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Citalopram withdrawal symptoms(leg pain)

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james_73138
james_73138

I was on 10 mg of citalopram for 10 months, weaned off over 2, completely done for over 1. Supplementing with 100mg of 5-HTP a day, which I don't think I need, just taking as a precaution.

I haven't had any panic attacks, insomnia, or GAD during the withdrawal stage. Praise God!!! Dealing with heightened anger, irritability, and mild anxiety which is probably normal.

I will be 40 this year...yay :-\

I am a pretty active guy. (Thank you anxiety!!!) I bike about 4 miles a day, and jog about 1, of which I have had little to no problems with leg/joint pain while I was on the Citalopram.

However, and now what I have been leading up to. Now that I am off, almost as soon as I was completely done, I started having bad knee pain, foot pain, like overall leg pain. I played basketball after like 15 years of not playing, on Mondays over a 3 week period right around the time I quit the Cit, and I just brushed it off as, well, this is what it feels like around 40. But it never felt like I healed completely after a while. My knees especially. I can barely squat. They hurt and feel swollen. I feel like I am 65, not 39!!! Anyone have any of these issues during withdrawal???

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  • ruth08109
    ruth08109 james_73138

    Posted

    That's interesting, you've got me wondering now, James.....

    I'm a bit older than you. Am approaching 50. May 2017, I had reduced to 2.5 mg citalopram, so not totally off but very low dosage, and I have had really painful knee joints since then. I run, and I have really noticed it over the last year... and one of the first things I noticed when cutting to 2.5, in the withdrawals, was excruciating leg pain. Hmmmm........ I had just put it down to ageing, but your post has made me reconsider.

  • sue74917
    sue74917 james_73138

    Posted

    Morning James and Ruth.

    I might be wrong but in my frantic Google research (as a lot of us tend to do when looking for instant reassurance) I vaguely remember reading something about cit being used for pain relief, this may have just been a quack idea or if some truth to it seeing as you are both so active, it might have been just masking what was building up, just a thought and not Gospel, I am sure someone else will have a better explanation

    • ruth08109
      ruth08109 sue74917

      Posted

      Gosh that is really interesting re being used as pain relief, had no idea! That would make an awful lot of sense, as to why the pain suddenly appeared on reducing. Now I have gone back up to 7.5, will be interesting to see if it disappears again.... Thanks Sue.
  • katecogs
    katecogs james_73138

    Posted

    Hi

    I was going to say the same as Sue - it may be that Citalopram has been acting like a pain relief meds too and now off you're experiencing something thats been there for a while.

    Your knee symptoms remind me of something I suffered with since last year which was due to overuse - being an active person myself (cycling, walking, dancing, yoga etc etc) it was an overload on the patella (kneecap) and I developed Patella Tendonitis which I felt in the whole leg and particularly the knee.  The tendons run down the leg to the ankle and up to the hip too, so if thats inflamed then you'll feel it in the whole leg.  I couldn't squat down, couldn't walk far and also felt like I was 90 years old!

    I went to a sport physio at the beginning of this year and he confirmed that cycling, running and other sport that puts undue pressure on the knee often results in Patella Tendonitis - the tendons that hold the kneecap in place become irritated causing immense pain, and the fat pad in the knee becomes swollen and often impinges when bending the knee - which is what happened to me.

    I had ultrasound treatment on my knee, had to stop all activity that was causing the injury and had rest for about 3-4 months, applied heat often to my knees throughout the day and when I began introducing activities back into my life or I'd walked a little then I had to apply ice.  Over 4 months my knees healed and I was able to take up sport again slowly bit by bit.  I'm now back to being pain free.  Resting from sport was hard for me, but carry on and the problem just gets worse.

    Don't struggle on as I did for a year - it won't get better on its own.  I decided to seek out a sport physio, someone who deals with this injury on a day to day basis - and its a very common injury.

    Get checked out - don't suffer.

    K x

    • ruth08109
      ruth08109 katecogs

      Posted

      Thanks Kate! Gonna take this tip also. It does sound like the cit has been masking something, for me. Fascinating, had no idea that it would do so, but of course it makes perfect sense.

      Had almost intuitively been thinking this year that I need to cut down on running and do something that increases strength. Gonna get a check up x

    • katecogs
      katecogs ruth08109

      Posted

      Its only assumed Citalopram could act as some sort of pain reliever and hasn't been studied thoroughly, but it could make sense, yes.  Patella Tendonitis builds up over a long time and doesn't suddenly develop overnight, but some activity could be just that one step too far that has pushed it over the edge and 'out if comes'.

