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i need some help or maybe someone has been through this themselves, dont want to go too much into it but ive basically been through a rollercoster of bad advice for the last year around january or febuary my dad had a serious heart attack my anxiety was through the roof and i was put on citalopram (this is when it all went downhill for me) my anxiety had lowered but i quickly learned that my ability to feel happy excited motivated had all but dimineshed i was told i was suffering with hard to cure depression but reading symptoms of depression it just wasint what i was feeling i just knew it wasint just that, anyways my doctor upped my dose giving me the advice that i just didint have enough of the medication in my system which i now know was the total opposite of what i needed. i was placed on 30 mg (the highest dose i was ever at) for around 10 days i was literally a dribbling mess i couldnt think i had nothing to live for my emotions had literally all gone i went off the rales and spent 1000 pound on gambling which was totally out of character for me! so obviously as you can imagine i had nothing to live for, i sat with my family as they'd finally realised how bad it had getting and that they were going to try and help me which was great, so my sister said what about if its the citalopram? what about if the citalopram is making you feel this way? and all along i never thought about it at all i was convinced by my doctors that it was purely depression, so i decided to give it a shot long story short i cut down from 30mg to 10mg without any problems and it worked i felt great!! i had slight anxiety but i had motivation i was buzzing off every little thing i was just happy to be alive and gave my life back, so few month passed and felt great still but i was still taking 10 mg so i decided to cut the last 10 from my system and be done with the drug but a couple of days in to my horror the emtional blunting had started again i didint feel anything and still feel like that now 4 days later im not sad but im not happy lost all my motivation and the head zaps were horrific so im back on the 10 mg head zaps have stopped but still not feeling anything at all im so confused have i withdrew to quickly? could this be a symptom of withdrawal of citalopram? any advice please i just want my life back !
0 likes, 9 replies
Felis j98755
Posted
Definitely a reaction to coming off the citalopram too soon and too quickly. Whenever you come off this drug or go on it there are side effects .You must wean off these drugs very very slowly i dropped off in 5mg intervals then 2 and a half for several weeks.
I would go back to 10mg expect side effects nut when you level out and feel good again stay on 10 mg for a good few months or longer. i was on 20 mg for a couple of years felt great! In the meantime got counselling on managing my anxiety and with my doctors advice started to wean off very slowly much slower than my GP advised and managing really well been off over a year.
THESE drugs require patience and persistence but coming off cold turkey is very difficult.
j98755 Felis
Posted
thanks for your reply felis im glad youve explained its from the withdrawal and how did you cut 2.5mg from the tablet? i want to cut 2mg every once in a while.
Felis j98755
Posted
i bought a tablet cutter from the chemist,and cut a 10mg tablet in half then half again!
I THINK 10mg is the lowest citalopram comes in.?
Paula2019 j98755
Posted
Hi J98755, you went from 20mg to 30mg to 10mg to nothing then back to 10mg, all in a short space of time. Each dose change will affect you, and the speed you have done this can make you feel awful, no wonder you are suffering. Try to stick to 10mg to give yourself time to settle for a few months. It is alot harder coming off 10mg than dropping to 10mg. I went cold turkey 6 weeks ago due to health reasons and have been signed off work ever since, the brain zaps were so awful that at times just moving my eyes brought them on, in addition to other withdrawal effects. Coming off these slowly is the best way. That emotional numbness you had on 30mg, the same happened to me, so expect all your emotions to be all over the place for a bit, and to feel hyper its completely normal, and does settle.
j98755 Paula2019
Posted
yes your exactly right and thanks for your response i came down from 30 to 10 in no time at all and apart from the odd bit pf upset stomach i felt great like a new leace of life, so i thought what the hell its only 10mg might aswell just stop that aswell . no it was awful and the numbness is killing me i hope i get my feelings back and like you said its been down to dosage change!
Paula2019 j98755
Posted
When I first went cold turkey for a few days I felt great, check out my thread on here as posted saying exactly that. Them bam it hit me, had so many withdrawal symptoms and was so hyper. I remember thinking I wonder if its the lull before the storm and it really was. Give yourself time to settle before any further dose changes if you are struggling with the symptoms.
dubry7605074 Paula2019
Posted
I had taken Cit for 9 days and stopped cold turkey on advice from my doc. I too felt great then it hit me. I aas badly depressed and having horrible thoughts and anxiety. So I fought these feelings for a good 3-4 weeks. I gave in and started the med again. I'm now in week 3 and want off this poison. Best way to wean? I take 20mg currently
Paula2019 dubry7605074
Posted
Hi Dubry, the start symptoms and withdrawal can get worse before they get better, it can a good 6-8 weeks to settle. My moods started to stabilise after 5 weeks, I am 6 weeks in and apart from blips if I overdo anything am alot better. The symptoms can be scary hence why people go back on them.
It sounds like its still early days for you, so if you want to come off then you could recover alot quicker than being on them for months or years.
20mg is a high dose to start, so you will be feeling awful. Am I right in saying its been about 7 weeks starting these? What dose did the doctor originally start you on?
dubry7605074 Paula2019
Posted
I started at 20mg. Ive taken about 3 weeks.
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