Can I decrease my Citalopram dose?!
Question: Can I decrease my Citalopram dose?
My doctor put me on Citalopram a week ago and said that after a week, if I didn't have any side effects, I could raise my dose from 10mg to 20mg.
I took 20mg today and feel awful! I am shaky, dizzy, extremely tired (I have M.E too so it really doesn't help!!) and cannot concentrate at all. I feel like I am walking around in a complete daze.
I am wondering whether, as I have only taken 20mg for one day, it would be safe to just go back to 10mg tomorrow? I know I should talk to my doctor but I have work early tomorrow and don't have time to talk to her.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you :)
Answers:
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
I would go back to the 10 mg. and stay on that until, you can talk to your doctor. You'll be fine doing
that.
Just don't stop taking it altogether.
would you be able to phone the doctors for a few minutes at any point just to check with them at least if you take 10 its better than not taking them at all and if needed you maybe could take another later in the day but that you would need to check with them or if you could make an appointment for as soon as you could.If you take them in the evenings perhaps you wont feel so bad come the morning it does always take a while to get past the intial side affects but talk to them either way.Sorry not sure ive been much help.
I know the feeling, I started taking 20 mg yesterday and I had the same symptoms as you. My absolute best recommendation is to take your pill later in the day, perhaps even right before bed. I took mine yesterday at 7pm, and I was ready for bed by 8 pm, when I woke up at 6 am this morning I felt no side effects.
yes go back to 10 for a while then take 20 just before bed with some food and water, you could get a pillcutter from pharmacist and take 15 for a while
I think just before bed is the best time to take it
Cut your pills in half. When I took Citalopram, I didn't like how 40mgs made me feel (teeth grinding, dizziness), so I halved all my pills and took them for twice as long...it worked for me.
you should be fine decreasing the dose- it is people who have been on the pills many weeks or longer who have a lot of trouble.
did your doc tell you you are likely to get sexual side effects from this drug? they rarely warn you of this, but if you are in a sexual relationship now or may be in the future, reconsider if you want to take any ssri or ssni drug. after you take the drug a long time, you may have a very hard time stopping it. then when you get withdrawal problems, the doc will tell you this is your depression and anxiety coming back (rather than telling you to taper off even slower) and you will just have to put up with the sexual side effects for the rest of your life. In my case, my husband being supportive of me was interpreted that it was OK for me never to enjoy sex again in my life. No kidding.
antidepressants turn out they are working thru placebo effect - google antidepressants placebo kirsch for more info on this topic. His work has been confirmed by others in recent years. so the risks and side effects are for no more benefit than a sugar pill. the drug companies manipulated their studies to make it look as if their pills work.
I really think that it is better to get therapy, exercise more, get more light in the winter, perhaps thru a light box, and socialize more.