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Citalopram weaning

Posted , 11 users are following.

2731
2731

I am super proud of myself! I have been no tablets since Saturday after weaning off them for a month.

So just to kinda put those at ease that are in the same boat the symptoms I've been experiencing are

- dizziness

- brain 'zaps'

- bowel upsets

- nausea

- headache/migraine

The first time my dose was halved, I had all of the symptoms and they were moderate. They took about a week to subside. Second time when I was taking 10mg every other day I barely noticed any symptoms. This time I have had all but headaches and they are crazy intense! I feel like I'm floating half the time and my stomach is all over the place! I'm looking forward to the symptoms passing. I just want to thank the people who replied to my last post. And to give words of encouragement to those weaning/thinking about it.

I feel a lot better once the symptoms settle. I've been slightly irritable but I am feel positive!

For those that have successfully sent through this process, were the side effects worse when you stopped the tablet completely? How long did they last?

1 like, 27 replies

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  • jane63977
    jane63977 2731

    Posted

    So glad that I’ve seen your post . This may take a while , so please be patient . I was put on 10mgs of citalopram in January 2016 following the death of my mum . Please note that I am also peri menopausal , so have symptoms from that as well . The full package to deal with all in one go . It was a terrible time for me and the tablets really did save my life . I never upped my dose and managed on the 10 mgs . Last year my doctor advised me to come off as she said it was not best to take them long term . Apprehensively I started weaning myself off in the middle of August last year . Now I am literally taking a crumb and have just gone down to every other day , but I have got my period this week and my anxiety is sky high , my stomach unsettled and a migraine . These are all symptoms of peri also . I am really tempted to stay on them , but don’t know what to do . I am worried that I will feel as ill as I did before I started taking them . I am so confused . 
    • lois95799
      lois95799 jane63977

      Posted

      I don't know what kind of doctor would advise to come off the tablets.. because you can take them for the rest of your life...my mom has been on them 20years ..and she's fine...I have a friend thats been on for 17years..

    • kostas61165
      kostas61165 lois95799

      Posted

      Hi Lois,

      Please, I don't think is wise to advice people to be on this drug for life, because you know some people who is fine on it for many years!

      Everyone is deferent, and nobody knows how he will react after taking any drug for a long time.

      If for some reason someone is fine on it and cannot function without it, then he weight the pros and cons, and proceeds accordingly.

      But if he can live without it, then is obviously better.

      For the pressure, diabetes drugs etc, there are tests which shows that you have an organic problem, and according to these measurements you adjust the dose and proceed.

      For the pdrugs there are no such tests, and their actions is a black box.

      This is my opinion.

      Best regards

    • lois95799
      lois95799 kostas61165

      Posted

      I was told by my phychiatrist that I can stay on this Medication for life ..that's what my phychiatrist told me and tells her patients...iam not advising anyone ..iam simply stating what my phychiatrist have told me..I only state my experiences ..we are here for experiences..most of the so called GP.dont know what the hell there talking about ..that's why we have this forum..not unless you have a phychiatrist thats train on these tablets than is ok to listen to them...

    • lois95799
      lois95799 kostas61165

      Posted

      It's either fight or flight and suffered..or ssris..point blank..every thing else is personal..if it's a life or death matter is your decision and only yours..if I would listen or take advise from forum comments I be six foot under...

    • lois95799
      lois95799

      Posted

      One last thing have you read how many menbers on this forum have given advise that you can stay on this Medication for life...oviously not...take care
    • Guest
      Guest lois95799

      Posted

      Hi, I don't really understand why anyone would want to stay on medication for the rest of their life. Would  you not want to see a time time when you were not dependant on them. 

       

    • lois95799
      lois95799 Guest

      Posted

      I would never want to endure what I went thru..which was hell...so for me not been on them is not an option.. people think that these tablets are Skittles..and to come off to only get back on the near future..oh no not me... Good luck with that one..
    • 2731
      2731 jane63977

      Posted

      Hello, I'm sorry to hear that you are also experiencing these side effects of weaning! My doctor told me they were an easier anti depressant to wean off but I'm starting to doubt that! You shouldn't feel pressured to come off the tablets, it is entirely your choice unless they are having a negative impact on your health. If you don't feel ready, I would advise to try again later when you do. It takes a lot of mental willpower to cope with the side effects and not just pop a pill to stop them!

      I have also noticed some very familiar anxiety symptoms after weaning. I used to get shakes when I was anxious and I've noticed that happening randomly too. The unsettled tummy is definitely not fun (the stomach cramps doubled me over in pain today!) and before I had a 5 day long migraine where paracetamol barely helped. Just known if you do continue to wean the symptoms won't last forever!

  • marsh23433
    marsh23433 2731

    Posted

    i was on 40mgs for 10 yrs and then went cold turkey ,had fewer side effects than i expected ,however since being off them i still get times when i fly off the handle for no reason
    • 2731
      2731 marsh23433

      Posted

      I'm really glad you only experienced few side effects! My doctor told me that it's different for everyone and some people don't experience many and others a lot, I guess I drew the short straw lol

  • kostas61165
    kostas61165 2731

    Posted

    Hi,

    If you are from the lucky, but unfortunately very few who do not get acute and then protracted withdrawal symptoms after such a quick stop, then that's fine!

    These drugs are very powerful, affecting every part of the body, and need very very slow tapering in order to lessen the symptoms.

    Please be aware that you could be fine for many months, and to get symptoms after that, lasting for a long time, depending on your dose and the time you were on.

    I was on 20 mg citalopram for 13 years, and whenever trying to stop it for health reasons ( low WBC, high liver enzymes, etc), I could feeling fine for 5 - 6 months, and then the withdrawal symptoms you just described came, and I was on Celexa again.

    Finally I was able to do a very slow tapering lasting 4 years, and I was able to stop them.

    Now I am o.k 5 years off.

    Please be very careful and take care!

    • 2731
      2731 kostas61165

      Posted

      Thank you for youe advice! I've noticed a lot of people weaning much slower, so I think that may be why these "brain zaps" and dizziness etc are so strong as I have come off them so quickly. I'm hoping for me that the symptoms subside quickly! As for this tablet, I definitely do not want to be back on it after months of stress from it. (I had a baby and kept forgetting to take the tablet and it would make me so irritable and feel awful)

  • Guest
    Guest 2731

    Posted

    I took 20mg for Citalopram for 2 years and stopped 10 weeks ago cold turkey. Symptoms, constant dizziness, brain zaps, sleeplessness, .

    Now 10 weeks in all of the above symptoms have stopped, every now and again I will get down and feel low for a while but that is also tapering off.

    I probably have slightly less patience than i used to and need to rebuild my confidence but all in all the future looks a lot brighter.

    Exercise, a good diet amega 3, good rest, talking therapy and going easy on myself has really helped.

     

    • 2731
      2731 Guest

      Posted

      Thank you for replying! Your reply gives me hope! Be proud of yourself for successfully weaning! I'm so glad the symptoms have subsided for you. The brain zaps are so strange. Did it feel like you were floating? Like when you're drunk go to bed and realise how drunk you are as your head starts swimming? I keep getting that but for about 5 seconds.

    • Guest
      Guest 2731

      Posted

      I stopped taking the tablets mid jan 2018. I had prepared myself as much as I possibly could. The dizziness was   

      not as bad as i had imagined it would be and I had prepared myself to a terrible time. Writing this today I feel fine, my emotions are still bit on edge but all is well.

      I find that exercise helps a lot so am in the gym quite often.  If in 6-8-10 months time the symptoms are back and I feel as though I need to go back onto the drug I would consider it. Take 1 day at a time.

       

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