Advice for anyone who has not felt better after stopping Citalopram.....
Posted , 7 users are following.
Hello everyone... i got off of citalopram in January 2019 and it seemed like i never got better or recovered from it. Most people looked at me like I was crazy, or simply was just making it up. In july of 2019 I had my doctor check my vitamin D level and found that i had a severe deficiency that was causing a myriad of different ailments. A few of the biggest symptoms that i had was depression, anxiety, and EXTREME fatigue, along with a laundry list of other symptoms. Now i know you may be thinking well that is just the case with myself and not you. Unfortunately, after an extreme amount of research and studying all about vitamin D in school..... i learned that almost 70% of the population has low levels of vitamin D due to us in the US living further from the equator.... meaning we do not receive NEARLY as much sun as we should. And of course our busy lifestyles prevent us from getting enough sun exposure even if we were closer to the equator. Many people do not know this because your vitamin D level is not checked with your regular blood panel work. I advise you, and many others on here, to get your vitamin D levels checked. Ask your doctor for a vitamin D, 25-hydroxy test. Being low in vitamin D can cause more complications than you can even begin to imagine. And one thing that is a huge bummer is not all doctors know to check your vitamin D level. Unfortunately, in just recent years, we are starting to learn more and more about vitamin D. Surprisingly, vitamin D is actually not even a vitamin, it is a steroid pro hormone. It is only called a vitamin because when it was first discovered they were not aware of what it truly was and thought it was just another vitamin. Vitamin D is EXTREMELY important for your body and EVERY single cell in your body needs vitamin D to work properly! I have spoken to many people with this deficiency (even on vitamin D forums on this site) that were not even able to get out of bed and it unfortunately is a long road to recovery once you get low so its best to start on the path to recovering right away! I could not believe this was what was going on with me as I thought I was 100% positive it all had to do with the medication I had stopped. If any of you get your results back and find that you are low feel free to shoot me a message. I know so much about this topic and would love to help whoever may need it.
Hope the best for you all and talk soon,
-Gina
0 likes, 20 replies
GinaB11
Posted
Another major symptom i would like to add from this deficiency is SEVERE pain. For every person the pain is different. Some more severe than others or some in different areas than others. One of the biggest complaints with pain from this that i have heard is in the.... back, hips, knees, neck, and feet! Hope this helps someone out there!
she35631 GinaB11
Posted
this has been very informative to me. i recently had my bloods done and was told i am low in vit d and iron. i was prescribed both iron tablets and vit d.however i have not been regular with taking them and bow have been diagnosed with depression, i dont know what to do to help myself as i live in fear of losing my job as i am unable to get out of bed in the mornings
GinaB11 she35631
Posted
Hello I am sorry for the late reply I must not have seen this message the other day when I logged on.
Please do not give up hope.... There is a light at the end of the tunnel I promise! I was exactly where you are and was feeling the same feelings as well. I had given up completely and was unable to even get out of bed unless it was to use the bathroom due to severe symptoms and side effects. Please take your deficiencies serious... It will make a World of a difference a few months from now. A lot of doctors are now giving vitamin D prior to even starting antidepressants. They even give 50,000 IU of vitamin d daily at mental facilities. It is extremely important than they had ever realized before now. If you would like to join the vitamin d deficiency success stories forum on this site,... Everyone on there is super helpful and supportive. We all did our research and spoke with many doctors that are knowledgeable on this topic and started a regimen of 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily, along with vitamin k2 mk7 100-200mg daily, and 400mg of magnesium gycinate before bed... Sometimes itakes some people sleepy. This has to be taken and done exactly as I mentioned for 3 months then a blood test to check your levels, if they have raised it is important to continue the same dosage in each forever and other than the vitamin D. Most people decrease to 5,000 IU of d3 daily after their levels rise. It is important to also remember most people still have symptoms after the 3 months (not everyone) it takes some people around 6 months to make a full recovery. I was actually one of those people. I can say prior to this regimen I was lifeless and had completely given up... But I fortunately now have a zest for life like I have never had before in my life.
