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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???

0 likes, 21 replies

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  • kostas61165
    kostas61165 james_73138

    Posted

    Hi,

    Be also aware that users of citalopram as well as of other AD, have widely reported that they had pains in many parts of their body, when tried to reduse or withdrawing from them!

    All shorts of visits and doctor exams showed nothing wrong, and gradually subsiding in time.

    I had leg and shoulder pain during my withdrawal from citalopram and specially when completely off, lasting a couple of months. Many visits and exams from specialists couldn't find anything wrong. I had even had to visit a pain clinic for relief!

    However they stopped after couple of months, and haven't had any problems for a year now

  • nigel45109
    nigel45109 james_73138

    Posted

    Hello, my theory is that is not withdrawing from celexa in particular thats the issue, but withdrawing or reducing any anti depressant, that leads to pain and fatigue. If your anti depressant was working well, your anxiety would have been low, resulting in low or no muscle tension. When this is the case, then you dont get so many pain symptoms, as the muscles are not under constant tension, and they can repair. When you reduce or stop an ad, then your anxiety levels probably go higher, which leads to incressed muscle tension, which leads to joint pain etc. Its a bit like rsi or tennis elbow issues. Increased tension on muscles, means they dont relax properly, and niggles and pains dont heal. I think anti depressants are given for pain relief, for this reason. Higher anxiety, leads to incressed muscle tension.
  • nigel45109
    nigel45109 james_73138

    Posted

    Also, as you get older, you become less flexible, and exercise that builds muscle, tends to shorten the muscle, as it gets larger. If you incorporate yoga into your exercise, this should lengthen the muscles, increase flexbility, and thereby reduce muscle tension and siffness, both of which lead to pain amd injuries.
  • Paula2019
    Paula2019 james_73138

    Posted

    Hi James, I had terrible leg especially my calves and one knee pain when I withdrew from other meds and ended up on crutches earlier this year as my meds masked a progressive injury.  Had 3 months of physio and apart from tight calves in the morning am much better.  Although, I still have one more med, citalopram to come off and am expecting aches and pains.
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