Wk 4 on Cit

[690SMC]

Hello folks,

been reading the forum in the last couple of days as I'm back on cit and feeling a bit low.

Following a proper and full on burnout in 2010, I recovered fully and in April this year I decided to stop cit and go without it. Due to an exam I managed to psych myself to the extent where I triggered my anxiety and depression :(

Today is week 4 of being on cit and currently on the second week where I'm alternating the dose between 20mg and 30mg. As of Wednesday next week I'm going to 30mg daily.

Today and Wednesday when I took the 30mg I feel very low :( Today even lower than what it was Wednesday. I'm managing it as much as I can and I'm at work. I have to admit I'm a bit scared that the 30mg might make me feel more depressed as a dose but I obviously don't know if it will do or if it is just a side-effect.

I'm ready for the cit to kick in and start making me feel better. Kind of feel like crying today but that's not going to do me any good...just heighten anxiety and feeling sorry for myself.

Guess just need some reassurance from all you folks that have been through it.

In 2010 when I was much much worse I started cit and 2,5 months later I was back at work! Surely it will kick in in the next week or so???

[MrAndy]

give it 3 - 6 weeks to kick in then 3 months for you to start feeling back to normal
ps hello and welcome to the forum

[690SMC]

Thanks MrAndy

You mean 3-6 weeks since I started taking it? Or 3-6 weeks from the moment I get on to the full 30mg dose?

[MrAndy]

3-6 weeks from taking it then a few weeks to settle again each change in dosage

[690SMC]

phew! so hopefully another couple of weeks

[Greenman50]

Its different for everyone with cit .

The big mistake i made with my first bout of anxiety and depression was staying in and being off work .

By all means take leave if you afford it ( i cant self employed ) so this time i HAVE to battle on or i will lose my house .

If your off work go for a walk , try to function normally as hard as it is and every small step when you look back was a massive help to recovery .

[690SMC]

Following a chat with my GP I think the jump to 30mg was too much and have decided to stick on 20mg. I feel better already and I can manage my anxiety and depression better than when on 30mg.

So I'm sticking with 20mg and doing everything else as well, yoga, exercise, cbt, socializing and work.

Had a really goo weekend where I achieved so much and now I'm also having my dad come stay with us which is a great help for me.

[690SMC]

I just wanted to post an update now that it has been 6 weeks since I started the medication again.

Overall things are improving on a weekly basis. This week I have been in uni (studying part time) and was able to fully concentrate during lectures which is certainly a big improvement!!

My anxiety is now usually only in the morning and comes as a breakthrough anxiety. I'm confident that as the medication kicks in further over the next few weeks, it will go down. It is a pain as it doesn't allow me to sleep 7-8hrs which is what I usually need to operate.

Depression kind of comes and goes. When it comes I can see it as it feels like being succumbed by a wave. If I get doing something interactive or social then that combats it.

All in all an improvement and please G-d may it continue. I hope you are all starting to feel better and your treatments are taking you to that better, happier place we all look for.

[MyNameIsTerry]

You probably felt worse because you were cycling the med between 20-30mg every other day. Why did your GP have you doing that? It would have meant your blood plasma would never reach the correct level as it needs about 5 half lives to reach that which but you would be dropping the dose within that cycle so it couldn't fully reach the 30mg until you took the same dose daily.

If 20mg isn't enough but 30mg is too much, there is always cutting the pill in half down the score line and seeing if 25mg is a better balance for you.

I hope things work out.

[690SMC]

I'm not sure why they suggested the alternating regime. My psychiatrist and GP both confirmed that's how they tend to do it. As I am getting better on the 20mg in terms of being able to function and from a depression/anxiety perspective, we decided to continue with this for another 4 weeks and then take stock.

As you say if things stop improving I might have to up the dose to 25mg though apparently that is not a commonly used dose. I remember back in 2010 when I was royally screwed I was on 40mg plus some other things and then before I stopped it earlier this year I was comfortably on 20mg. So maybe I just need to build up the effects of Cit as clearly it takes a bit longer to work for me.