# Cipralex dosage increased to 20 mg



## Iwillbwell

I've been in 10mg of Cipralex for the last two months.  I was starting to feel better then I fell into my usual after Christmas depression.  I started isolating myself, eating less, working out less and calling in sick.  I saw my psychiatrist and he increased my dosage to 20mg.  My question is, will he have to keep increasing the dose every few months or will I have to switch meds if this one stops working? The other thing is, my anxiety is still there and I still get panic attacks.  So far Cipralex has been great because I get no side effects.  I'm afraid of trying something new.


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## forgetmenot

*Re: Cipralex dosage increased to 20mg*

Hi welcome  I think you will do well now that your dose has been increase. 10mg usually is a starting dose for this medication  As to if it has to be increase or not no one really will know as some people level out at 20mg and do well on that dose for years and some have to change it a bit.   Everyone is different how they react to the medication.  With the panic attacks increasing your medication may help you deal with them better but won't take them totally away.  I hope you can post later and let us know how the increase worked out for you   take care.


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## Lana

*Re: Cipralex dosage increased to 20mg*



Iwillbwell said:


> I've been in 10mg of Cipralex for the last two months.  I was starting to feel better then I fell into my usual after Christmas depression.  I started isolating myself, eating less, working out less and calling in sick.  I saw my psychiatrist and he increased my dosage to 20mg.  My question is, will he have to keep increasing the dose every few months or will I have to switch meds if this one stops working? The other thing is, my anxiety is still there and I still get panic attacks.  So far Cipralex has been great because I get no side effects.  I'm afraid of trying something new.



The idea behind SSRI medication is that alone, it does not cure a person of whatever ails him or her. It is used to help reduce the symptoms of an illness and help facilitate therapy.  So then, when you combine medication and therapy together, those have been proven to be most affective in treating disorders.  That also means that as you improve, the reliance on medication lessens.  Although, for some, medication regimen stays in place.  It really is up to the individual and his or her doctors to determine.

Are you currently undergoing therapy?


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## Iwillbwell

*Re: Cipralex dosage increased to 20mg*

I was then I stopped because I couldn't afford it anymore. I just got another job with a higher pay so I plan on starting once I start there.


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## forgetmenot

*Re: Cipralex dosage increased to 20mg*

I hope you can get back on therapy because it does help.  I find therapy has worked the best for me   Congratulations on getting a new job take care.


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## David Baxter PhD

*Re: Cipralex dosage increased to 20mg*



Iwillbwell said:


> My question is, will he have to keep increasing the dose every few months or will I have to switch meds if this one stops working? The other thing is, my anxiety is still there and I still get panic attacks.  So far Cipralex has been great because I get no side effects.  I'm afraid of trying something new.



It's unlikely that you'll need to increase it every few months. If 20 mg doesn't stabilize you, it is more likely that you would be switched to something else, but there's no need to fear that if it happens. If you've had no side effects at all with Cipralex, chances are you'd be a good candidate for certain other medications in that family as well.


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## Kobayashi

*Re: Cipralex dosage increased to 20mg*

I'm personally at 30mg of cipralex, and don't have any side effects at all from this medication.  I did have some initial start-up side effects that were minimal, but they soon went away.  If it works for you, its an excellent choice.


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## Iwillbwell

*Re: Cipralex dosage increased to 20mg*

Kobayashi, did you notice a difference going from 20 to 30mg? This is day three taking the higher dose and I'm still in bed feeling like crap.


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## Kobayashi

*Re: Cipralex dosage increased to 20mg*

I took the higher dose because I have OCD and Anxiety.  I did notice a slight difference within a few days - felt calmer etc.  As time has progressed they have added Risperidone to my regimen and this has also added some relief.  If the cipralex is purely for depression, it might take a bit longer to work.  Hang in there for a bit.

I'm no Doc, so don't take my advice verbatim, but the other interesting thing I notice with this med is that my anxiety cycles on it.  I get about 3 weeks of feeling good and stable, then a bout a week or so of increased anxiety and OCD.

Cipralex is a good med.  Its "clean" with very few side effects (for me anyway), and I've tried lots of them.


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## Iwillbwell

*Re: Cipralex dosage increased to 20mg*

Update: I've been taking the 20mg for some time but recently started having major panic attacks in the evening so I decided to try taking an extra 10mg before bed (I haven't told my doc yet, I'm meeting with him on Tuesday) and I feel much better! My mood is better, I'm not reacting to patterns and clusters (I still feel a mild sensation but it's bearable) and I have more energy. I finally got up and organized my room which I've been putting off because of lack of energy and drive and I made dinner, which my BF was doing. I'm very happy with the results so far, this might be the dose for me.

I went to the gym today and something hit me, I've been living my entire life in fear and I didn't realize the extent of it.  Now that I'm getting better, I'm seeing how sick I was before.  I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be but I'm making progress. Now I need to work on building a support system because right now all I have is my BF.


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## forgetmenot

*Re: Cipralex dosage increased to 20mg*

I am glad you are feeling better but you really should not increase your medication without talking to your doctor first  I am glad you see your doctor on Tuesday maybe give him;her a call today and just let know what you did so you can get feed back okay.


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## Iwillbwell

*Re: Cipralex dosage increased to 20mg*

Ok will do


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## forgetmenot

*Re: Cipralex dosage increased to 20mg*

Just want to know if cipralex at 20mg is still working for you  I am only at 10mg and i find i am tired on it


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## Iwillbwell

I went to the doc and he suggested that I try 10 in the morning and 10 at night so Ive been doing that and feeling better.  I've been feeling less tired these days.


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## David Baxter PhD

That's good to hear, Iwillbewell. Thanks for the update.


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## forgetmenot

Oh thats a good idea i will ask my doctor about doing it that way thanks


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