Cold Turkey 40mg citalopram

[HA1989]

Hi All
I have been very silly and gone cold turkey with my Citalopram 40mg

My reasoning is after a year of being on them all the original improvements had gone (health anxiety back to how it was before I was on the tablets). Coupled with this they were giving me bad digestive symptoms. See past posts, or TLDR; constipation making me sure I have bowel cancer.

I also want to try for another baby :)

Since stopping a week ago my side effects have been reduced appetite, increased libido (not complaining), constipation vanished (excellent).

Bad side effect is terrible dizziness that seems to be getting worse, now to the point I don’t want to stand or move my head.

Does anyone have any idea how long this will last or is it likely to get worse?

[panic_down_under]

Hi All
I have been very silly and gone cold turkey with my Citalopram 40mg

This is never a good idea. It would have been better to wean off slowly, or switch to another AD. In most cases the latter can be done overnight with a much faster response than weaning off one AD and starting another.


My reasoning is after a year of being on them all the original improvements had gone (health anxiety back to how it was before I was on the tablets). Coupled with this they were giving me bad digestive symptoms. See past posts, or TLDR; constipation making me sure I have bowel cancer.

How did you plan to cope with the anxiety?


I also want to try for another baby :)

With the exception of paroxetine there is no strong evidence that SSRIs harm the fetus and maternal anxiety/depression can also adversely affect them, both in the short-term and later in life. That said, sertraline is the preferred AD for pregnancy as very little of it gets expressed in breast milk.


Since stopping a week ago my side effects have been reduced appetite, increased libido (not complaining), constipation vanished (excellent).

Bad side effect is terrible dizziness that seems to be getting worse, now to the point I don’t want to stand or move my head.

That is a common withdrawal symptom, but anxiety might also be causing, or exacerbating it.


Does anyone have any idea how long this will last or is it likely to get worse?

Unfortunately, these are 'how long is a piece of string' question which can only be answered with, "it depends." It could be some weeks, but probably won't get any worse. If anxiety is the main driver than the dizziness could continue for some time.

[Scissel]

... increased libido (not complaining), constipation vanished (excellent)...Yeah, that was one good thing about going off ADs, but cold turkey is rough. I switched back to Sertraline from Citalopram, but I'm not sure anything is helping me. You are not on anything at all now? Is your dizziness improving?

[panic_down_under]

I switched back to Sertraline from Citalopram, but I'm not sure anything is helping me.

How much sertraline are you on and how long have you been taking it?

[Scissel]

How much sertraline are you on and how long have you been taking it?I was on for 2 years averaging 100MG. Each time they increased it (at one point I was on 200MG) , libido decreased and that made me more depressed (even though I'm not sexually active and don't plan to ever be). My APRN decided to switch to Citalopram early this year to see if things could improve, but I was feeling depressed and unstable. I decided to get back to 150MG. I just feel hopeless to be honest. I've already been on so many different meds and they've not helped me much. Even the Haloperidol quit on me and I had to stop that. I deal with psychosis off and on. Sort of coming out of an episode currently.

Thank you for trying to help me ... I appreciate it.

[panic_down_under]

I was on for 2 years averaging 100MG. Each time they increased it (at one point I was on 200MG) , libido decreased and that made me more depressed

How long were you in 200mg and, the libido depression aside, did your mood improve at all?


My APRN decided to switch to Citalopram early this year to see if things could improve, but I was feeling depressed and unstable. I decided to get back to 150MG.

Have you ever been prescribed buspirone (Buspar) in addition to a SSRI? Buspirone is a GAD specific med which works well for a few, but does nothing for most, however, when taken with SSRIs and SNRIs it may significantly increase their effectiveness and as a bonus may reduce their side-effects, including sexual dysfunction as I discuss here (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showpost.php?p=1695131&postcount=7).


I just feel hopeless to be honest. I've already been on so many different meds and they've not helped me much. Even the Haloperidol quit on me and I had to stop that. I deal with psychosis off and on. Sort of coming out of an episode currently.

Has therapy been tried? If not, is it an option for you?

[Scissel]

HI Panic..

I was on 200MG only for a short while a few years ago and I felt worse actually. My mood is (currently, and always was) rather unstable even from childhood likely as result from a TBI [Traumatic Brain Injury] I suffered at the age of 4. MRI tests discovered in my early 20's that I have a (somewhat) mild case of Chiari brain malformation. I didn't and don't ever want surgery.

I've mostly stayed at 100MG. I tried Buspar a long time ago and I did help but I kept forgetting to take it so I may mention it to her and "try again, try again". Trouble is: when I wind up in the hospital now, they don't know what to do with me.

I've been in therapy pretty much all my life and I feel like sometimes its fruitless. I just don't see or process things the way (I feel) others do. I do finally have a good therapist, but they can only do so much, but I'll try to be optimistic.

Appreciate your advice and concern :)

[Scissel]

Wishing you well; @HA1989, and sorry to have hijacked your thread. Please keep posting here if helps.

[panic_down_under]

I was on 200MG only for a short while a few years ago and I felt worse actually.

Anxiety and depression may worsen in the weeks after increasing an AD dose so there might have been significant improvement if it was given more time. I'd give a dose change at least 8-12 weeks, perhaps even longer depending on the med and circumstances.


My mood is (currently, and always was) rather unstable even from childhood likely as result from a TBI [Traumatic Brain Injury] I suffered at the age of 4. MRI tests discovered in my early 20's that I have a (somewhat) mild case of Chiari brain malformation.

...Trouble is: when I wind up in the hospital now, they don't know what to do with me.

This makes it hard for doctors to devise a treatment as there is little data for them to go on. Anxiety (also depression) can be difficult to treat even in uncomplicated cases.


I've mostly stayed at 100MG. I tried Buspar a long time ago and I did help but I kept forgetting to take it so I may mention it to her and "try again, try again".

Did you try it on its own, or in addition to a AD? As per my earlier post, buspirone is one of a number of hit and miss meds which work well for some and not at all for most, but it can be very effective as a SSRI/SNRI booster, or side-effects moderator. If you get to try it in addition to sertraline then ask for the 24 hour slow-release formulation so you only need to take it once a day (it also comes in immediate-release tablets which need to be taken 3 times a day, or a 12 hr slow-release).


but I'll try to be optimistic.

Good!! :) Things only become hopeless when people give up.

[Batman]

I'm on 40mg citalopram, have been for 5 or 6 years now. I conceived very easily, went through my entire pregnancy still taking my dose, baby is now a2 year old toddler... He's fine, and I'm still in my meds... Cold turkey sounds insane to do from such a high dose... Have you talked this through with your doctor??!