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[Mandz]

Hi Betty

I'm on escitralopram 20mg in morning, my physiatrist put me on them

Escitralopram is a more refined ad than citralopram so actually although I'm on 20mg it is equivalent of 40mg cit
Between that and the hrt gel I am in a much better place than I was 8weeks ago....

I'm still struggling with getting out my bed in mornings - still in it just now- but am heading back to my work a week on Monday, which is huuuuuuge for me after the crap couple of months.....

[CLKD]

I've taken both for depression and didn't notice any difference  ………. my GP has given me BBs for anxiety as well as an emergency drug 'as necessary' without which, I wouldn't be here   

[babyjane]

My GP has restarted my E-Cit.  He said sometimes it can be useful to take a break as then you can see if you really do need the support.

[CLKD]

  ………. 

[Bettyboo]

Thanks all.

It seems that as with many 'solutions' there re pros and cons, and what suits one person may not suit another. Although I am feeling slightly better  I decided that I will give the e-cit a go. I've managed to cut the pills up into pieces about 2.5mg which I have taken without any side effects. Tomorrow I will increase to 5mg and see how it goes.

 

[babyjane]

My wants me on 5mg and I am cutting them in half at the moment and taking half in the morning and half at night, with food.  so far not too bad. After a week I will try a 5mg whole tablet in the mornings.

[Bettyboo]

Hi BJ

That's a good idea. My tabs are 10mg so easy to cut into 5mg but bit trickier to saw down further. I'm supposed to be on 10mg and just took one straight off last week without thinking which caused bad SE and threw me completely. Been OK so far. Good luck with it.

[babyjane]

Thanks, I am so sensitive to meds I always start with half the recommended dose and sometimes even cut that in half and work up to the lowest dose I need to get the benefit.  My GP is used to me now but sometimes I am overcautious and don't get the full benefit which is what happened this time.  The 5mg is not scored so doesn't always cut into 2 equal pieces, not even with a pill cutter, but so long as I take one piece in the morning and one piece in the evening I get the full 5mg over 24 hours. Next week I will try a full 5mg tablet in one go.  I do find it is better with food.  When I took it first thing on an empty stomach I had much worse SEs.

Good luck to you too Bettyboo 

[CLKD]

When I took 10mg AD recently I had the weirdest head feelings  - it took 2 doses B4 i realised that I had been given 10mg instead of 5 (long story short).   OK again now 

[Bettyboo]

I have decided to give up and go back to Dr, or maybe not, lol.

The e-cit seems to have a delayed reaction. When I took them the first time I was OK for 6-8 hours and then had bad headache, nausea, spaced out feeling. Tried again over 4 days go up to 5mg then yesterday was OK then about 6 hours after taking had attack of diarrhoea (sorry if TMI). As I am taking them because anxiety causes HA and stomach/ D issues it seems a double-edged sword to me.

I did a search for contra-indications in English as I wanted to make sure I'd understood the (French) leaflet in the box correctly, and the US FDA sheet says e-cit is not compatible with beta-blockers, specifically mentioning propranolol, which I take. 

[coldethyl]

Probably worth going back to doctors. As far as I know , certain Ssris are contraindicated with betablockers and your doctor ought to have known this.   

[babyjane]

I take E-Cit with Propranolol and I know CLKD has done for years too.

As I understand it, it is at doses of E-Cit/Citalopram higher than 20mg that it is contraindicated with BBs which is why GPs don't prescribe high doses now as they are aware of this.  But do check with your GP or pharmacist if you are in any way concerned 

[CLKD]

20mg is the start-up dose, however  .  I have never been able to tolerate that high a dose!

[babyjane]

according to the leaflet in the box the recommended starting dose is 10mg rising to 20mg if needed, or 5mg rising to 10mg for panic disorder and the elderly, which is what I am taking.  Sorry to contradict CLKD but I was reading it only this morning 

[CLKD]

That's OK! things change  - it's years since I began my medication.