Coming off citalopram. :(

Hi all of you

I went on it for anxiety and some despairing kind of depression, but once I settled on 20 mg and felt really great I wished I had gone on it years ago.

I did think that I had to start self help mgt on myself, straight away, ready for when i did come off it. Watching what I ate and drank getting to gym probiotics yoga meditation etc and I had to more consciously learn to stop the bad habit of thinking it all has to be done now, working on bad habits and trying not to over think and stress out.

But but..I do still wonder wether I had or still have some form of chemical in balance with serotonin and that when I come off it completely will I too feel bad..and back to square one? if I do I shall be straight back on it as life is now so much better !!

If I have to be on it as an old lady at least I will be a happy one! Is that why people say they felt really bad after 4/5 weeks...any comments? I know it should be out of your system by then..

But that's why I am reducing it so so slowly

I have been taking citalopram for 8 years now, I have tried to come off of it twice before and failed both times, now im desperate to come off of them due to the amount of weight I have put on.

I have started a blog this time and I hope that its going to help.

I'm on day 5 now so its still early days.

Emis Moderator comment: I have removed the link to the blog - if anyone does want the information please use the message service.

Hi my name is Orshi,

and my case is complicated - as all of ours right?

Im on 20mg citalopram for about18mnth now, starging from 10mg and then up to 20mg shortly and worked wonders.

Im 32 and have Relapsing Remitting Multiple sclerosis for 7 years now, with a very bad start - firs year- and then started injection for it - copaxone daliy injections- and was fine untill my son was born 3.5 yrs ago. after the birth i had depression which i refused to acknowledge, and developed anxiety.

my neurologist tried to convince me to go on medication for the problem (generally because of the ms I have low energy level the best of times called ms fatigue, and because of the anxety i could not sleep properly and looking after the little boy of mine i stopped looking after myself completley)

for 2 yrs but as there is addiction to alcohol in my family i refused to take medication seing her in 10/01/2012 i gave in, she prescribed citalopram

it was fantastic! it saved my sliping marriage, and gave my life back started to cope with motherhood - i always thought im a useless bad mother regardless of all the complement from professionals and friends, and having a beautifull well behaved boy.

it meant to be temporary though, but on my zearly meating with the neuro on 18/01/2013 she advised me that because of my condition i will face possible more low moods, so i should stay on it. my gp agreed.

my problem is i gained 2.5 stones!!!! i cycle to work and "run" around a 3.5 yrs old cook heatlhy foods.

i have my restriction on excercise because of fatigue, but used to be a size8-10 and now 12-14!!!!!

it makes me feel so down i want to stopp!!!!!

but i know my condition is worsend over the winter period, should i wait untill then? or could i start shaving off now, and leave it for 10mg untill the springs comes?

thank you so much, will talk to my gp as well........

best whichis to all of us

Orshi

Hello friends, I finally figured it was time to share my story. Here it is:

kat327 1 September 2013 at 20:42PM

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About 15 years ago my doctor put me on lexapro, 20 mg. for depression. Depression runs in my family and I had become severely depressed. I cried all the time, had no interest in anything, including work or cleaning my house. All I wanted to do was isolate myself from the world. The lexapro worked wonderfully for a good 13 years. I never had a single side effect. Then in 2011, I was without insurance. The lexapro was too expensive for me, so my doctor switched me to celexa, (citalopram), 20 mg. After about 1 month on the new med, I had a severe reaction, extreme vertigo, vomiting, I could not even stand up. I was taken by ambulence to the hospital and was told I had suffered a minor stoke. Upon release from the hospital, I did some research, learning much about the drug celexa. My doctor and I deduced that what had actually happened to me was a side effect from the medication. I then cut my dosage down to 5 mg per day. All of the side effects went away. I remained on 5 mg for over a year, with few side effects except dizziness. Being that the dose was so low and I was doing so well, I wanted off of this drug. About 7 weeks ago, I began the weaning process. Fearful of the side effects of weaning off, I decided to reduce very slowly. For 4 weeks, I reduced my dosage to 4.5 mg. For the past 3 wks. I have been at 4 mg. My plan is to reduce the dosage evey 4 wks by .5 mg. With in total, would take about 9 months. Well, the problem I am having now is that I am having severe panic attacks. I feel that I am going crazy. They have no warning, they just come on without notice. I get light-headed, dizzy, short of breath, and I feel like a hot flush running through my entire body. The first time this happened I thought I was having a heart attack or a stroke. I was taken to the hospital and all of my vitals were normal once I calmed down. The attacks have become more frequent. The problem is I never in my life, had suffered from anxiety or panic attacks until this medication. I am at a point right now of wondering if I should up my dose to get rid of them. This is a viscious cycle. I guess my question is, has anyone out there suffered with what I am going through....I mean the panic attacks. Thanks everyone for listening, and God bless.

HI, I was prescribed citalopram two and a half tears ago after the experiencing bad panic attacks after our 2nd house break in. The doctor said I could come off them any time just to stopp taking them so 2 months later I did. Five weeks later I felt like (and sounded like )I was going mad' I was suicidal and totally losing it. I went back to my GP practice and was told by a different Dr that you CANT just stop taking citalopram. He put me back on 20mg daily. I was too scared to try and come off them again until recently and this forum has been so helpful..The bottem line is coming off can feel like playing russian roulette with your sertonin levels, I have learnt the hard way that I needed to cut down very gradually. I went from 20 to 10mg and within a few days was in meltdown, so I,ve done 2 weeks on 15mg then 2 weeks on 10 one day 15 the next, the 2 weeks on 10mg now trying 5mg but struggling so I'll try alternating 10 and 5mg alternate days. The good news is that I can FEEL again and am no longer in exhausted zombie mode. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to post their experiences and encouragements, its good to know you can get off them eventually!

