u/Practical_Web3346

Hey. I’m just looking for some advise and I guess support as I feel so lonely in all of this.

I’ve been on citalopram for about 6 years where I gradually increased to 40mg and then back down to 20mg and I’d say I’ve been stable on 20mg for a good 3-4 years.

After losing my dog in January and my nan falling and breaking her hip in March, so I then became a daily carer for her, things have been hard but I’ve managed and then last week at work I got really stressed and had a bit of a breakdown and couldn’t stop crying. I felt really low for a few days so asked the GP if I could increase to 30mg which they said yes. The side effects of the increase have been unbearable, I haven’t even been able to leave the house, I’ve not spoke to anyone apart from my partner face to face. My appetite has gone, nausea, anxiety is sky high, sweating, shaking. I couldn’t deal with them and began to think I maybe didn’t need to increase the meds and maybe just take some time to deal with what was happening instead of increasing medication. So I was on 30mg for 9 days and then this morning I went back to 20mg.

How long do you think it’ll take for the side effects to wear off, has anyone experienced similar and then stopped or decreased back down? I know the side effects if I carried on could have worn off but I just couldn’t physically or mentally continue on 30mg. I was having such bad thoughts of not wanting to continue life anymore, and how long do I have to go through this for. I really scared myself so I had to stop the increased dose.

Also, I am still waking up with heightened anxiety in the morning and this lasts all day to the point I’m just constantly sweating, crying, shaking and not eating. I have to keep telling myself things are going to get better but I’m struggling to see that right now.

Thank you for reading and honestly I really would love and appreciate any help/support.

Hey! First time posting on here so apologises if it doesn’t go as I’m planning 🙈 also, it’s going to be a long post so you get the background too. So I do really appreciate anyone reading to the end and replying.

I’ve been on Citalopram for about 8 years. I suffered with really bad depression and anxiety after some health issues. I’ve suffered migraines since I was 9 (now 35) but I started having hemiplegic migraines (present similar to a stroke) which was also leaving me with health anxiety so that’s when the Citalopram started. I went from 20-30-40mg slowly and stayed on 40mg for a few months, and then came back down to 20mg over another few months. I’ve been stable on 20mg for a few years now. However, I lost my dog in January 2026. He was only 6 and had bone cancer in his skull. He was doing really well from diagnosis in April 2025 until Christmas Day. Then things declined quite rapidly and the cancer grew extremely quick in the last 2 weeks so we let him go on the 19th January. The grief for him has been so so hard. I feel like 5 months in I should be coming to terms with it. My 94 year old Nan then had a fall in March 2026 so I was doing a lot of caring for her daily. The last 4 weeks or so she has recovered really well so I now only go once a week. I also started mounjaro 2 months ago with my local pharmacist but I increased the dose on Thursday to 5mg, Friday and Saturday I felt so nauseous it was horrible. I then dropped a bed on my foot on Saturday and bruised my toe and toenail and couldn’t walk on it for 2 days.

Since last Sunday I have felt so low, grief has been so high and I had a disagreement with partner at work (I work at his business) on Monday, but I just had a breakdown and couldn’t stop crying. I ended up leaving work and coming home. Since then I have felt so low and cried every day. The doctors increased my Citalopram from 20mg to 30mg on Wednesday. Since yesterday my anxiety has gone through the roof, I have no appetite, I have EXTREME sweats and I know in the UK it’s been hot but this is ridiculous sweating. I know these are potential side effects of increased dose but I’m now wondering whether I’ve done the right thing by increasing.

Given that I’ve had a lot on over the last 6 months and grief has smacked in the face again, it does come in waves but normally the big waves last a day or two and then I find calm and peace again as I know he was very poorly and I did everything I could for him, until I couldn’t plus the added side effects of mounjaro and hurting my toe, I’m wondering whether I really should have gone up a dose or was I just having a bad time at present which could have settled with time and rest? I don’t want to feel like this for weeks to come whilst the side effects ease off. Have I done the right thing increasing the dose or should I have been more patient and waited to see if grief and mental health calmed down a bit.

I know there’s no exact answer but anyone around me just doesn’t understand it like some of you may do. So I’d love your opinion based on the facts I’ve given. Should I have waited it out a bit longer? Did I do right by increasing? Since I’ve only been on 30mg 4 days do I cut back to 20mg now before I need to wean back or do I try and ride these side effects out and give it time for 30mg to work. Honestly, any help/advise is greatly appreciated as I feel like I’m in such a mess and just want to feel ‘right’ again.

My partner and I were meant to be going away on Thursday for the night but he’s just suggested we cancel as he doesn’t want to go whilst I’m like this and ultimately, neither do I.

Thank you! And sorry for such a long post!