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Citalopram withdrawal - help?

Posted , 59 users are following.

laura3007
laura3007

Dear all,

I had taken Citalopram for 14 months following a traumatic incident when a man broke into my apartment while I was taking a shower. After the event, I suffered severe anxiety, panic attacks, and was diagnosed as suffering from PTSD. My GP put me on Citalopram, I (very!) gradually began to improve, and 14 months later decided enough was enough; I felt sufficiently recovered to wean off the medication.

I did everything the "right" way, and discussed a withdrawal plan with my GP.

I was on a 20mg dose, which we reduced to 10mg, and I took those every day for 4 weeks. Then, I took them every other day for 3 weeks. The next stage was to take one every three days, but due to family events and occasions, I missed one of my days of taking it, and before I knew it, I'd gone a week without taking any.

After consulting the internet and the NHS helpline, the general consensus was that, once I'd gone a week without them, just carry on not taking them.

I have now been without the medication for about two weeks.

I found the initial decrease in dosage difficult, but managed to avoid the major side effects mentioned on these forums. The most distressing symptom for myself was severe mood swings, which have only worsened since coming off the drug completely.

Usually a calm person, I am now incredibly short-tempered and irritable. I can snap at the drop of a hat, and just become a completely different person. I am overly emotional, feel like I could burst into tears at any second, and am so not myself. I find I am arguing more with my partner, because I am over-sensitive, often read too much into things he says and completely overreact to things which ordinarily wouldn't bother me. During an argument I am unable to remain calm (as I usually would), and end up shouting and saying very hurtful things. This is incredibly out of character for me.

I am trying to control these symptoms by telling myself that it's just the medication and not really me... and my partner is being as understanding as possible. He claims he feels like he is walking on eggshells, and that I'll either start crying or have a temper tantrum at anything he does. Typically, we take things out on the people we love the most, but I'm worried these symptoms might have a really negative effect on our relationship. He also claims that he can almost see me "switch", and I become a completely different person.

I understand that since coming off the medication completely, my body is "re-learning" how to make its own serotonin etc... and hasn't quite got it right yet, which is causing these effects.

My question is: how long can I expect this to continue? And when will I be "back to normal"?

I read on websites that this depends on how high your dosage, how long you've been taking them etc.... but with all the details I've given I hope that someone far more knowledgeable than I am will be able to give me some more specific guidance on when I can expect to feel more like myself again.

Thanks in advance to anyone who has read all this (apologies for the essay, I thought it important to be as detailed as possible), and I look forward to reading your responses.

Laura.

5 likes, 71 replies

71 Replies

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  • christine43444
    christine43444 laura3007

    Posted

    I was on Citolopram for about 6 years started with 20mg and went on to 30mg. I had taking therapy and group therapy before this. I took he medication for  severe anxiety and panick attacks. I didn't take it for depression. Don;t get me wrong the therapy with a psychologist have done me the world of good and I advise any of you to do this as well.

    I am now off the medication for apros. 7 to 8 weeks. First week there were no symptoms. Next I began to feel hazzy and foggy in my head. Then the irritebillity began and the anger, frustration, the miood swings. As this isn;t bad enough the depression has attacked me and I have reached rock bottom, including suicidal thoguhts. I know ti's my brain getting used to not having the tablets. But I wish they could cop on and get over it. Today I was finally able to cry and my appetide is also back. This is a good sign, because crying releaves the pressure. When you;re able to cry you have made progress. I know I have to give myself some credit.

    What I realy like to know when I would feel good again.

  • christine43444
    christine43444 laura3007

    Posted

    I'm back after having a bout of depression.

    I hope this can help you. As you can read from my other post I suffered from anxiety and depression. The two are closely linked. I noticed during the time I was coming off the tablets that peanuts helped me getting through the time my head was foggy.

    I went through the  withdrawal symptoms: irritability, mood swings, loss of apetide, depression and some anxiety.

    I wake up with a feeling of anxiety, but I know from experience that this is only temporary. It goes away by itself once I get up. Knowing this it doesn't bother me.

    The depression is one of the last withdrawal symptoms (I hope)

    What we have been doing is: we took the psycological wheel chair we used from under our behinds and now we;re on the floor, helpless.

    First of all: don't be too hard on yourself.

    Take small steps and akwknowles you did them or got there. Know nothing lasts forever.

    We need to up our levels of Magnesium. Honestly having lack of this stuff is the cause of a lot of illneses, including anxiety and depression.

    If you haven'd had talking therapy I recogment you to do this to. This brings you to a higher level of yourself and helps you to find coping mechanims.

    These foods are good for us and have magnesium

    Peanuts, spinach, mackerel, tuna, beans, brown rice, dark chocolate and other.

