Taking Cipralex 30 Mg. Feeling Tired And Anxious. Is This A Sign Of An Illness?

Posted on Mon, 28 Jan 2013

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

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 Answered on

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : i have been given 30 mg of cipralex for over a year my dr told me today it was to much n he ask me who told me to take that amount i told him he did I m just wondering if thats why i ve been feeling kind of tired n anxius n not myself

Answered by Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar (5 hours later)

Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query.

Cipralex (Escitalopram) is an SSRI anti-depressant that is used in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. 30mg of Cipralex is definitely a higher dose. The minimum effective dosage of Cipralex is 5 mg and in usual clinical practice it is used only upto a 20 mg dose. Sometimes, for certain specific conditions like OCD or severe / resistant depression, it may be used at even higher doses.

SSRI anti-depressants (including Cipralex) can be associated with side effects, which are more prominent with high doses. These can include jitteriness, tremors, hyperarousal, fatigue, sleeping difficulty, gastric problems, sexual dysfunction, etc. So, it is likely that your recent onset of symptoms could be due to the high dose of Cipralex.

I would recommend that, unless there is a specific indication for such a high dose, the dosage could be reduced. But this has to be done gradually and only under the advise and supervision of your doctor.

Wish you all the best.

Regards,
Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar
Consultant Psychiatrist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E