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Reducing Citalopram Dosage

Posted , 4 users are following.

michelle76278
michelle76278

Hi all, I've been taking Citalopram for just over a year now due to close family bereavement, family illness, severe depressive episode, mood swings and panic attacks. The medication has worked really well for me, despite having some side effects in the beginning i.e. headaches, sweating etc. I'm still having vivid dreams though. I have been able to continue to go to work.

I'm on 30mg a day. I have tried to reduce down to 20mg but am having problems. After a week or so the panic attacks are returning and I feel very agitated again. On the positive side I'm not feeling so foggy headed. I went to my surgery last week and it was suggested that I stay on them, and perhaps I may need to stay on them for the rest of my life as I have a pre-disposal to depressive episodes. This isn't the first time I've had anti-depressants. I definitely don't agree with the Dr's opinion about being on them long term. I said if most people had experienced what I have over the past 2 years they'd be depressed.

I'm no longer feeling depressed but does anyone have advice on reducing dosage. It seems a lot of people are on Citalopram. Now I'm back up to 30mg am feeling tired a lot of the time .... I slept for 6 hours this afternoon. What a waste of a day :-( I don't want to feel like a 'Stepford Wife' for the rest of my life. I also sometimes take Diazepam.

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • marbel
    marbel

    Posted

    try the discussion 'coming off citalopram' and look over some of the old posts too!

    marbel

  • hiphop
    hiphop

    Posted

    After 5 years on Citalopram I decided to reduce them and come off them. Stopping taking them completely in one go will bring on horrendous "head rushes" . So I gradually reduced mine to every other night then half every other night then a quarter every other night a month at a time until I had stopped completely. But when I was no longer taking them I was in a very bad way and much worse than I had ever been so I went straight back on them and saw my GP who recommended I stayed on these for life.

    There is a family history of Depression but I do feel a failure for not being able to stop these but for now they keep me going

  • marbel
    marbel

    Posted

    Hi Hip op.

    The advice I've had from the doctors and drug companies, when reducing is to not skip a day but take something every day and reduce the dose by alternating down ie 20,15,20 for a few weeks then 15 mg for a few weeks, then 15,10,15,10mg , then 10mg every day etc. It seems to have worked well for me. Am now on 2.5mg for the last three months and will stop any time soon. Pharmacist also said not to skip days at this level either.

    If you skip doses it messes with the levels. Advice from a pharmacist is valuable. They seem to know about medications.

    • gillian176
      gillian176 marbel

      Posted

      Hi marbel.Was just looking to see what anyone said about stopping after 3  months on 2.5 mg. I did get the dose down to 1.25. Ish! But I had another of a wobble and after a week went back to2.5. I would like to stop altogether really. Have you managed to do that? Andhave y

      u ever looked at St. John's wort. 

      I remember this post from 4 months ago 

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