Dear sir/mam, I take stalopam for depression and anxiety, and my doctor had to raise my dose twice in last two years. Now I take 10 mg. I fear that if this goes on like this, i'll cross the maximum dose of 20 mg and then there will be nothing to help me. What will happen if stalopam 20 mg also stops working sometime in future? Are there any further options? Please help!

Dr. P K SukumaranPsychiatrist56yrs exp

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Anxiety Stress patients worry too much...Stress In today?s day & age where stress is high, feelings of frustration can emerge. It is our perception that can change our current negative situation into a healthy & positive one. Another way of perceiving these feelings of frustration can be by looking at them as an opportunity to push ourselves to go that little extra mile until we achieve our objective. However, there are times when we all can go around in circles; and being in this space can be quite upsetting and lead to feelings of dissatisfaction, frustration and can even cloud our mind and judgment. Exercise one hr daily, Oil massage body, Hobby, Support from friends family, help others, weekly holiday, Yoga, Meditation Parox 25 mg half Half One 

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Mr. Saul PereiraPsychologist50yrs exp

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lybrate-user, I strongly recommend that you don't rely on medication alone to sort out your problem. You must seek the help of a counselor and work in tandem with the medication. Then it is possible to reduce the medication because your compliance with the therapy will help you develop skills and techniques to affect positive changes and induce your brain to produce the natural chemicals required to counter depression and anxiety. Life is full of problems as a norm. Any attempts to escape will never help: you must learn to face these problems every day with good success. The counselor will help you in this regard. I also strongly believe that every crisis offers an opportunity for change, if you seek it and grab the opportunity. Please meet with a counselor and work on your emotions, particularly anger and fear. Exercise is very important but you have to build on it developmentally. I suggest you do the opposite of what this depression makes you feel like doing (actually, not doing): you will need to fight this condition. You must become active; stay upright during the daylight time; meet people; never sleep during the day, wake up by 6 am every day, play some active games, especially contact games, do physical exercises, talk to people and join some social clubs, attend yoga classes etc. Watch sitcoms on tv or comedies and cheer yourself up. Go for excursions in groups, for outings, camps, conferences, and religious conventions. Get a pet dog and spend time training it, exercising it and relating to it. Expose yourself to some sunlight every day, at least 30 minutes but not in the scorching heat. Whatever happens, please incorporate these three important adaptations in your life: always be responsible, be respectful, and be functional. If you did these three, lots of things will go well in life. Please pray and have faith in god to alleviate your sufferings. Don?t wait for others to help. Use your own motivation, which might be at its lowest, but persevere and win this battle. Above all to be really happy, you need to live in love and for love. Learn all about emotions and how to handle them and that will get you out of the depression rather easily and quickly. A counselor is there only to facilitate you, all the hard work must come from you, and your cooperation with that person is very critical for your success. Be positive every day and learn to be contended with what you have. Do some left brain exercises: it is the happy brain. Here are a few suggestions: shut your left nostril and breathe, move your eyes from right to left and vice versa for at least half a minute at a time, and do callisthenic exercises with some form of counting, regularly. Whatever happens please cooperate with the therapy and do not discontinue until the condition is completely resolved.  

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Dr. Shashank RaikwarPsychiatrist5yrs exp

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lybrate-user, I would like to inform you that there are medications for depression and anxiety even after tab stalopram 20 mg is reached. So, don't worry. If you feel optimal at stalopram 10 mg you don't need to worry for increase in dose in future. Depending on your symptoms, your psychiatrist will increase or reduce the dose of medication. So I request you to be on regular follow up with a psychiatrist and do not self medicate yourself. Thank you. 

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Dr. Saranya DevanathanPsychiatrist50yrs exp

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Dear Nitin, No tablet will be increased beyond the prescribed dose. If you are responding to 10mg stalopam, it will be maintained. Roughly 80% of patients will respond to 10 mg itself. Are you worrying about future instead of accepting and dealing with them as they are? Rarely intractable depression occurs that has many add ons. 

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Dr. Prof. Jagadeesan M.S.Psychiatrist17yrs exp

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the dose depends on the need, so don't worry. There are also other medications which are as effective or more effective if this does not work out. So do not lose hope, get your symptoms under control and live life to the fullest. Good luck. 

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