Citalopram withdrawal

[gs]

hi, ive been on citalopram for about 18mths for anxiety and panic attacks...(after a very long diagnosis....ecg's, frequent trips to a&e for tacchycardia and 3 months on diltiazem!! which made me absolutely dizzy) so was glad when gp finally said after 2 yrs he thought i had anxiety! the citalopram really helped i started off on 10mg then went up to 20mg for 18mths...started feeling like my old self again..... this year in feb, me and my husband decided we would try for a baby....no joy....i immediately thought it was the tablets so decided to try and come off them....big mistake....i felt ok at first reducing them to every other day and then only having them every 3 days and so on (still on 20mg!!) then stopped taking them.....this was approximately 2-3 weeks ago...still trying for baby...nothing... i got flu 2 weeks ago and started with headaches, dizziness, not wanting to get out of bed really very tired....thought it was just a cold and waited 2 weeks but then decided go to gp....he gave me antibiotics and sent me home...took 2 days of antibiotics now and feel terrible....very dizzy, bad mood, irritable, tired, no appetite...then googled citalopram and found out my symptoms could be withdrawls!!!!! omg...i went straight for my packet of tablets and took a 20mg tonight to try and make me feel better....really worried now about how this will effect me and what i should do next???

---------- Post added at 23:03 ---------- Previous post was at 23:01 ----------

i also been having like pins and needles sensations and like little electric shocks....very bad vivid dreams too

[cazza151]

i reached for the citalopram after 2 wks with out ( i did wean off them ) and most of the dizziness is gone now however i do have a lot of anxiety ..yesterday i had to go out and i was a complete mess i did ask my GP if these tablets where addictive and he told me no they are not ...i really think these meds need examining agian as seems alot of people are having alot of problems ...keep up the good work all those that have stuck with coming off these meds you all deserve a medal and i hope your symptoms pass soon as it will give us hope xx take care

[little scientist]

Cazza, they are not addictive in the sense of an illegal drug being addictive (ie they do not cause the urge to need a "hit" so to speak like a drug such as cocaine)

[cazza151]

i do feel as though i am addicted, as long as i know they are within reach i am ok or if i havnt had any i fell like a junkie who needs a fix, not that ive had that experience but im sure thats what it feels like ..if they arnt addictive why do u have to be weaned off ?
been the doctors today and was told off for weaning myself off without help ..im on day 6 of taking citalopram again and must admit i fell " normal " i even left the house last night, 1st time in 3 wks, and didnt have a panic attack BIG WOOP !!! i feel that patients should be given more information about these range of medicines if id had known how difficult a time id have coming off them i dont think i would have taken them in 1st place and looked for an alternative, after 11 yrs of panic attacks i am now having CBT which is hard. it hads changed my way of thinking so it is working ...before i always used to think i would not still be on this planet by christmas but now i find myself saying by my next birthday ) june ) i will be a whole different person ........keep up the good work everyone and if you feel you cant cope there is no shame in asking for help or even starting again on your meds until you find the time and help to do it more slowly ...GOOD LUCK