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Leaving citalopram

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Cat1256
Cat1256

I started on 10mg about 28years ago. I increased to 20 and 40mg over the years. I want to stop taking it, I have a pill cutter but I'm not sure how to go about it. What should I take and for how long? I have ms and I'd like to reduce the medication that I take.

Thanks, Caroline.

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • john059
    john059 Cat1256

    Posted

    Hi Cat. I am also reducing from 40 mg's invhopes of getting off these meds. I am doing it 5 mg's at a time for 2 week periods. So far its working. I would suggest

    You seek out a lady named Katecogs who also comes and posts on here. She has a lot of knowledge with these meds and will be a great help for you. Good luck.

  • katecogs
    katecogs Cat1256

    Posted

    Hi Cat (thanks John) redface 

    I've just come off these meds - spent about 5 years on 20mg then reduced to 10mg for about 11 years.  I also bought a pill cutter and reduced my meds by 5mg each reduction by cutting my 20mg into 1/4's making each one 5mg.  I then went from 20mg / 15mg / 10mg / 5mg / 2.5mg / 1.25mg  and then stopped, having to crush the last 5mg piece as was too small to cut, and then I took half (2.5mg) and then half again (1.25mg) from the powder.  I spent a year coming off them, but this was my personal choice, but you should take a long time doing it as the slower the better.  Too fast and you'll start to notice withdrawal which can be unpleasant.

    Each dose reduction I stayed on about 1-2 months each time.  Doing it this way I had no withdrawal effects at all.

    You can of course reduce by less than this too if you feel 5mg is too big a dose to reduce by (though it is rather small).

    Good idea to always let your doctor know too.  A lot of doctors do seem to get their patients to reduce too quickly and by too big a dose - really not a good idea.

    Hope this helps wink

    K xx

    • john059
      john059 katecogs

      Posted

      Thank you Miss Kate. Wonderful info you are passing on. I have been feeling much better lately. I'm down to 27.5 mg's from 40. This is over a 4 and a half week period. Still exercising daily which really helps. I think you are absolutely right when you mentioned 40 mg's was possibly too strong of a dose for me. My goal is to stay the course and get off these meds but i wont hesitate to stay in them if I have to. Enjoy youre day.

    • Cat1256
      Cat1256 katecogs

      Posted

      Many thanks, I'm worried about it but I think it's worth doing.

      Caroline x

    • katecogs
      katecogs john059

      Posted

      Glad you've had a better time of late.  Yes some people do find 40mg is too much but of course you don't know this until you try.  Glad the withdrawal is going well - really does pay to go slow.  I'm happy to be off the meds but will have no hesitation is restarting if I ever need to - they've done me well.

    • katecogs
      katecogs Cat1256

      Posted

      Just take it real slow and easy.  When I reduced this slow I thought that if I felt uneasy about it then I could always go back up by 5mg to the previous dose again.  Each step I waited to see how I was for about 8 weeks before I proceeded to the next lowered dose.  If 5mg is small, but if you find it too much for you then try 2.5mg.

      Do see your doctor though - its best to keep him in the loop.

    • sue68612
      sue68612 katecogs

      Posted

      Hi katecogs,

         I went cold turkey last october and stayed off until January. My husband said he could tell a difference in the way I was acting and wanted me to go back on them. I did and it was rough getting back on them. Had lots of side effects. I have started have my head to shake and I think its a side effect now, just started this a few months ago. I really want to get off them but don't know what to do. Can you give me an advice and tell me why you decided to get off them. Thanks Sue

    • katecogs
      katecogs sue68612

      Posted

      Hi Sue

      How were you when you when you went cold turkey?  The 3 months you were off them I expect your body hadn’t completely settled, as going cold turkey can last an age.  If you keep stopping / starting them or keep changing doses, your body doesn't really have time to settle on one thing and you end up with withdrawl symptoms mixed with start up side effects which also happens with the increasing / decreasing too.   

      Yes it can be tough restarting meds again - though when I restarted I had a different experience 2nd time round.  Still tough though.  

      Your head shakes ….. is it a sort of tremor?  I had a head tremor when restarting, though I’m sure it wasn’t noticeable to other people.  If it is I suspect its a side effect.  Do check with your doctor though.

      Do you want to stop because of the side effects?  They do stop eventually but this does take quite a while.  It might be a good idea for you to let the side effects settle down before you start withdrawing, as your body won’t know whether its coming or going.

      However, if you do want to stop them I’d first see your doctor.  He may give you a programme to follow, though some doctors don't do it as slow as I did.  I spent this last year withdrawing from them as wanted to do it as slow as possible, and I waited extra time as my daughter got married in the summer and I didn’t want to be off them before that, so I lingered with the last 5mg dose.  I reduced mine by going from 20mg / 15mg / 10mg / 5mg / 2.5mg / 1.25mg and stayed on each of those doses for around 2 months before I reduced to the next dose.

      I came off the meds because I’d taken them for around 16 years and though I didn’t have anymore side effects, I had initially reduced them to 10mg for a maintenance dose, they still did bother me a little bit with sexual dysfunction, so found a natural SSRI alternative and decided to give it a go prescription free.

      I came off them 3 years ago, but after a year had to restart due to family illness which started to affect me, so restarted before I became ill again.

       

    • sue68612
      sue68612 katecogs

      Posted

      I have head shakes  I guess I'll wait awhile longer. I'll be back on them 1 year in January. The head shakes started awhile back and I have my hands to shake too. Let me know how you do on the ssri's.

      thanks for taking the time to respond back.

      Sue

  • borderriever
    borderriever Cat1256

    Posted

    Cat

    I would strongly recommend you talk to your GP before you start your reduction.

    You may suffer contraindications as you have been on this AD for nearly thirty years.

    Take your GPs advice and follow what He/She suggests, it could be a long haul

    Good Luck, if you need support we are always around

    BOB

     

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