Coming off citalopram. :(

I have been on citalopram since feb 2014 after a tramatic family situstion, I just needed something to help me cope. I decided in july with my up coming wedding that I would like to reduce from 20 mg to 10 mg to ween off. My pcp suggested  to do this for one month and then stop completely.  

He did warn me that there would be side effects from stoping the medication but they would go away. I finished my last script about a week and a half ago and about 4 days ago I began feeling so exhausted and weak. I am unable to get enough sleep to shake the feeling and the dizzy/ light headed feeling is more than I was prepared for. I am very tearful and feel anxious.

I hope this feeling will end. I do not want to have to go back on a medication due to the fact that I would like to try and conceive and the birth defects are very serious and I am not willing to risk it.

Please any reassurance would help  

How are you feeling today??? I'm in your same boat. Gone from 20 to 10 mgs over a week ago. My body does not feel normal. Aches. Pains. Palpitatons. Exhausted. Trouble taking a deep breath. All of these thing make me anxious!  

Have you tried bachs rescue remedy?  Meditation/ relaxation techniques?  I'm confident these terrible feelings will pass, if you need anything let me know. I'll send you my email and will help anyway I can! You're soooooo not alone in this battle. 

I just want to say thank you for your note to samantha54942 - I am 100% in the same boat... The exhaustion is the worse and the hardest part... How did you deal with it?? 

Any suggestions would be great! Thank you very much

Lena

I just want to say thank you for your note - I am 100% in the same boat... Don't want to be on this medication and planning to have a baby in the near future. The exhaustion is the worse and the hardest part for me so far ... How did you deal with it?? How are you doing now? I see that you posted this 2 months ago.

Any suggestions would be great! Thank you very much

Lena

I was on 20mg for 4 years, everytime i tried to come off, by lowering the dose, I felt worse then ever,  so my doctor,  just up my dose again.

But this time I'm determined,  I've gone from 20 down to 10 over 6 weeks, Tuesday will be my last day. 

But like you I ach all over, I find it very hard to get out of bed in the mornings, I have a constant headache,  and feel worse then I've ever felt, but at the same time I really don't want to be on citalopram,  I've put so much weight on with it, and I'm on slimming world diet too,  and it's hard when you go for weigh in and nothing has come off. 

I just want to feel normal again.

See my old posts..it took me a year to get off it,finishing on a ridiculous low dose of 1.25 mg daily

i now take st jons wort as I could not cope after it left my body..see my last post

it worked for me when I needed it tho , for which I am very grateful 

Hi, Sylvia.

I was told by my physician that you can suffer from seratonin withdrawals when coming off citalopram. Here is what has been working for me:

I started at 60mg a year ago and noticed some bad side effects like hair loss and went down to 40mg. I observed that 40mg was fine and since everything seemed to be going okay, I decided to start weaning off about 3 months ago. What I discovered was that by dividing my dose in half - half in the morning and half before bed - I suffered less anxiety than taking waking up anxious in the morning because yesterday mornings full dose had completely worn off.

I started with 20mg in the morning and 20mg at bedtime and am now at 20mg in the morning and 10mg at bedtime with no harsh side effects.

**Please note that I am coming off because depression is not a problem any longer, only anxiety and sleep. I still take medication for those as needed (clonipin and ambien). I have noticed that I use my clonipin a slight bit more now that I am decreasing my celexa, but have also taken caffiene out of my diet and added exercise (walking) to help manage stress.

My best advice: slow steps and if it something doesn't work, go back and wait a while and then try again.

Hi Sylvia, I have just come of Cilopram after 7 years and I did it cold turkey, I am not sure if I am coming or going, the reason I was put on these pills was because I went to rehab to get off Temazopam, I ended up all these years on SSRI after defeating the biggest battle of my life, then to come across a drug worse to come off than I originally went into this private clinic for in the first place. I feel rotten at the moment but I hope it will get better. Bless you.

Omg in just in the same boat tell me ladies hw long does the symptoms need to go away ive being off fr a week nw after ive being on citelopram 30mg fr a year or mre.bt i cant hold it anymore i collapsed today as i was fr the past week feeling dizxy and sick.shall i keep going.or i yhink i need to go bk to the tab.its too muchh.dono wst to do.

