Coming off citalopram. :(

Well done linny on getting this far, I am now on 5mg gradually been tapering off from 20mg since April, had hoped to be off of them by now but stayed on 10mg for 2 months longer than I had planned, fingers crossed I will be in the same position as you in a few weeks time, you have given me some encouragement to keep going xxxxx

Benny going from 60mg to nothing must have been awful, very brave thing to do.

I dunno about brave, to be honest it was pretty uneventful Of course I noticed as time went by but it was really only subtle for me personally Most memorable was the angry phase,, jeesh I could just feel angry about everything for no reason Everyone and anything got on my wick There was plenty of at people

Oh not looking forward to that bit, I had better warm everyone just in case, hope it has got better for you now.

I agree, that is such a brave thing to do Benny, well done!

CMC46, you will get there - it just takes time. Don't know about you but the more I reduce, the more I feel my old self returning. I am hoping that the weak, anxious me is slowly going, and that I turn into the glass half full person that I was before my depression. I also hope my good memory returns in time too.

Keep going xxx

Hi linny, yes I agree I do feel that I am getting more like my old self, now and again I feel a bit anxious but then I did when I was on 20mg. It does make me wonder what these tablets actually do but then I was glad of them 18 months ago and hopefully they have done their job now. x

The angry thing comes on weeks / a month plus after stopping completely, it doesn't last long, just a week or so It's not like you go all raging n stuff, you don't have to lock away the sharp knives That's about the most memorable thing, can't really remember anything worse than that I wouldn't take it again, well I can't (borderline long QT (heart troubles )), it just makes me feel daft / a bit batty anyway

Me neither, I don't think I would ever take these again, hopefully things won't get as bad x

I just been looking back on logs to reassure myself I will get there..I was doing ok on 10 mg a while back and positively posted, but in my third week I feel a bit of a black dog sitting in my shoulder and waking to find my brain wondering what it's worried about

This is how I felt initially before I started the tablets. Although probably more intense bad than now...

I,m thinking well it takes time for your brain to readjust but was it better when cit readjusted!

However my memory is definitely worse, and I don't think I want it to get worse than it already is...

I have been on Citalopram/Lexapro for probably 9 years and have tried to stop a couple different

times but kept coming back because of the withdrawal symptoms.

( Started feeling irritable angry etc..)

This time I may have accidentally stumbled across a natural way to wean off the Citalopram besides just

lowering the dose and frequency.In doing some reading and testing I have found that Potatoes have high doses of Seratonin .I have been eating just a couple of plain old Russet Potatoes a day and been feeling a

little bit better.I live in the Western USA so that happens to be our most prevalent spud .I am sure wherever

you are a in the world another variety would work just fine.This has worked for me and I definitely not a medical doctor.Just thought I would share this with the forum of Citalopram users.

Goood Health and Good Luck to all of us stressed out souls.

I'm at a loss, whilst slowly shaving off a tiny piece of 20mg every day- my weight started to drop I had more energy however my depression started to come back in a bad way. Now back on a regular dose of 20mg and putting the weight back on and always starving also finding I'm craving wine and drinking a lot more than I should every day. I'm tired but can't sleep- and just suffer with anxious thoughts at night. During the day I feel nothing and get no joy apart from with wine. I can not see an end to this.

Awe Clare I feel for you. I was happy after managing to come off citalopram Jan this year. I done it like most - by reduction over time.

Unfortunately I have had to start taking them again. Hey ho - I suppose I have to face facts and reach a compromise between depression and side effects (including annoying weight gain).

Good luck to everyone

Thanks Steve..there is a list you can get off the web that lists food hi in seratonin...including baked jkt potatoes with skins on ! Lots of other things too..most things in fact! Just google it

Yes Clare I am the same, a glass of wine helps doesn't it but but..

I used to sleep fairly ok but now on week 4 of 10 mg, after week one I definetly don't sleep as well and wake with anxious thoughts and can't get back to sleep either

I can have anxious thoughts during the day and things I used to take in my stride at 20 mg, I am not doing at the moment

I think I have lost weight since reducing

I certainly don't feel as .....joyous ...as when I was batting along at 20 mg...time will tell if 10 mg stabilizes before my next drop down

Thanks for your support and feedback

We are not alone

Thank You Gillian for the Google Search idea on the foods.

It is amazing the power of the Citalopram. I quit drinking Alcohol

over 5 years ago and that was a good decision. I did not have anywhere

near the withdrawal symptoms that I have experienced with the Citalopram.

I began taking the Citalopram because of a high stress job that I used to have.

I guess it is not really bad to be addicted to it - it just seems like such a crutch -

much like alcohol was for me.

But if a person is happier and functions better it is a good thing. Like you say - better to be happy

on tablets than miserable.

Steve

Thanks Steve,

yes 80 or 90% of seretonin is produced in the gut so a good diet is essential. Who would have suspected the potato. I hope you have a good variety of recipes for them!. My pharmacist recommends taking a pro biotic when reducing citalopram to help good gut health. Thank you for the tip re potato.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/288554-list-of-foods-with-serotonin/

This is the link to foods Rich in seratonin/ helping etc