Switching SSRIs! Support needed

[Imagineit]

Hi everyone, I’ve been on citalopram for 15 years and it worked amazingly for 10 of them at keeping generalised anxiety under control. However, now I think it’s stopped working and I’m getting more anxious periods again over the past few years. The doctor has suggested a switch to Fluoxetine, I have the tablets but haven’t brought myself to start the switch yet. I’m wondering if it’s better the devil you know or whether a new med would really help! I went on sertraline in the past which didn’t suit me at all and I ended up back on citalopram a few months later. Any experiences of switching? Anyone in the same boat?

Start it and give it time - antidepressants normally need 6 weeks to fully get into gear and if you have side effects, bring it up with your GP first before you stop taking them. There's normally things they can do to stop the side effects or limit them.

Yes. I was on Sertraline for years for depression and it worked until anxiety also became an issue.

MH nurse gave me options of alternatives and I tried a SNRI - works better for both depression and anxiety !

Give it a go - can always revert back

Take care

I switched from Paroxetine to citalopram earlier this year, unfortunately citalopram didn’t work so I’ve switched again to venlafaxine. Both times I cross tapered rather than direct switch.

Mirtazapine helped me but I got the weight gain. Maybe there’s another SNRI that would be more suitable

I am experiencing the same. Donkeys years on Sertraline, tried to come off and had an awful experience with dissociation, self harm, wanting to run away, screaming in the car, I have never had anything like that before. I tapered over several months. When I got down to the last nibble of the tablet every other day, it all went to shit. I am trying again to taper off from 200mg. That’s max dose. I’ve got down to 100mg one day and 50mg the next then 100mg etc etc. doctor calling tomorrow to talk about a different anti anxiety med. I read SNRI’s are good for it but will they help with the switch or do I need to finish Sertraline then start SNRI? Are they safe together and do they really work?

I switched from sertraline to fluoxetine after upping the dose didn't work out for me and it was fine. I wonder if they almost wear off after a while?

I've been going through the same with citalopram stopping working after 15ish years. Got switched to fluoxetine which really didn't work well for me, although I think a lot of the problem was more the citalopram withdrawl. I'm now in the middle of a cross taper from citalopram to escitalopram and hoping that works better!