Impossible to Stop taking Citalopram?

My view is that your Doctor should have prescribed you 30 mg and he should have told you to alternate between and 30 mg and 40 mg. Even better, if he could have prescribed you 35 mg and allowed you to alternate between that and 40 mg I think that would work.

I've yet to try reducing my dose by 5mg increments. All I know is that reducing by 10mg results in tiredness, achy eyes, dull head, dizziness, nauseous, muscle spasms and fatigue.

I've been on between 60 and 40 for 7 years and now the docs just sliced mine in half n put me straight on 20 from 40 as I want to stop taking these tablets due to them giving me no energy low appetite and brain fog I've been putting up with these symptoms for far to long and want to feel normal again do you think my doc is doing it wrong by halting the dose everything as I feel terribly tired all the time I'm just learning to live with it but I hate it???

I think there would be no harm in lowering the dose in smaller increments, such as 5 mg at a time. If you read what I and others have written it seems to be the case that lowering the dose causes lots of negative symptoms so if I were you I would alternate between 40mg and 35mg for a month then alternate between 35mg and 30mg for another month and so forth so as to prevent your mind from panicking from swift and large changes in concentration of serotonin neurotransmitter.

Its important to remember that Doctor's, under the Law, are entitled 2 medical courses of action. It might be that your Doctor has not took on board how difficult it is for you when lowering the dose and so should now propose a Plan B to you.

You need to withdraw from the meds - if you just stop without withdrawing you'll become quite ill.  I stopped by reducing by 5mg over 1-2 months each dose reduction so my body didn't have a sudden plunge.

K x

Hi Kate, IV been on citalopram for nearly 9 months, started on 10 for 6 weeks then 20 for 3 months now been on 30 for 3 months and about 3 weeks ago found myself much better and now I feel good but with slightly strange left eye sensations, do you think it's time for me to come off them now? I went on citalopram for health anxiety, I would be very grateful of your advice, sorry it's late x

Hi Chris

Glad to hear you're feeling much better   Not sure what the eye sensations could be - it might of course be the dose, and sometimes adjusting that helps.  Some people do experience blurry vision which is a side effect - these meds affect us all in different ways.  I read that its best to stay on the meds a good year before thinking of withdrawing.  Best chat with your doctor and maybe you could reduce them a little to see if that helps with the eye problem, and you could then reduce further from there too - take it slow and see how it goes.

When I came off Citalopram I reduced by 5mg over 1-2 months each reduction and found this much kinder on the body.  They were such small reductions and knew that if at any time I felt any anxiety returning I could wait on the dose or go back up a dose with too much problem (as it was so small).  Do it slow though and do speak to your doctor about this first too.

K x

Thanks for your kind advice Kate, IL speak to my doctor first, I haven't felt this good in years, I'm just worried that feeling this good isn't natural or I didn't know I had anxiety building in me for a long time until it caught up with me, I thank you again, it's so nice having someone like you to give advice to us, IV been reading alot of your advice to other people and I never had the courage to ask you anything before because I felt anxious, your an inspiration to everyone on here for what you've been through and dealing with your son which I'm so happy is on the mend, and to reply to many people's posts, much love to you x Chris x

Aww bless you  xx.  

No I also didn't know anxiety was building up in me either until it hit me - nobody knows what its like to suffer with it as we all imagine anxiety is that little fluttery feeling we get before an exam, not the horrendous feeling that takes over your life.  Learning about it over the years really helped me get through the dark days and then finally the SSRI medication changed my life.

Its such a relief isn't it being able to feel good again.  That feeling is natural - its just you again.  You can stay on meds all your life if you need to (so I was told by my doctor) and I stayed on them for many years though reduced to a maintenance dose.  I'm currently off them now.

Anxiety is something we actually do to ourselves without realising.  After the build up of stress, the result of which is the outpouring of adrenaline and the horrendous anxiety, we then become afraid of that which then produces even more anxiety.  Anxiety itself produces side effects such as aches/pains, constant thinking, frightening thoughts, a feeling of depersonalisation, negative thinking etc etc which the sufferer then becomes afraid of which then processes more anxiety.  All of this keeps us in a loop of anxiety / fear / anxiety.

Anxiety is our natural defence system and your body is simply guarding against something you find fearful ...... 

The human body is an amazing piece of engineering 

K xx

 

It builds up then hits you like a tidal wave doesn't it.

And we never knew it....ordeny it..