I find it incredible that a Gp would say that. It is just unbelievable. I am slowly coming off too. Am down to 15 15 10 15 15 ..then will play about with that but slowly as we both agree and see how it goes. Will bear your experience in mind when I get down to 10/5. Take it slow

Good luck!

Going to ask the same question once again......I was placed on citalopram for depression. Now that I am weaning off, I am having really bad panic attacks. I have never had an anxiety problem. Has anyone out there experienced panic attacks while trying to wean off of this drug? Thanks.

It never fails to surprise me how ignorant the majority of GP's are. I'm completely off Citalopram now, with the help of good advice from this forum by the way, all side effects now gone. I would say I'm as stable as I'll ever be - still have my ups and downs, which I believe is quite normal, but I swear .... I will never take any of these tablets again!!!

Hi Kat, I have been on citalopram for anxiety and am now down from 20mg to 10 but have noticed that my anxiety has been worse over the last week or so, I know when you go on these tablets they can causae anxiety so maybe it is the same coming off. xx

Hi Ruthiepegs, It is nice to hear that you have managed to get off the citalopram and the side effects are gone, I cut down from 20mg in April to 15 for a month, then went down to 10mg at the beginning of May but that is where I have stuck ever since and that is mainly because the second week on 10mg was bad but I have been OK since apart from the odd patch of anxiety, like you I would like to get off of them and never go back on . I should have gone down to 5mg at the beginning of June and have been off by July, it is just getting the courage to do it now, in your opinion were the side effects really bad when getting down to 5mg and off and how long did they last and would you go through it again just to get off of them?

Read these posts last night before bed. I've been on 20mg for 3 years and have been weaning off since July. The last few days are the first in years I have had 0. I'm getting sever head aches, can't sleep, feel dizzy and sick and irritable and a bit upset! But I'm hoping these are side effects not my depression reoccurring so I've ddecided to just go for it now and not take any more. Fingers crossed the 'side effects' will soon go!

Hi K341

To save u scrolling back I went on 20 mg in feb and am slowly reducing the last 8 weeks

Down to playing about 15-10-15-15-10-15-10 and so n

I am not sleeping well either and was going to,post ask the same question

DOES reduction affect your sleep pattern

Otherwise am ok but about 20 mins after I take them last thing at night..near midnight...I get what can only be described as an electrical brain zap lasts seconds only...I think it only happens when I take 15 mg but am going to note that

You need to come off this very very slowly. Use a pillcutter to help dosage. I felt a recurrence at one point a few weeks ago so just stabilised on the dose then reduced again

But see my comment on staying on it for life if I have to

I am so glad to have found this discussion.

I have been taking antidepressants for 10 or 11 years now, for the last 8 or so, Citalopram.

Basically, several factors all came into play at the same time. I had just had my second child with a difficult birth. She was due around Sept 11th 91 and because I was already in a heightened state of maternal protectiveness and vulnerability, I crashed into a state of Post Natal Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (linked to 911, although I'm in the UK). All this was diagnosed retrospectively by a psychiatrist. For years I just didn't get a break. I had a very difficult mother-in-law who ultimately committed suicide. Only then did my husband appreciate what I had been seeing and dealing with. He was perhaps too close to that problem all his life (and maybe in denial).

All this on top of what a lot of us have to face in life anyway. That being normal grief associated with losing older family members, and having children go through some serious health issues.

It's been a pretty tough decade.

Anyway, it must have been a year or so before I was diagnosed. When not feeling wonderful, I tend not hide it well. I should have been an actress Then when I was referred for psychiatric help, I refused medication until I had weaned my 2nd child at 13 months. I was determined that she should be breastfed for the same length of time as her elder sibling.

For a long, long time I was on 60 mg of Citalopram daily. Only in the last year the dosage was reduced to 40 mg due to the European Medicines Agency findings (ie the heart risks).

Early this year, it was further reduced to 10 mg. I have found these reductions to be reasonably symptom free.

Well, last Monday, a week ago, I decided to bite the bullet and come off altogether.

It has been very difficult. I feel terribly irritable, stressed, agitated. However, these are symptoms I feel I can cope with. The strangest symptom, the one I finding the most difficult, is that my sex drive is suddenly sky high.

I did suffer from reduced libido whilst on the medication, but it has been improving as the dosage has been coming down. This however, is awful. I am incredibly restless and frustrated. It's not a normal healthy, sexual desire I am experiencing, but something quite insatiable.

Has anyone else experienced this symptom? (anyone who doesn't mind mentioning it on this forum that is).

Well my husband will be glad to hear that may happen to me! I think my libido has risen a bit as I have reduced the dose.

Low libido and becoming inorgasmic is a commen side effect when on the tablets and some brave souls have also admitted that

Am comfortable on10-15-10-15 then will go to 10 maybe next week, see how I feel. i assess reduction on a nightly basis as I feel that empowers me.

That's a hi dose to have come down from so you have done well but I wouldn't stop from 10 mg. I intend to go down to 10-5-10-5 then 5 then maybe every other day..see how it works

Am doing too well on a slow reduction

There are no prizes for getting off it ASAP.

...oops..."She was due around Sept 11th [B] 2001 [B/]

"There are no prizes for getting off it ASAP"

You're right Gillian.

Perhaps I'll step back on to 5 mg.

I see my GP on Friday.