Morning Anxiety : Could it be a mini withdrawal?

I felt awful dropping to 5mg, stayed on it about week then dropped to 2.5mg which wasn't so bad. Now on just over 1 mg, bit hit and miss as just dust really, but have had few hours with bit improvement so hopefully going right direction. Hope you soon feel better. I'm finding some days just don't feel like eating at moment.

If this drop follows the same timeline as 7.5mg then it's about 3 weeks to settle. Then I have to do it again for 2.5mg. Then again for 1.25mg. Then again at 0mg. Makes you wonder whether it'd be less painful to jump off earlier! (I don't seem to be exactly avoiding withdrawal symptoms except for brain zaps)

Hope your few hours increase 😃

When you say 2.5mg wasn't as bad as 5mg do you mean you actually felt better at 2.5mg?

Glad you are stopping gradually. I found it really hard going down to 1.25 mg so stopped 4 days ago. Did ask how long others withdrawal lasted but find if you criticise these drugs don't get any response. Just figure drugs caused my problems so need get them out my system. Still up and down get a meltdown then get bit calmer again. Glad I'm off them but think recovering will take a while but don't feel any worse than when I was on them. Carry on doing it slowly hopefully you won't be too bad have read the lowest doses can be tough.

Are you planning to stop completely. I've found def not one size fits all with these drugs. Can be life savers for some but can have very negative effects fir others like me. Really wish I'd never taken them but we just do what we think is the right thing at the time.

I don't know, I'm on that path I think. It hasn't helped I still get side effects (agitation, temperature fluctuations, tremor, twitches etc.) so I don't think it's for me. 3rd SSRI and I've reacted in a similar way to all of them (although prozac was the worst - felt i was going mad!) so they're not just not suitable for me, in my opinion.

it'll be interesting to see how you are 2 or 3 weeks off them as, and it may be very different for you, that's how long each drop seems to have the worst effects for me.

Hopefully improve, just feel exhausted at moment, teary and emotional. Discovered OCD can be side effect of them, so angry they've given me another symptom to deal with. Think should of come off them a lot sooner might not of had the OCD to contend with as well then. Did look on surviving anti depressants but full of horror stories. Keep posting how you go !

Yes, whilst I'm sure the stories on SA are true for those people, I think they are probably extreme cases and not the majority.

I wish I'd started to taper earlier, I wanted to give them plenty of time but 5 months was probably too long.

I slept better last night and therefore feel a bit better today, I honestly think my issues revolve around sleep including possible undiagnosed sleep apnea - was being lined up for a sleep study when Corona virus hit!

I had sleep problems for years never felt like this, but worth checking. My initial problems caused by zopiclone withdrawal it's a nasty drug, then exacerbated by the OCD caused by the SSRI's. In hindsight should never have added more chemicals when my brain was trying to recover from the zopiclone. I also should have stopped lot earlier GP's under estimate how powerful these drugs are I think. Friends husband got sleep apnea, wears a mask at night to help him.

Literally couldn'T sleep at all last night feel awful. Has been unbearably hot here so dont know if it's that or withdrawal. Have read acute withdrawal nirmally lasts 1-4 weeks been nearly week so hopefully will improve

Sorry to hear that, now that you've been off it for a while I'm wondering if you can try some serotonergic supplements to aid withdrawal?

A lot of people will say 5-HTP but I'd lean towards L-Tryptophan as it's rate-limited and you're less likely to cause your levels to go too high. Also, for some people, aids sleep. Must be taken at night on an empty stomach to avoid competing with other substances for absorption but a small amount of carbohydrate will help you absorb it.

It's been nearly 3 weeks since my drop to 5mg and I think, touch wood, things are picking up so that's a similar timeframe to the last drop.

Slept much better last night, it's so hot here think it's just the heat. Bit wary taking anything else as the citalopram made things so much worse. I think if don't work in couple weeks unlikely to work but just my opinion. If i stopped them lit earlier think would been easier come off, never taking them again. How you doing?

Pretty rubbish today, feel very down, not unexpected but disappointing anyway.