Glad you are feeling so much better

It's great isn't it🤗

Yes it does Gillian, amazing how it works, I'm glad you're feeling better too, my first 2 weeks on 10mg was out of this world, panic attacks in the morning and afternoon, and I'd fizz up yes litterly feel my face all fizzed up with anxiety coming from my stomach, I nearly quit citalopram, after this I had intense depression for 3 days and a feeling of fear and dread all day, I didn't know why, I put it down to side effects, a wave of pins and needles going down my shoulders to my fingers, strange head shocks for another 3 days, I know it sounds strange but it seemed to ease after 7pm, and IV always been a strong man body and mind, but at times the side effects broke me I'm just lucky I have a soul mate who was with me through it all, and reading people's advice on here that the side effects do go, I think this med Will work for everyone but you have to stick with it when it gets worse, and not forgetting the side effects do go then it's like a wave comes over you of relief xx

Amazing how learning about anxiety and citalopram got you through those dark days, I didn't know that anxiety can overflow to what we've been through, my wife was my rock through it all, she was working 40 hours a week then dealing with me, her mother has bipolar, and her sister had it 3 years ago, my wife had to go on sertraline 3 months ago because of the stress in her life worrying about me and everyone, including our kids 9years old and13 years old, but her meds have kicked in this week and I'm so relieved never thought it would happen to both of us within a year. X

Yes reading about anxiety has helped so much.  Instead of it being this mysterious, terrifying thing with my thoughts flying everywhere with lots of whys and what ifs which caused me more anxiety, understanding why I had it, what anxiety is, why it stayed, its side effects, how to deal with it etc etc helped stop those whys and what ifs, helped me understand why I had weird thoughts too which helped lessen the anxiety about those - and so overall instead of flailing around all over the place it put me onto one path.  It didn't stop the anxiety, but it helped me to stop adding more anxiety on top of the anxiety I already had.

Yes, stress is by far the biggest cause of anxiety.  You don't know you're suffering with stress either, and you never think it will happen to you.  It can happen to anyone.

I returned to meds 3 years ago because it affected me when my son became ill.  I needed to stay well for him and didn't need to be coping with myself too.  The meds worked well and they kept my head above water, and luckily meds helped my son too.  We're both off meds now.  I'd have no hesitation returning to them if ever I needed to too.  No I never thought it would happen to my son too - to have both of us in the family to have suffered.

Since understanding about anxiety, I've learnt to relax more towards any stresses and just it go.  I don't race through life, but instead still marvel at each day and enjoy everything around me.  I'd never have done that many years ago.

K

Your son is a very lucky lad to have a mother like you, my wife was there for me all the way but she never new what it was like until she had it 3 months ago, so I went up to 30mg because I wanted to be there for her more as her being ill made me go down again, but now I'm strong to help her get through it. Good night Kate x

Awww thanks  ... mind you, we'd do anything for our children.  That's lovely you're caring for each other - both knowing how the other is feeling and the experience on the meds too.  It might also be that in helping her it will help you too, and vice versa.

I'll send you the web and book link I share with many others (can't post it here as links get deleted).

K xx

Thank you for these posts.  I find it helpful to hear other’s experiences.

May I offer some different terms to use here that I just read on?  It makes sense for me to use “taper off” or yes “dose reduction” versus “withdrawing from.”  The term withdrawal medically means something different than tapering off a medication.

And some people are using the term “withdrawal symptoms” when they likely mean “discontinuation symptoms.”  It’s just semantics but less confusing when using these alternate terms.

In my experience I have to taper off very, very slowly over a year or more.  And I still often end up with discontinuation symptoms.  I’m tapering off celexa.  I hope I don’t have to go back on something because of the side effects. 

Thanks for reading, Sam

I mean:  I’m tapering off celexa right now.  I don’t like the side effects of anti-depressants and I hope I don’t have to start taking another anti-depressant again in the future.

Yes it’s abetter phraseology I agree

I tapered over a year in 2013

It took me a couple years to realise I needed to be back on it

Am17 months into it a second time

I think it’s got better even in last few months as well possibly being aware of self help mgt and more time in the sun

I shall never come off it. Was a mistake the first time 

I missed out on a few years by doing so and I didn’t realise 

 It was very tough going back on them the second time. Much worse than in 2013

Like a diabetic needs insulin I need Citalopram 

Good luck and take care 

Hi Sam

Hey you're absolutely right - it is better to say tapering rather than withdrawing.  I think many people think 'withdrawal' implies the medicine is addictive, which it isn't.  Good advice 

Yes I also spent a year tapering too and avoided discontinuation symptoms.  Celexa side effects vary so much in numbers and severity for each individual - its such a shame they're so tough for some 

K x

Hi Kate

You did this journey well before me so I was always grateful for your experience and advices 

It’s amazing how much we learn along the way isn’t it 😀

Hi Gillian

Yes my journey was back in the 1980's / 90's and there wasn't the information / help around as there is today, or at least its moved on so much more.  It was a dreadful part of my life and as you say its amazing how much we learn along the way.  Nobody knows how this feels until they've suffered with it don't they 

Hope you're keeping well 

 

Learning allthe time.  Thanks 

So am I lol ..... I don't think you ever stop  xx