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Ok, so I've had the best 12 months out of the last 18 years.
I want to stop, so after reading lots of threads on the subject, I'm taking 10mg tonight instead of the usual 20mg.
I'll post a daily diary to keep you updated, and to give me some perspective on it.
Take care x
Good news mate :D
Are you doing it with the doctor (that sounds well ..lol.) I know a lady who has been on them for 5 years .
I,ve been on them since early January and have been told i will be on them for six months .
Good luck mate , i,m sure you won,t need it :yesyes:
:yahoo:good luck, hope goes well, ive reduced from 40mgs now till 25g, and sunday i am going for 20mgs , ive been on cit 2.5 yrs , this is my 2nd attempt to come of them as i think i went to quick last time hence reducing in 5mgs instead of 10mg as side effects were to much. still have side effects but easier 2 manage:unsure: an dare i say it im feeling a bit more normal and not as numb to everything around me!:yesyes:
Well this is the second day on 10mg. Doing a fair bit of yawning. Feel a little more awake than usual. More aware of my surroundings also.
Hi mate, I came off cold turkey from 30mg and it's been 2 months of ups and downs. All I can say is definitely come off slowly and be prepared to keep taking the medication if you feel you need it. I have experienced a lot of good things since coming off cit but I've also had two bad blips including a major anxiety attack last week - so be prepared that it isn't all rosey!
This is day five. Been having the usual crazy dreams (like I'm there)
Waking up 4 or 5 times per night. Yawning at work, being very tired.
But the great news is, no anxiety, blips or other bad news.
Take care
Having read a lot of peoples' experiences on NMP and other websites it seems like most of the effects of discontinuation are physical, as you've experienced. I have had blips but I beat the first and now seem to be coming round from the second so don't worry too much if you do have any kind of setback, it's par for the course apparently.
Day 10: been on 10mg for ten days. More awake/aware, same sleeplessness, no anxiety.
Crazy dreams are the 'norm'.
i'll take 10mg for one more week, then reduce to 5mg.
Take care x
Glad to hear it is going well. I started cutting down in January from 20mg to 15mg - did that for a month and have now cut down to 10mg like you. I have been doing this for about three weeks and so far so good! My plan is to cut down to 5mg in a couple of weeks time so I will be interested to see how you get on!
Best of luck
BJ
Update.
I tried to come off them too quick. I would say at least a MONTH for each change in dosage. Also different brands of pill seem to have different affects. Activis isn't as good for me.
Hi MarkQuote:
Originally Posted by UrbanMark
Are you off citalopram now? can I ask, how long were you on them for? I am suffering at the moment I came off cold turkey and had an horendous time I was on them for 6 months. I went back on them 3 months ago and i still feel bad. Thy have not kicked in yet but I don't like taking them so stupidly I reduced to 3omg last thursday just for that day. as I have a book on how to reduce. I am on 40gm. but I have suffered this weekend so just by reducing them for one day by 10mg I felt awfull. plus I don't think drinking wine helped me. I feel trapped I will just have to carry on taking them until my nerves are desensitised. sorry went on a bit there. Let me know how you are doing.
Cathy xx
Sorry for asking a stupid question I can see you were on them for 2 years silly me lolQuote:
Originally Posted by UrbanMark
Cathy xx
Hi Cathy,
Hope you are feeling better.
Coming off Citalopram `Cold turkey' is apparently WORSE than coming off Heroin.
I reduced my dosage too quickly first time, dropping from 20mg to 10mg.
This time around, I am dropping from 20mg to 15mg for ONE MONTH, then 15mg to 10mg for one month, then 10mg to 5mg, then 5mg every second day for another month.
The Brain has to readjust to the levels of Serotonin, and apparently it takes a while to do this.
I am feeling great at the moment on 15mg, that's me been taking it for a week now.
Take care x
Hi urbanmark
Let me know how you are doing. I am starting to reduce and I am going to tackle my anxiety myself I do know that is not going to be easy. Today I have taken 30mg instead of 40mg. I will do this for a month and see how I go. What do you think? xx
Cathy xx
Hi Cathy, hope you are well,
I am still on 20mg of Cit, but I plan to come off them starting 15th Jan 2013.
I consulted my doctor about it and she said she would give me a prescription for the chemist.
28 x 20mg for the first month.
28 x 15mg for the second month (28 x 10mg + 28 x 5mg)
28 x 10mg for the third.
28 x 5mg for the forth ( the 10mgs are halved)
14 x 5mg for fifth (pill taken on alternate days)
Apparently it MUST be done this way to avoid the horrible side effects.
So hopefully I will be Cit-free by June next year :)
Hi folks,
Thought I post an update.
I've decided to come off the Cit. So I reduced my dosage two weeks ago.
I was on 20mg per day, but for the past two weeks I have been on 15mg per day.
The side affects are;
A little more self concious - previously I wasn't at all.
A bit more aware of my surroundings.
A little bit more introspective.
My long term memories are returning - but every so slightly.
I have more energy.
I'm not as sleepy.
Sex is better, more sensitive.
I've had only two days out of 14 where I felt bad, on both occasions I had a splitting sore head and I felt really tired.
I shall continue to take 15mg for the next week to see how I go.
I'll post again in a week's time.
Take care x :)
UPDATE
First day on 10mg.
I had been on 15mg for the past three weeks - No major side affects.