I have been on Citalopram 10mg for a year and a half and have put on weight and decided to wean myself off them. I took them every other day and I'm off them properly now but I feel terrible. Dizzy/sick/ tearful/ irritable/ cross and really fatigued. I began to think I was poorly with middle ear trouble but after reading all these reports I think I have the same symptoms. How long does it last and should i go back on them?

I have teenagers and young children....5 in all!

Hi Indy

About 2 weeks ago my dosage of Citalopram was reduced from 20mg to 10mg. I had been on 20mg for nearly 6 years. Since the reduction I have felt really up and down. Tearful, very sick, dizzy and generally down. I have very intense dreams and wake up exhausted most days. Some days are not too bad. I was wondering if you have any advice to get through these tough times..I am aware it's going to be a rollercoaster so any advise would be really appreciated. Many thanks

Hi Sheila. How are you doing off the cit? I've just started to come off a week ago, got 4 more weeks on a schedule my doctor made up for me. I was ion 5 mg for 5 weeks than 10 mg for 6 weeks, what do you think, will I have a rough time coming off when only being on the cit for about 2 1/2 months? Tired and a little dizzy, I have clonazepam for sleep. Any thoughts would surely be appreciated! Thanks cindy

i have been on 20mg of citrolapan for just over 12 months I know feel that I want to come off them I can't get an appointment with my doctor for another 20 days so I am going to take half a tablet a day till I see him.

how long did your symptoms carry on for and how do you feel now

Hi I use to go on forums with a lot of down sides to this Citalapram -  Always trying to find some positive  forums  to draw strength off at my hardest times -I could not find many articles -so i thought instead of telling myself scary stories that i would never be able to quit - i would retrain my brain to postive thinking

,This is my 28th Day off Citalapram - Feeling better - i do get a little upset and moody but i have been told by a few different people in the medical proffession this is part of the course and your body is ajusting without the tablets .I am ready a book calles the reality slap - which is really helping it is about postive future thinking only read a few chapters but tryinng to re focus my thinking without relying on tablets which just masked my problems not solved them.If you had asked me this time last week i was about to give up and start some near tablets -glad i did not ,as although i do get stressed easily i am getting use to finding ways to cope with it like listernig to soft music ,laying on my bed for 15 minutes . I am still hoping this time next week i will still be feeling the same ,as i new alert .So to all my forum friends that are struggling it does get better i did not believe it at first -I am so glad to ride the side effects  -Take care all - It was worth it for me in the end -i have my life back .

I went cold turkey 1yr ago after 2yrs on Citalopram and other SSRIs but none of them ever did much for me, the side effects were worse than what I was already dealing with.

I've never been much a tablet taker and I've come to the conclusion they rarely solve the problem, just mask it. Understanding that the thing Citalopram is supposed to treat is all in my head, I've come to think that's the problem to be addressed. CBT with a psychologist worked the best and there aren't really any side effects, just getting better and seeing things differently.

Hi Nikki,

I totally agrre with you on the positive thinking. Did you wean off or just stop taking Citalopram? I've started weaning off after 11 years on it . I wish I could just stop but I'm so afraid.

 

I was given the wrong information at the start from my doctor i was told to come off of the tablets straight away -From doing a lot of reseach to have the best out come you should reduce you tablets slowly - I to was afraid but i have to tell you that i have a lady everyweek for CBT the best bit of advise is she said stop telling myself scary stories and it triggers the brain into being scared - I still have days when i wonder is it all worth it ,get angry ,crying times,just feel generally low, i just let it go and release the emotion inside.It is day 44 i am still struggling with some days when i feel that i cannot cope ,i take rest to help me get through it ..To be honest i do have days when i am ready to give up but i keep telling myself if i can last the 90 days and look at myself again to see if it have made any difference  i know it is a gamble but i have gone nearly half way now -so if i came make it i would like to see a different me -- I will keep this site up dated so people can draw strengh that you can get to 44 days - A challenge but what isn't in life .. Take care my forum friends  -I will update you soon ...

I disagree - I have never felt depressed or evidently anxious and I'm quite a relaxed and easy going character despite and a stressful job and several traumatic personal experiences over the years.

My reason for being prescribed Citalopram was involuntary screaming in my sleep over 7 years (night terrors or fit-like events??) which sometimes caused physical injury eg. to my voice box and neck muscles.

This drug has reduced these incidences by 98% though I would much rather not take it, hence my viewing at this site .......

