View Full Version : Coming off Citalopram Cold Turkey - Not Recommended!!
As the title suggests, I decided that the medication was no longer doing me any use. With the help of the medication I have overcome my issues to the point where I feel I can cope without them.
This week, I reached the end of my current perscription, and with things going great I felt theor wasn't really a need to renew the perscription. This is something I am now starting to regret a little.
When you read on the net that these things aren't supposed to be just "stopped", they aren't exagerating.
My last tablet was about 6 days and I currently feel like crap. Never felt anything like it. I feel like I've got THE worse head cold in existence with everything from Headache, Dizzyness, Tiredness, Nasal Congestion and REALLY weird "brain pops" as I call them.
All this is normal (so I've read) but I thought I'd post this as a warning to those in a similar situation....when they say you should Wean off the meds....they aren't lying!! http://www.digital-forums.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif
I'm not sure there's a way to speed up this process so I'm just going to have to ride it out. Sleeping through it seems to be the best thing, but I'm at work atm, so sleeping is out of the question.
I could pickup my perscription and go back on a low dose, but I feel that I've put up with feeling like poo for so long that I might as well stick it out now.
As my withdrawl feels like Flu, does anyone know if paracetamol will null the feeling any?
yorkylover
04-06-07, 11:24
Hi I came of citalopram last year,and came off very slowly,I was on 60 mg.I still felt like poo.
After 3 months my symptoms returned.I had to go back on them.Im now on 20 mg.Im really glad I went back on them.
I only took 4 days worth of it and came off it yesturday,
feeling very washed out and tierd.
I cant imagine how it feels for you ? Why dont you ast your gp what you can take to help you ?
Hiya,
I was on 10mg of citalopram and was doing really well, so decided that I would stop them, and did it by going 'cold turkey' .............. woah huge mistake :blush: I lasted 6 months before I couldnt even leave the house :weep: I should have weaned myself off but i thought I knew best lol.
Well I am now back on the 10mg a day again and next time I decided I am ready to stop them I will do it with my doctors advice, because I am so not going down that path again.
Love
Trac xxxx
I thought I'd be OK, the first few days were great, but today I feel like complete pooooop.
I'll get my new perscription tonight and go back on them. It's been lass than a week off, do you think I'll be able to hop straight back on at 20mg without much trouble?
I'm pretty sure it would stay in your system for quite a while but I really think it's best to ask a pharmacist/doctor for proper advice about weaning yourself off them.
nomorepanic
04-06-07, 23:10
I would never ever recommend going cold turkey - you will feel rubbish for a while.
Never do this!
I would never ever recommend going cold turkey - you will feel rubbish for a while.
Never do this!
Sadly for me this was a lesson learnt the hard way. It was one of those "how bad could it be?" thoughts.
The answer is "REALLY BAD!".
I'm actually not too bad today. Still feel like I've got a head full or cotton wool and that I'm sitting on a rollercoaster. It comes in waves now, sometimes dizzy, sometimes a tiny bit of nausea, sometimes a headache. It changes every 30mins. All the time with brain pops.
Unlike the last few days though I can feel that this is clearing.
However, I might just go back on the Citalopram again then wean off properly. This feeling, although better, could last weeks still.
I came off it cold turkey too, a few years ago.
It was like the worst sickness I'd ever had, I felt like I was going to die. I felt sick but couldn't throw up. I felt as weak as a kitten and I'm a big strong guy usually! It was horrible but worth it in the long run.
Surround yourself with friends that care and that can be part of the battle won. It worked for me. I'll never be totally better but I'm ok with where I'm at right now.
Take Care
Gordon
Hi guys.
My boyfriends been on citalopram for probably around 6months...
when he first when on them (10mg) he was depressed (along with other things).
Yesterday he told me he'd only got 1 left, and i said to him why don't you stop taking them for a couple of days and see how it goes.
Basically, hes lot better than he ever has been since he started taking them, i mean, he was really at rock bottom when he first when to his GP.
