Coming off citalopram. :(

I only glance at the leaflet given with pills and only really check if I have and strange side-effects I think might be caused my taking them. They have to cover themselves and list everything. My cousin thinks she will get them all!!! Minor ones, we can all put up with, for the benefits a lot give but not major ones like you have/had.

I thought I was going to have withdrawal effects for months, but, now, feel alright so long may it last. I'm never complacent, though.

Hi Philippa

Just want to send you a virtual big hug and to say hang in there as it can only get better, take one day at a time.

I cant really comment on what your going through with the citalopram withdrawals as mine seem non-existant compared to yours!!!!

what i can say is that last year around this time, i was told i had high blood pressure (which i dont) and they gave me a drug called amolodipine, omg this knocked me side ways and a had a severe reaction to it and ended up in hospital, i thought i was dying and wasn't going to make it, the hospital thought i'd either had a stroke or was having a heart attack it was a frightening experience.

What i was told was that although i only took 3 tablets, it takes about 4 weeks for tablets to get completely out of your system. Even though you stop the tablets, your body is still filtering the tablets 2 to 4 weeks later as it is undoing the changes it made to your body.

Now i dont know if this applies to every drug, but i would imagine most would have a similar time scale, or even longer depending how long you've taken them.

You seem to be such a strong person to even get this far and i applaud you for it, what my husband says to me is to take baby steps it might take longer but you will get there in the end

Hope you are feeling much better soon

Juliex

Hi Guys

Day five of being on 10 mg from 20 mg of Citalopram. For those of you who may be interested I thought I'd post when or if I had anything of any use to report. I am going for broke so intend to be Citalopram free or off it in another 3 weeks all being well. Im not going to post daily as for one thing I don't have time but thought it best to store up anything and post when I have something to share.

Last night I had a strange dream, It wasn't due to the stomach upset I had earlier I don't think but I have suffered a little bit with tummy trouble since reducing the dose. Anyway this dream was white clouds, little clouds passing across my face and they would flash bright white and disappear?not sure it was a dream or what they call a "Brain Fart" or something like that. Hmm maybe that's wrong too

Anyway was the first time I had a vivid recollection of a dream for a while. Tonight I have a dull headache but at least its above my eyes as opposed to the base of my skull for a change. Have taken some co-codamol which I had for back pain so I'm OK for now. I posted a Wikipedia link earlier which has some really interesting stuff on it about coming off SSRI's. Look back if your interested to see.

I'll be back to update you when anything else occurs. I just hope that posting may help someone who might feel they are the only ones who feel like this and they can relate to what I'm saying.

Weather is supposed to improve for tomorrow so onwards and upwards, keep cheerful everyone

Bye for now.

Good luck Fitch but take it easy with the withdrawal. The symptoms DO pass and I feel fine today.

keep it up fitch, this can be beaten

glad your feeling better ms mac

am still on 5mg, not to bad at the moment, a few nervous butterflies in stomach but nothing major

gonna wait another week then stop altogether, well thats the plan lol

Juliex

Good luck, Julie. I can, honestly, say that I am SO glad I made the decision to throw away that crutch.

Hi Julie. Thanks for the virtual hug

I am a bit worried that having said how horrible the rare side effects are some people may be put off Citolopram. I would not want to do that. There are definitely times in some peoples lives or just some people in general who really do need the extra help to sort their brain chemistry out. There is NO shame in this. We are all built differently. If not the world would be a very boring place.

The only way to know if you are one of the 'normal' people who won't have rare side effects is to try it. Usually nowadays doctors don't go suggesting it unless they think you really need it. My only suggestion is that you should be aware there may be side effects. Please note though that if you are a 'health worrier' try to stop yourself reading through all the side effects unless/until you start to feel things aren't right. On the other hand don't be like me and wait too long before checking if the meds could be the cause of your new symptoms.

When you need help you really do need it but for many people this is only for a limited time. I applaud people who wish to come off it but wouldn't really recommend cold turkey unless you have no alternative. Previous posts by Gillian as to how to come off slowly seem like a much better solution.

With regards my withdrawal symptoms I still don't seem to be suffering any unless you count my 'waking up'/buzzy view of life now. This is still a concern of mine but as diazapam seems to wake me up rather than the usual 'put you to sleep' reaction I continue to hope that this is because I need it. I was 2 hours late taking it earlier today and started the sleepy/jerky symptoms again so I think it will be still be quite a while before the Citolpram will work it's way out of my system.

I am hoping to lessen any withdrawal symptoms by increasing my tryptophan intake to kick starting my gut producing Serotonin. I've also decided that despite my allergy to fructose I will go back to Tart Cherry to help regulate my sleep rhythms. For those who are unaware of Tart Cherry properties I should note that it works by helping regulate your melatonin levels that are essential for sleep. Not a quick fix but after continuous use for 2-3 weeks it usually does the trick.

I will keep you posted as to how I'm doing with my withdrawal as it is so nice to have a forum of people who understand that life is not always easy.

Hi Philippa

wow you have such a positive attitude thats half the battle I suppose

I've never heard of tart cherry unless u mean the desert kind (mouth watering now lol), hav'nt had one of those in a long time due to me being diabetic, so cant really take that supplement

I have been taking omega 3 capsules, garlic capsules and B complex capsules, am not to sure if they are having any effect but some have said that they help, and lets face it we can do with all the help we can get!!!!

At first i thought i was going through that time in a woman's life as am of age lol, so when the withdrawal symptoms started even before i started reducing them (different brands of tablets gave me withdrawal symptoms as if i was first starting them) i thought it was that time of life and as it wasn't consistent thought no more of it until speaking to my pharmacist.

