Positive story about citalopram withdrawal

[harasgenster]

Because you need some more positives on this site :)

In the past, I have always struggled with discontinuation syndrome, despite being largely unaffected by side effects when starting the medication.

If you're struggling, consider whether your anxiety is really under control. If it's not, therapy is key (in my experience).

Over the years I reduced the amount of medication I was taking until recently I was on 20mg. Over the last 6 weeks I have weaned from 20 to 0.

I experienced dizziness, nausea, some really odd symptoms to do with the nerves (electric shock-style feelings in my limbs when I touched things - that one was bizarre!), sleep disturbance, anxiety and episodes of depression. As usual for me, the discontinuation syndrome was worse than the initial side effects (not everyone is like this).

The difference this time was that I was able to cope with the feelings, reminding myself that it doesn't matter if I'm ill (part of my problem was getting impatient if I wasn't at my peak or couldn't work to the same standard as normal) and that the symptoms I was experiencing were the result of the discontinuation syndrome, not a sign I was becoming ill again.

I'm glad I've done it and I found it virtually painless. The symptoms were the same, but my reaction to them was completely different. This made all the difference to me.

So my advice, if you're struggling to come off the pills, is to seek some good therapy. The way in which my thoughts have changed through the particular brand of therapy I had has made every aspect of my life much easier. It might sound harsh written down here, but what I took away from it was "so what if you're uncomfortable?" I don't mean that in a critical way (like 'buck up'!), I just mean what's the worst that's going to happen?

Admittedly I never suffered from health anxiety, and I can see how things might be different for those that do since you are afraid of the physical symptoms. With me, the fear of the physical symptoms was that they would ruin my life by making it more difficult for me to achieve at work/education/socialising. In the past, my various mental health disorders had turned my life upside down several times, once leading me to become homeless, other times removing key life opportunities that equated to my "dreams", so everytime I felt physical symptoms I thought I might end up in dire straits again.

I think it's important to know why discontinuation syndrome feels "unbearable" to you - what is it that you think it will do? - in order to be able to get through it. And being able to get through it with new thoughts in your head I think also gives you the confidence that you have truly changed.

Good luck everybody, and I hope others have the same experience I have had.

[Tanner40]

Thanks for sharing this positive story. You are so right that it's our thoughts and beliefs that affect the way that we view events. We can choose to accept them and let it go, or choose to dwell on them and fuel the fires of anxiety.

Great job and congratulations to you.

[harasgenster]

Thanks Tanner - really sorry, I didn't see you had replied until now! I hope you are doing well.

I'm still doing well on this, although I'm quite surprised that I'm still having problems with dizziness etc. without having any medication in my system at all. Fingers crossed it's gone by Christmas! :)

[T2711]

So true! I really hope people take something from your experience. For me, I went from 40 to nothing over quite a few months, struggling with weaning off completely at the end. My biggest problem was the depression. I felt it was much worse when coupled with the headaches and stomach aches too. I felt desperate and just terrible. Personally, I knew I had to go back on a low dose then and wean off more slowly.

I think it is unbelievably hard to come off if you do suffer from discontinuation syndrome but I agree that it really is in the mind. You have to be so determined to come off. I definitely see that it could be more difficult if you get health anxiety. I wasn't worried about those side effects as I knew it was a sign if the drugs coming out of my system which strangely felt satisfying!

Hope you're doing well citalopram free. Do you feel any side effects still it are they completely gone now? Do you feel different off the tablets? I find it interesting to hear how people feel when they're not on citalopram. I've definitely noticed that my emotions are a lot stronger than when I was on them. I cry at literally everything on tv now, I can only say that I felt 'numb' on them, if that makes sense!

[harasgenster]

So true! I really hope people take something from your experience. For me, I went from 40 to nothing over quite a few months, struggling with weaning off completely at the end. My biggest problem was the depression. I felt it was much worse when coupled with the headaches and stomach aches too. I felt desperate and just terrible. Personally, I knew I had to go back on a low dose then and wean off more slowly.

The depression has the been the worst thing for me as well. It's been worse than I thought it would be - I've had times where I just can't see the point anymore - but I just remind myself it's part of the syndrome and say to myself 'wait a month, you won't feel like this anymore'.


I think it is unbelievably hard to come off if you do suffer from discontinuation syndrome but I agree that it really is in the mind. You have to be so determined to come off. I definitely see that it could be more difficult if you get health anxiety. I wasn't worried about those side effects as I knew it was a sign if the drugs coming out of my system which strangely felt satisfying!
I wouldn't say the symptoms themselves are in the mind, because I have had exactly the same symptoms I usually have - and I would be lying if I said I haven't had several times of thinking 'I just don't want to do this anymore', but what makes the difference is that I'm better now at putting it into perspective - yeah, it feels pretty horrible, but I can bear it, it's short-term, it's going to get better. You've just got to distract yourself sometimes.


