Escitalpram

[CP9702]

Hello..this is my first post. I was wondering if anyone was taking escitalopram? I am new to the medicine. Im suppose to be taking 10 mg but have only been taking 1/2 because i had so many side effects at first and they finally have stopped. Just wondering when i do take the whole 10 mg will i notice a big difference? I dont really want to go thru the whole side effect thing again. Any help is appreciated.

[jessed03]

It's always hard to guess how a person will respond to a certain med, or more specifically a certain dose, that's why the slow and steady approach is usually recommended. Seeing as you've done your time on 5mg, I'd personally feel a lot more confident trying 10mg again.

Anecdotally I struggled terribly on 20mg of citalopram, but after several weeks on 10mg, the jump was a lot more tolerable than it was with less time on the lower dose.

[RealisticTrain]

Hello..this is my first post. I was wondering if anyone was taking escitalopram? I am new to the medicine. Im suppose to be taking 10 mg but have only been taking 1/2 because i had so many side effects at first and they finally have stopped. Just wondering when i do take the whole 10 mg will i notice a big difference? I dont really want to go thru the whole side effect thing again. Any help is appreciated.

Hi,

What sort of side effects are you experiencing? There are normal side effects that just happen as the body adjusts, and there are abnormal ones that should be dealt with immediately. For example today I had someone that was on luvox tell me they couldn't pee...obviously not a normal side effect and a pretty bad reaction. He had to stop taking them and had to deal with a catheter for a couple days. Embarrassing, yes. But it could have saved much bigger problems.
- Dr. Dan

[CP9702]

Thanks jessed03! If you dont mind me asking are u still on it ? Do u think it has helped you? I really hate medicine..so this is hard for me.

[CP9702]

RealisticTrain..i was having to make myself eat, lost 5 lbs 1st week, i was still feeling very anxious, feeling like my heart was racing, feeling dizzy, feeling like my insides were just trembling constantly, still having panic attacks..chest pains. I went back to the doctor and she said that it should go away and it did. So im finally able to eat and anxiety is calming down. Just guess i wasnt expecting this to be so hard. I really am not big on taking medicine either.

[RealisticTrain]

Your body is just getting used to the changes. Increasing the levels of serotonin like these drugs do can have ramifications in almost all areas of your body. It's simply a reaction. Your body essentially goes "whoa, whats this?" and makes you aware of it by showing those symptoms. As it gets used to the drug, the body becomes more comfortable and the symptoms fade. Just stick with it, you'll be glad you did. Lexapro is really one of the better SSRI's.
- Dr. Dan

[jessed03]

Thanks jessed03! If you dont mind me asking are u still on it ? Do u think it has helped you? I really hate medicine..so this is hard for me.

Virtually everybody hates medicine, my friend. That is until it starts to work.

I'm not on citalopram anymore, it done it's job. It was quite rocky starting up, but then one day, usually 1-3 months down the line, you have a day when depression/anxiety/OCD or whatever you're suffering from moves to the back of your mind, and you feel more like your old self again. That moment spells a changing of the seasons, mental illness wise, and makes you feel really glad you roughed it out.