Coming off citalopram. :(

hiya frank

placebo effect is a proven very powerful effect, one in three folks are subject the placebo effect, im pleased you think that these substances helped you, but i still stick to my original post.

JNK can in fact cause Serotonin Syndrome when combined with anti depressants and other drugs, be very very careful folks you are inadvertently 'playing with fire'

cheers,

Ken ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

very very patronising feedback. i know what placebo effect is and this isnt it. you have an opinion, fine but that doesnt make it fact. and re JNK the point is you take it when off antidepressants. shame some doctors didnt have the same concerns you have when prescribing this nasty little drug.

To update on my result, after 9 days off Cit, I'm feeling a lot more positive, feel more in control of my life, and have not yet turned out for the worse. I have asked my two boys to keep an eye on my reactions to the normal stuff in life, but I've seen the funny side so far. 'Some' things have caused a bit of swearing, but i have previous in that, so no big deal. Googling the issue seems to imply that "brain zaps" are normal. What are they? I have felt a strange pulse, the best way of describing it is like a metallic throb of tinnitus that hits between the temples. It's short, not sharp, and may not be related to coming off anti-depressants. So far so good, and best wishes to all of you.

escapee. thats great news! ive not had the brain zaps, but i did feel a bit spaced out for a couple of days and that has now passed. keep strong.

There is a simple choice to be made when coming off these drugs. Take it very, very slowly and experience hardly any side-effects at all. Or try to go cold turkey, or come off them very quickly, and go through a truly hellish experience. I know. I have tried all three approaches. I was on 20mg for many years. My recommended method is start off by taking 15mg twice a week/20mg the rest of the week. Slowly build up the number of days you are taking 15mg over 2-3 weeks. Then you are ready to do the same again only this time dropping to 10mg; again only do this twice a week to start with and slowly move to taking 10mg every day over a number of weeks. I did the same again, dropping to 5mg for a few weeks, then 2.5mg and so on until I was taking a very small amount (probably 1.5mg, it's difficult to know as I was basically using a pair of kitchen scissors to cut a 20mg pill into many tiny pieces). Note that even when I was down to this tiny amount, I still didn't stop all of a sudden. I began taking the crumb every other day and then once every three days, until I stopped altogether. Even using this approach, I still experienced the odd brain tremor, but only very occasionally and nothing compared to the experience of trying to come off them too fast.

People do come off them going cold turkey or cutting down very, very quickly, but they go through hell and I do not think that is a very good way to begin your life without medication. You want to feel good as you come off these things. There's no prizes for having suffered unnecessarily and you are probably more likely to start feeling depressed/anxious again if you are feeling the full force of withdrawal symptoms, so it is actually counterproductive in the long run.

Hi, there are so many antidepressants medication you can get but those medications can help you for few years. For temporary basis you can take those medications but if you want to be cured permanently then find a church ask pray to Jesus. I know one man of God there named Dr. Bill Winston. Visit to them once.

Hey Sazzyfrank - hows the weight loss going with the jnk? Thanks

yeah still going well. just steady loss which I should be seeing given what i eat (1500 max cals a day plus bit of exercis), which I didnt see when on Cit, in fact weight just crept up... nearly finished my bottle of JNK will see how I go without it but if weight loss stops will get some more. no idea if JKN made any difference i just know that I feel well and am slowly losing weight.

Good for you Sazzyfrank. Just my luck - my order of jnk liquid boost is stuck at customs until I pay £25 import VAT. Mine just had to be a parcel that got opened!

Other than that, this is my second month off citalopram and I'm feeling good. I sometimes get emotional but no more brain zaps. I am getting some leg cramps which is new, but other than the weight I am reasonably happy and coping with the world.

Keep going everyone and good luck. No-one should be ashamed of mental illness...

oh johnnymm1 what a nightmare about customs. glad you feel well, yeah i get emotional downs now and then but nothing that a big hug cant solve. good luck keep strong xxx

Hello all,

I have no choice but to come off Cit due to insurance and a move. I was on 10mg to help my horrible PMDD. I brought it down to 5mg for about 10 days and will get off of it on Saturday...just in time for PMS. =( The only real thing I am noticing so far is that I am incredibly hyper. I have been nonstop despite a full day of work and cannot come down - I'm going to try to meditate. Has anyone else felt hyper while coming down?

Additionally, I did not gain weight on Cit but will be curious if the 5 pounds I put due to what I thought was my boyfriend's cooking will come off - that'd be nice.

But seriously, I am so nervous I will succumb to the terrible mood swings that PMDD always brought on me. Damn American healthcare. =(

I was on 40mg Citalopram for about three years and one day I forgot to take it and remembered about three weeks later, by which time I was off it and never went back, but it was terrible stuff for me, a low libido to start with due to being an XXY male it killed that off totally for the duration and other side effects like the consumption of food initiated immediate diarrhea, I lost a lot of weight despite it causing a craving for alcohol of which I don't have anymore because I am no longer on Citalopram and I am not going back to that stuff for a gold clock.

I have been taking 20mg of cit for 18 months and decided to come off them gradually. I have eventually stopped taking them all together. I have been fine for the first week but this weekend has hit me hard. I feel just like I did when I first started taking them. I feel angry, keep snapping at my daughter. I just want to hide away and be on my own. I am constantly sweating and feel suicidal. I cant stop crying and feel useless. I have gained 1.5 stone and really dont want to go back on them. I feel very alone and am not getting much support. Please tell me this wont last forever?

Nicola58, were you angry before you went onto them? Is there an issue that needs resolving that drugs won't magic away? FWIW, my anger has returned, but so has the ability to tackle it's root cause. Other aspects of depression, that are still there, have become just that. Just indications that the black dog is there, but it is not overwhelming.