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Thread: Anyone successfully come of citalopram?

  1. #1

    Anyone successfully come of citalopram?

    Hey,

    Has anyone successfully come off this drug with all the side effects completely gone?

    I took it literally for 1 day and stopped but I've had side effects for 4 weeks now, though they have reduced. Are some of the withdrawal symptoms permanent? or do they go away 100% in a few weeks time? has anyone actually come off this without any effects?

    Withdrawal I faced:

    1. Depression ( has gone)
    2. Brain zaps (have reduced)
    3. headache and weird feeling in head (has gone from the left side but still persists on my right side of my head)
    4. Decreased Libido (still exists)
    5. Mood swings ( Still happens)

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Re: Anyone successfully come of citalopram?

    The drug will clear out of your system to a medically insignificant value (<5%) by 5 half lives of the drug. By 7 it is completely eliminated. Your drug has a half life of 36hrs so multiply that by 7 and thats how long it takes.

    I came off it in a 2 stage reduction (20-10mg, then 10-0mg) by reducing for 2 weeks and then coming off altogether. I had brain zaps, cottonwool heads, nausea, dizziness, etc. It was more intense when I dropped to 0mg but it was easily manageable compared to the onset side effects when I started which were far worse, plus I was far worse back then too. About 10-15 days after coming off completely, I was fine and had no further withdrawal effects.

    Taking an acute dose (not a sustained dose) will never reach "steady-state" (where as much is going in as coming out) in your blood plasma so it never really establishes itself.

    People do sometimes have strange effects that last longer but it's very much an unknown. However, they are not permanent. All this med does is increase the volume of Serotonin in the space and then around about 4-6 weeks after starting it will reduce the number of Serotonin receptor sites. You had none of that effect as you weren't on it more than a day.
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  3. #3

    Re: Anyone successfully come of citalopram?

    Hey terry, thanks for the reply. I forgot to mention that I was given this because I was given a medicine to control my OCD, which has a side effect of depression. Now, one more thing, 8 days after I stopped the pills(which I took only for 1 day) I drank lots of alcohol. I believe this has prolonged it in a way.

    But my main worry is whether all my withdrawal effects will go away or not? and can any of this be permanent ?

    EDIT: - I just read that it cant be permanent. Sorry, was slightly anxious.

    Also, did you notice any correlation between masturbation and the intensity or change in side effects? just asking. Thanks.


    On a more positive note- the effects have lessened, its just that its lasting so much longer.
    Last edited by raindeer; 31-10-15 at 14:36.

  4. #4
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    Re: Anyone successfully come of citalopram?

    Alcohol will certainly effect clearance of anything because it will put your liver under more pressure to clear out the alcohol. Alcohol clears at a very steady rate per hour so until it is gone, hence the whole hangover issue, it will be slowing down clearance of everything else impacting on this med. It's why it takes people with renal insufficiency longer to clear it out, the elderly, etc. Lots of water speeds things up for the liver. But regardless, it won't slow it much since the alcohol will soon be out anyway after a night out.

    What was the OCD med? Maybe that could have impacted on the strength of the side effects? It's a possibility that the combination was the issue with the side effects being so bad starting as opposed to taking Citalopram on it's own, but its hard to say without knowing more and even then, we all react differently to these meds.
    __________________
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    For free Mindfulness resources, please see this thread I have created to compile many sources together http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=168689

  5. #5

    Re: Anyone successfully come of citalopram?

    Quote Originally Posted by MyNameIsTerry View Post
    Alcohol will certainly effect clearance of anything because it will put your liver under more pressure to clear out the alcohol. Alcohol clears at a very steady rate per hour so until it is gone, hence the whole hangover issue, it will be slowing down clearance of everything else impacting on this med. It's why it takes people with renal insufficiency longer to clear it out, the elderly, etc. Lots of water speeds things up for the liver. But regardless, it won't slow it much since the alcohol will soon be out anyway after a night out.

    What was the OCD med? Maybe that could have impacted on the strength of the side effects? It's a possibility that the combination was the issue with the side effects being so bad starting as opposed to taking Citalopram on it's own, but its hard to say without knowing more and even then, we all react differently to these meds.
    The OCD med was Rescon (not sure of its generic name)

    Obviously that has interactions with alcohol too. So will this last for years? or should I expect to recover in like 3 months or so. What's your guess? mean I know people react differently.

