Ready to come off Citalopram after 6 years???

[baby_amanda]

Hi there,

I'm hoping for mainly positive feedback about getting off Citalopram and getting back to normal.

I've been on this drug for 6 years now. My dose has varried from 20mg to 40mg sometimes, i go a year on 20mg and then a year on 40mg. I started it when I was 17 years old and suffering from panic attacks. I was having them like 10 times a day and didn't know what to do. At the time I did not want to see counsellors or speak to anyone.
I was suffering from P.T.S.D. but I did not know it at the time. I was molested and sexually abused by my stepfather for about 5 years and never dealt with it or spoke about it.

So now I just recently started seeking help and counsell to speak with people and started going to church and I really am on a path to be me again. My panic attacks have been on and off for a while. I average about 1 bad one a month.

About 6 months ago I kinda suffered a breakdown and then at last started dealing with my issues and finding ways to get better and since then I no longer have heart racing or hard to breathe. Now i'm am suffering from indigestion and hard time focusing and sometimes hard time relaxing.

But I am starting school in september and I want to try and get off the medication now.

My doctor said to wait til november but the last week I feel the citalopam has not been having its affect of me. I have been having the withdrawl symptoms like whoosing head and dizzyness and kidna shaky but i dont feel anxious.

Could it be possible it is no longer working for me?

I am also taking Wellbutrin low dose to help with concentrating. So my doctor advised me when ready to come off citalopram to stay with the wellbrutin because it is a lighter anti-depressent.

But I really do not want to be on Citalopram anymore, my creativity has gone out the window, my libido has gone down severly and I have like no emotions. I feel now I can handle my stresses and feel good enough to be without.

What does everyone think?

Thank you

[Ingenious]

I think firstly to say well done, from what you have been through you're a fighter and should be proud to have got to where you are. If you feel that Citalopram is no longer working for you, or you feel its other effects are too detrimental (ie. the lack of creativity or libido) then I'd say why not give it a try, until you come off it you won't really know. If you believe you'll be better without it and feel strong enough, this is the key really to coping with life without it. It's encouraging that you have a purpose and desire now to come off it, and you mention church too, so you are developing a great support network.

Coming off medication is sometimes unpleasant in the short term as your body adjusts, I agree with your GP that you should wait until a time in your life when you can best cope with some upheaval.

So many people come off one or more of their medications and never look back, it may well be this suited you in the years gone by but you're strong enough to do without it, as you say, to find your real self again. Bear in mind too, if you do find it hard without Citalopram you can soon resume it if you have to. Good luck!