Citalopram side effects
Posted , 3 users are following.
hi everyone
i am new to the forum but really struggling & hoping for some advice.
I was on 20mg citalopram per day for 10 years. 4 weeks ago i stopped them cold turkey & had some side effects, main one was like something crawling under my skin & was unable to sleep.
Last weekend my anxiety returned like a bomb had hit me, couldn't stop crying!
I started taking 20mg yesterday & today & I have the most horrendous headache, nausea and dizziness, it hurts to open my eyes. Taken 6 paracetamol today and it will not shift.
Just wondered if this is normal as I can't recall this first time around. I'm also concerned as I have had the Astrazenica jab 4 weeks ago & worry about the blood clot side affects.
0 likes, 4 replies
S4M71 Kaz2007
Posted
I have been kn and off Citalopram for almost a decade, and each time I change the dose or when I went back on it, the side effects have been different every time.
I have had the headaches and nausea too, along with a churning stomach and no appetite. I had a thick head for days after starting.
It also made my anxiety worse between days 7 and 14. As bad as the side effects might be, it was always worth pushing through them and continuing for me.
It seems unlikely that it would be linked to the AZ jab, and more likely the effects of the citalopram building up in your system.
Kaz2007 S4M71
Posted
thank you so much for your reply. I was fine on them for 10 years and felt so content to stop them but i think I have to face the fact now that I may need these for life, I certainly cant cope with another relapse like that
S4M71 Kaz2007
Posted
I came off 20mg after 6 years in 2018 and saw a gradual decline and a catastrophic relapse in 2020. I've been on them since and I've just needed to increase my dose - I've accepted that I might just need them for life, and actually, I'm OK with that now, I wouldn't bat an eyelid if they were for blood pressure etc.
But to reassure you again, it seems like these are just side effects - and they're likely to get a bit worse before they get better, but please stick with it. You know they worked for you before, they will again.
katecogs Kaz2007
Posted
Hi Kaz
Unfortunately you must never, ever stop SSRI’s cold turkey - as you’ve found out. These meds have to be weaned off slowly so your body can adjust. These meds hang onto your Serotonin as it passes from one nerve ending to the other, and this abundance in the Synopsis gap is what makes us feel calm and happy. It needs a constant supply of SSRI’s to maintain this, and suddenly denying your brain of the medicine will disrupt this, causing you to feel very ill.
When I came off meds the first time I spent 6 months doing it, and it was still too quick. I felt nauseous and had brain zaps for months. The second time I withdrew I spent a year doing it with no issue at all. Its also a shock to the body stopping SSRI’s so you really need to do it gently.
When people experience this they often reintroduce the meds slowly to ease the withdrawing symptoms, before building back up to the previous full dose.
So yes - this is perfectly normal and is just your body reacting.
Citalopram shouldn’t have any effect on you having the Covid jab, but if concerned then speak to a Pharmacist who will have all the knowledge about this.
Apparently you can take these meds for life, but anxiety is not a lifelong condition and we can all recover from this. Its our reaction to anxiety that counts - when any of anxiety rears its ugly head again we start overthinking and start that internal dialogue with ourselves (head chat) that stokes the fires. Our fear of anxiety is self perpetuated with that fear causing yet more anxiety - and we get stuck in a constant cycle (anxiety, fear, thoughts, anxiety etc etc with each feeding the other). The meds help break that cycle - but this can be done naturally too with true understanding of this condition. It is hard but works.
Anyhow - reinstate your meds slowly and you'll find these symptoms will disappear in time. The meds are good xxx.