    Worst thing is doctor never told me about any of this shit. :\
    Last edited by raindeer; 01-11-15 at 19:30.

  6. #6
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    Re: Anyone successfully come of citalopram?

    Both Rescon and Citalopram can interact with alcohol causing additive CNS depression. I would suspect that combining that to both would make this far more likely and worsen the withdrawal initially. However, alcohol will be eliminated from your body quite quickly so that effect won't continue.

    It shouldn't really be going on now so I would suggest talking to you doctor about this to determine what needs doing. You were on Citalopram for 1 day so it shouldn't be impacting on you much at all.

    I can't say I had issues with any changes to anything sexual, whether masturbation or not.

    Everyone is different and some people report longer term withdrawal but you have to be careful reading those because those same people often forget to talk about the underlying anxiety or depression they already had and going on these meds can be a bit of a shock in itself. I can say that both times I have started them, it has taken me months to get back to where I was before I started them but thats because I struggle so much going on them.
    __________________
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    For free Mindfulness resources, please see this thread I have created to compile many sources together http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=168689

  7. #7

    Re: Anyone successfully come of citalopram?

    Quote Originally Posted by MyNameIsTerry View Post
    Both Rescon and Citalopram can interact with alcohol causing additive CNS depression. I would suspect that combining that to both would make this far more likely and worsen the withdrawal initially. However, alcohol will be eliminated from your body quite quickly so that effect won't continue.

    It shouldn't really be going on now so I would suggest talking to you doctor about this to determine what needs doing. You were on Citalopram for 1 day so it shouldn't be impacting on you much at all.

    I can't say I had issues with any changes to anything sexual, whether masturbation or not.

    Everyone is different and some people report longer term withdrawal but you have to be careful reading those because those same people often forget to talk about the underlying anxiety or depression they already had and going on these meds can be a bit of a shock in itself. I can say that both times I have started them, it has taken me months to get back to where I was before I started them but thats because I struggle so much going on them.
    I already spoke to my doctor and he said he cant say how much time it would take, but that it would eventually go away. I dont eat a lot, maybe thats why my body is taking longer. Anyway, I dont really have anxiety or depression. just mood swings and decreased libido and sometimes headaches followed by concentration impairment. It's all of course symptoms of discontinuation. I hope it really goes away :(

  8. #8

    Re: Anyone successfully come of citalopram?

    If you want to come off Citalopram or any other SSRI here is a solution that worked very well for me with zero side effects.
    I will use 10 mg of Citalopram as an example

    Crush 3 10 mg pills until powder
    Mix with Orange Juice 30 ounces
    Stir well
    Measure off 9 ounces of orange juice and drink once per day at usual time of taking medication. Now you are taking 9 mg of Citalopram. Do this for one week. (Note: Every three days you will dispose of 3 ounces of orange juice)
    Week #2 Measure off 8 ounces of orange juice. Now you will be using 8 mg of Citalopram ( Note: You will dispose of 6 ounces of Orange Juice after 3 doses)
    Week # 3 Measure off 7 ounces of orange juice. Now you are on a 7 mg dose of Citalopram. ( Note: You will get 4 doses and dispose of 2 ounces of Orange Juice)
    Proceed weekly using this regime
    Week 4 - 6 ounces (6 mg Citalopram)
    Week 5 - 5 ounces ( 5 mg Citalopram)
    Week 6 - 4 ounces ( 4 mg Citalopram)
    Week 7 - 3 ounces ( 3 mg Citalopram)
    Week 8 - 2 ounces ( 2 mg Citalopram)
    Week 9 - 1 ounce ( 1 mg Citalopram)
    Week 10 - Off Citalopram

    If you use this process you will have minimal, if any withdrawl symtoms. Make sure to eat properly, get adequate sleep and exercise
    IMPORTANT: THIS PROCESS CANNOT BE USED WITH ANY EXTENDED RELEASE FORMULA.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    56

    Re: Anyone successfully come of citalopram?

    I bought a pill cutter from Amazon. Started from 15mg for 2 weeks, 10mg for 2 weeks, 5mg for 2 weeks, 2.5mg for 2 weeks and then 2.5mg every other day for 2 weeks then just stopped. Didn't have one side effect in all that time.

  10. #10

    Re: Anyone successfully come of citalopram?

    There is no freaking way I am taking this medicine again lol, this is what it did to me on such a short dosage...

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