Now, he's not depressed and he knows how to control his other problems.
I just wondered if everyone that went cold turkey thought it was eventually worth it?
I really don't think he needs to take them anymore but he's abit reluctant to keep going back to his GP.
Last time he went was about a month ago, and they said carry on for another 6 months (20mg) ...which i thinks aload of crap really but hey.
Just wanted some peoples advise and stories??
Thankyou
Lauren
Hello. I would like to share my experience. :blush:I abruptly stopped my daily 40mg dose of citalopram 5 months ago after over 12 years of taking it, and against the advice of my doctor. Having read about other peoples experiences on-line, I expected to have some withdrawal symptoms but had no idea what they might be. All I can tell you is that for the last 5 months, I have suffered confusion, anxiety, paranoia, palpitations, and distress. I have been entirely overwhelmed by everything. I have had to drag myself out of bed and into work. I have felt irritable, tired, unhappy and life has had no meaning or pleasure for me. Most days I have cried endlessly. It has almost destroyed my marriage. All of the sympoms I experienced were how I felt prior to being prescribed citalopram and they flooded back with a vengence once I ceased my medication. For a while I believed I was "withdrawing" and hoped the dark period would pass. I know understand that I was not withdrawing, but rather my mental health was declining gradually over these last four and a half months. One very dark morning, when I could hardly speak for crying and was desperate for someone to help me, I returned to my GP and I am now back on my citalopram. I feel calmer already, the anxiety and desperation that had been worrying my face has gone. I look happier and feel happier. Some people genuinely require antidepressants to enable them to live happier lives. I am one of those people - having battled with feelings of low self-esteem, worthlessness, ocd, and anxiety since I was 13 years old. I am now 45. The last 4.5 months have been awful, not only for me but for those people that love and care for me. Please do not underestimate the value of antidrepressants. They have changed my life for the better. The world was a very dark place for me without them :) peace and love to all those people who need help to get them through life, whatever the reason. xxxxx
coming off Citalopram is really awful....
I came off fluvoxamine in 2002 or so, tapered just as the Doc told me, but still suffered from "brain zaps" for several months.
SSRIs I just don't get on with.
Help I went cold turkey off my 20mg of citalopram for Heath anxiety, I feel like I'm dying which ain't great when I worry about cancer all the time, it's been 1 week I feel at my worse today with such a light head weak legs a little sick, the thing is its Inhancing my anxiety which is not gd, I can off them after about 8 months because if the muscle aches and sickness it was like morning sickness, and the side effects soon started to drop off, how much longer is this likely to last as I don't want to give in n go bk on
The pills :-((
Sparkle1984
05-02-13, 20:51
Hi Michelle,
The only way to get rid of the withdrawal symptoms is to go back on the tablets and come off them more slowly. The citalopram survival guide recommends cutting down no faster than 5mg a fortnight. Ask your doctor what they recommend. You can buy a pill cutter from any chemist, and this will help you cut the pills in half. There is no rush to come off this medication - take as much time as you need to get better. Furthermore, by weaning off more slowly, you are less likely to suffer a relapse of your anxiety/depression.
I am currently coming off citalopram myself. I was originally on 10mg (for nearly 6 months) and I had my doctor's review about 10 days ago. The doctor thought I was ready to come off them, so she suggested reducing my dose to 5mg a day (by cutting the pills in half) for 4 weeks. I'm now 10 days into this reduced dose and I've experienced minimal withdrawal effects (apart from the odd nightmare/sleep disturbance here and there).
If you are feeling this bad, then clearly you have withdrawn too quickly. Honestly, there is no rush to come off these meds, so don't be afraid to ask your doctor for more tablets so you can come off them more slowly. :)
---------- Post added at 20:51 ---------- Previous post was at 20:46 ----------
Another thing I'd add is that if you were finding the side effects of citalopram too disruptive, you could ask your doctor for a different type of medication instead, and then when you are ready to come off it, do it slowly.