    • maz40
      maz40 christine43444

      Posted

      Thank you so much for posting this Christine, I was about to cave in a dig out a 10mg tablet.

      My doctor said that if I was on 10mg it doesn't really do anything so you may as well come off. So having reduced from 2 years on 20mg, to 10mg for a month and 10mg every other day for a week, I thought I would go for it.

      Im taking fish oils, 5 HTP and multi vit but didn't know about the benefits of magnesium.

      If I can I will try and stay off them until the weekend to see if this awfulness subsides. I cant stop crying, feeling parnoid etc which isn't good timing as I've just taken a promotion.

      This is so much tougher than I ever thought it would be!

    • kaye23847
      kaye23847 christine43444

      Posted

      Hi Christine

      Thank you for your helpful and positive post. 

      I am on my last days of Citalopram.  I have taken them for a year.  That gave me time to change a few things that got me down in the first place.

      My only issue is dizzyness.  More like I turn my head and it takes 3 seconds and I hear duff duff duff popping sound. Sounds crazy but the best I can describe. I have had the excessive sweats but that I am blaming that on menopause and the fact it is summer here in New Zealand.

      What I want to say here is that before I decided to come off this medication I took a good look at my life to see what still remained in it that put me on them in the first place. If any of that was still happening I knew it would just get me down again. So before coming off them I made an action plan.  Some of which are below which have helped me.

      I am keeping a diary. This year it is a positive one.  This makes you think of the good stuff in the day not anything bad.  It will also show me patterns of moods and the things I did that made me happy. 

       I have learnt to say NO without feeling so much guilt. I have started up knitting, sewing, crafts etc again so it keeps my mind full.  I have allowed myself the right to not finish them unless I feel like doing them.

      I have had a love affair with food on and off which gains the weight then I diet it off, yes a depressive thing in itself.  So I have decided to go on a no diet diet. I just changed to eating healthy and have been taking Fish Oil and will now add magnesium, multi vitamins to the list. So thank you for that advise.

      I sometimes wake up with the Oh well here we go again another day!  But I know a lot of people who don,t suffer with depression have those days as well.  So I'm not going to worry about this anymore. I think it is better to jump out of bed do something you enjoy and not lay there thinking about it.

      I have made friends and family aware that I am coming off the meds.  I have told them some of the withdrawal symptoms and have been looking for them in myself.  That's why  coming across forums like this is important.  The dizzyness had me wondering if I had something more sinister happening and now I know that it is just a small symptom of withdrawal. Relief!  

      I do feel better.  Yes I am crying more, but to me that's great I have emotions back.  It is ok to get annoyed about certain thing, be sad over certain things and its great to find the good in things again. 

      Take care everyone be good to yourself.  

    • kaye23847
      kaye23847 maz40

      Posted

      I see your post was 2 months ago and was wondering if you had taken the magnesium and if that had helped?  

      I hope you got through the bad week and the promotion is going well.  We sometimes look as things as if we are in a depressed state when the feelings are normal.  Starting something new brings on anxieties that most people would feel not just us.  Try to work out what is making you cry and see if you can change it.  

    • hells78
      hells78 maz40

      Posted

      Hiya I've just been reading this thread for information myself. Almost a relief to see these withdrawal symptoms are not just in my head! I've a little info re magnesium to offer though.if you put about a cup full in a warm bath and you can absorb it that way.stay in for no more than 20 mins.I was advised to try this for my hyperactive son and have to say it works. Good luck I hope you're doing well smile
  • laura88176
    laura88176 laura3007

    Posted

    Hello Laura. Coincidently I found this post and I have the EXACT same symptoms (and my name is also Laura...spooky). Anyway, I have been off for about 2 weeks, following forgetfulness over the Christmas holidays. Yesterday I had a very bad spell of irritibility. I was snappy, angry and so p*ssed off with life. Today I feel a bit better but still on edge. Seeing as your post was a year ago...did these feelings change for you? Thanks.
  • dawn66355
    dawn66355 laura3007

    Posted

    Oh wow this thread has really bothered me, stupidly I thought I could come off Citolapram without any issues, i can see this is not going to be the case, has anyone come off these without major side effects.

     

  • shaun58970
    shaun58970 laura3007

    Posted

    Hi, i have been taking 20mg Citalopram for 2 and half years and 10 days ago i woke up and decided i dont need these anymore so without a second thought just stopped taking them. Wow what a bit mistake to go cold turkey.