Hope you're doing well citalopram free. Do you feel any side effects still it are they completely gone now? Do you feel different off the tablets? I find it interesting to hear how people feel when they're not on citalopram. I've definitely noticed that my emotions are a lot stronger than when I was on them. I cry at literally everything on tv now, I can only say that I felt 'numb' on them, if that makes sense!

I definitely feel more emotions, and I find that comforting. I also felt numb. In all honesty, the syndrome is much worse now at week 7 (I had my last pill 6 days ago) than it has been the whole time, which has surprised me as I thought it would gradually get better rather than worse! Today was the first day I had to take time off work because the room was spinning for most of the day! It's uncomfortable, definitely, and I'm really looking forward to it being over! But from what I've read the symptoms usually disappear 1 month after your last pill, so I just keep that in mind and distract myself :D

The worst thing has probably been the depression, and I'm struggling with things like making sure I eat, getting a shower, getting out of bed etc. After that, I'd say it's the dizziness, which gets worse when I move; and then the electric shock sensations (which I don't get in my brain, but in my body, which I hadn't heard of before).

It's been unpleasant, but I think the important thing is not focusing on it, not getting too wrapped up in it, and not getting annoyed or frustrated. What's a couple of months of illness compared with years stuck on pills?! :)

Also, if anyone is reading who is thinking of coming off and this is scaring you - I have a history of pretty bad discontinuation syndrome. For most people it is mild, and some people get nothing at all!

[XanetiaOfTheDelphae]

Thanks so much for sharing your fantastic story harasgenster - well done you! :-)

[T2711]

How are you feeling? Over a week off now? I think we must be around the same stage. I'm on day 7 off completely and suffering. Feeling really low. Haven't had many physical side effects yet, just feeling terribly low.

I know you've got to just push through it but it is not easy. I hope you're finding it ok?

[harasgenster]

How are you feeling? Over a week off now? I think we must be around the same stage. I'm on day 7 off completely and suffering. Feeling really low. Haven't had many physical side effects yet, just feeling terribly low.

I know you've got to just push through it but it is not easy. I hope you're finding it ok?

I'm on day nine completely off and the physical effects and low mood are definitely lessening. I've got terrible insomnia at the moment, which is why I'm up at this time of night! But the dizziness/judderiness when I move isn't as bad as it was at the weekend and I'm not quite as low as I was. I still feel very dissatisfied with life in general - I'm not looking forward to anything, I can't be bothered with anything, I wish life was completely different etc. So I'm not in a good mood, but I'm not as depressed as I was. It seems to have lifted today so hopefully I'm on my way back up!

Keep going, it won't last too long. And you'll be back to feeling alright again before you know it! I've been getting really irritated with all the feelings I'm having - and the dizziness and insomnia are driving me insane! - but hey, it'll get better :)

[Tero]

I come heer on and off, so I'm not going to start a whole diary thread. Yet.

I was on my last week of 1/4 pills which was 5 mg a day. Now going with none for a week. Some dizzyness and some of the same sleepyness still that I always had when I was on 20mg a day.

I have a week off work. Back to work on 30th. I am still on amitriptyline but I have cut that to half too.

[harasgenster]

Just an update to let you all know: AT exactly 8 weeks since I started tapering off citalopram, and two weeks after my last pill, the dizziness and electric shock sensations stopped. No more physical symptoms at all.

I feel a bit irritable, but nothing worse than that.

Hope this gives you all a bit of hope if you're struggling through discontinuation syndrome right now!

[Tero]

Well, it can't be worse than panic attacks, the discontinuation.

[harasgenster]

Well, it can't be worse than panic attacks, the discontinuation.

Absolutely, you should always do what's best for you.

I'm personally better at coping with panic attacks than I am with discontinuation, as panic attacks I feel like I have some control over whereas discontinuation I don't!

But some people are really well suited to meds and they don't even get discontinuation syndrome at all - in fact, I think that might be true for most people. So I would say it's a no-brainer for most. But if like me you struggle to get off the pills, or they knock you out (I'm a bit of antidepressant lightweight according to my GP so they just send me to sleep!) there are tons of other options too :)

[Tero]

So far so good, two days no meds.

My panic attacks relate to a phobia, so I have even more control of it if I really work at it.

Take care.
ADD: Now one week off citalopram. Have had some symptoms of what I took to be migraine symptoms...dizzyness. Other than that, no weirdness, no shocks happened.

[Tero]

OK, so now at about 16 days. No funny effects. In my experience the anxiety was more memorable than the withdrawal. But the tapering is probably essential.

[Tero]

Month is gone. I don't think I'll be going back to citalopram. Been there done that.

[DELIBY99]

Good for you. I'm on 20MG and the doctor says I can taper from this month. I still get moments of aniety so I not sure it would be agood idea . How do you really know when you are ready?