3 days totally off citalopram and feel despair please help

[Mrs Anxious]

Hope someone can help I have been on citalopram for 2 years and over the past 3 months I have been withdrawing from 40mg very slowly with the help of my doctor.

Every dose drop has been ok a few niggles but I am now on day 3 of no citalopram at all and I am a complete mess my day feels like 1 permanent panic attack i am even having them in my sleep I am bursting into tears all the time and feel absolutely awful like I am on another planet, basically I'm scared..

I am also on day 2 of no smoking which I don't think is helping, I categorically definitely don't want to go back on the tablets I have got this far but can someone please tell me how long this utter feeling of despair might last? I am willing to ride it out if there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I am managing my anxiety now through therapy which is really helping so I know I can do this.

Just to add my anxiety is health anxiety and a friend of mine has just had a heart attack she is in her 30's same as me hence me immediately giving up smoking for fear of me having a heart attack aswell. ( anyone with Health anxiety will understand this)

Hope someone out there can help as I feel like I am going to die and its a horrible feeling, sorry for rambling but I didn't know who else to talk to I have a loving family and friends but they just don't get it.

Thanks xx

[yenool]

To me it sounds like you are making two huge changes at once with the smoking and the citalopram.
What dose of citalopram were you on and did you go from taking it every day to stopping? (taking it every other day is an idea). If it were me I would be tempted to stay on the citalopram until I had managed the smoking withdrawal effects, at least that way you will know what is what.

[Mick081081]

Hi, I stopped Cit cold turkey after getting down to 10mg and had 2 weeks of mega bad withdrawals it felt like going back to square one. It's not a pleasant ride but bear in mind that your brain chemicals need to reset themselves and this takes time so there's no quick fix unfortunately so try to ride through the dark times as there is light at the end I the tunnel.

As for the smoking I still smoke now perhaps doing both at once is asking a bit much as the Cit withdrawals are bad enough without the nicotine monster making an appearance and playing with your mind and body as well. I know the despair you must be feeling right now but try to stick it out and it wouldn't hurt to give the GP a call for some advice.

Hope you start to feeling better soon.

Mick.

[Mrs Anxious]

Hi yenoo and Ellie,

With regards to my dosage I was on 40 then 30 then 25 and down in stages of 5 until I got to 10 and doctor said just stop I have been doing this over a perio of months, with all the other reductions I was fine I think trying to quit he smoking at the same time was probably foolish but as soon as my friend had a heart attack ( she smokes like a trooper) I thought that's it fags have to go!

I've since bought some cigs can't say they have made me feel loads better but through research and hating to other sufferers of anxiety I am led to believe all this crap will ease in a week or so, as soon as it does I will quit smoking again.

Thanks for ur help It makes me feel better knowing the anxiety can get worse when u come off citalopram.... In my opinion I will neer EVER take them again I have never known anything so horrific as the withdrawal symptoms
I am getting I never had a problem withdrawin from Prozac 10 years ago.. However as I say that's just my opinion, I know citalopram can work wonderfully for some people but after 2 years of taking them I realise they have done very little for me

Thanks again xx

---------- Post added at 22:14 ---------- Previous post was at 22:11 ----------

Hi, I stopped Cit cold turkey after getting down to 10mg and had 2 weeks of mega bad withdrawals it felt like going back to square one. It's not a pleasant ride but bear in mind that your brain chemicals need to reset themselves and this takes time so there's no quick fix unfortunately so try to ride through the dark times as there is light at the end I the tunnel.

As for the smoking I still smoke now perhaps doing both at once is asking a bit much as the Cit withdrawals are bad enough without the nicotine monster making an appearance and playing with your mind and body as well. I know the despair you must be feeling right now but try to stick it out and it wouldn't hurt to give the GP a call for some advice.

Hope you start to feeling better soon.

Mick.

Hi mick thanks south for ur reply that's really made me feel
Better I can cope if its going to be a couple of weeks I will indeed ride it out, and I think ur right I've tried to do too much, will tackle the dreaded fags when citalopram is totally out Of my system

Thanks again x

---------- Post added at 22:17 ---------- Previous post was at 22:14 ----------

Apologies for all the spelling mistakes blooming iPhone!!!

[SarahH]

When I came off Cit I cut the tablets so much I was taking crumbs for the last drop in dose. i think going from 10mgs to nothing is a huge drop...but it's up to you!!


Sarah

[Mrs Anxious]

When I came off Cit I cut the tablets so much I was taking crumbs for the last drop in dose. i think going from 10mgs to nothing is a huge drop...but it's up to you!!


Sarah

Hi I have gone from 10 to nothing on the advice of
My doctor he has dealt with my anxiety fr the past 15 years I have faith in him
And although I am suffering a bit at the moment I am going to ride it out everyone's different and although citalopram
And other drugs work for some people I don't feel I benefit from them CBT and group therapy seems to be helping me
Much more