    What followed a couple of days later was the inability to sleep, the most vivid and strange dreams together with sweating buckets at night. This went on for at least a week but i was stubborn enough to keep at it and hope things will improve. I had a couple of days feeling sick and feeling very light headed. At the moment i feel tired and drained and have a feeling the depression is returning but am still putting it down to the withdrawal systems. The only thing that is still happening is the light head and dizzy feeling but i will carry on and hopefully give this more time to disappear. I guess now it would have been best to cut back gradually but i kept telling myself i can do this. Time will tell if i succeed. Will keep updating as we go along and hopefully others can share similar experiences.

  • KarenNY
    KarenNY laura3007

    Posted

    Hello.  Just wanted to add my own experience to this thread.  I am in the US, by the way.

    I started taking Celexa a long time ago....let's say more than 15 years ago.  I went on it for general depression and quickly realized that it helped me with my continuous, torturous ruminating.

    It was really helpful........most everything would roll off my back.  I had a very stressful career and, well, this drug completely took the edge off.

    Side effects like jaw clenching and insomnia wore off within 2 weeks.  The effects that stayed were inability to reach orgasm......and an emotional numbness. But the latter was what I needed to cope.  

    I stayed on 40mg for a few years and then decided to stop......just to see. Well, the first week of cold turkey was tough.....the brain zaps and vertigo with nausea were tough.  But I got through and stayed off the med for a few years without any issues.

    Well.....my world crashed when my Dad got diagnosed with a very aggressive brain cancer and passed away within 9 months of diagnosis.

    I cried, literally and gut-wrenchingly, every single day for a whole year.  I decided that I had mourned agonizingly enough and needed help again.

    i started Celexa again as it is the one med that really works for me.

    The crying stopped almost immediately and after a week of initial side effects......I was a new person.......coping with my loss and life more emotionally stable.

    8 years went by and I tried to come off the Celexa to see what was underneath all the medication numbness.

    I weaned for a short time and then, for about 3-4 months went completely without it.

    the crying came back with a force. And with it came an unrelenting melancholy that shook me to the core. I was a bit irritable too......but the absolute debilitating sadness just took over. 

    I pushed through, exercised, ate healthy....did whatever I could to just get through each day.  No amount of comforting from family and close friends would ease my deep, deep sadness and despair.....and did I mention melancholy?  Wow.....I couldn't take it anymore after months and months.....for my sanity and for the people around me.....I had to return to Celexa again.

    I wanted to be free from it......I wanted to feel again....and at first the crying was awesome...it felt good and real.....I was feeling...and my ability to reach orgasm was so welcoming for sure!

    But......I was feeling too much......waaaaaaaaaay too much.  It was much, much more then I could even bare.

    I went back to 40mg for the next ......uhm......like 10 years....it worked well for me.

    A few weeks ago I could tell......out of nowhere.....that my brain had too much Seretonin in it.....I could just tell.  I felt an overpowering need to practically stop the Celexa........I did some research on the Internet and theorized that perhaps my brain and system needed a break from this SSRI. 

    I basically stopped it for a week and felt some relief from the moderate Serotoinin Overload Syndrome I think I had.  Jeepers....Lord knows I had lots and lots of years for it to build up in my brain.

    Anyway........now, into my second week.....withdrawal symptoms are settling in.....mainly, and most noticeably, the absolute gut-wrenching and horrific sadness, melancholy and despair.

    I just know that this will go on and on for months and months......and I am not brave enough to endure it.  I just cannot. I am 50 years old and retired....life is good....no specific reason for me to be sobbing and devastatingly sad.

    So, in the past couple of days I started taking about 10 to 20mg and the relief from the mind-blowing melancholy is a Godsend. 

    My plan is to figure out how little of the Celexa I can get away with taking without the severe depression seeping in.  I don't think my body wants or needs the 40mg anymore......for now, anyway.  So, it is my intention to find the happy medium dose.

    I wonder, like so many of you.........would I ever stop crying without the Celexa.....could I ever be free from utter sadness again?.....And how much withdrawal do I need to go through before getting to the other side?

    I do take Fish Oil, Vitamin D and Magnesium every day.

    the one thing I really, really need to do is exercise.....I mean like cardio, sweat...let's move exercise.....that is the one thing that really, naturally improves my whole well-being.....my brain chemicals dance the happy dance afterwards......but, I still need the Celexa too.

    i don't know if I will ever find out if I can live happily without the medication again.  I might try to do a gradual.....extremely gradual......I mean SLOW taper....maybe that could work....maybe.

    Just felt like sharing.  Hope to be back to this discussion to see what is working/not working for all of you.  I appreciate all that have written of their experiences......it really has helped me realize that I am not the only one going through this withdrawal......it appears to be quite similar for all of us.

