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I want to come off citalopram!!!

Posted , 8 users are following.

Marie266
Marie266

Hello,

I have been taking citalopram 20mg for a year now and decided enough is enough as they are making me terribly fatigued. My doctor told me to alternate the dose so I take 20mg for one day then the next 20mg and repeat it like that for a few weeks then it's going down to 10mg then hopefully i can slowly come off them for good. I have been experiencing tiredness and feeling spaced out and seem to have a lower appetite. Is this normal and the right way to come off them

0 likes, 22 replies

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  • toria_07298
    toria_07298 Marie266

    Posted

    Tbh I wouldn't alternate days, you're better off reducing slowly, I was only on 10mg but for 6 years, I reduced by 50 percent then 60 and all hell broke out so I updosed and barely functioning, please go slowly xx

  • Guest
    Guest Marie266

    Posted

    Hi Marie

    There's plenty of evidence here to show that reducing gradually is the way to go. I had terrible withdrawal effects reducing from 10 to 5. I went back up to 7.5 but now on 10. Still getting withdrawal and start up symptoms going on at least 12 weeks. I would definitely not go from 20 to 10, that's a huge reduction. Believe me, the withdrawal symptoms on your plan will be a lot worse than the symptoms you have now, unless you are one of the lucky ones. Hope all goes well for you ?

  • katecogs
    katecogs Marie266

    Posted

    Hi

    Don't do alternate days - your brain will miss that in between dose and will make you feel even more spaced out.  I spent a whole year coming off 20mg Citalopram and did it by 5mg each time with each reduction lasting around 4-6 weeks.  Your body / brain needs time to readjust slowly.  If however you have symptoms from a 5mg reduction then just wait until you level out before reducing again (4-6 weeks is just a guide).  Miss out doses and it'll cry out for it.

    My last 5mg I then further crushed and took 2.5mg and then finally 1.25mg which ended up being a few grains on my finger.  I had no withdrawal symptoms at all doing it this slow.

    You can even reduce less than 5mg and know some people do it by 2.5mg.

    Buy yourself a pill cutter / crusher.

    You might find though that simply reducing your dose to a lower one will sort out the fatigue for good.  It just might be the dose it too high for you.

    Anyway - hope this helps.

    K x

    • shane66622
      shane66622 katecogs

      Posted

      Hi Kate, did you go directly from 10 mg to 5 mg? I have not had any big issues doing a very slow taper from 20 to 15 to 10. (took 6 months) Now ready to take the next jump to 5 mg but a little aprehensive. From what I have read on this forum this is when the gates of hell open.

      Any advise most appreciated. Thanks Shana

    • katecogs
      katecogs shane66622

      Posted

      Hi Shane

      Yes I did - first I went from 20 to 15, then 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25 then 0.  

      You could first go to 7.5mg before you try 5mg?  Some people prefer 2.5mg reductions.  But personally I didn't notice anything from 10 to 5.  My thoughts throughout withdrawal was that if I ever felt uncomfortable or anxious at any stage then I'd stay there for as long as was needed.  If it didn't change then I'd simply go back up to the previous dose.

      For some people yes maybe the jump to 5mg was opening the gates of hell, but you are you and it might well be different.  We've all got different body's, different tolerances so what works for one could be different for another.  Don't forget that if you don't feel good on 5mg then just go back to the 10mg.  Its not a huge jump.

      K x

    • Marie266
      Marie266 katecogs

      Posted

      Do u feel better being off them now? They are causing me to be constantly drained and so tired!
    • katecogs
      katecogs Marie266

      Posted

      Yes I feel ok off the medicine - though when I was on the meds I felt ok too.  I do remember feeling tired at the beginning of taking the meds but after some years I reduced to a maintenance dose and found that suited me well.

      What dose are you on?  Sometimes adjusting the dose can help.

    • katecogs
      katecogs

      Posted

      Just a thought - I believe some people find Escitalopram easier to take.

      K x

    • Marie266
      Marie266 katecogs

      Posted

      I am was on 20mg but I started to alternate the dose 20 one day 20mg the next and repeat but it was making me feel odd so now I'm just taking 15mg for a few weeks then go down to 10 to see if it helps with the tiredness

    • katecogs
      katecogs Marie266

      Posted

      Hi Marie

      Yes it will make you feel odd if you skip doses.

      Reducing for a few weeks only may still be too quick.  I'd suggest a 5mg reduction for 4-6 weeks each time.  Your brain needs to get used to each dose slowly - you really can't hurry it.  Go as slow as your body allows.

      K x

    • cheryl20077
      cheryl20077 katecogs

      Posted

      hello Kate cogs are you still on this site please ? I reduced my citalopram 40mg 3 weeks ago to 30mg but still feeling anxious heart palpitations can't sleep ect. I thought I'd be feeling OK by now but still suffering. Is this normal for it to take this long to adjust to 30mg . I'm also taking pregabalin 150mg aday which I've only taken for 2 weeks now. I just want to feel normal again. 😕 thank you I hope you get this 💓

    • katecogs
      katecogs cheryl20077

      Posted

      Hi Cheryl

      Yes I’m still on the site.

      Are you wanting to come off meds completely or just to reduce them?

      Have you had palpitations only since you've dropped the dose or is it something you've had since before reducing? Dropping by 10mg is a usual amount to lower by, though if you’re feeling not so good then its probably better to do it by 5mg instead. However this should settle in time but give it a good month and if it hasn't then speak to your doctor to see if you could reintroduce 5mg back in again.

      It could be the Pregabalin causing the palpitations which is a side effect . I’m guessing this feeling will all settle in time, so just give it more time.

    • cheryl20077
      cheryl20077 katecogs

      Posted

      hello I'm so happy you have replied thank you so much . I'm just reducing them as I had heart palpitations when I was on 40mg so hospital told me to lower the dose of citalopram to see of it would help. my heart doesn't race was the palpitations its like a fluttering sensation and feel like irregler heart beat. which is making my anxiety worse 😔 I e had ecgs at hospital and they said I have slight qt prolonged but they wasn't concerned about it and just put my dose of citalopram down to 30mg and gave me pregabalin 50mg 3x day.. before I reduced my citalopram my doctor told me not to take the citalopram 40mg for 6 days to do another ecg to see if it was the citalopram causing palpitations but I got to day 3 and I couldn't handle to side effects so I got scared and jumped right back up to 40mg after a week on jumping back up I was in er for a mental health crisis so my body did have a massive shock to start with 😏 hope you are well everyone loves you on this site it seems 💞

    • katecogs
      katecogs cheryl20077

      Posted

      Hi Cheryl

      Ah I see - yes reducing the meds can sort this issue out. I had heart palpitations when I was on the meds - liked a skipped heartbeat (which I strangely found quite a nice sensation - used to call it my happy feeling) 😄

      Gosh that’s tough not taking meds for 6 days - I couldn’t go a whole day without my meds or I’d feel so sick and heady. I can understand though its necessary if something serious crops up and meds need to stop immediately, and guess your doctor was just being super careful.

      Yes stopping meds abruptly though can make you feel much worse than you already are, so reducing by small increments is much better.

      It can take a while for the reduction to settle - but should be a few weeks / a month.

      Yes thanks I’m very well - and awww that’s real nice to say thanks 🤗💕

      K 😃

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