Coming off Cit:How did you do it?

Hi All,

Just wondered how people went about stepping down from cit.

Did you feel like you were at the best you were gonna be so decided to withdraw?

How long were on cit before withdrawing?

Has anybody had any relapses since stopping taking cit?

If anyone can help it would ease my mind!

Take care everyone!

LK

Hi Lion King,I'm currently withdrawing from it after 8 years of being comparatively well on it.But,in the last year or so I've had two setbacks which suggest its giving up on me.That's why my doc is putting me on seroxat.If the seroxat works as well as the citalopram then I will be more than happy.I've had a few days of feeling low but that could be cos my doc cut the citalopram from 60mg to 20mg and the seroxat is unlikely to be kicking in yet (only 4 days on it).

Take care, Fishy

hi everyone ,ive been on citalopram for four years,i was on such a high with them for a while, i thought....i dont need these anymore.big mistake!!!
i crashed and burned basically,what i went through going cold turkey and i wouldnt wish it on my worst enemy.the symptons started after id missed one days dose which was 20mg.i was shaking,stomach cramps ,diahorria teeth grinding ,couldnt focus on what was in front of me,my brain felt numb.totally spaced out.unalert when driving.i lost my confidence.i felt very vunerable.im so confused because ive been on them for so long ive forgotten who i am.i feel like citalopram is a cover up for me,i allows me to be who i really wanna be.without them i go back to the suicidel thoughts..and god knows why.ive got a great partner two lovely kids and nothing to bother me,but for some reason its just there ive been bother with depression since i was a teenager.i just wanna know what lifes like for real without putting pills in my body.although i sound like im praising this drug i know its not great.im tired all the time i yawn constanlty and i sweat even on freezing cold days.i dont want to live like this forever.im just scared that if i come off them.ill relapse again.x

Hi Lion King

I'm currently withdrawing from Citalopram. I've been on them for about 7 months (20mg). So not too long or high a dose. I reduced to 10mg a week ago on the advice of my GP and will take this dosage for another 3 weeks before going down to taking them every other day.

Decided to come off these having felt much better lately. I was worried about the side effects of withdrawing but so far feel great. Hope I'm not speaking to soon but this first week of reducing the dose has produced no side effects at all (i was quite lucky getting onto the tablets a few headaches and increased anxiety for the first week or so).

hope this helps

Hi mate
Was on them for 10 years got 'clean' for three been back on em for 2 months after it coming back with avengeance but a really rough year was to blame! When i came off them i did it over 12 months! I did it by cutting tablets to ever smaller pieces month by month till i could hardly see the bit i was taking! lol But it worked. I tried the cold turkey way too DONT go there trust me....
Good luck
Paul

I'm on 40mgs and have been for 3 months now and feel much better at the moment. But again, I'm really worried about what will happen once I come off it. Haven been on Cit since March '09 (was started on 10mgs). Feel much better overall, but still get the suicidal thoughts and sense of self-worthlessness, things won't be any better etc. Just always feel tired, deluded and in a constant day dream, really horrible. Even if I miss a day I start to feel faint, drunk for some reason. How the hell are you supposed to come off this without resorting to another drug, therefore exaserbating the situation???

Hi All,

Thanks for all your replies!

Cold turkey does not sound like a good idea, I don't think I will be trying that. My main concern for me is that I am becoming dependant on citalopram in order to live life without anxiety and depression, as much as I am happy with my progress I worry too that the drug just masks the problem and doesn't help myself to naturally fight this problem. I think I will reduce the drug gradually over a long period of time until I learn how to settle at each stage, hopefully this is the answer, I would not like to think I had to resort to taking another anti-depressant!

Has anyone successfully withdrawn? What keeps the anx/dep at bay without it?

Hope everyone is well!!

LK