Citalopram, Sex, Coming Off. Advice?

[MaxHeadroom]

Hi, I I've been taking 10mg of Citalopram for one month now. Last night, I forgot to take it and today feel a bit heady. But I had been thinking of coming off it, as it's affected my legendary sex drive :shades:. But seriously, am I likely to suffer side-effects in coming off it, after only taken the drug for one month? I should say, I suffered large bouts of anxiety coming on it...

Thanks.

[Smiley?]

i've read loads about the horrors of withdrawing from citalopram. It seems from what I have read that it doesn't seem to matter if you come off gradually or just go cold turkey - the withdrawal symptoms happen whatever!

I went to the GP on tuesday expecting him to not allow me to just stop taking my daily 20mg - but he didn't have a problem with me going cold turkey! He says withdrawal symptoms are a rare occurence (which i'm not sure is true) but i suppose i'll find out soon enough.

The main thing to remember is that people are affected in different ways by both depression and the meds. I certainly think my sex drive has been affected by the citalopram (and/or depression) it seems to be a common side-effect....

....i'll let u know if that returns once i've got the drug out of my system ;-)

[joyce1980]

Careful Drs are not well informed and although you are not addicted as such, the discontinuatioin symptoms are very extreme.

Fuzzy feeling in your head, pins and needles in your arms and legs, headache, detached feeling, cranky and nervous.

Please be careful

[MaxHeadroom]

Thanks, but will it really be so bad, given that I've only been taking it for one month - and a small dose at that?

[Smiley?]

it's in your system so it's gotta get out again. You never know what will happen

[pipsie]

I am curently in the process of coming off citalopram as I don't like the side effects, especially the weight gain! Unfortunately the side effects have returned! I'm anxious, low, tired etc etc. I feel that gp's don't make us fully aware of how bad it can be going on and coming off these tablets. Good luck let us know how you get on. Pipsie

[andrea568]

Hi, I was on Citalopram for almost four years and I gained weight as well. I tapered them down when I first stopped but the main side effect for me was continual vomitting and weakness in the arms and legs.
As I kept bringing the meds back up I didn't see the point in carrying on with the taper so I just stopped.
It is very like coming off a class A addictive drug, so I'm told!! cold turkey, It's been almost a fortnight now and I feel a lot better though there's been a few manic, lunatic in the attic type, breakouts.:blush:
A xxx