eaamesnyc
18-09-13, 22:51
At the beginning of July, I chatted with my doctor and we decided that it was OK for me to wean off of 20mg citalopram. Over the course of July I tapered from 20mg to 15 to 10 to 5 (for a few days) then to 0.
The first two weeks I was getting brain zaps and headaches like crazy. I still went to work and tried to stay active but it was tough. Week 3 and 4 I started developing flu/cold symptoms though I'm not sure if it was withdrawal or me being actually sick with a cold. Throughout the process my insomnia which caused me to go on citalopram in the first place came back but instead of taking Ambien I took a low dose of benadryl each night and it seemed to help somewhat.
Fast forward to today where this Friday will be 7 weeks off completely. I still get the "shocks" every now and then but they have greatly reduced in intensity and frequency. I have periods of nervousness and restlessness but they seem to go away after a few minutes and not send me down a spiral like before. I'm now sleeping without medication or aids though I have to admit, it could be better (waking up on some nights after 3 hours and can't go back to sleep) but for the most part, getting 5-6 hours a night.
Every day seems to be better than the day before. I told myself that I would give myself about 3 months to see where I'm at and that if I needed to go back, that there would be no harm. But from what seemed like a crappy experience a few weeks ago, I stuck with staying positive and now feel a lot better than I did.
My advice to those of you who have just quit and are having trouble coping is to stick with it. Yes, you will feel like crap. What helped me was taking a week off shortly after my last dose and went home to see my family to destress and just relax without the worries of anything. I told myself that it is worth having some discomfort for a few weeks for a lifetime benefit. Think about yourself like an athlete who just suffered a broken arm and just needs a few weeks or months to heal before he can get back on the field again.
I'm hoping that at the end of October (my self-imposed "checkpoint") I will be on the road to full recovery and feel like myself again.
Good luck, everyone!
The first two weeks I was getting brain zaps and headaches like crazy. I still went to work and tried to stay active but it was tough. Week 3 and 4 I started developing flu/cold symptoms though I'm not sure if it was withdrawal or me being actually sick with a cold. Throughout the process my insomnia which caused me to go on citalopram in the first place came back but instead of taking Ambien I took a low dose of benadryl each night and it seemed to help somewhat.
Fast forward to today where this Friday will be 7 weeks off completely. I still get the "shocks" every now and then but they have greatly reduced in intensity and frequency. I have periods of nervousness and restlessness but they seem to go away after a few minutes and not send me down a spiral like before. I'm now sleeping without medication or aids though I have to admit, it could be better (waking up on some nights after 3 hours and can't go back to sleep) but for the most part, getting 5-6 hours a night.
Every day seems to be better than the day before. I told myself that I would give myself about 3 months to see where I'm at and that if I needed to go back, that there would be no harm. But from what seemed like a crappy experience a few weeks ago, I stuck with staying positive and now feel a lot better than I did.
My advice to those of you who have just quit and are having trouble coping is to stick with it. Yes, you will feel like crap. What helped me was taking a week off shortly after my last dose and went home to see my family to destress and just relax without the worries of anything. I told myself that it is worth having some discomfort for a few weeks for a lifetime benefit. Think about yourself like an athlete who just suffered a broken arm and just needs a few weeks or months to heal before he can get back on the field again.
I'm hoping that at the end of October (my self-imposed "checkpoint") I will be on the road to full recovery and feel like myself again.
Good luck, everyone!