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Thread: 17 days on Cipralex - my experience so far

  1. #1

    17 days on Cipralex - my experience so far

    I would've waited until I could write a 20-day or 30-day report on this, but right now I simply can not find any sleep, and so I need something to keep my mind occupied for a while.

    17 days of Cipralex, according to my log. I've duly documentet each day and night, making sure to describe any notable side effects I've experienced. I won't post its entire content here, but I thought I'd sum it up for those who've just started on this medication and who might need some encouraging words to go with it, as this often so seems to be the case

    First of all, I started with 10mg from the first day. The result was a life fairly close to what I can only describe as "hell on earth". Or at least in my body. The first reaction was my very first panic attack which occured in the middle of the night. I haven't experienced any more of those ever since, but once was enough. After that, restlessnes of the sort that borders on physical discomfort, nauesa an absoloutely no appetite (I lost 6-7 kg in mere days) and a mood that could be described as a mild depression, were all battles to be fought both night and day. So there are actually two lessons to learn from this:

    1 - Don't start taking the full dose right away. Start with 2.5mg and work your way upward. Use weeks before increasing the dose, if you wish to be fit enough to be able to work. I didn't mention earlier, but I was in no condition for working during the first week. All that was on my mind back then was making it through the next hour. Going to the grossary store to get some food became my biggest challenge those days.

    2 - Be well prepared, mentally, that you may be in for a rough ride, escpecially if you're starting with a high dose. If you've started high, and kept to it for a few days, you should probably not chicken out even if it is rough on you. There are people that don't experience any side effects from this med (I personally know one myself - she can start or quit her 10mg as much as she likes, and never has any discomfort) and I suspect that most people have no trouble with the at all, but since you're here reading this, I'll assume you've one of us', the unfortunate ones that will have to battle these side effects after all. Sticking with it will be your biggest battle.

    Ok, now it's time to introduce a little more positive energies into this entry, taking a look at the next days. After two weeks things were doing much better. One of the things I've had trouble with during my current peak of anxiety is dining with other people, talking to other people, watching TV, reading and just about everything that would be nice to do when you're unable to work. All that, however, were about to change. I could pay more and more attention to what was going on on the TV, and during Christmas dinner I was able to dine with my entire family. Not completely without a small pinch of discomfourt, but it was way better than just week before. So how did things just change from "hell on earth" to "happy clappy" over the course of just one week? Well, I did perform one stunt that seemed to help a lot, and that splitting my dose in half. Instead of taking the whole 10mg in one gulp, I split the pill and took 5m in the morning and 5mg in the evening, with 12 hours apart. That makes for a more evenly distributed flow into my body of this stuff. This isn't something I conferred with my doctor about, but it didn't seem like a dangerous thing to do, as long as I received 10mg every 24 hours. After I did that, there have been some really good days. A couple of bad ones has made their appearance recently (which would explain why on earth I'm posting this stuff 04:15 in the morning), but that I believe is because I got a little cocky and thought that since I'd been on 5mg for a few days and was feeling fine, I would be man enough to take the whole 10mg at once. Shouldn't have done that. Body noticed. Body told brain. Brain got mad. And now I have to write about it all on this forum so that I can keep this tumbling mind occupied with something else besides going mental on me again, and hopefully get so tired that I can actually manage to get some sleep.

    Sleeping, or the lack thereof, is a normal side effect of Cipralex, btw, and I should note that my dear mother has tried to push some sleeping pills on me, so I would get a good night's sleep. I've only got one thing to say abot those things: They work. I sleep soundly throughout the entire night, not walking up once, feeling awake and refreshed in the morning. Of course, you don't want to get too comfortable with meds like those, so I use them as a last resort if everything else fails.

    So, time to sum it up with some realistic, but also encouraging words:
    The first week is tough. The second week is better, but still not comfortable. The third week is better and this is when I started feeling a little bit normal again. I expect the fourth week will be even more so. However, if you're starting on low doses, you will prolong the loading phase by several weeks. It's up to you, really. Short and brutal (means taking time off work) or slow and tolerable. Since most of us have a job we need to attend, the second option is what I would've chosen had I known all this before I started with Cipralex. Splitting the dose really worked for me, but that's something one should talk to ones doctor about first. Whatever you do, don't mess around with the doses. Taking too much by mistake is prone to give you a couple of uncomfortable days to follow. That's what I did yesterday, and now I'm paying for it.

    Bottom line here is: Stick with your meds, as long as you don't experience any of the side effects noted as "dangrerous" in your pamphlet, and you will see a overall improvement within 3 weeks. The meds manufacturer says 2 weeks, but you want to give yourself a little more time than that.

    Well, I think my sleeping pill is kicking in, inviting me for a ride in my dream park. Don't mind if I do.

    Parsifal signing off.
    __________________
    Best wishes
    - Parsifal

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    1,066

    Re: 17 days on Cipralex - my experience so far

    thats great parsifal - im glad they are starting to work - and its a great description x

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    1,066

    Re: 17 days on Cipralex - my experience so far

    ballintoy - hi there

    ive been on them for about 6 months - i have been on a few ssris and the initial side eeffects of these were the worst - its the most strange horrendous feeling and i didnt think they would pass - i kept a log of how i felt and i think by next week you will start seeing the benefits

    parsifals description is fab

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    248

    Re: 17 days on Cipralex - my experience so far

    Hi there

    I started slow on 2.5mg then upped to 5mg after a week. Still had bad sided effects. On day 12 of 5mg, I would have upped to 10mg but don't want to until after new year as I am going away. Will keep you informed of how it is going but feeling much better now. I am beginning to be able to start to go out sociably again with dissociation, which is a big deal for me! Still trying to take it easy though!

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