Don't give up things get better taking cipramil 20 mg for 15 years then in Jan 2016 came off in slowly had very bad time now I'm 31 days clean it not much fun but the house is so clean I'm keeping busy to get my mind off it all not sleeping to well but thank god fo tv but hang in there every one if a 71 year old can do it you can I do feel more myself It's still a long way to go I think it will take one more month but it's worth it don't go back on them stick it out your personality will come back 

Hello fancy 222, thanks for your post. I am also trying to get off cipramil 20 after being on it for 15 years. A doctor put me on it after I went for help for Fibromyalgia which causes chronic fatigue, muscle pain and other ailments. I was never depressed though. I have tried several times over the years to take myself off cipramil with doctors help, but always have to go back on it. This is due to having nightmares, anger issues, hallucinating, not able to sleep well, nausea, and feeling out of control. I couldn't handle the anger which involved road rage. You say that you came off it slowly. Can you tell me how you did this, please. I was wanting to go down to cipramil10 but the doctor wouldn't agree, so I am going to another doctor who will help me with this. Has anyone else in this forum tried taking cipramil10 twice a day for a few weeks, then reducing it further to once per day? Really would appreciate any further info on this. Thanks

Just reading your post gave me hope. I tried for years to come off of clanazaPam. I almost died cause I did it cold turkey. I had two grand mul seizures. I still kept going 6 months of the worst thing I have ever experienced in all my life. I see this is a year ago so i dont know if you will respond but could you please give me advice on private clinics to get off of clanazapam. I didnt beat that battle. Yet the doctors I spoke with didn't believe in benzo withdrawal. So they put me on cipralex 20 MG I've been on it now 3 years. 5 months ago I suddenly couldn't stop crying constantly. I am sure it's just because all the psych meds I am on are killing me. They say I have bipolar but nobody really knows I just feel like a cash cow for them and I suppose their not going to stop kicking me until I have ran out of money. So since I couldn't stop crying they increased my dosage of cipralex to 30mg my short term memory is gone. I have no sex drive. Gaining weight. Constipated and dehydrated constant headache. I don't even feel human anymore.

I have been on Cit 40 MG for my past 2 pregnancies. the dr puthe me on it because of the anxiety I was feeling with my 2nd and third child. I had not stopped taking it between the 2, because 5 months after my 2nd I was pregnant with my third. But both of my children are fine normal healthy children. the only problem with my girl was kidney reflux but I expected that because it runs in the girls in my family. but she is now 18 months and it has fixed it's self! but I don't think you have anything to worry about being on the drug and getting pregnant..

I was last on here seven months ago - Only managed to hit 53 days - was admitted to a rethink centre - They put my back on a lower does of  10mg Citalapram -after 4 days bads headaches again -Come off Citalapram for 32 days -headaches went but the withdrawal and other systems were to terrible to cope  --Tried 3 other anti depressants -all caused me the same problems -horrendous head --I spoke to my psychiatrist  who agreed that a cannot tolerate anti depressents after 17 years -  Now again i am on 32 days today -still struggling  - seeing a psychiatrist ,Cpn nurse , using Crissis , doing meditation , Mindfulness , i am having some bad systems and i have no way back - My GP said that there is nothnig to help discontinuation syndrome ..My psychiatrist has given me some Lorazepam to help occassionally with stress and anxiety .

I am still struggling so i have decided to go to Hypnotherapist to see if this will help -- Just wondering if anyone takes 5HTP and it helps systems and depression ?? - And if you can take it with Hrt patch -- And does anyone really know how long it takes before you feel yourself after Anti depressents discontinuation syndrome  ?? There does not seem to be much data .. I read that you could feel yourself  after approx 3 Months to 3 Years -- Anyone been through this i would love to hear from anyone -who has sucessed and are Free from Anti Depressents ..Thank you 

44 days off AD and feeling ok -- Long way to go ..

Are you feeling anger issues after the 44 days?  now 54 days?

Hi Bob I'm currently 7 weeks cold turkey from cipramil and would love to know how you are finding it please

Hi i am 62 days off Antidepressents and i am all over the place my head feels awlful -not a headache - i feel angry -very occassionly upset . 