      My physio used to run but he also developed this condition, and now recovered he won't put his body through that again so has taken up swimming.  Cyclists get it too because of the force put through the knees with the constant rotating.  I developed it from years of dancing (being on the balls of my feet, twisting, turning, having no rest and along with cycling, walking too and then a gentle bit of jogging one morning just pushed it over the edge and it flared up).

      I thought I had arthritis or something developing so was relieved it wasn't and is was reversible.

      Walking is kinder to the knees and I rave about yoga - that builds strength, balance, flexibility, calmness ...  Am off to yoga this morning again - can't get enough of it!! biggrin

      Yes get it checked - and mention Patella Tendonitis.

      Hope you get sorted.

      K x

    • will20275
      will20275 katecogs

      Posted

      Hi Kate and others,

      FYI:   I’ve noticed that since I’ve been on Citalopram 10mg a lot of my back pain has subsided. I have been diagnosed with arthritis and bone spurs in my back. I was always at the gym working out or running or biking. I had to quit high aerobics due to the pain. In fact at times I couldn’t even do daily chores without pain. Acupuncture has helped in the past. But since starting Citalopram this past feb 24 I haven’t gone for acupuncture treatment for my back due to not having any pain. I do go for anxiety and headaches. But all had finally diminished. I’m definitely convinced this med helps with the pain diminishing. Kate Are you totally off Citalopram?

    • nigel45109
      nigel45109 will20275

      Posted

      Hello will, totally agree with you about anti depressants easing joint pain. Noticed you used to like the gym and sports. Same for me. Gave them up though, for yoga, which ive done obsessively on and off for years now. Recently got back into it. Im doing repetitions of sun salutations, 15 mins morning and night. Its quite a strenuous form of yoga, doing different poses, in a moving sequence. Its amazing for building muscle tone, a bit of cardio, and flexibility. Even if you have joint pain, and feel slight discomfort when doing it, the yoga will not worsen your condition. In fact, it will improve it, as it will make you more flexible, and stronger, all with no further damage. Its a complete body work out, and you can do it anywhere. Just thought id mention it, as currently getting a lot out of it, mentally and physically.
    • lois95799
      lois95799 nigel45109

      Posted

      I totally agree with everyone agreeing... strange pains I've had from working out for over 30 years have diminish..plus the celexa is also a good anticoagulant..

    • katecogs
      katecogs will20275

      Posted

      That really is interesting about pain diminishing isn't it - yes I'm off meds now and I can't remember how I felt with pain when I was on them now.  Didn't really associated pain with the meds then.  Didn't have knee issues I know, but that did come about from over use.  Maybe it wouldn't have flared up if I'd been on Cit?  I've had back issues for 24 years though not sure if its worse now I'm off meds or not.  Maybe I need to go back on Cit again and test my pain eek

       

    • will20275
      will20275 nigel45109

      Posted

      Hey Nigel,

      You’ve now opened my eyes to yoga with sun salutations. I will google and research it. Thanks, I really miss the

      gym and espec

    • nigel45109
      nigel45109 will20275

      Posted

      Ive done all sorts of yoga, classes and my own. Classes are good for learning things, but some of them can be a bit slow, and gentle, and boring. Sun salutations are repetative, but as they involve constant movement, are not so boring. Also, they are more of a work out than relaxation. They build muscle, and do a bit of cardio. They also make you more supple, and lengthen muscles as well as building them. This all leads to more flexibility along with strength etc. As its controlled movement, theres very little chance of injury, in fact the opposite. You will find stories of ex obese people with joint issues, and people with arthritus, becoming much more mobile.
    • nigel45109
      nigel45109 will20275

      Posted

      Try some different classes, as there are lots of different types of yoga, some you will like, and others you may not. They will all teach you things, give yiu experience, and teach you how to do yoga safely. Ive settled on sun salutations, as they are more vigorous, and suit a gym mentality. Most classes apart from really gentle ones, will involve sun salutations as part of the class. If you miss gym work, yoga has the answers fir you.
    • will20275
      will20275 nigel45109

      Posted

      Yes I do miss the adrenaline. Thanks for the details with Yoga. I now know more about it. 
    • will20275
      will20275 katecogs

      Posted

      All this really makes me think. I’ve only been on the cit for 5 1/2 months and just the past couple of weeks I feel great. I can see why people forget to take their med. it happened to me yesterday. I freaked when I looked at the clock and saw it was 7:00 and I realized I didn’t take it. I swallowed it so fast. Lol I’m staying on it for a good long time. I went through a bad period the past 2 years. I’m really enjoying feeling great. I do have to really thank you and Lois for the dertermination to stay at 10mg. 🕺🏼🕺🏼

    • lois95799
      lois95799 will20275

      Posted

      Aww thanks will...I also experience that good feeling and forgetting to take the tablet .and then I rush to swallow the tablet..so now I have my phone on alarm for tablet..glad your feeling better..
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