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Brain zaps coming off of Citalpram/Celexa

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tina78630
tina78630

I was on 20mg of ceIexa for about a year after weight gain, my doctor decided to have me wean off of it and get on Buspar. It's taken 3 months to wean off of Citalopram. Last two weeks I've had two 2.5mg tablets over a 3 day period. It's now been 6 days without any medication. How long do the brain zaps typically last?

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • KevB5
    KevB5 tina78630

    Posted

    What I've learned per experience is tapering only 3-5% every 2-4 week's. The first taper waiting a month to see how you stabilize. This being if you've been on a while.

    Also one can reinstate the med for a limited time. My doctor's as well as 100s of others I've heard from people are clueless on tapering properly. They do it way to fast and often switch you to another. 25 year's experience with SSRI's for me. Zoloft, Celexa, Prozac. Do your homework on SSRI's for yourself and all meds before taking. The side effects, long term issues, side effects, withdrawals etc. Very typical withdrawals your experienceing. I suffered many months. Just my experience. I wish you the best.

    • tina78630
      tina78630 KevB5

      Posted

      Thank you for sharing your experience. I took 2mg this afternoon and it helped alleviate the frequency/intensity of the brain zaps. Perhaps I just need to continue tapering rather than stopping at 2mg.
  • 0wen
    0wen tina78630

    Posted

    Everyone is different - so it's unknown as to how long they'll last.  It could be a week, a month, etc.. sad

    What has been reported to help reduce brain zaps is Omega-3: 

    Fish oil capsules contain the omega-3 fatty acids called EPA and DHA. For nervous system support, take 2,000-3,000 mg EPA + DHA a day. You may need to look at the label and add up the amounts of EPA + DHA in a capsule. Usually, this amounts to 4-6 capsules of fish oil per day

    Alternative is to return to a dose that’s manageable and then restarting your taper at a slower rate

    • tina78630
      tina78630 0wen

      Posted

      Thank you much for the suggestion. 
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