Does this dosage of antidepressants sound right to you?

[Lovemyshoes]

I have been struggling to cope day to day for about a month now and I'm finding myself getting obsessive about house work etc, I'm not sleeping and I'm getting migraines.

I've been taking escitalopram(cipralex) for about 6 months now and I've just been to the doctors for my repeat prescription of ad's.

Thing is, he has put me on 40mg a day and I've to go back and see him in 4 week, but, on reading the leaflet that comes with the tablets it says the maximum dosage is 20mg per day.

Does anyone take 40mg per day? Or, should I query with the pharmacist?

i am on citalopram which can be given as a 40mg dose (mine will be upped next time i think)

Query with the pharmacist first (a quick phone call should do it) HTH

It citalopram the same of escitalopram (cipralex)? All these names confuse me, they are so alike.

no, escitalopram is different to citalopram, it's a more recent drug. I would definitely check with the pharmacist.

oh sorry, i hadn't read the name properly

Thanks for your help, I'm going to query it today before I start taking them, especially after reading the side effects if you take too many.

Definitely query with the pharmacist or GP. He may have got the dosages confused with citalopram. The drugs are chemically related (kind of pharmocological opposites) but not the same and I have come across one or two GPs not realising this and prescribing escitalopram as if it were citalopram.

The current BNF states that the max dose is 20mg daily for Depressive illness, Generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder and social anxiety disorder.

You should discuss this with your GP asap, they may have confused the drug with Citalopram, which has maxiumum daily dose of 60mg daily.

I've had a word with another doctor and he says that it is ok to take 40mg.

Only problem is, he has also prescribed me some sumatriptan, I did catergorically ask if was ok to take with 40mg escitalopram and he said yes definately. BUT, the leaflet says if I take them together it can enhance side effects.

I don't know what to do

speak to a pharmacist. still sounds quite dodgy you being prescribed over the max. dosage.