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Coming off Citaloprm

Posted , 5 users are following.

kazzybo
kazzybo

Hello. This is all new to me, i have been on cit20 for 18 months now, and recently have been sliding back into depression and panic, paranoia, rage, violent outbursts and i cry a lot. Went to see my doctor today and he recommended counselling which i am happy to do but he has taken my pills off repeat prescription and im not sure why. I have read about the withdrawal symptoms and they sound terrible and i am so scared. Is there anything herbal i can take instead if he says no more meds? Any advice gratefully received sad

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • betsy0603
    betsy0603 kazzybo

    Posted

    Oh my, did your doctor give you a plan to get off the cito if he is discontinuing you on them?  You need to do a slow taper, ideally 10% per month of your previous dose, and if you can get your doc to prescribe a liquid that would make tapering easier.  It is irrosponsible of him to cut you off without planning a taper!  Discontinuation syndrome is serious business!  Doctors usually will tell you to taper over six weeks, but that is way too fast.  I hope you can get back with your doctor to get a plan in place to minimize harm.
    • kazzybo
      kazzybo betsy0603

      Posted

      No he didnt, he told me to go back in 2 weeks to see if i need any more time off work and to see how my counselling went but thats it sad im going to try and see a different dr tomoro i think. Been talking to my partner because he is on cit40 and he said the same as you but he goes to a different surgery than me. Im so scared i could cry x
  • pamela2106
    pamela2106 kazzybo

    Posted

    Hi, my doctor took me straight off 40mg as my dose was too high, I was suffering with the side effects, took me off them and 4 days later I was on mirtizapine 15mg just keep my anxiety calm. She also suggested counselling but I have to wait 10weeks, joke really. I have been off work now for 6 weeks,  I've suffered with all side effects & withdrawal symptoms... what helped me the most, and I'm still doing it is yoga - self help pages are great, unfortunately I don't get paid so I'm in a panic to get over these tablets but get on the internet for self help advise.

    hope you get some better advise from your other doctor. 

     good luck

    • kazzybo
      kazzybo pamela2106

      Posted

      Thank you, im going to see about gym classes tomoro x
  • cornishsmartie
    cornishsmartie kazzybo

    Posted

    I think St John's Wort is meant to be good. I am weaning myself odd Cit20 at the moment. I was advised by doc to take every other day and I now take them Sun/Tues and Thursday and seem to be OK with no side efffects. Have you got a few tablets to be getting on with? 
    • kazzybo
      kazzybo cornishsmartie

      Posted

      Yeah ive got 4 werks worth left but no idea what to do when they run out x
  • katecogs
    katecogs kazzybo

    Posted

    Your doctor can't refuse you medication, and maybe he wants you to actually go see him each time you needs meds instead of just handing in a request?

    Ive come off these meds before and have just reduced them again recently.  First time I came off them I had some withdrawal symptoms, but it wasn't as bad as starting the meds.  I restarted them last year due to the stress of family illness that started making me ill again.  As all has now settled I've since reduced mine again from 20mg to 5mg doing it by 5mg at a time.

    First was to buy a pill cutter and then I chopped my 20mg tablets into 4, each one being 5mg.  For a month I took 15mg, the next month 10mg and finally down to 5mg.  Best to stay on each lowered dose a month or longer.  I've had no withdrawal symptoms doing it this slow.  I will stay on these until next year when I intend stopping which I'll do by taking my 5mg every other day for a few weeks, then taking it every 2 days etc etc increasing the days each time until I stop.

    I've posted this many time for people and hope this helps too:

    When you're off Citalopram try a natural SSRI called 5-HTP which needs to be taken with l-tyrosine.  Both can be bought from Holland & Barrett (if you're in the UK) and you need to take them both.  Read a book called 5-HTP The Natural Way to Overcome Depression, Obesity by Michael T Murray ........ it's a really interesting read.

    You need to be off SSRI's completely before starting 5-HTP as they must not be taken together.

    I took both these when I was off Citalopram with good results.  You can't take these with Citalopram though so this is only if you ever do come off the meds and feel you need something.

    But ..... your doctor cannot force you to come off Cit. 

  • IntelBrat
    IntelBrat kazzybo

    Posted

    Hi Kazzy, one question..how were you feeling prior to all the things you were feeling recently? Was cit20 working for you? And if so why did he just not increase the dosage?

    I started with 20 mgs for one month, I went to see him and he increased to 30 and I feel it working slowly....I had some diarrhea over the weekend and a nasty stomach but it's all gone....I also take Ativan to stop my Anxiety....I love what it does for me...really calms me down so I don't worry so much. And it's hard for me because I lost my home my car..my job..all due to my depression and anxiety..I'm locked up 24/7 because of no car....so I'm not in a happy place. You need a new Dr. Good luck to you. God bless

    • kazzybo
      kazzybo IntelBrat

      Posted

      I told him i had been ok fon it for the last 12 months or so and that its only over the last couple of weeks that ive felt myself sliding backwards. He said i had left it too long before going back to him and i said again that its only very recently that ive felt bad but he didnt listen to me. Before i started on these meds i went to see him and explained how i was feeling and he told me to stop moaning because ive got a lovely family, my own home, a job and a loving husband and a beautiful daughter so what have i got to be miserable about. Obviously this made me worse because he basically meant i wasted his time. I had a breakdown not long after that and it was another dr that put me on cit20. I mentioned a higher dosage or change to a different type but he refused x
    • katecogs
      katecogs kazzybo

      Posted

      Are you in the UK?

      Im quite shocked that any doctor in the professional care would tell someone to 'stop moaning' - that's outrageous!  I'm not surprised you're feeling as you do now.  My son had a breakdown last year, and if I'd heard someone speaking to him like that I'd have slapped them.  My son was near to taking his life, and if he'd been treated like that I'm not sure what the outcome would have been.

      You need to make a complaint, then find a doctor who will care for your needs.  If you need medication, then you can't be refused.  Doesn't he realise you're ill and need help.  Would he refuse a diabetic his insulin, or an epileptic his meds?  His job in the health care is to care for his patients, not ridicule them.  You've taken your courage to go to him for help, and that's what he should be providing.

      Push for it.  They cannot refuse.  Find another doctor if need be and make a complaint.

      K x

    • kazzybo
      kazzybo katecogs

      Posted

      Thank you! Thats really made me feel a bit better about it xx
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