Coming off citalopram. :(

Hi Sophia

I've been decreasing from 20 mg since dec 2012. I KNOW SO LONG. How ever I'm now down to 2.5 mg and my pharmacist recommends I stay at this level for a few months and then stop completely. She doesn't recommend taking one every second day , something to do with the half life messing with the levels.

However I have to say I had the best year in 2013 while I was decreasing ever so slowly.

(see Gillians regime, I'm doing much the same except slower). I'm taking my time due to my mental health history and also being on one other medication, so being very nice to my brain and body.

Anyway this last year I have mainly felt so energised and motivated regardless of decreasing the meds. I had one patch when I got fatigued( see earlier post)

Good on you for keeping up with your smoothies and vits and minerals. I wonder if that doctor is taking your health seriously?. Maybe look for a new one who can help you with medical advice.

Others who have gone cold turkey have posted here about what to expect.

Hi, I have doing so research to ween off of Citalopram. I feel it has helped me overcome my original feelings of depression however I am now very down about my weight. When I started I was 153 and I am now 183. I still exercise and eat well. I am nervous with everything I have been reading. I know I'm ready. All of the negative thoughts I had over a year ago are gone. I love my life but just want to love my body again and feel like me. Does anyone understand what I'm trying to say?

Hi

Can someone give me an idea how long does withdrawal symptoms last? I mean is it weeks or months?

Took 20 mg for 5 months and then reduced 10mg for 3 months.

Nothing from last 6 days... absolutely nothing.

Dermatitis has worsen and I am so angry and upset with everybody. Lost interest in everything

Endure this for another week to see where I stand? Please don't tell me I should get off 10 mg slowly...like really 10 mg is so so small. Help : ((((

I think withdrawal symptoms last up to 6weeks on average. If you're struggling there's nothing wrong with going back on them but alternatively just ride the storm and tell yourself the stress won't last forever. Good luck

I've been on citalopram for 8 years now and am so short tempered like I was before I started on them. im on the maximum daily dose 40mg and feel all they do now is stop the brain zaps. I've decided to go cold turkey and come of them even though the doc says stay on them. I feel im just lining the drug companies pocket now.

Hermie I get that impression as well.Im starting to think that the more of us staying on these tablets the better it is for big business? plus the more people on these things the better for government as they can practically do what they want and we accept it as we are so placid we cant be bothered to argue much?

it's not the best feeling coming off cit but they ain't doing anything for me anymore. brain zaps all day. I'd hate to think how many people are on citalopram, my partner is and all we do is bloody argue. I can't open my gob without either snapping at her or taking her comments the wrong way and vice versa.

PLEASE go back to your doctor.

I've made the mistake of thinking I didn't need the pills, as I was feeling fine. I reduced the dose and

'crashed' - the pills had been doing their work and that's why I felt good!!!

I have been taking different antidepressants for 13 years now and my cousin for 15. If you have to be on

them for life then you NEED them.

I think I will be on them for life.

It's just the same even if I take them. I really don't think citalopram is the right meds for me.

Try another kind and maybe they will help. I keep changing mine, every few years.

What would help me, more than anything, would be to have the life I want. I now live alone and don't like it ALL the time.

Hello,

New to this forum, very interested to read all the posts.

Have been on Cit 20mg for around 9 years now after horrendous period in my late thirties. Have tried several times to come off these, all unsucessful, with one particularly bad episode whilst off them for 6 months.

Doc wants me to give it another go as life is pretty stable at the moment, so have so far been 2 months on

17.5, then 2 months on 15. Had a few "hiccups", but not too bad. Just starting going down to 12.5 to see

how it goes for a month, then 10mg. Doc doesnt like me cutting up the pills as he says it affects how they

are digested, but as I felt a bit "wobbly" to say the least on 20-20-10, am going ahead with cutting and not telling him!

Where to begin. I think it was 2001 or 2002, drives me batty I can't remember. I was given cit for PMS,

which btw helped immensely. I started @ 10 mg. every other day and stayed with that level for IDK maybe 3 years ( again, I can't flipping remember). So after that period it seemed as if that calm collected feeling I had with 10 mgs every other day was gone, so the GP increased the dose to 10mgs every day. I stayed on 10 mgs everyday for IDK 10 years? With the last 8 of those years a blur. fast-forward to June 2012, when I

decided to come of cit at the same time as birth control. I just stopped cold. About week 2 1/2, I have

NEVER felt so terrible in my life and had NO idea it was withdrawal from the cit . Nope, GP told me nothing ...feel okay, then just stop, so I did. Fortunately I was seeing a Gyno too and she told me that everything I was experiencing, flu symptoms, severe leg cramps, sweating, dizziness, sleeplessness and of course those zaps. Gyno

advised to go back on 10mgs. every other day and then try again with 10 every two days after stabilization and continue with 10 every 3rd day etc. Seriously, once I got the cit back in my system and the cra cra stopped, I was so scared to try and stop again, but I felt mentally NOT ok. I mean I felt pretty much nothing, so weird because my true personality is lively / extroverted. I knew I had to get off the cit, so I just decided not

to think about it anymore - which is a really stupid plan. By the grace of GOD or karma or something higher, I found this forum in early December 2013 and I have been reading all your posts since then.

