Just a warning that if you come off anti-depressants you are likely to suffer noticeable side effects which you might mistake for your previous condition re-emerging when it is is not. GPs do not always realise this and may tend to put you back on medication when you don't need it.
I've been on Citalopram twice now, when I came off the first time I went back to my GP for another problem possibly due to borderline B12 deficiency. I had been feeling a little back to my depressed mood and when he said the symptoms were the resurgence of my previous condition I took him at face value.
However, the effect of the Citalopram was not as noticeable as before, though the depressed mood did lift. I stayed on the Citalopram for a further year until last May when I started to wean off it. I noticed I seemed to be suffering from a number of side effects; flu like aches etc which did did clear up but I have noticed my mood has being swinging and lethargy is a problem.
This time rather than going back to the GP and reverting back to the medication I checked up side effects from discontinuing SSRI. According to research 25% of people suffer side effects when coming off SSRI's even when tapered off sensibly. There is no warning of this on the medication leaflet and GPs appear not to be aware of SSRI discontinuation syndrome, which is well attested in the literature.
I suspect my doctor put me back on Citalopram as a tick in the box auto reaction, and that I did not need to have gone back on the pill.
Typical side effects may include include dizziness, electric shock-like sensations, sweating, nausea, insomnia, tremor, confusion, nightmares, and vertigo.
There is more useful info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSRI_di...ation_syndrome, and tips on handing the problem at http://www.nmsis.org/content.asp?typ...tion+syndromes.
Hope this helps
one of us
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