Coming off Citalopram
Posted , 5 users are following.
Been on 20mg Citalopram for a few years now but tried to come off as wanted to improve my sex life and just be my 'old self' again.
I went from 20mg to 10mg, then to 10mg every other day to the stopping. All was fine until this week when I've had terrible dizziness at work, tiredness at home, nightmares and generally feeling like a zombie.
I think I may have withdrawn too quickly as this has all been over the last two weeks.
My question is this: if I go back to 10mg Citalopram now as a compromise, do you think it will make me feel better?
0 likes, 5 replies
jazmin86904 pete55308
Posted
Hey Pete,
i would suggest finding the withdrawal fb group. they will be able to guide you better.
they will probably suggest you reinstate at either 10 or lower then wait yo stabilize before you start a much slower taper. they can also guide you on how to do that. Hope you get better
katecogs pete55308
Edited
Hi.
Yes you withdrew too quick - took me a year to come off Cit. I'd suggest you reinstate a small amount of meds (10mg or even 5mg by cutting the tablet, then maybe increasing to the desired dose) and this should eventually stop the withdrawal effect.
When you're settled again only then try to withdraw. I did this by 5mg reductions and reduced each time every 4-6 weeks. When i got to my last 5mg I then crushed and divided this (2.5mg) for another 4-6 weeks before dividing again (1.25mg). Finally I then began spacing out this last dose to alternate days for 4-6 wks, then every 2 days, 3 days etc etc (again each stage lasting 4-6 weeks) until I was taking it once a week. Then I stopped.
It might seem a long drawn out process but you cannot hurry reducing meds, plus doing this I avoided any withdrawal effects.
You will need to get a pill cutter / crusher.
lizzy26012 katecogs
Posted
Hello Katecogs, I hope you don't mind me asking you how you measured your dose. You mention cutting, crushing and dividing, but how do you know you were getting the required dose?. I have been trying to come off citalopram for a couple of years now but am still getting withdrawal symptoms. I started on 10 mg and now I'm trying to get an accurate 5mg dose I have been diluting and measuring in a syringe but I am wondering if the dose has been slightly out because I'm still getting symptoms for months.
Recently I started cutting my tablet but the cutter doesn't cut with two equal sides. I use a scale but each time I weigh a tablet it gives different readings for the same tablet. I have two scales, tried numerous cutters but nothing works. Thanks for reading.
katecogs lizzy26012
Edited
Hi Lizzy
You don’t know you’re getting precisely the required dose. All I did know that was when I cut ie a 20mg pill into 4 for my 5mg doseage, I just knew that over 4 days I’d be getting the full 20mg, regardless how much each day. The variations didn't have an effect on me as it really only is miniscule.
Its impossible to divide your dose exactly - I only guessed.
lizzy26012 katecogs
Posted
Thanks Katecogs, I never thought of it that way. I thought you had to take the same dose every day. I must be very sensitive to this med. Many thanks.