My heart goes out to everyone in this Forum, I don't know any of you, but feel so connected and am ever

so very thankful for everything you have shared. So on 12/08, I read Gillian's post about reducing the quantity everyday vs. skipping a day. My Gyno doc never mentioned this option and yes this is what I have been doing since

12/08.

I started with 10, 5, 10 for a week or so, then went to 5 everyday for about 10 days and now I am @ 2.5 everyday. This is about the beginning of week 4 on 2.5 and last week the crap started, with dizziness and small white blisters on my gums. The gum issue is new and I got so scared, ran practically to my dentist and he said he's seen this before a anti depressant withdrawal symptom. Dentist advised to switch to a natural tooth paste for awhile. Now my little blister things are still in my mouth, but they are definitely getting better and are not nearly as troublesome since I started using the natural toothpaste. Plus I am itching, mainly at night - not hives, but just crazy itching and on my scalp too. until these new symptom's surfaced last week I was going to try to drop finally to 2.5 every other day, but now I think I am going stay on 2.5 for awhile. Oh did I mention, I don't sleep well either, I wake up itching or with a hot flash ( not sure if that is menopause or the cit?).

All I can say is taking a reduced dosage of cit everyday has made this journey easier and for that I am so thank to all of you and of course Gillian.

Best to all of you trying to kick this drug to the curb and if you can't then maybe you really need it - like I said it did in fact work for me when I needed it to.

Hello all, I have been on cit20 and now on cit 40 for the past year. After reading this now I know why I am gaining wheight. Anyway 3 weeks ago I decided to stop taking them, did not cut down just stopped (I know not a good thing to do), well lets say its been a bit of a ride. Still feel a bit rough through the day, but I just lay down (if you work you have a problem on this one) and about an hour I feel a lot better. The biggest thing I noticed was how tired I was when taking these, sleeping all day and night, only up for a few hours (3 or 4) and not wanting to do anything. I still have a problem with self harm though.

Hi Guys

I have decided to bite the bullet and come off Citalopram. I have been on the drugs now for nearly 5 years for Panic Attacks and Anxiety. I am on 10mg which according to my doc is the lowest dose. I was told it would be fine to stop taking them when I am ready. Which I did no weaning just cold turkey what a mistake the last few days have been hell. I really wish I had done more research and thanks to my boyfriend last night he discovered why I was being the bitch from hell. I took my last tablet New Years Eve.

I have decided thanks to the internet and everyone's comments I am going to do it properly. I took another tablet this morning and will take the full dose again for a couple of weeks until I feel like me again. To me Citalopram has been my saviour but I can't take this for the rest of my life no more hiding. It does sound as if we all fell the same, need to fix us without the drugs.

Then I will go and see my doc and reduce the dosage over the next few weeks maybe months whichever is best. I am also going to ask for counselling, time to exercise my demons and let the panic and anxiety go. I may always be susceptible to attacks but they aren't going to rule me any more. Before Citalopram I was struggling to leave the house. At the mo I can do anything really no second thoughts. I am as scared as hell but bring it on.

I have also gained weight but put that down to my lifestyle. On the plus side I have started running too with a real hope this will help.

It really is great to have these forums and too read we aren't alone.

Good luck everyone and it would be great to hear from you.

Take care

Hi everyone. Ive been on Cit for nearly 3 years due to an unexpected break up of my marriage. I started on 40mg which basically made me a zombie but at least the bad thoughts were behind me. I started to get headaches so the Dr reduced it to 30mg- weirdly no side effects. Last year I decided enough was enough after putting on a stone in weight and not feeling myself I spoke to the Dr who reduced me to 20mg. That is where my problems started- I was filled with anxiety, headaches, tearful, starving and mentally tired. All I wanted to do was hide away- not work in my own business or see anyone. It was tough I was verging on suicidal and didn't want to increase again. I went for private therapy and she was brilliant to start with and urged me to reduce the doseage very slowly...she suggested shaving off a crumb from my 20mg. I tried and after sitting with my Dr in floods of tears I gave up...been back on 20mg for about 6 months now and I'm brave / foolish enough to want to try again! This time I saw a different Dr she is not keen on Cit and understood my woes and has given me Cit in liquid form- this is something that I had asked for but was told its only in tablet form. I now am taking 20mg tab one day and 4 drops of liquid the next - she suggested to do this for a month...but possibly longer. I'm positive as you always are to start with that this finally be my way of coming off it but I'm mindful of the terror that awaits!