cipralex

I have come on the board as a bit of a fraud. it is my wife that for the last 10 months has gradually got worse with depression/ anxiety.
it probably started last May/June though of course I didn't notice the signs. then in late July she lost who favourite brother very suddenly. After that the signs became more pronounced and obvious. By September the Dr. prescribed 10mg citalopram but with no change. Then an increase to 20mg to January. By now the situation was getting really hard for me. I was completely in the dark about what to do. There was no mention to me about NHS so I decided to spend as much as it would take and took her to a private clinic as an outpatient. The psychiatrist at first diagnosed mild depression and prescribed venlafaxin 150 mg. After two weeks of visits they changed to severe depression and upped the venlafaxin to 300mg stating everything will be fine by the end of March.
By mid April an appointment came through for a psychologist on the NHS and we ceased the private consultations which quite honestly were a waste of money.
After 7 weeks of weekly visits the NHS have decided it is more serious than they thought.
She has been put on 5mg cipralex for two weeks and 4 days ago was upped to 10mg.
as a retired husband at home with my wife I dont think any typed words can express the trauma that the last nine months have been for me. As I type she is down stairs crying, which is an improvement on the screaming I get every morning after she wakes.
I can only hope that this medication works because I am completely gone.

Thank you Karen I am truly grateful for your consideration.
Having been told in February that Venlafaxin was the miracle cure and advised that it took 6-8 weeks and for then to have no improvement certainly knocked me and my daughters back.

Being of Mediterranean extract we don't tend to take adversity calmly which has made the months going even longer.
I really hope and pray that the sentiments I read about cipralex, that it takes up to 8 weeks to work are correct because I dont know if I could take another disappointment.

Thank you once again

Welcome to the forum.

Meds do take some time to work.

Sounds like your wife could benefit from grief counceling with a one to one therapist specializing in the field. This is much different that seeing a doctor.

If you can get her to a grief support group that may be good also.

Research the stages of grief so you know what to except. People do not follow them in order, everyone is different. However, it will help you realize what is going on in your wifes life at the moment. I don't have a book to recommend, however there are some excellant ones out there.

Peace
Trina