Coming off citalopram. :(

Cyclizine isn't just an Antiemetic it's a strong Antihistamine,, antihistamines help some people come off apparently. It's refreshing to hear of a GP that knows this

In total innocence I had no idea there would be any side effects. I came off it before on a lower dose no problems. I have done it initially unintentionally. I was on hols and just forgot to take it. Saw my doctor on monday and she gave me options. Sorry just seeking advice. I really wanted to know what is now best to do... carry on or take a dose of citalopram and then wean myself off v slowly. I am very sensitive to medications.

Sorry to be a pain and thank you x

Hey Dreamalina,

Don't worry. You did the same thing I did. You forgot to take them, then you thought it'd be ok because you were ok. Then the half-life of the drug wore off and you got hurled down into a well of hideous side effects.

SH!T HAPPENS. It's ok.

I'm staying in touch with my GP and just riding the wave. I know this'll be over soon. And in five maybe ten days it will be history, a lesson learned. But it will be, and this is the main thing, OVER!

I was takin 20mg for just under a year but started to have worrying thoughts again which triggerd anxiety

Attacks and the feeling of being un well. So I upped to 40mg. After 6 weeks on 40mg nothing good came.

Im taking 20mg now instead of 40mg has 40mg made me worse anxiety was there constant, I felt I was

going insaine. Havin the urge to have outburts, terrible sleep and a feeling of constant dred.

I think maybe it was to strong or to much sertoining . Its been 7Days now being from 40mg to 20mg and

The constant anxiety has gone and feel better compared to what I did. I do feel angry at

Times and generally not 100%. Could this be side effect from droppin from 40mg to 20mg?

How ever im stil a little confused to weather I should be taking 30mg instead because

I took 40mg in the first place because 20mg seemed to stop working has they use 2.

Does any1 have any idea of the best solution for me. Do I stick at 20mg right now and up the dose If I get

Worse or should I just try 30mg an if I get worse cut bk down to 20 and if then the 20 also makes no

Improvement then tapper down and try other meds?

Any1 have any knowledge or advise. I am quite scared of uping the dose has 40mg made me very ill.

Hi Julzuk, my experience on cit was similar to yours, I was put on it for panic attacks but after 2 half years I started to feel quite ill again. I have now come to the conclusion after reducing my dose very gradually ( drop to 15mg then 10 then 5 then 2.5 over a period of 3 months) that it was the cit that was making me feel ill and my body was reacting badly to it. I am now safely free of its affects and feeling so much better. I have more energy, more empathy, and am staring to feel properly alive for the first time since I started taking them. The cit just does,nt seem towork for long periods of time as it was never intended to be a long term treatment and after a while it seems to really mess your brain chemistry up badly. That was my experience anyway, hope you are able to find a dose that is ok, try 15mg for a couple of weeks maybe.

I think you should stay on 20 mg

Does your GP help here? 40 is large dose...

Look at self help to run alongside your treatment

Then if your trying to reduce go down very slowly

Not sure if that's what. Your asking having seen Karens post

I would reduce to 20-20-15-20-20-15 at least a month

Then 15 etc and so on as it suits you

Karens right. This is a short term help drug

GreAt to help you out initially but....

Hi

I have just joined this forum but have been reading it for a couple of weeks. I have been coming off cit for about 2 1/2 months now, I was on 30mg then went to 20, then 10 then 10 miss a day. I have not had one for about 5 days now. I was fine going from 30 to 20 but since going to 10 then 10 miss onwards the side effects have been awful!!!!! The brain zaps are unforgiving, short fuse, anxious and emotional I feel worse than ever!! I know that alot of these are common but oh my feel like giving up!! I won't but anyone have an idea how long?? I know its like asking how long is a piece of string but.....Help!! Hate cit more though, great at first but after 18 months and damn weight gain felt like it had served its purpous. Looking forward to caring again and having the oomph to doing stuff and off course get the weight off

Don't miss a day

The half life of the drug stays in your body better on a daily dose

See my posts

Hi Guys, Gillian can I firstly thank you for all your posts, I've been reading them for weeks and they are giving me the courage to try and get off these pills. I have been on cit for about 15 months 30 mg. a couple of months ago I felt it was time to get off them. I have gained two stone, have no sex drive and do not want my marriage to suffer,

So... On doctors orders I came down from 30 to 20 for two weeks, then to 10 for two weeks, then stopped. After a week I felt like dying! I couldn't stop crying and felt despair over every little thing, not great with two small children to look after. So in a panic I went back onto 20 mg and have been back on 20 for over a month. However I really want to come off these as I feel only half alive! I feel like I've got cotton wool packing my brain and have a nagging headache all the time, I find it impossible to drag myself out of bed and collapse into bed again by 9 each night!! So... I need a plan to come off them ? Any ideas...... 15 for a month?

