Stopping citalopram after 21 days... please help!

My advice would be that if you are determined to seen yourself off the Citalopram do it under the supervision of your doctor. I have taken Citalopram for depression and anxiety since mid January and although I had a few side effects the worst being increased anxiety for the first couple of weeks but I roughed it out and now I am finally feeling like everything is alright with the world again. The anxiety left before the depression which took about 3 months. I know this med isn't for everyone but it has certainly worked well for me. I started out on 10mg. then after 5 weeks slowly increased my dosage.

Vent away!  Life is complicated, stressful, and it certainly sounds like you are experiencing some overwhelming emotions.  Somebody wise once told me that "People will always disappoint you". It doesn't matter who they are, your mom, your wife, the Pope, your best friend.  It's because people are human and make mistakes.  I don't mean to say that all people will disappoint you all of the time....

You and your wife are still young.  Your wife may have some insecurities that caused her to fall for some sweet talk from another man. I don't think that it means she loves you any less at all.  

What she did was wrong and selfish.....no doubt, but people can be weak and make mistakes.

I feel really badly for you....you seem like such a nice, caring, sensitive man.  I think that your anxiety and depression is situational.....I personally think that you should stay away from the medication.  I was on it for many years and it was very difficult to come off of.  But, if I can do it after 20 plus years.......you will do fine weaning.  I actually went cold turkey 2 years ago,  The nausea, headaches, brain zaps, dizziness, and other side effects were severe...but they went away. If your sex life is important to you....this medication can be a real downer.

Try to stay focused in the present.  Do not dwell too much on the past and don't go worrying too far into the further.  Trust me, I've been there and it is a waste of emotional and spiritual energy.  Stay in the moment. Many, many people have been in your position.....it's part of life....heartache.  

I wish I could take your suffering away.  Be good to yourself....exercise, eat right, don't drink too much coffee.  Sleep well. Drink water. 

What your wife did is not a reflection of your worth as a person........it's something that she did from human error and weakness. 

Try to just breathe, relax, live in the moment....try to get a grip on the ruminating.  I wish you nothing but the best. 

Thank you for the encouragement. I wish i could forgive and move on, i know I love her but i'm still so heartbroken and betrayed and can't get over it, at least not yet.

My doctor is on holidays, does anybody have any advice on how long to ween off and how long these nasty symptoms will last? I can't take it anymore I actually feel traumatized

And can I take lorazepam to help me sleep until i'm fully off the citralopram? I don't want lorazepam withdrawals.. Thanks again

I think you need to be sharing all this with a therapist/counsellor. Valium and similar dugs can be used for short term stress and trauma. I would never let a doctor prescribe me anti-depressants.. You need ongoing emotional support from a qualified professional. There are so many ways to deal with trauma and drugs should never be the first option.

This forum is great for support and curing feelings of loneliness but you need someone you can trust and can offer you the best options for yourself.

Citalopram extends the amount of time serotonin remains in the synapses in your brain - this helps people with anxiety and depression because there brain fucntioning removes the serotonin too quickly, making it harder to cope with stress, anxiety, trauma etc. It is a treatment for a medical condition and much research has been shown that cognitive brain training is more effective for people with low stress levels. Placebos have been shown to even be as effective in low stress cases. I dont mean to say that you're not incredibly stressed or anxious or traumatised at the moment - i cant imagine what you're going through. But I take citalopram because I have suffered from generalised anxiety disorder, panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder for over 10 years. Its a serious illness and the treatment is a long, exhausting, scary process. I spent a year in therapy before I moved onto citalopram.

Doctors are quick to prescribe antidpressants. But it's not a solution unless it's appropriate and being used in conjunction with ongoing therapy, meditation,exercise, and healthy eating. You need someone to talk to, someone you trust, someone you can work with. 

Another note - it is dangerous to change your dosage of citalopram yourself. You should never change the dose or ween off without medical intervention and help. The up and down of your medication will only add to your stress. I spent 2 months depressed before the meds started working - I'm over three months in and still not there yet. Citalopram is not to be taken lightly. You go to some very deep, dark places on this stuff - you need support and ongoing help to get through it.

I would recommend asking your doctor for a referral to see a therapist/counsellor. Find one you can trust and like. See them and come up with a plan. If you want to come off the meds ask for a stringent plan. The side affects of withdrawl are bad. Whether you're on them for two weeks or two years. Its the same.

Good luck. Be kind to yourself and remember that you dont have to be happy to have faith that you will one day be happy again. Take days one at a time. If thats too much take hours one at a time. Take a break from work, go on a holiday. Stay with family. Take care of you!

Thanks for the replies.

But again, only being on 20mg for 15 days, how long should I expect to feel this horrible trying to get off this stuff?

I've cut down to 10mg for the past 5 days and still feel brutal in the head and have bad anxiety in the mornings.  Is that good enough weening off, or should i taper longer?

How are you going I'm in the same boat. Almost four weeks on them and stopped 11 days ago. Still cant sleep and I feel so off! :-( I feel like I'll never be me again!!! Hope your doing better! ?