Help! citalopram cold turkey 6 weeks in and struggling...

[joefyn]

Hi,

I hope someone can help as doctors have been worse than useless.

The short version is that I am struggling to control my mood swings, depression and irritability 6 weeks after going cold turkey, having taken 20mg a day for 18 months. I originally started taking citalopram for mild symptoms mostly linked with lack of motivation and self esteem. The symptoms I have experienced since stopping taking them have been worse than anything I have felt in my life. My girlfriend is also suffering immensely from my moods and unjustified hostility towards her.

I need advice as to how long I should expect the withdrawal symptoms to last, considering my dose (20mg) duration (18 months) and previous history of depression (irregular, mild).

I have been resisting going back on them for about a month now, with the belief that (a) I don't need them to feel good and (b) The symptoms will go away any day now.

The reason for believing in (a) is that I went on them in the first place due to circumstances that have now changed for the better (e.g. lack of routine, poor diet, recreational drug use, unhealthy relationship, untidy home, lack of work). I have always been a mentally stable, cheerful optimistic person with a strong circle of friends and an awful lot to live for.

The question is about (b). How long are these symptoms going to last? How long can it last? Should I just go back on them, considering that they weren't giving me negative side effects. Everybody in my life is encouraging me to stick it out and it seems to be universally acknowledged that being on citalopram is bad for me - but why?

Thank you so much for reading. I hope someone out there can give me some advice as to whether I should stick it out for longer or start taking them againg (at a smaller dose or back to 20mg)

A final, crucial point is that I got over the worst hump already. The severe depression/irritability started about 9/10 days after last tablet and peaked in severity about a week after that for about a week and it seems to be slowing down now. But I am still worse than I have ever been before the cit and some days/moments are pure hell.

Thank you.

Joe

[eternally optimistic]

Hi Joe

I'm no expert when it comes to coming off any drugs but when I was on citalopram and came off them, I weaned myself off them slowly without too much effect.

A visit to your doctor to explain what you have done and seek advice as to whether this could all be related is a good idea.

I think, if you can manage with will power and fight the situation yourself is good, but not something everyone is capable of doing.

As you say, you are probably over the worse part in terms of coming off of them but, you should get some proper advice before going back onto them.

If your depression is soooo bad then that again needs to be discussed.

You are in the half way stage and you may do more harm than good going back onto them??

Not really helpful, is it, but you seem like you have adjusted your life and have plenty of willpower and that is always good when it comes to depression and anxiety.

Best of luck

[pinkdove]

Hi joe, i agree with jay ann, i think you are very brave to have stopped cold turkey, but it can be dangerous too. you really should withdraw slowly.

I was told to reduce by 5mg every 2 weeks or so, and if i felt really bad to go back up again till things settled, i managed to reduce from 60mg to 25mg but it took several months with little or no side effects/

Please talk things over with your gp, don't go on suffering, you will still be able to come off them, but without the nasty effects. good luck xx

[joefyn]

Hi guys,

thanks for your messages.

The trouble with my GP (and I've seen two different ones now) is that they seem to just apply a one-size-fits-all policy and couldn't tell me anything I didn't know already. The first one agreed that I should wait it out, the second one said that I should go back on the meds as it was clearly affecting my life.

I've come so far and been through so much pain that going back on them feels like giving up and making the whole process pointless.

My girlfriend says I should get some St. John's Wart instead. Any opinions on that?

Today I actually feel worse, but may have something to do with my girlfriend staying with friends because I'm intolerable and then waking up 1 hour late for work.

Time to just start taking the citalopram again?

***I need a good psychiatrist/psychologist. Please can somebody recommend one, not NHS. Thank you ***

[pinkdove]

Hi joe, i know st john's wort should'nt be taken with citalopram, so be careful with that.


You will not be failing if you go back on a low dose and reduce slowly, just saving yourself a load of withdrawal symptoms. take care xx

[joylewis]

Hi
I am new to this site and my main reason is as others I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks.
After reading your post joefyn i can realte a bit x
I have a stressfull job and had my son 3 years ago today.(happy birthday Samuel xx). Before my son I was on Fluoxetine as I just was what I call low and really mardy. Yes deppression is what it was. Then i had Samuel and wow, a trumatic c section birth and I went mad!! Didnt eat or sleep and had a huge range of things i thought was wrong with me. They upped the fluoxitine and i was later diagnosed with a underactive thyriod. I have since had my meds changed as anxiety has ruled me I ended up on citalopram for last 6 months or so. With more stress at work I had them increases and I had a horrible experince of the side effects. I went back to my gp and they said i was over prescribed so went back down to 20mg.
I went to see my own gp this week and now feel that i want off them if i am to suffer from anxiety i want to know i am having natural ways of dealing with it. No stressing about how the meds are making me feel. So he said 20mg was a low dose and I am on day 3 of being off them.
With me having some side effects of to much i think they are similar to low....

Headache, lightheaded, tired and just not feeling like my head is my own...

How long does this last?
I want to be the old me and just be mardy some times, i think suffering from anxiety will be a thing i will learn to live with and try to manage .

Any one else has anything similar to share i would love to know i am not the only one xx

[Plumpeh]

Hi Joefyn,

I hope things are going well for you and that you've started to feel better. Have there been any positive changes?

How did you find going cold turkey? I've decided to do the same thing and want to know how you felt side effect wise throughout the process. I've been off cit for about a week now and my mood is great (not all the time, but I'd say it was 'normal' if you get what I mean?), the only problem I've noticed is dizziness and nauseousness. Did you get the same symptoms? And if so how long did they last?

Thanks for the help!