Hi Carol.  It is getting easier every week.  Most of my anger is gone, the brain zaps are decreasing, slepp is better, and my mood is improving.  I didn't stop cold turkey but gradually decreased over a few months before stopping.  

hi -Glad you are feeling better did you taper off your drug - Seen my psychiatrist today and cannot believe she said that is no difference for my coming off straight than the is tapering and was told most people cut back to 30mg and then stop  - i was in a state - so concerned my brain is not getting better i have got to have a Ct head scan - very upset this afternoon - stressed and angry my head will not give me a break  and start letting me get back to myself -- Need some help for people that  actually experiening it ..  My psychiatrist hows about giving pills out -but my head cannot tolerate them anymore after years of being on them - i asked her som questions that she could not really answer about coming off the tablets - worried and scared .. 

Hey Samantha,

I'm so glad I got to read your comment and fidn this thread as I'm in the same boat. Just moved to a completely new country for me away from my entire family and friends to be with my husband and start our new home. Got off the tablet gradually as I don't want to risk birth defects as well...

Been a week since I got off and I'm feeling super light headed and disoriented and really teary eyed... I feel alone and cry for the slightest thing... I was quite ok with comng to my new home and all of t long as i was on the tablet, but getting off of it has been so hard. I'm about a week in to it now.

Have you found any hope? Are you back on it? I really want to have a baby and start a family but can't do so whilst I'm on this...

Hi Barbara. What is your age? I am 64 and during my bout with breast cancer began to take both Letrozol a cancer fighter drug and citalophram for depression caused by my disease. After 5 years remission my doc took me off Letroziol and citalophram. My insurance refused to pay for them after he declared me cured of cancer. I quit citalophram cold turkey 3 months ago and my symptoms are exhaustion and aches and pains. I hope my body pulls itself together naturally. I am just dragging myself around! How long before my body starts to recoup on its own?

I was attacked in my home by my ex husband when I was eight months pregnant I went on citalapram straight after my son was born he's six now and I took my tablets every day some how I believed they were saving me my ex husband came up to see the children and stole my tablets couldn't get a new prescription because of bank holiday four days without them I feel lousy but figured if I feel this bad without them they weren't good for me in the first place I'm determined never to take them again good luck to everyone

I have been taking Cit 20mg for 7 months now due to bad anxiety . My anxiety has reduced a lot and very occasionally having panic attacks. I don't consider myself a weak person and never knew these tablets were anti depressants when my doctor prescribed them to me, I just assumed it was to calm my anxiety down, which i'm assuming it has.

I would like to come off these altogether eventually as I feel as a person I do not want to rely on any sort of medication. I tried coming off them before not realising there was going to be withdrawal symtoms...I came off them for 2 days and on the 3rd day I started experiencining dizziness, sickness, tiredness so I went back on them and been meaning to seek medical help.

I still haven't got round to going to the doctors yet, but I would like to know how long it takes for the withdrawal symptoms to stop and how long it would take to come off them altogether???

Any advise would help x

I am in a similar situation to you, age 71, been on citalopram 10 years, ranging from 10 to 40mg doses in that time, but on prozac 13 years previous to the citalopram.

My GP gave me a programme to come off over 2 months, but I think it might not be enough time.    Finished taking them 3 weeks ago, was OK for the first week, then started feeling really low with a lot of crying, feeling low, swishing sensation in my head, and slight dizziness, also lack of sleep and fatigue.   I just hiope and pray that it will get better, as I have hair loss and pins and needles in my feet, which I am sure were caused by the citalopram caused,   God bless you for your information.

Hello Bob, what do you mean by brain zaps?   I have a swishing sensation in my head, is this ehat you mean?

Hello zimzima!!!

I have a question! I see you posted this 3 months ago, so I'm wondering how everything is currently with coming of cit for you? I have been on cit for a little over a year and I just got off it. Been off for about 5 days now and im not feeling well and needed a little hope. I feel EXTREMELY dizzy all the time. And light headed almost like I live in a balloon. I'm starting to feel nauseous, and kind of losing faith here. I took myself off to have a baby.

Hi, how did you come off? You say you took yourself off?

If you referring to me, the physicians in the hospital took me off cold turkey.  So, when I returned home a week later, I decided that I had better take at least 20 mg daily.  (I was on 40 mn. daily).  Now, my psychiatrist has me on 10 mg. daily and started me on another antidepressant.  I'm still feeling nauseated, dizzy, trouble sleeping, very anxious.  I worried about all this.  However, we must hang in there to get through this!

