Suggest Celexa Dosage For An Elderly

Posted on Sun, 8 Jun 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 8 Jun 2014 Answered on

Sat, 28 Jun 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I went from 15 mg to 20 mg of imprimine and feel over medicated Iam 60 years old why could I take 95 mg 20 years ago and now I have trouble taking 20 mg. same thing happened with celexa Iam not sure if I should continue to take 20 mg and suffer through it until I get use to it or what?

Answered by Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar (28 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Better to change medication...

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query.

I understand that you are going through a difficult time due to the side effects of your medication. Medication tolerability can change with age due to the fact that the body's physiology gradually keeps changing as we grow older. So, this could be the reason why you seem to be experiencing side effects at a much lower dose now.

Now, 20mg is a very low dose for Imipramine. In fact, the minimum effective dosage is 25mg. So, in my opinion, if you are experiencing significant discomfort even with this minimal dosage, then it would be a better idea to change the medication, rather than wait and keep suffering from the side effects. There are other anti-depressant / anti-anxiety medication like Mirtazapine which could be more tolerable in your case. So, I would suggest that you discuss with your doctor about the option of changing your medication.

Wish you all the best.

Regards,
Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar MBBS., DPM., MRCPsych.(U.K.)
Consultant Psychiatrist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D