor and we decided to change since cit MAY have given me persistent dizziness and I'm so tired all the time. Hopefully ecit with the lower SE profile don't have these effects.

Doctor said to just switch straight away and start with 5mg ecit. I've been using 20mg of cit but dropped to 10 mg today just before the change so the coming-off-from-cit effects would not be that hard.

I've heard so much good about ecit that I really hope it takes the issues with cit away. I've been on cit multiple times and always had pretty tough SEs but since I have tolerated them we never have talked about changing the med. I just figured out one day that why suffer, and on top of it all this time it seems that cit haven't helped that much as it has before.

[Jubnut]

I'll just update here if someone else is going through the same thing - kinda of like a log. Hope it helps.

I dropped my cit from 20mg to 10mg two days prior to switching, I mark that my starting day.

Day 1:

Took 10 mg of citalopram. Seem like the dropping of the dosage affected me only towards the evening as I felt my muscles tense more and be more agitated. Other than that the withdrawal effects were minimal.

Day 2:

Took 10 mg of citalopram. Same as yesterday evening, nothing too dramatic as I was expecting some withdrawal effects. On the plus side, light headedness and the tiredness is almost immediately lowering.

Day 3:

Took 5 mg of escitalopram. Still same withdrawal effects and little to no side effects for escitalopram. Really difficult to tell which is which at this point. Still positive as the light headedness and tiredness is still subsiding.

Day 4:

Took 5 mg of escit. Seems the withdrawal effects are lessening, feel less tense and agitated. Now it seems I have some side effects from escit, mainly sudden dizzy spells that last 5 seconds and I feel a bit sick in the same manner - it subsides quite fast. Also pressure in upper abdomen and skipped beats, annoying but I'll take these for the rest of my life if I don't have to be constantly light headed and tired.

Day 5:

Took 5 mg of escit. Same as yesterday, a bit more sick but nothing dramatic. Compared to citalopram side effects this is child's play. Also in the evening I was massively tired, this felt like "artificial" tiredness and I'm pretty sure this is a side effect. Again, nothing too bad. Seem to have less skipped beats too, but a little brain foggy as well.

Day 6:

Took 5 mg of escit. Really tired in the morning, same with citalopram - the ssri hangover feeling. I presume this will go away or lessen in time too. Head works but a bit foggy and dizzy spells. Feel a bit sick too. Other than that, quite positive feeling. Wife commented that I seems to have more energy than when I started, I feel that as well.

[crystal17]

HI, that is really interesting, I'm doing pretty much the same thing right now.

I'm a bit worried how I've done it though. My Dr told me to just go from taking my usual 20mg of Citalopram one day to my new dose of 10mg Escitalopram the next day, no tapering off.

I ran out of Cit so didnt have anything at all yesterday, then this morning I've just taken the Escit - I'm scared now that this will be too much of a sudden change! Never even thought of reducing the cit gradually....!

Hope you are feeling ok today

[Jubnut]

Day 7:

5mg, basically same thing. One weird thing is that I have these random itchy moments, it is either side effects or withdrawal but either way really weird.

Day 8:

5mg, same thing, a bit more energy as it seems that my body is starting to accept the 5 mg.

Day 9:

First day of 10mg. Took 5mg in the morning and 5mg on the afternoon. Body seems to not react to change yet, I presume it will be either tomorrow or the day after I will see the side effects.

Day 10:

Took 10mg in the morning. A bit more dizzy and nauseated. Haven't vomited or anything but the nausea is a bit stronger. And weird itching.

Day 11:

Took 10 mg in the morning. Now I have been getting more side effects mainly with dizzy spells and nausea.

Day 12:

Took 10 mg in the morning. Had a good day at work, a bit more anxious (HA seems to be on the rise) but overall really good mood. Now i seem to have nausea spells and dizzy spells, but they are lessening and been less intense. Tiredness, yet I sleep like a log.

Day 13:

Took 10 mg in the morning. Really tired in the morning but it gets better with coffee and getting up. Little nauseated but other than that, really good mood. Even the HA seems to be subsiding. Still thinking that compared to citalopram this is childs play. Most of the citalopram effects seem to have subsided, but still I wait for them to reappear. It is only 5 days with 10 mg. If this keeps up, within one months time it will be completely different. This seems to be better for me than citalopram, but not counting on it just yet

[NixieNoo]

Hi Jubnut

How are you doing now?