Desperate. Sudden withdrawal. Help!

[StupidIdiot]

I am a stupid idiot. I've done it before and I've done it again. I have done a Citalopram cold turkey. I know how ridiculous that is, and yes, I should know better.
I've been on 20mg a day for about three years. I stopped taking them about three weeks to a month ago. I have brain zaps, nightmares, insomnia, irritability, constant pressure headache, palpitations, mood swings, tears and go from high to low, physically slow and exhausted but mentally flying. Too many thoughts, can't sleep, doom and gloom etc. You don't need to tell me how stupid I am because I know.:doh: I don't feel depressed, I just feel like I need to go and lie down in a hospital for a month while someone sorts my brain chemistry out. I know this is not practical :winks:
So please help. I have at my disposal, packs of 20mg Citalopram. I also have packs of 20mg Prozac (they're my Mum's but I've been on them years ago and was okay on them). I am not at home so can't see my GP for a couple of months and a temporary GP won't know my history and it's pot luck if I find one knowledgeable about this, so...
A) Should I go back on the Citalopram until I can see my regular GP in a couple of weeks' time?
B) Start taking Prozac as they have a longer half life, then see my regular GP in a couple of weeks?
C) Go through the pain barrier, I've come this far, how much longer can these withdrawal effects last?
Please, please, please help. I'm a carer for my Mum at the moment who has cancer and I cannot afford to lose what is left of my marbles as she is depending on me.:flowers: J x

[nomorepanic]

Hi and :welcome:

I am not going to tell you that you are stupid for stopping but I would say to stick at it now and not start them again or take the Prozac either. You may as well seeing as it has been several weeks now.

Sorry to hear about your mum as well

[dexrated]

just be aware that if you still have cit in your system taking another drug on top could have even worse side effects

[StupidIdiot]

Thank you so much Nicola and Dex.
I would like to be able to see it through the withdrawal as I've come this far. My depression isn't a problem at the moment and so if I can clear these after effects soon, I'll be delighted. Thank you. I must reiterate in case anyone is reading this and it scares them off taking Citalopram; it wasn't the drug that was the problem, it was the rash way in which I stopped taking it. It helped me through some tough times, absolutely.

[R4963]

Dear Stupididiot, sorry to hear you feel rubbish. I completely and utterly empathise. I've been going through sertraline/zoloft withdrawals for 16 weeks now and i know how you feel. I didn't CT but weaned down properly.
Firstly just like to say, my mum came off Citalopram CT and she felt ill for 5ish weeks but she's ok now.
After my 4 months of withdrawal hell i can say things do get easier. I no longer have the crying spells, pain attacks, chest pains, palpitations etc but i do still have back,arm ache and pins and needles and cramps. I discovered a brilliant charity staffed by volunteers called CITA in the UK they have dedicated councellors who will phone you if you're really struggling with withdrawal. Good luck. I'm sure you won't need to call them- you can cope with it if it's only short term xxx

[oneofus]

> just be aware that if you still have cit in your system taking another drug on top could have even worse side effects

Citalopram has a very short half life, you lose about 50% of it in 36 hours. That may sound like a good thing, but it isn't.

Your body has to replace the effect of the Citalopram and recently it's been found that it over compensates; a little like a large wave sloshing about in a bath and you end up being swamped by your bodies response to ripping off the Citalopram 'plaster' so to speak. So you really should wean yourself off slowly so the level drops slowly and you don't causes your body to over compensate for it's loss.

one of us

[StupidIdiot]

I thought I'd pop in and update you. I lasted and lasted and waited and waited for the side effects to go away. The brain zaps are more or less gone but my anxiety levels went through the roof. Now, I don't know if this is still withdrawal or it's because I'm under an awful lot of stress at the moment. I saw the GP yesterday and she's put me back on 20mg a day, for at least 6 months. These past couple of weeks have been two of the worst in my life, but again, I don't know if it's withdrawal or return of stress-related depression. Whichever, I am back on the pills and will NOT be going cold turkey ever, ever again.