Thanks so much in advance.

I kept a record and ticked it off each night as serioulsy I would forget even if had taken it!

I did 20-20-10-20-20 -10.For 4 weeks

20-15-20-15. For two weeks

15 daily for 3 weeks

15-15-10-15-15-10 3 weeks

10-15-10-15 for 3 weeks

10 for 3 weeks

10-10-5-10-10-5. 3 weeks

Now on second week of 5-10-5-10

Everyone is different am sure but I have had no side effects of withdrawal or brain zaps

I have lost some weight

I hope to do 5 daily next then I may even do 2.5 mg

All these horror stories of people coming off them too quickly is scary

I got a pill cutter £2.20 and use that

As I said everyone does it there way. But this worked for me

Good luck!

Hi, I'm new to this forum but really wanted to get some advice and support from fellow sufferers in the hope that someone will understand what it's like to be on anti-depressants and come off them. I have been suffering with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember and was first diagnosed and put on anti-depressants in 2008 at the age of 19, I was originally put on fluoxetine and then changed to citalopram around a year after. In total I’ve been on anti-depressants for around 5 years and I feel the same as a few others who’ve commented on this thread saying that just the thought of being on them is depressing! I decided 3 weeks ago when they ran out to not get a repeat prescription and go cold turkey (yes very bad I know!) and I feel just terrible. I haven’t cried this much for a very long time; I am very sensitive and cry at the littlest thing, any stress pushes me right to my limits where I feel like I can’t take any more almost bordering on suicidal. I know some people will read this and think I should go back to the doctors and get back on them or some other form of anti-depressant and the truth is I know in my heart and head that I need them but the thought of being on anti-depressants for the rest of my life is just awful. I honestly don’t know what to do I just feel so lost :’(

Hi Guys

Thanks for the advice Gillian, I realise after reading these comments that I was not aware of half lives etc. Today has been a good day which i am putting down to knowing there are others who understand and are in the same position! The Zaps have not been as intense which for work is a godsend (I work in a very busy supermarket) sometimes being surrounded by masses of people and screaming kids while zapping makes me feel very disoriented. Also I have to go up and down ladders!!

I thought I was doing really well by reducing over the last 2 1/2 months but still clearly not long enough, however I am now 6 days tablet free so need to keep going. To be honest the timelines my doctor gave me were a lot shorter and also a pharmacist at work when i asked him about the side effects gave me short timelines!!!!

L1v I know how you feel too as I can't remember the last time i was able to get through a day without crying since coming off the tablets but hopefully this will pass and I will be able to tell the difference between it all being side effects of withdrawal or just me being depressed again!! Only time will tell, its just nice knowing I am not alone.

Hi my fellow troopers! I have now gone form 20mg to 10mg over the past 2 weeks. The first week was really hard, all the topical side effects you are all getting but lasted for over a week. Then I got the flu which I guess was from being so run down. From my horrible experiences it was way too much of a fast drop and the withdrawals were horrid! So when i plan to go down again soon Im just going to do 5mg drop to see if that helps. Im very anxious though about the next drop as i know what might happen with the withdrawals and they are not fun!! Its all very exciting and positive though! Hope you are all coping well.

I'm a little confused- I tried shaving a tiny bit off my 20mg every day for about two months....then I started to suffer serious withdrawal. I'm now taking 5htp supplements with 20mg and would love to decrease slowly - what are the chances??

I am exactly the same., but the medication doesn't seem to be working. I used to be able to speak to 200 people, now I panic when I have to speak to 1. this all started at Schilop airport about 6 weeks ago. What the hell is going wrong with my life?