Citolapram withdrawal
Posted , 8 users are following.
Hi I’m after some advice. I have withdrawn from citolapram very slowly over a year. I am currently on the dose 2.5mg. I am staying put for now as I feel very anxious sometimes! I do have periods where I feel ok and then the time of my period and just after experience bad anxiety and depression. Can anyone advise ? Is this withdrawal or is it me ? I wasn’t like this before I went on tablets. Please help anyone been through withdrawal and come off successfully ?
0 likes, 61 replies
lorraine54774 Kirky12
Posted
Hi.. I was on Citalopram 20mg for 13 years. I have successfully been off then for 18 months. I am super proud of myself. It has been a difficult journey and there have been a few times I have cried and thought it easier to just go back on them BUT then I remind myself how far I have come. I am now starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. I have some periods of anxiety and dealing with stress is very difficult but I get through it. I always have Bach rescue remedy on me to calm me down if I need it. I don't think people realise what a journey I have been on these last 18 months and to be honest I have had no support either but I am very pleased with where I am jow. It is possible but you have got to be prepared to take the rough with the smoothe x
lorraine54774 Kirky12
Posted
I have struggled to find success stories as mist end up straight back on them after a couple of weeks. I am just trying to research the long term affects that this poison has on us. When you stop taking them it's like all of your emotions that have been numbed or suppressed by these tablets all come to a head andyou have to deal with them. It's a difficult journey but stay positive and be around positive people x
lorraine54774 Kirky12
Posted
gemma77546 Kirky12
Posted
Paula2019 Kirky12
Posted
Your doing great and I will be joining you soon. When I last came off them I went through over 3 years and felt great. Like you I was always tetchy and at times tearful around my period, anxiety often reared its ugly head around these times too, didnt need a calendar as always knew and those symptoms alerted me, I never put them down to coming off citalorapram as always had that problem. The first time I was ever put on meds was at age 38. The next time I was put on them was for menopause hot flushes. HUGE MISTAKE.
Hormones can be separate to meds although I suspect strongly the meds mess with them too.
Good luck with all this.
shane66622 Kirky12
Posted
What made you decide to come off citalapram? You are a brave soul! I am just starting a slow taper after about 18 months. I still have side effects such as tinnitus, slight morning anxiety, weight gain, teeth grinding at night etc...
Have to admit I am nervous about tapering. I have a busy job and family so need to cope with all of that as well! Will be interesting!
lorraine54774 shane66622
Posted
Thankfully you have only been on them 18 months. I was on them for 13 years and have come off them. It's willpower. It's a hard long journey but those tablets are poison.
shane66622 lorraine54774
Posted
Thanks Lorraine, I believe you are absolutely correct. I am so annoyed that my doctor prescribed Cit so quickly. More annoyed with myself for not doing research before taking. The first 8 or 9 months were hell followed by months of just feeling weird In combination with the usual assortment of side effects. The sooner I can taper off the better. No more Ad's for me. I have started to just slightly reduce the 20g tablet by about 10%. Will see how it goes!
gillian176 Kirky12
Posted
I did the same thing back in 2013
Took a year to reduce to 1.25mg eventually and that was on alternate days! I had a tick list spreadsheet 😂
I had no real side affects but like you it took a year as I would have to go back to the last dose for longer
However I did not do well over next few years and have been back on it since jan 17. 20mg
I wish I had never tapered off as I know I missed out a lot as I went back to how I was. In fact had been like it for years but never realised I could be BETTER!
There may be a time when I will taper to 10mg but I ask myself why ?
I have a family history of these problems and am soooo much better on them
It’s horses for courses isn’t it
You may want to stay on 2.5mg another month
Then try the next taper
Doesn’t suit everyone but it replaced my missing link
laura72529 gillian176
Posted
Also how did you all get the dosages so small, I’ve just invested in a pill cutter but it seems like it’s going to be really inaccurate and as I have a high sensitivity for fluctuations in dose, I think it needs to be precise. Any help or advice will be massively appreciated.
lois95799 laura72529
Posted
laura72529 lois95799
Posted
I asked my GP about that this morning and apparently it’s only licensed on the NHS for children so I can’t be prescribed it.
However I have been looking into how I can make my own solutions of the crushed tabs doing the 10% tapering method. Does anyone have any experience in doing this?
Paula2019 laura72529
Posted
I had a similar problem as you with Amitryptyline, doctor said no not licensed, and I asked them to double check and she found it, that was last week, and am on it now.
You need to push them as its the typical money thing, apparently more expensive than the tablets.
laura72529 Paula2019
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gillian176 laura72529
Posted
Well you know this is my second time on it ? 2013 then 2017...
Was a mistake to stop it!
I missed out on so much
Sure... I tapered over a year
I got 10 mg tablets
I was on 20mg
Got a pill cutter
Kept a small extra bottle for the bits
And reused then
I would do
20/17.5/20/17.5
For maybe a month
Then 17.5/17.5
At some point with the I cresong Confidence I started doing two week tapers moving on to
17.5/15/17.5
15/15/15
15/12.5/15/12.5
And so on
I ended up doing 1.25mg alternate nights can you believe it!
I had very few side effects
If at any time I felt unstable I went back up to the last two weeks
I was very structured and medical about it 😂
It is possible to carefully cut them
And to be honest once you get down to that dose we’re probably just placating ourselves
It can be done
However 6 weeks off it by 2014 I was running round hairless looking for alternative therapy’s as didn’t want to “fail “ by going back on them
How wrong I was
Am much better being on them again
Good luck and feel free to ask me anytime
The support I got I those dark days needs repaying to others😎