After moving from a small US town to just outside London, I had pretty intense social anxiety. I was given 10mg of citalopram per day. No one told me the risks in pregnancy. I wasbtold it was fine. I switched GPs two-week ago and she made me stop cold turkey!
I feel horrible! I am dizzy, moody, nauseous, and so jittery that I cannot sit still. When I do sleep, I have insanely realistic nightmares. Also, my baby has not been as active since I stopped this drug. The quack says it is fine, but surely my baby is experiencing a bit of the withdrawals as well. I have also lost four pounds. I'm sure that can't be good while carrying a child.
How long can I expect this withdrawal hell to last? I'm sure not getting answers from the quack!
How long can I expect this withdrawal hell to last? I'm sure not getting answers from the quack!
Goodness, sorry to hear about your experience. But two weeks is roughly how long it takes most people to normalize to a dose change, up or down.
I have heard about single and/or small doses of prozac being quite useful to fend off initial withdrawal symptoms, but that was for coming off venlafaxine, which has very short half-life. I think the idea is to go from a shorter half-life substance to a longer half-life one.
Another trick that I remember, also from coming off venlafaxine, was to take small doses of benadryl (diphenhydramine). If I remember correctly, the later is a nonselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor which actually got the whole search started for the SSRIs, back in the 1960s. There is some anecdotal evidence that it might help tamp down some of the scarier SSRI withdrawal effects e.g. the brain zaps and such.
Another thing you might do is have a look at those 'natural' substances like St. John's Wort which we are all supposed to avoid while on certain SSRIs... the things that appear in the warning list for serotonin syndrome. See here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin_syndrome
Perhaps you might be able to pick up some St. J's and get some benefit.
The single most beneficial thing any of us can do, I strongly believe, is to commit to a rigorous and regular exercise regimen. Really, none of these SSRI meds is a whole solution; healthy brain chemistry requires good exercise and good diet etc. too. Ideally, we'd all have everything in place before dialing down the SSRI, but unfortunately, a lot of people rush things too much, and/or get poor advice from an inexperienced GP, and don't have a proper strategy in place for coming off.
How long will you feel the discontinuation symptoms? Well, if you're already long past the half life and still feeling them, then they may persist until you develop a more aggressive strategy for dealing with them. Perhaps the brain has lost some of its ability to adapt to changes around certain receptors. Then perhaps you may even need to retrace your steps i.e. go back on the med and dial down slowly.
you should never come off it cold turkey!!! the warnings are there for a reason!!!
im weaning off slowly, i've been on 40mg for 3 years, with little or no effect for months now, i'm starting CBT soon and i hope once i've switched to something else, the combination of CBT AND another anxiety med will do the trick..
sorry to hear you're suffering but my only advice is to see your gp and be prepared fora lecture!! and hopefully something to help the symptoms!!
Hi new poster... I came off citalopram 30mg cold turkey last Monday after taking them for 8 months. I found out my boyfriend had been cheating on me for 6 months on the Sunday before I stopped the meds and also the Friday before I had my contraceptive IUD coil removed so my hormones and emotions are all over the place as it is, maybe I'm not the best to rely on for this.
I have had a bit of a cold since last Wednesday, just a bad cough and a bit of a runny nose so I've had the flu like symptoms. I honestly cannot stop crying but I'm pretty sure even if I'd stayed on the meds I would still be crying and upset given the circumstances with my boyfriend (well now ex boyfriend)! The littlest things are setting me off... I heard the first line of an Adele song last night and I cried for hours!
My moods are all over the place- sometimes I feel really positive and good and then other times I feel so low and I want to hurt myself. I wouldn't say I'm as low as having suicidal thoughts again but I'm definitely thinking "I wish I could just f*ck off, what's the point" quite frequently. I'm also feeling very anxious but I've managed to prevent two anxiety attacks so far.
