Tapering off Celexa and having horrible symptoms
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hello. I have been on Celexa 20mg for one year. Recently, my doctor and I decided it was time to come off of the medication.
He advised me to taper in the following manner: Take a dose and then skip a day (he had me do this for 3 weeks). Now he has me taking a dose and skipping 2 days. I have been doing this for 2 weeks and am struggling.
I wound up in the ER yesterday as my heart will beat normally and then have 2 quick beats close together. That is just one of the issues I am experiencing. My body shakes, my head feels strange, etc.
The ER doctor did an ekg, chest x-ray and drew blood and, thankfully, the results were all good. However, I can still feel when my heart does that quick beat thing.
He thinks that the way my gp is tapering me off of Celexa may be too harsh and my body is "freaking" out (for lack of a better term).
So, my question is two-fold:
1) Could the taper be too harsh?
2) Could these symptoms that I am experiencing be from the taper?
Thank you in advance for your comments.
0 likes, 13 replies
lois95799 AllianceMike
Posted
Absolutely...you should fire your doctor..that skipping day Medication is a no no.i don't know where they get that recipe from..reach out to katecogs she has lots of experience with tapering. Take care
lois95799 AllianceMike
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AllianceMike lois95799
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lois95799 AllianceMike
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AllianceMike lois95799
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That is very possible. My doctor doesn't really like to prescribe medications unless he feels they are absolutely needed. I like that approach, but there are times that a medication would be beneficial to some people.
I just hate the way I am feeling right now. Still shaky and heart is still doing that little quick beat thing. It doesn't cause any pain, it's just annoying. I am thinking that the way he has me tapering is causing this
lois95799 AllianceMike
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AllianceMike lois95799
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I tend to agree with you. Even the emergency room doc yesterday said to quit going 2 days between doses. It's so discouraging, because I don't know the proper way to taper.
lois95799 AllianceMike
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AllianceMike lois95799
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lois95799 AllianceMike
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AllianceMike lois95799
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katecogs AllianceMike
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Taper is too harsh and you're got withdrawal - absolutely. I spent a whole year withdrawing from 20mg and doing it that way had no withdrawal symptoms at all.
If you skip a dose you're depriving your brain of the meds instead of doing it daily and supplying it with a gradual decline meds. It will notice the absence of meds - badly too.
If you come off too quick or taper down by too big a jump then you'll end up back on the meds for sure.
Buy a pill cutter / crusher. I cut my 20mg into 4 making each one 5mg. I then reduced by 20 / 15 / 10 / 5 / 2.5 / 1.25 and stayed on each reduction for a good 2 months and took them every day - no missed days. I had to crush the last few doses as they'll be too small. This took me a year - there really is no hurry to come off.
I came off once before this and had withdrawal effects even though I spent 6 months that time. Second time around I did it much slower.
katecogs
Posted
Ah - just seen you've private messaged me too