1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Citalopram

Citalopram withdrawals

Posted , 4 users are following.

lucy67119
lucy67119

I spoke to my ADHD nurse and she suggested to me that it was okay to stop taking my citalopram (20mg) and go cold turkey I didn’t realise this would cause withdrawals and I am now feeling incredibly sick and dizzy quite a lot of the time and very tired how long will this last?

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • lizzy26012
    lizzy26012 lucy67119

    Posted

    Hi Lucy

    You have been given very bad advice. You should wean off this medication at that dose very slowly over months even years. How long have you been on that dose for?

    If you stopped recently, you could try reinstating a low dose, say 5mg, to see if that helps with your withdrawal symptoms.

    • lucy67119
      lucy67119 lizzy26012

      Posted

      i stopped over a week ago now and i only have 20mg tablets

    • lizzy26012
      lizzy26012 lucy67119

      Posted

      The 20mg tablets have a scoreline I believe so you can cut it in half and then quarters.

      Another way is to dilute the whole tablet in water using a syringe from your pharmacy to get your correct dose. Ie. draw up 100 mls of water using your syringe and place the water in a container, dissolve the tablet therein, stir well and draw up 20mls using your syringe to get a 5mg dose. You can keep the mixture in a fridge for the next dose.

      You can also use a scales to weigh your dose.

      Whatever you decide to do I wish you all the best.

    • lizzy26012
      lizzy26012

      Posted

      Sorry my error using 200mls of water with a 20mg tablet and drawing up 50mls will give you a 5mg dose.

  • Paula2019
    Paula2019 lucy67119

    Posted

    Hi Lucy, I cannot believe you were given that advice, am so sorry to hear that. Problem is going back on them after coming off will give you side effects too. How long have you been on them, and how long since going cold turkey?

    Cold Turkey is more brutal and can be dangerous so please speak with your GP. But withdrawals can be over with quicker.

    Tapering slowly, by cutting tablets, or using liquid cita, takes longer and is less brutal.

    Withdrawals can be awful for some people, I am 2 years med free, and feel great, unfortunately they didnt help me, but do help alot of people.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.