Hope the best for you and talk soon. Take care and hang in there!
jenna214 GinaB11
Posted
Can i ask what kind of vitamin D you took and the regime you followed to get yourself back on track? Also, what were all of your symptoms, and how long did it take to get relief? TIA!
GinaB11 jenna214
Posted
Well depending on if one is low.... The regimen is very specific and has to be as follows: for the first 3 months it is 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily, along with vitamin k2-mk7 100-200 mg daily, and 400 mg before bed of magnesium glycinate. I was not able to find that form of vitamin k and magnesium at my local grocery store but did find it on Amazon. After 3 months the only thing one should change is decreasing the dose of vitamin d3 to 5,000 IU instead of 10,000. I have put many people on this regimen (ones who were not even severely defecient) and it significantly increased their mood, pain, anxiety and much of their pain. This process is long... So one should get started right away. It takes 3 months just to raise blood levels and 3 more months to see a significant improvement. But these are vitamins that everyone should take for their entire life especially because none of us get enough sun exposure. They are starting to get this regimen out for depression before anything else.... It's also the first thing they give to patients that enter a mental facility.
GinaB11
Posted
Much more of their ailments** not pain
Guest GinaB11
Posted
Hi Gina
May I ask you what your job is, are you a medical professional?
Thanks
GinaB11 Guest
Posted
I do and am currently in school to work in the medical field. But just to be safe and as I mentioned above, please get your vitamin D level checked with your physician prior to starting any regimen. That way ones vitamin d blood level can be monitored every 3 months.
Guest GinaB11
Posted
What medical field?
GinaB11 Guest
Posted
Registered nurse - RN
Guest GinaB11
Posted
Really, you told MrLeaf four days ago that you were in school training to become a veterinary technician?
GinaB11 Guest
Posted
Yes, i certainly said that, but don't grin too quickly over there while you slam your fingers on your keyboard with the tantrum you are throwing. If you must know, I am planning on changing programs after I am done with anatomy and physiology (so that my credits transfer over) due to low pay in the veterinary technician field. I do not know who you are or what got stuck so far up your a$$, but these forums are intended to HELP others... not keep tabs on someone else's life who is simply trying to help individuals that are in the same position. Who are you again and why are you here? What are your credentials? You clearly enjoy the 'attempt' to bash others rather than figuring out your own issues. That must be why your on this forum... you obviously have not gotten the help that you need but seek to burden others in an attempt to feel better about yourself.
GinaB11 Guest
Posted
now run along and keep to your own lane
Guest GinaB11
Posted
Wow, what language, that's a revelation!
I don't believe lying about being a medical professional is helpful to anyone so my advice to you is, you stay in Your own lane!
If you know so much, why don't you caution people about how Vit D3 raises calcium levels and could therefore be harmful to those on medication for heart problems or are taking diuretics or antacids even.
Some people feel at their lowest ebb and will try anything especially if they believe the advice is being given by a medical professional which you are not.
Vit D3 causes low potassium and should be taken with Vit K to regulate this.
Vit D3 should also be taken with magnesium because it depletes magnesium from the body and produces magnesium deficiency symptoms. You have to get the balance right otherwise you could damage your heart. Magnesium, vit D3, calcium and vit K2 all work synergistically with one another.
Your Vit D was very low and I believe you said you started on 10,000 IU's. That is very high when you consider that 10 micrograms a day (400 IU's) is enough for most people, so it is imperative that people, if needed, should have their own therapeutic doses. You say you know a lot about Vit D and yet you haven't mentioned any of this. If you really want to help people then be honest.
As for my credentials, I am no-one, just someone looking for answers like everyone else so I read a lot.
I was a qualified nurse a long time ago, quite truthfully. We studied anatomy and physiology and a wide range of nursing procedures.
GinaB11 Guest
Posted
i laughed so hard i spit out my coffee.... you sound ignorant and have given me a headache... along with more than the half of the information you provided is wrong.... try again with your google education.
lois95799 Guest
Posted
you sound like some one to me.best regards
GinaB11 Guest
Posted
Also, like i said in the first post.... ask your doctor. Becuase if one is low... they normally prescribe more than 10,000 IU. If you are low they will prescribe 50,000 IU of vitamin D3. Google will not give you all of your answers.