Citalopram withdrawal. Help.
Posted , 10 users are following.
I have been on Citalopram on and off for several years. I decided to wean myself off it as it was giving me tinnitus and didn't want to take it forever. I tapered the dose slowly, although in hindsight, maybe not slowly enough. It's been around two months since I stopped and everything went well at the start. I can honestly say I didn't notice any difference. But in the last month there has been a gradual build up of symptoms. I actually wondered at one point if I was getting early onset dementia. I know your brain naturally forgets things for it to function, but I've actually been scared on some occasions. For example, I randomly forgot the word for cabbage. It came back to me but I just couldn't get the name. Also, I deliberately went to pick something up in the supermarket and thought I'd picked it up, then got home with something completely different, without realising. Also, in a restaurant, our meals came to the table and I'd completely forgotten that I'd changed my order. So I'm at the table saying I hadn't ordered what they had brought me.
Reading this back it sounds trivial and silly, and I think because I've noticed a memory issue, I'm noticing and over analysing everything now(I suffer from anxiety and OCD).
In addition, I feel as though my brain is foggy sometimes and I can't think straight. I feel confused and can't concentrate. I feel as though my anxiety has returned ten fold, although sometimes I feel ok. I wake up sometimes feeling panicky, but I don't know why. I generally feel I don't want to go out or see anyone. I often can't be bothered to engage in conversation, either that or I won't shut up. I've read that some people have a horrendous time coming off citalopram or SSRIs, but I've mainly read about the more physical symptoms and not the mental ones. I really don't know what to do.
0 likes, 82 replies
liz25203
Posted
It would be interesting to know the percentage of people that have such a terrible time on withdrawal. One of the medical websites I have looked at said that any withdrawal symptoms should be gone by the second week, and that symptoms should be mild. I wish that was the case. Weirdly, I feel fine today, which lulls me into a false sense of security.
toria_07298 liz25203
Posted
a lot more is coming to light in the media regarding ssri withdrawal now as people who have been on them many years are now trying to get off, think half the problem is when people reduce and get withdrawal doctors diagnose it as original anxiety so they stay on them when its actually withdrawal x
lois95799 toria_07298
Posted
so if its just withdrawl it should all settle correct.
toria_07298 lois95799
Posted
erm yes lois like it did with mirt and i thought it never would! when i have windows i feel normal or almost
liz25203
Posted
Saw GP this morning. Really wish I hadn't bothered. She didn't seem to be aware of any connection between Citalopram and tinnitus. She also had no awareness of cognitive difficulties on withdrawal of Citalopram. She even did a dementia test with me and is sending me for blood tests. So my anxiety is through the roof.
stephanie76812 liz25203
Posted
Hi there I've actually just joined to join in this thread im having very similar withdrawal symptoms after being on 10mg for 4 years for anxiety and wanted to see if i could come off. The brain fog, word recall and just genuine sluggish thoughts had me thinking i was loosing it. I actually thought i had the flu before i put two and two together. I had been per the instruction of my GP taking one tablet every other day to ween down but now I’m off and now I’m feeling awful (brain fog, nausea, fatigue).
I’ve made an appointment but have a wait if a couple weeks. But now a bit worried my GP won’t have much to say about the withdrawal symptoms because she didn’t say anything about it when we discussed coming off in the first place. Did your GP just dismiss your symptoms or offer any suggestions?
I spoke to a friend that had come off of a different SSRI and they said they had similar symptoms and it just takes time. But suggested Omega-3 supplements (not sure if it’ll help but I’m gonna give it a go while I wait for my appointment).
Has anyone else had luck with their GP for advice in regards to the memory issues/brain fog/ etc? It’s really annoying at work as I stop mid sentence because I can’t figure out what I was saying.
also side note i also noticed issues with my ears and tinnitus but i already had tinnitus pre- cit so i couldnt get a good idea of how much was due to the drug.
toria_07298 stephanie76812
Posted
the every other day thing is dangerous, ive been on 10mg for years and only down to 6mg and had absolutely brutal withdrawal for over a year, everything youve mentioned plus pain, fear, racing thoughts, insomnia etc x
liz25203
Posted
Unfortunately I've found my GP to be pretty hopeless regarding withdrawal. The default position seems to be that the medication has been out of my system for two and a half months, so I should be fine now. But that is definitely not the case. However, my GP did full bloods this week on me and found I also have a vitamin D deficiency, which apparently can cause cognitive impairment. So I seem to have a bit of a double whammy. I'm now on a weekly supplement to combat that, and I've also ordered some Omega 3 supplement (my friend swears by it). Personally, I have found a couple of things that are helping me. Firstly, I've downloaded a brain training app with games and puzzles, and I feel that helps. I've also started drawing and colouring, which is helping me to relax a bit.
Grounded liz25203
Posted
Liz, I've had this issue on it was worse while on the celexa, but now that I am also withdrawing its gotten quite a bit worse. I am 46 and feel at times I can't remember even a common word. But then again a lot of the time I have such a brain fog, no wonder I can't think straight. I also have ocd 'thoughts' meaning that I take thoughts that bother me and they seem to play over and over in my head, so when I couldn't remember a word which I'm sure happens to everyone at times in life, even healthy people whos minds are preoccupied that I just tend to obsess over it making it worse, that is the cycle of anxiety/ocd. We just have to break that cycle I believe and we will be back to functioning normally! I am taking a couple supplements while withdrawing to see if that helps with the side effects and keeping me stable, I've also come to the point I tell myself every time I have an issue that it's just the withdrawl, or just the ocd and it's temporary, and after telling myself that over and over it's getting less and less bothersome and my mind seems to be clearing.
Best Wishes! Hope you feel better soon!
Grounded
Posted
^^ That is suppose to say I've had this issue while on celexa lol not sure why it came out the way it did.
toria_07298 Grounded
Posted
hi grounded, why are you withdrawing, i thought you had settled? x
Grounded toria_07298
Posted
Not settled, I had no anxiety while on the celexa which is why I was having to take it to begin with and having no anxiety might sound good, but the DP DR, and numb, emotionless feeling that I had never went away, and I felt it was more troublesome then not having anxiety. I had to choose between the 2 evils as they say.
toria_07298 Grounded
Posted
aw bless you i know those symptoms well, theyre horrible, good luck x