Brill Mark I am glad it's working out for you:shades: ATB
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Eight months on 10mg, still feeling great.
Well that's nearly 15 months on 10mg Cit.
I have been through some very trying situations during this time, including almost getting into physical fights at work, but I have survived and even gotten promoted lol. I am feeling pretty good, nice and level, thinking about dropping to 5mg from April 1st, I reckon I can finally come of Cit as I have grown a thicker skin in the recent months and years and can deal with people `better'.
I'll continue to tell my story on here as I am looking forward to a happy ending. :)
Day two on 5mg
Bit of a headache
Citalopram has a longish half-life, about 36 hours, so plasma levels wouldn't have dropped much 2 days in. Sometimes a headache is just a headache.
BTW-taking antidepressants at sub therapeutic doses for long periods of time may not be a good idea. ADs (and therapy) work by stimulating the growth of new brain cells (neurogenesis) in the hippocampal regions of the brain. It is the cells which provide the therapeutic response, not the AD directly. Sub therapeutic doses may not keep plasma levels high enough to sustain the process at all times and continually interrupting neurogenesis may increase the risk of building tolerance to not only the particular AD, but all of them for studies (Amsterdam JD, 2016 and Amsterdam, 2009) have shown the likelihood of antidepressants working after being discontinued and then restarted drops by 19-25% at each cycle (see also: Amsterdam JD, 2009; Leykin Y, 2007). Sub therapeutic dosing may have the same, albeit perhaps milder effect, but far more often.
Hey well done weaning off the citalopram. I'm just curious, why do we feel we need to come off them at all? so I've suffered with anxiety and panic since I was 13 ( that's 24 years). I went back on citalopram beginning of March. I'm on 20mg. This is the 3rd time I've been on them. previously I've been on them for about 2 years each time, gradually weaning off like you. but the anxiety always comes back. until now I hadn't been on them for 7 years as I had 2 babies and didnt want to be taking them. but looking back I had a lot of anxiety and panic in those 7 years. unbearable levels at times. I kind of dont want to be come off them now. I mean what's the point if I just get I'll again? You wouldn't take someone with diabetes off insulin would you? I think it depends on the person but in my case I honestly think I have a chemical imbalance in my brain that needs correcting.
Anyway I'm not saying what is right or wrong I'm just interested in people's thoughts
Very tired at work today.
I also started taking 5% CBD oil two days ago. Just two drops per night at 8pm.
I'll keep updating as I go.
I've been taking antidepressants since 1987. In the first few years I came off 3 times only to relapse after 3 to 18 months so decided it wasn't worth the hassle of coming off and then on again and have been taking them continually for about 27 years.
There is little evidence most ADs do harm when taken long term and some that they may reduce the risk of dementias, heart attack (serotonergic ADs only) and some cancers. There is also the evidence that ADs become gradually less effective each time they are discontinued and restarted as per my previous post.
Hey panic down under.
Interesting, it obviously hasn't done you any harm. which one are you on and what dose? I agree with you, why come off it you know you'll relapse and have to go back on and go theu all the side effects again. and stress increases cortisol which is bad for your heart so maybe it is better to be on them
A TCA dosulepin, aka dothiepin at 3 x 75mg, but it has now been removed from the British National Formulary and the UK drug regulator has recommended only psychiatrists and other special-care doctors be allowed to prescribe it to new patients. Amitriptyline is the closest TCA to it, however, imho, imipramine is a better TCA.
Not just the heart. High brain cortisol levels are what cause atrophy in parts of the brain. Anxiety and depression are the symptoms of these brain changes which antidepressants (and therapy) reverse, as may exercise and Omega-3/fish oil supplements, albeit to a lesser degree.Quote:
and stress increases cortisol which is bad for your heart