     

    • Stanley44574
      Stanley44574 KarenNY

      Posted

      Hi Karen,  

      Thanks to you and everyone else for sharing your thoughts.  Hearing that others are going through the same (sometimes awful) experience has been extremely helpful to me.   My situation is similar (also in the US by the way).  I had been 10 years on Citalopram and tried to quit about 5 times between years 5 and 10.  Tapering, every other day etc went ok but when I actually stopped I felt like the world would come to an end from physical and mental symptoms.  The longer I stuck it out the worse the feelings got and I eventually caved and figured I was just meant to be on these meds.  I did manage to greatly reduce the dosage for the past couple of years though (down to 10 mg).

      This year I again decided to do it once and for all regardless of the outcome.  Over 3 months I very gradually reduced from the 10 mg to 5 mg (by using a pill cutter to cut the 10's) and eventually to nothing.  Personally, I found taking less every day to be much easier to do than a larger dose every other day (every other day produced a roller coaster effect if done too soon).  Eventually I was able to drop to 5 mg every other day though and then every 3 days and then stopped altogether. It's been 21 days since I stopped and even after the prior months of tapering I still suffered very strong physical and mental symptoms (brain zaps, endless streams of negative thoughts, irritability, memory loss, lack of energy).  I know that someone's doctor mentioned that taking 10 mg is almost like taking nothing but I can assure you that is not correct  :-)  Stopping even from 10 or even 5 mg after taking the meds for a long time can really throw you for a loop.    On day 21 the brain zaps are gone but the dread and moodiness continues as strong as ever.  As other have asked, I wonder if anyone can report a long-term positive outcome after stopping?  I suppose it is possible or even likely that once people feel "normal" again they don't seek out forums like this though :-)  I had read that it may take up to 90 days or more for your brain to re-regulate itself so I plan on holding out and seeing it through.

      If you do decide to stay on Citalopram, please know that it is possible to taper and sustain to a very low dose (5 - 10 MG) if that is helpful.

      Best of luck to everyone and stay strong!

    • KarenNY
      KarenNY Stanley44574

      Posted

      Stanley....good to hear from you and about your experiences with Citalopram. I am glad you took the time to share. Much appreciated.

      I am now taking approx 10mg a day and am surprised at how little I need to keep the withdrawal symptoms at bay.

      So, yea.....that is great advice from you about sustaining at a low dose.

      The difference between taking none and taking just 5mg is very noticeable. .....to me, anyway.

      I am hopeful that I can, at the very least, keep my dosage a lot lower then the 40mg and still feel pretty good.

      Still interested to find out if I can ever be completely off this medicine.

      Time will tell.

      Thanks again.

    • Stanley44574
      Stanley44574 KarenNY

      Posted

      Hi Karen,   Getting yourself from 40 mg down to 10 is a huge accomplishment!  If you can sustain it for a while your body should adjust accordingly although like everything with citalopram it takes a while smile.   I am currently on day 28 with no citalopram and although I am still experiencing anxiety, moodiness and lack of energy the brain zaps are gone.  I feel just a bit better than last week - like everything with citalopram time is the key...   I read something very interesting yesterday on another similar forum about withdrawal in general from citalopram.  It stated that citalopram can stay in your system in trace amounts for much longer than many people anticipate and I think this is why so many people give up and go back on it after a few weeks.  It's very common to confuse withdrawal symptoms with the return of the initial depression but it may actually be that the drug is still impacting you even weeks after you stop.   Anyhow I am marching forward a day at a time and wish you the best - Be good to yourself!
    • nicola19711971
      nicola19711971 Stanley44574

      Posted

      Hello Stanley... When you mention brain zaps, is it like a clicking inside your head? I have this and dizziness every time I try to withdraw and it really scares me. Your advice on cutting down is very helpful though :-)
  • dawn66355
    dawn66355 laura3007

    Posted

    Hi guys,

    I have just google "how long do the side effects last when coming off citalopram" and came across this website, so glad i have found it as it may give me the courage to continue, I was on 20mg for about 8 years, not for depression but anxiety and it was ruining mine and my daughters relationship, and can say it worked and mine and my daughters relationship is now great, she has just moved out to her own home, so decided to come off them, I have slowly come off them for about 2 months and took my last one about 3 weeks ago, but I feel like sh*t, eyes are so tired they feel sore, anxiety/stress is a nightmare and shortness of breath, tight chest, tolerance level is zero, sleeping now is fine now I have stopped getting the nightmares, and no way am I going back on them, I can honestly say it is nice to have a good cry over a film etc, rather than no emotion at all, but god will these side effects ever go away, as I am thinking this is me and I will feel like this for the rest of my life ..... please help xxx

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