My depression started sinking in when I had my IUD fitted. I had it fitted in December 2014 and by March 2015 I had my first diagnosis of depression and anxiety. I think having the stupid thing removed and getting rid of what started the depression in the first place is what's helping subside my side effects a bit. I'm hoping so anyway! I know my body is trying to adjust to the lack of citalopram and the lack of hormones from the coil so I'm just so all over the place at the moment. I'm struggling to differentiate between withdrawals from the SSRI, hormone imbalances from the IUD and being genuinely upset about being cheated on. It's so much to deal with at once :wacko::wacko::wacko::wacko:
MyNameIsTerry
10-05-16, 13:42
Goodness, sorry to hear about your experience. But two weeks is roughly how long it takes most people to normalize to a dose change, up or down.
I have heard about single and/or small doses of prozac being quite useful to fend off initial withdrawal symptoms, but that was for coming off venlafaxine, which has very short half-life. I think the idea is to go from a shorter half-life substance to a longer half-life one.
Another trick that I remember, also from coming off venlafaxine, was to take small doses of benadryl (diphenhydramine). If I remember correctly, the later is a nonselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor which actually got the whole search started for the SSRIs, back in the 1960s. There is some anecdotal evidence that it might help tamp down some of the scarier SSRI withdrawal effects e.g. the brain zaps and such.
Another thing you might do is have a look at those 'natural' substances like St. John's Wort which we are all supposed to avoid while on certain SSRIs... the things that appear in the warning list for serotonin syndrome. See here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin_syndrome
Perhaps you might be able to pick up some St. J's and get some benefit.
The single most beneficial thing any of us can do, I strongly believe, is to commit to a rigorous and regular exercise regimen. Really, none of these SSRI meds is a whole solution; healthy brain chemistry requires good exercise and good diet etc. too. Ideally, we'd all have everything in place before dialing down the SSRI, but unfortunately, a lot of people rush things too much, and/or get poor advice from an inexperienced GP, and don't have a proper strategy in place for coming off.
How long will you feel the discontinuation symptoms? Well, if you're already long past the half life and still feeling them, then they may persist until you develop a more aggressive strategy for dealing with them. Perhaps the brain has lost some of its ability to adapt to changes around certain receptors. Then perhaps you may even need to retrace your steps i.e. go back on the med and dial down slowly.
You switch to a long half life to reduce the sharp withdrawal of a short half life med. Ven to Fluoxetine is the example in this post but it's a Benzo strategy too e.g. from Xanax to Diazepam. It makes it less intense.
It's not single use or low dose switching at all. It's comparitive dose switching to the new one to stabilise first and then withdraw. Single dose would be pretty worthless.
I would be very careful with St. John's Wort as well because they can cause Serotonin Syndrome when used together with SSRI/SNRI meds and unless you understand drug elimination, you put yourself at risk of this. I really wouldn't recommend it. Half lives of drugs are not half the time the drug is eliminated, far from it since drugs are eliminated as a continually reducing % i. e. they are slowing down. So with something like Cit with a 35 half life it will be much longer before the body eliminates it.
And stabilisation in blood plasma takes just under 8 days on Cit which is very close to the standard pharmacokinetic calculation.
If people plan on experimenting with suggestions like in this post please ensure you learn about drug distribution & elimination before doing anything like this.
LiveAboveIt
10-05-16, 14:59
I lasted about 4 weeks through 20mg Citalopram cold turkey withdrawal. Had to be put on Sertraline because I was coming unhinged and became mildly suicidal, extreme anxiety, etc.
Wouldnt reccommend cold turkey.
Hey everybody,
While everyone is onboard with stopping cold-turkey being bad, I have to say that I've been off for a couple weeks now (cold turkey) after having been on 20mg for 2 years. I had a little irritability at first, but nothing really even worth going into. I don't advise doing this in general though, but for Citalopram I haven't had any issues. I'm sleeping well and feel great.
Thanks!
Matt
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