Citalopram withdrawal advice needed
Posted , 5 users are following.
Dropped from 10mg to 7.5mg of citalopram about 8 days ago after trying both that and sertraline for 6 months neither of which helped. Was noticing slight improvement but last night couldn't sleep at all whereas normally sleep not too bad, and the OCD type symptoms awful this morning. Is this normal in withdrawal that you are up and down but eventually subside? Was thinking about dropping 2.5 mg every 3 or 4 weeks so hoping symptoms wouldn't be too bad if I slowly wean off. Did take phenergan as couldn't sleep so maybe racked up things, and my hay fever has beem awful so maybe too much anti-histamine as have taken anti histamine tablets last couple days.No horror stories please.
0 likes, 6 replies
Charlie_T Guest
Edited
This does mirror my experience, although my sleep problems started about 3 days after cutting.
Yesterday was a better day (just over a week from the cut) and last night I slept much better, not counting my chickens yet but shows it is possible.
Citalopram is a mild antihistamine so taking extra antihistamines may have interacted but it's more likely to just knock you out than to keep you awake.
I think, based on my own experience and the ridiculous amount of reading I've done, that it's just a withdrawal side effect and will pass.
I wonder if lack of sleep exacerbates your OCD?
Guest Charlie_T
Posted
Thanks hopefully will ease then as I'm coming off slowly. Have noticed if I take phenergan or nytol can make things worse next day. Yes I think lack of sleep revs things up. I Know first 2 weeks starting were awful so hopefully settle down. Dont know if it was you can affect you more when cutting down if you are on low dose? Corona stuff getting to me as still cant see family or friends only 1 person in a park not a garden!
Charlie_T Guest
Posted
Antihistamines (e.g. phenergan, Nytol) often cause a 'hangover' into the next day, they make me feel awful. It's one of the reasons I stopped Mirtazapine which has a powerful antihistamine effect.
Yes, absolutely, cutting down when on lower doses can be very difficult. I don't know if you saw the graph I posted the other day? Basically it shows the relationship between dose and serotonin transporter (reuptake) blocking is not linear, it's hyperbolic. For example, the data show that 5mg of Citalopram caused ~60% SERT blocking and 20mg causes ~80% so for 4 times the amount of Citalopram you only get 20% extra blocking. Turn that around and going from 20mg to 5mg loses 20% but going from 5mg to 0mg would lose 60% - this is one of the reasons I suspect it gets harder to reduce as you get into the lower doses.
talha04148 Charlie_T
Posted
Thats precisely the case with me. I was doing really well in my wean off process till 10 mg but as soon as i hit 05 mg its giving me trouble (anxiety and googling my symptoms and weak and crawling feelings in my legs) but i really dont want to go back the road of increasing dosage. its affecting my personal life as its causing me premature ejaculation. I am also using antiallergy/ antiasthimatic medicine which is also excerbatting the situation.
What should i do? should i stay with 05 mg or increase back the dosage? @katecogs your advice especially required
dubry7605074 Guest
Edited
if you are weaning off, after you do a decrease, always wait until you settle on lower fose before you drop again. this is where people mess up with yhese meds. dont set a schedule to drop, listen to your mind. if you are on 5 weeks of lower dose and still not settled, dtay there longer.
Guest dubry7605074
Edited
Only been 8 days dropping the dose was doing quite well until today. I thought cutting down on a lower dose be easier but obviously not the case from what Charlie has said bit of a pain. Hopefully it's just a blip not sleeping last night hasn't helped, and think maybe I'll lay off the hay fever tablets as maybe too much anti histamine not helping either.