Citalopram withdrawal

[frankie850]

So day 7 of going cold turkey from Citalopram and I'll be honest I feel awful!

Wooziness and dizziness is almost unbearable, also experiencing nausea and feel as though im floating a lot of the time. My hands and feet feel like ive been sat on them, like they are asleep. I have also now started experiencing muscle aches particularly in my neck and back and having trouble sleeping. I feel very tired because of this and actually slept through my alarm this morning which I haven't done since I have been on the medication.

I am also going cold turkey from Quetiapine but this doesn't seem to be causing problems like the Citalopram. I was more worried about coming off this to be honest because of it being an antipsychotic. I had no idea that Citalopram was so strong and could cause such devastating side effects! Had I had all the info in the first place from the doctors then I would never have started taking these tablets.

I have taken various antidepressants and these are the worst I have experienced when coming off them. My reasons for coming off all these meds is because I no longer felt like myself, I didn't feel worse which was great but I also didn't feel any better really. I felt numb and not like myself and now I feel normal again. That is my positive in all this. Hello emotions and feelings! I have missed you

[pinkdove]

Hi you really should have come off citalopram slowly, and as far as i know it is not an antipsycotic, it is an ssri, you should never go cold turkey, as your gp would tell you, have you read the citalopram survival guide, there is a lot of really good informantion on coming off cit, please take the time to read it, and don't put yourself through the awfull side effects, and good luck x

[frankie850]

No I know citalopram is an antidepressant but I have also come off an antipsychotic called quetiapine(not sure on spelling).

I agree I probably should come off them slowly but when your GP and mental health services have been as useless as mine you would understand the extreme measures. Also I do not believe that by reducing a dosage I would wean myself off. In fact by reading posts from here I think there is evidence that people tend to go back up to their normal dosage so I'll take my chances as I do desperately want to be free of this drug.

Thanks for the tip about the survival guide though I will definitely look it up. Wish me luck!

---------- Post added at 21:06 ---------- Previous post was at 20:28 ----------

Had a quick look at the survival guide and it's fantastic! Thank you x

[pinkdove]

Good luck frankie, i wish you all the very best in your withdrawal it must be very difficult when you do not have a support network, take care x glad you found the post helpfull, i myself have used it often, and have been reducing my dose of cit too, we will get there in the end

[frankie850]

Thank you

[cathycrumble]

No I know citalopram is an antidepressant but I have also come off an antipsychotic called quetiapine(not sure on spelling).

I agree I probably should come off them slowly but when your GP and mental health services have been as useless as mine you would understand the extreme measures. Also I do not believe that by reducing a dosage I would wean myself off. In fact by reading posts from here I think there is evidence that people tend to go back up to their normal dosage so I'll take my chances as I do desperately want to be free of this drug.

Thanks for the tip about the survival guide though I will definitely look it up. Wish me luck!

---------- Post added at 21:06 ---------- Previous post was at 20:28 ----------

Had a quick look at the survival guide and it's fantastic! Thank you x

How right you are the gps just don't have a clue about cit or any other antidepressent drug I am sure and if I had know about cit ie side effects and withdrawals I never would have gone on them I know my illness has gone worse since starting and coming off this drug. And I am struggling at the moment. And like you said frankie, they make you numb. Your personality disapears. And you do feel real again when you come off them. However I am off them 3 weeks now and it's still hard for me I have awful fearful thoughts and I shake a lot. I have never touched drugs like heroine but, my god I bet it would feel the same coming off that to as with cit. Also reading people's experience with coming off cit, It makes no difference whether you wean off them or go cold turkey everyone still has to face withdrawals.

I wish you well coming off cit Frankie I know it's not easy I am doing it to. and I have had all the withdrawals you have had. They are all horrible, I am having CBT just had the one session so I hope it goes well for me. Good luck Frankie I will be thinking of you.

Cathy xx

[frankie850]

Thank you for sharing your experience and alsi your kind words. I am terrified that i will go back to how i was but its a risk that i want to take. I will be seekig some kind of therapy lile CBT as i feel these kind of therapies are far more beneficial long term then meds.

Good luck and my thoughts will be with you also Cathy

[cathycrumble]

Thanks and just think of the things that helped you to get well the positive things you did and think and build on them. Also do as I am trying to do and that is accept all the tricks our nerves play on us I have been saying come on do your worse lol it aint easy but I am not going to let this beat me. good luck

Cathy xx

[frankie850]

So today I have found it very difficult to wake up and get out of bed. I felt like all the muscles in my body had given up, was very weak and 'floppy'. Also experienced stomach ache/cramp as though I was starving hungry but have barely managed a few spoonfuls of cereal. The other more worrying feeling that I have today is irritability to the point of almost rage building inside me. Holding my bowl of cereal all I could think of was taking it back to the kitchen and throwing it into the sink or just launching it across the room. I don't know if this is a normal side effect of coming of citalopram or frustration on my part because of the lead up to me making the decision to coming off it. To be honest all I want to do today is pull the covers over my head and sleep/hide all day. One day at a time I suppose...this will pass - that has become my mantra when dealing with these feelings. Sometimes it helps but sometimes it feels useless

[frankie850]

Feeling more normal today. Still got a fuzzy head and a wobbly which is making me clumsy, well more clumsy than usual!

The nausea has lessened though which is good and not really aching now. Still not great sleeping and feel very tired but getting there.

To anyone else doing this, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I think I'm on about day 10. Just hang in there x