Now i know different that it is the citalopram so yes i still have got that time of life to look forward to, knowing my luck i will finally kick the cit and then that will start lol

its so encouraging to read people at different stages, and those who have come through it, and long may it continue

Juliex

I, agree. Philippa that there ARE times in people's lives when they need this, and similar, medication. I was going through mega trauma and just HAD to have something prescribed to be, even if it had been a placebo.

I, suppose, with myself, that it was difficult for the doctor to wonder what to do with me. One check-up, I would be fine and then the next I would be sobbing by heart out.....and so it went on for 13 years until I felt I could, eventually, come off them.

Have a lovely weekend all.

I have been coming off cit since September from 20 mg

Very very slowly

Started now on 2.5mg every other day, although I panicked this morning thinking I wasn't as good as I should be, but I think it was just me

I mean goodness I had only missed one dose!

I shall do this for at least two weeks

Probably more then go to 2.5mg twice a week or something

No side effects of note. A few brain zaps that's all

Thanks for the update Gillian. Glad to hear things are going well. Keep up the good work.

I completely understand Ms Mac about confusing doctors with up and down symptoms. I have been like that for years - drives my husband up the wall !! I think that's why I'm so worried about having to go cold turkey. He's already worrying about me being so 'up' . I'm pinning everything on having my ovaries removed 5 years ago as I was soooo brassed off with my extreme PMT. I'm hoping now that I'm an 'older / mature' woman (55) I won't have those ups and downs anymore

On the positive side I actually came down enough from my buzzy state that I slept all night with only one wake up during the night Weird lucid dreams but that's par for the course with me. I'm thinking maybe keeping myself really busy yesterday helped. I even went to the mall. I'm still unsteady on my feet so had to walk around with a trolley using it like a zimmer frame but at least I was OUT OF THE HOUSE !!

Hello fellow survivors of Cit. I'm new to this forum but old hand at SSRIs. Been trying to either get off them or back on them for many years and I've had enough.

After being on Mirtazapine for 2 years through being chronically ill with missed DX of Coeliac Disease and then a very nasty infected gallbladder which is now gone, I started to pile on the weight. Thought I would cross taper to Cit 10mg. Bad mistake, the side effects have been most uncomfortable, especially the nausea. I've just had 3 years of everyday nausea and I didn't need for it to come back.

The first time I went onto Cit 20mg it was a breeze and worked miracles. I came off it when the Coeliac symptoms started thinking it was the Cit playing up, wish I'd never come off it.

As of 3 nights ago I stopped the Cit 10 cold. Have tried slow reduction over the years but I'm an impatient person and they never worked for me, always gave in and went back on the blighters.

So here I am day 4 and the nausea is the worse. No brain zaps, yet, do get sleepy. I'm taking Lorazepam 1mg first thing to help with that. I just hope I have the strength of character to see this through. It's not knowing how long it will take that's the killer!

All the best to others on this yellow brick road

Wendy

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum but am currently coming off Citalopram 20mg as we speak. I decided last week after one year on Citalopram 20mg and reading so much about the medication that I wanted them out of my system for good. Phillippa240, there is a website run by a top psychiatrist David Healey called "Rxisk" and he is interested in collecting information in regards to the withdrawal symptoms and side effects of Citalopram, as yours were so rare maybe it would be good for him that you report them if you feel you could? I stopped Citalopram and did not wean off them. I am now on day 8, here's my diary, hope it helps;

Day 1: not too bad in fact did not notice much at all

Day 2: again not too bad

Day 3: I have never felt so tired in my life. My brain is ringing inside and I really don't think I can go to work. Crying and extremely paranoid and anxious, I hope this passes!

Day 4: Starting to feel slightly strange, crying then laughing and I look like I am a zombie. Went shopping and it felt like everyone was staring at me. So very tired still too.

Day5: I slept all night but feel exhausted. Pushing myself to go to work. Brain continues to ring. Had fleeting ideas that maybe I would be better off dead. Frightening, have started smoking in an attempt to feel normal again!

Day 6: Just want to lie around all day, so tired and lethargic. Tearful though brain not as fuzzy today. Able to see clearly when outside and emotions are definitely coming back which is not such a bad thing. Hard to be a mum right now but have explained to the kids whats happening and luckily I have a good husband.

Day 7: Life is definitely starting to feel better. I'm so glad I didn't see my GP last week or he would have told me to go back on them, it was definitely withdrawal symptoms not depression rearing its ugly head.

Day 8: I'm still very very tired and have poor motivation to do much but I can start to feel again and I like this. I am definitely going to keep on with this as I already feel I'm getting better.

Sorry to write so much, I just hope that others can feel that their not "going mad" but are just living through the withdrawals of a drug.....all drugs illicit, prescribed and herbal wllh cause withdrawals unfortunately. Good luck to others and keep at it if it's what you want.

Day 4: Starting to feel slightly strange, crying then laughing and I look like I am a zombie. Went shopping and it felt like everyone was staring at me. So very tired still too.

Totally identify with this one! I have had a lot of times now since stopping where I have been halfway between laughing and crying. Looking like a zombie too.

I have been trying to ignore that feeling that everyone is staring/for me that all my colleagues must be talking about me and just keeping my focus on me, as I am really not that big a deal...that was part of my problem before I think, that everyone was thinking 'whats her problem' when probably in reality the only people who were thinking that have a good intention with it... 'what's wrong and can I help?'

Good luck to you too, Minnie.

I have so much more energy and can even control my emotions - something I haven't been able to do for years.

I'm taking no herbal pills either and just want to detox and get all the rubbish out of my body.

I just need to have a life where I feel loved, wanted and get pampered - then I will be fine - as long as I am physically well too.

Have a lovely Sunday all.