Longterm effect of Citalopram?!


Question: The wife has been on Citalopram for a couple of years and is having counselling. Recently she has been getting worse again and the counsellor suggested she see the GP about changing to another anti depressent. The GP merely increase the dose she should take. Is this the correct course of action or should she ask to try something different?


Answers: The wife has been on Citalopram for a couple of years and is having counselling. Recently she has been getting worse again and the counsellor suggested she see the GP about changing to another anti depressent. The GP merely increase the dose she should take. Is this the correct course of action or should she ask to try something different?

I'm on 40mg a day and I feel great. I didn't realise how ill I was until I started to feel better. I am still waiting for counselling 5 months after my original referral, and my GP says that even though I'm doing so well on the pills alone, the counselling will hopefully get to the root cause of my depression. He also said that during the counselling the depression could return with a vengeance, which is why he's stopped my dose at 40mg a day in case it needs to be increased. The above answerers are correct in that the dose should be increased as a first line of management, but the counselling could be bringing all your wife's emotional problems to the surface again and increasing her feelings of depression. Stick with it and hopefully she'll come through it stronger.

Increasing the dose first is the best option, as it is easier than going through withdrawal from one tablet then starting a new one. The doctor will probably recommend that she take the increased dose for atleast several months to see if there is any improvement. She should also keep up the counselling, as the tablets are not a complete cure, but should make things a hell of a lot easier for her.

I'm on citalopram and have been for a few years now...It took me at least a year to get a dose worked out that worked for me...and I've been told it can even take longer then that. The GP is just adjusting it to see if that will work before moving her to different pills because the change of medication can actually add a lot more strain and then it may take even longer to find her a better dosage of the new pill. If things don't change then she should definitely go back to the doctor and ask to change pills...but she should definitely try the new dose first. With medication - trust the GP before the counsellor.

Someone I know is also on this medicine. He just had the dosage increased. I agree with your first answer. If in time she feels its not helping talk to the doc.

the maximum dose is 60mg/day. If the dose is not above this then it is appropriate as long as it has worked until now. The usual course is to up the dose first and then if there is no change to switch meds. the problem with all antidepressants is that the different types can be very dangerous if overlapping use. People also need to b weaned from one before using another.

am afraid the doctor knows best. does your wife drink alcohol. which she shouldn't. because that could reduce the effect of the drug. citalopram is a very good drug. which i am on myself.

hiya, ive been on it for some time and first of all it was brill but now im going back down hill doc doubled the dose now he has refered me to the mental health team maybe your wife could see into that they helped me before, maybe doc wont go that far but he may want to try a different anti depressant best of luck for you both your not alone.





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