Citalopram withdrawal.
Posted , 24 users are following.
I have been completely off citalopram about 4 months now. I tapered off from 20mg to 10mg and then 5mg for about a month. I didn't feel too much until I finally quit altogether and then had all kinds of problems. Dizziness, lethargy, sore joints. I felt lost, spacey and isolated. I just kept toughing it out one day at a time, sleeping a lot and having very limited physical activity. About two days ago I actually felt like doing some things and most of the symptoms have greatly subsided if not disappeared totally. At first I couldn't believe that the widely prescribed drug could do all those things. I figured it must be something else causing all my discomfort and was just about ready to go into the VA hospital for more bloodwork and counseling when it lifited. I see now that the only thing that could fit all the symptoms was the citalopram withdrawal. What a ordeal.. glad I'm seeing the sun shining again. A lot of people go back on the drug as they want the temporary pain to go away but I just took it one day at a time, when I got thru that day I chalked it up to one day closer to getting my health and life back...so hang in there... it DOES get better.
3 likes, 51 replies
meg00342 charles13800
Edited
Aloha everyone,
I have been on this for about 6 years. I have been slowly cutting it down for years but I have to do this very slowly. When I first researched it, they recommended 10% at a time.
I have been on about 17.5 every day for the last year or so. When I start getting "loggy" in my brain, I know I need to try and cut it down a bit again. I do EFT/tapping and this will shift brain chem. But I still need some of the citalopram otherwise my brain goes haywire. Black spaces, severe depression, anxiety etc.
I'm currently trying to take it down to 15 a day. I'm on Day 4 and going okay with it. Slight nausea today but I'll ride that out if brain chem holds. I'll sit on 17.5 one day and 15 for a couple of weeks. Then try for 15mgs.
I read that the last 5 mgs is the hardest. I snip my pills up with lobster shears, super sharp. 😃 And you could cut the pills down to 2.5mg. That might help the wean process. Also things like tryptophan were recommended.