I had this, too.   Also had heart palpitations.  They are gone now.

I was on 10 mg for a little over a year then went to 20mg per my doctor . Then dropped myself down to 10 again after about 3 weeks on 20 mg . And after dropping myself back down to 10mg I stopped taking them about 2 weeks after

How long ago did you come off Cit?

Hi Donna, i too am coming off citalopram. I glad your withdrawals are gone. I'm feeling the withdrawals and this gives me hope. Is there any way you can share how you're feeling now that your off? Thanks

My sister had it too, though she is now okey.

Hi the very best way of dealing with exhaustion is to tackle it. Best to move towards the problem than away, I would take exercise more seriously and do exercise in a group or team, being isolated during exercise is unhealthy for example head phones on in a modern gym. The best way to fight back depression is to be with people (not family) that’s to easy but new people so you develop ideas this is for someone who is 9 or 90 does not matter, use sport to work out life’s challenges is the start of the solution the other is to try to be with new people and most importantly there is a loving God 

How did it go....are you off completely

Hello my name is Stefan and I have been on cipramil 20 for around 17 years but only 10 mg (cutting tablets in half) for around 10 years. I started taking 5mg for last 2 years (cutting tablet in 4). I stop taking Cipramil for the last 2 months and it's hard but possible as I didn't feel that good taking it anymore as I was forgetting things and quite slow in decision making(driving, etc). What is your latest feedback please in regards to getting off cipramil as I am planning to stay off from now and looking for alternative. Thanks

Hi Stefan the most important thing is has the mood shifted, if so then you can also reduce using the liquid form of the medication and do it literally drip by drip, the levels your taking are not strong so its psychological as well, although this drug is not addictive the part that is addictive is the improved mood, dont be surprised that the low mood or anxiety insidiously creeps back and find ways to improve mood with mood food or being with people

when i came off i was given 10 mg tabs do found it very easy to actually cut down to 1.25 mg

you font need liquids use your pill cutter

i was a fiend at reducing

took me a year from 20mg

no side effects

however my mood was not good after 6 weeks

took me 3 years trying other things

BEEN back on it 2 years

i may get down to 10 but i will always take it

my body misses that chemical

its familial

thanks a lot for your reply MARK in regards to cipramil and your opinion about certain things how to control and pretty much fight mood swings and the rest. I NEVER thought about mild dosage liquid form and will keep that in reserve as I REALLY want to be free of all antidepressants. Have u heard of any alternative medicine or herbs / tablets that could maybe help? thanks and best regards. STEFAN

yes I UNDERSTAND it's okay I KNOW how u feel as I AM getting mood swings because I QUIT taking tablets but so far managing but fighting hard to keep off anti depressants. I was on 5mg for 1 year and than I stopped 2 months ago. It's not the best at home and work being off the cipramil but I THINK it's possible and I AM trying hard to not take it again. THANKS

i have been taking copramil for about 17 years and it's long time but IT's much better than prozac and other tablets but I AM looking for alternative

well let me know !!

looking back to 2015 i think i was still ok on about 5 mg

it was 6 weeks later it hit me

i ask myself the same thing... should i comr off it.... slowly.., but experience shows me i need that chemical

why come off it ?

its no differant to taking thyroxine or insulin or heart meds

i need it

i need it also .i would never on earth say oh im feeling good let me come off.yes im feeling good because of the celexa duh.iam stronger than my Curiosity.and playing with these tablets is no joke.best regards.

ABSOLUTELY!

Thankyou for saying that

HI Stefan

using the liquid form of an anti depressant has several advantages, first what is a fact is that under a certain level the drug has no therapeutic value and the link made is mostly psychological as 5 mg is so low that it would have lost most of its strength, with the liquid intake few drops in water already changes decades long pattern of taking tablets, the entire pattern of taking tablets is changed thus making good progress,

moods can be resistant to change and a more assertive way is required. so mood food, water intake and sports that involve people are part of that change.

Its a good idea to find and list the things that trigger your swings if you dont know its fine but every time your mood swings afterwards write it down so you are carefully bringing this into awareness

take care

Hi Mark THANKS a lot for your feedback/intake in this and your advice to write down what triggers mood swings. REGARDS Stefan

im the same i weand of about 3 weeks ago and i have flue like symptoms palpatations and so tired how long does this last any help