I feel far more aware of my surroundings now, I feel more self-concious and more introspective. I'd say overall I feel a bit more sensitive. They do say that Citalopram creates a protective `bubble' around you and I believe this to be true as I have experienced this for the past 2/3 years.
Feeling good though - will stay on the 10mg for at least three weeks.
Take care :)
Hi folks,
This is my forth day on 10mg.
Feeling more concious of my surroundings.
Smells are more prevalent.
I do have more energy.
Sex is better. :)
My girlfriend says I've been a bit short tempered this weekend, I would have to agree with that :(
But overall it's been virtually free of any withdrawal symptoms, I think this is down to taking my time and reducing the dosage slowly.
I think I'll be on 10mg for at least the next three weeks/ 1 month.
Take care x :)
Well that's one week on 10mg.
The main difference is that I am more short-tempered :blush:
No other side affects to report.
Take care x
Hi UrbanMark
How long has it been now? Did you go back onto them are you still off them?
Bel8
I went on Citalopram about 5 years ago and had to take 40mg's, then when I stabalized, i went down to 20mg and eventually to 10 for a year or 2 and came off July 2011. I was perfect for a year and had no wd effects at all but started with anxiety again in 2012 when my marriage broke down and I'm tkaing Escitalopram this time. All the very best (:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bel8
That's me been on the 10mg for 11 days - I'm still feeling ok. :)
Five or six dizzy spells this morning. :wacko:
My sense of smell has returned with a bang.
Very tired today.
Hi UrbanMark,
Sorry to hear about the dizzy spells. It is an inconvenience. I drive a scooter and the dizzy spells that come out of nowhere have been so intense that I am not able to drive it at the moment.
Have you noticed any emotional changes? I find all my emotions seem to be more ... intense lately.
Bel8
urbanmark how are you doing?
Hi everyone,
New here but I'm in the same boat as urbanmark, coming off the 20mg after 2 years, down to 10mg for the last week. All good so far though the headaches have started. Came off once before at six months which didn't go well, so kinda dreading the next few weeks! Would love to hear from anyone else in the same boat!
xx
Hi Library Girl,
I was only on citalopram 20 mg for 10 months and for me the withdrawal has been a bit rough so far and I am now 14 days into the process.
The physical symptoms are getting better and beginning to feel less tired. The emotional stuff is a still a challenge. It might be that my emotions are not blunted for the first time for as long as I can remember and this is what it is really like. Luckily I have counselling once a week to figure that all out.
I did myself a disservice by getting frustrated at feeling unwell and skipping a few reductions, but things seem to be coming to middle now.
It does seem to come round in cycles ... some days are better than others.
Good luck,
Bel8
"It might be that my emotions are not blunted for the first time for as long as I can remember and this is what it is really like"
Very true.
Hi guys,
I've felt great all day today, loads of energy and concentration.
I think it's cos I've started taking my tabs in the morning first thing, rather than late at night.
I'm going to stay on 10mg for another 4 weeks and see how I go, but it's looking good so far.
Don't be tempted to rush the `weening-off' period, the slower and less dramatic reductions are best. :yesyes:
Take care x
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the update ... Good to hear you are doing better.
Bel8
---------- Post added at 12:33 ---------- Previous post was at 08:56 ----------
Hi Mark,
I went for my couselling session today and was chatting to my psychologist about how I am feeling. She views the change as positive and says I am more engaged in general.
So basically it is not withdrawal, but how I feel, really feel. The question now is, can I handle how I really feel.
Hope you continue to feel great ... when do you plan to reduce again. You are soooooo wise in deciding to be patient. I lost my patience with the process and have been paying the price for it. I have not needed medication thus far, but it has not been the most happy time of my life.
Bel8
Hi Bel8,
I'm planning on staying on 10mg until the end of March.
There's no rush to come off them, so I'll just take my time and do it nice and slowly. :)
xx
Hi Folks that's 20 days on the 10mg.
I've felt a bit light-headed and `woozy' yesterday and today.
Bit tired too.
Still keeping on the 10mg tho.
Take care x
Do you notice any daily change from 10 to 20 or is it more of a week or month effect?
It's a very gradual change.
But bear in mind that I went from 20mg to 15mg to 10mg
All changes in dosage lasted AT LEAST one month.
The slower you reduce the dosage the easier it is apparently.
I did try to come off them too quickly a few years back, and I would definitely not reduce the dose by any more than 5mg per month.
Take care :)
---------- Post added at 13:37 ---------- Previous post was at 11:12 ----------
Feeling woozy, light-headed and I lack concentration today.
Had a headache this morning.
Definitely more aware of my senses and things happening around me.
Everything seems to louder, sharper, more intense.
The reason I ask is I take 20 mg, I have a phobia, driving and the associated stress. But weekends I take 10mg a day, no stress.
I've not noticed symptoms.
Hi Tero,
With the short-term dosage change you're doing each weekend, I don't think it would have much of an affect. You only really start noticing changes after a week or so. It takes a while for the Brain Chemistry to change.
On a plus note - I feel great today :)
Hi UrbanMark
I came off Citalopram 'cold turkey' in December 2012. Thought I was fine for about 6 weeks, and then the hell started!
Thanks, Mark.
Hi Mark,
Great to hear you felt great, gives me hope it may be on the horizon for me too.
I am sick and tired of feeling sick and tired LOL
Take care,
Bel8
Day 26 on 10mg
Felt great for the past four days - no dizzy spells.
Focus, concentration and energy all returning.
Onwards and upwards! :)
you are doing so well well done :)