Urgent help needed regarding citalopram and other dilemma

[Calvin86]

Hi there. I'm in such a lost place I just don't know which way to turn this is generally my last hope at getting an answer. I suffer extreme depression and anxiety and me and my doctor suggested I tried taking 10mg citalopram(I've been on every ssri you can think of in the past) to see if it helps. Any ways after 3 weeks of trying it I suddenly had to stop just too extreme weight gain which was making me more depressed and paranoid. I took 10mg, 5mg the next, 2.5mg the next, and finally 1.25mg the day after and stopped.

Any ways I have now been off citalopram for 19 days and I feel utter terrible. I have not experienced any brain zaps which is weird because it is usually the worst thing I have got in the past when stopping ssri's but instead my irritability, anxiety and depression are at extreme levels where I can barely function

I have been back to see my doctor and he was actually shocked that I had experienced any side effects- telling me that 10mg is the lowest dose prescribed and the fact that I had only been on it for 3 weeks and that he said I could literally stop taking it cold turkey ant still shouldn't of experienced any withdrawal symptoms

Anyways my dilemma is that I am getting married in 3 weeks which has been nearly a year in the planning to make it perfect and thousands of pounds later. If I feel like this I literally don't know if I will be able to go ahead with it. I am so stressed out about it and can't stop thinking about it for a split second. I knew I would struggle with the wedding any ways but the way the citalopram withdrawals(if that's what they are) are making me feel is almost unbearable.

My question is(seen as though my doctor has been no help) should I just ride out the withdrawals hoping that they will pass soon seen as though it's nearly 2 week since I stopped taking them or should I go back on a small dosage such as 2.5mg till after the wedding and if I do this will I start to feel better in a few days if it's the discontinuation syndrome that I am suffering from? Also will the 2.5mg effect my weight? As I've managed to get rid of the 6 pounds I put on in the 3 week when I was on them. The reason my weight is so important is that I compete professionally in a sport where I had to be strictly at a certain weight range without going into too much detail. I also have 5htp in hand which I've had mixed opinions about if that could help?

Thanks in advance. Like I say I'm in a real dilemma and even if it's a quick fix I would rather deal with this after the wedding as I would not probably just be set to lose thousands but also my forgoes fiancé which would probably set me back further than I am now. Someone please let me know what they think I should do. Thanks

[Shazamataz]

Firstly, congratulations on getting married!

With regard to the meds, my inexpert opinion would be it's unlikely you are having withdrawal effects after such a short time on such a low dose, though others here may have different ideas.

You said you were put on the citalopram for anxiety and depression and now you have stopped it you have both so couldn't it be your original illness coming through? Maybe because you feel you 'failed' the meds (or they failed you)?

I'm surprised you put on weight with the citalopram. I couldn't eat so lost weight when I tried it, though of course everyone is different.

Weddings are indeed very stressful. I've done some wedding photography in the past and even just doing that did my head in so I can't imagine arranging a whole wedding!

I wonder if you could ask your GP for something to help in the short term?

[vicky23]

Hi,
I can totally understand why you're freaking out over this and I wonder if the symptoms that you think are wtihdrawels are rather due to the anxiety of a stressful situation?
I'm afraid I have no idea what would be best whether going back to taking 10mg might be what you need to get through this stressful period and of course if it is discontinuation syndrome that would be sorted out as well. My only concern would be would you start to get side effects from starting the meds again? How did you cope when first starting to take them?
Sorry I can't be of more help but hopefully replying will stop this thread getting left behind.

---------- Post added at 10:56 ---------- Previous post was at 10:54 ----------

sorry Calvin just re read your post and understand your concerns over starting again because of weight.

[Bike Rider]

Hi, I am taking Cit and have just increased from 20mg to 40mg as 20 was too low. I have put a bit of weight on but my GP told me not to worry about that as once we are in control of the anxiety, we can start to lose the weight.

Exercise 3 times a week for 40 mins getting yourself pleasantly out of breath, not only helps lose weight but eases anxiety as it helps the good hormones to be activated.

I find that the physical symptoms of anxiety, butterfly's in the stomach and hunger pangs are not too dissimilar and can confuse you into eating when its not food you want. To help with this my GP put me on a low dose beta blocker 3 times a day and this does help reduce the symptoms.

But I believe that there are other things you can take apart from ssri's.

[Calvin86]

Hi,
I can totally understand why you're freaking out over this and I wonder if the symptoms that you think are wtihdrawels are rather due to the anxiety of a stressful situation?
I'm afraid I have no idea what would be best whether going back to taking 10mg might be what you need to get through this stressful period and of course if it is discontinuation syndrome that would be sorted out as well. My only concern would be would you start to get side effects from starting the meds again? How did you cope when first starting to take them?
Sorry I can't be of more help but hopefully replying will stop this thread getting left behind.

---------- Post added at 10:56 ---------- Previous post was at 10:54 ----------

sorry Calvin just re read your post and understand your concerns over starting again because of weight.

Hi there Vicky. I'm almost 99.9% sure I'm feeling worse from stopping the citalopram but many don't think 10mg would cause much if any withdrawals as i was only on it 3 weeks. Yes it was just the weight gain. I fight semi professionally so weigh myself everyday and check my body fat every day with calipers as I have to. Just gruelling and utterly stuck what to do really

[Calvin86]

Firstly, congratulations on getting married!

With regard to the meds, my inexpert opinion would be it's unlikely you are having withdrawal effects after such a short time on such a low dose, though others here may have different ideas.

You said you were put on the citalopram for anxiety and depression and now you have stopped it you have both so couldn't it be your original illness coming through? Maybe because you feel you 'failed' the meds (or they failed you)?

I'm surprised you put on weight with the citalopram. I couldn't eat so lost weight when I tried it, though of course everyone is different.

Weddings are indeed very stressful. I've done some wedding photography in the past and even just doing that did my head in so I can't imagine arranging a whole wedding!

I wonder if you could ask your GP for something to help in the short term?

Hiya shazamataz. I definitely did put the weight on as with my career I have to weigh myself everyday and also check my body fat with calipers. Because of the intensity I work out I literally always need food as I burn off so much energy but like I say the weight I put on was incredible and that's based on a strict low carb, high protein diet but I do get what you say as I've seen others mention like you do that they could barely eat and ended up losing weight but I think in general more people gain weight on citalopram than lose it

That's the thing also about the dose. People are saying the same that I should of barely got much if any withdrawals for the amount of time I was on and also the dosage but I've read others taking citalopram just for a week or less and had weeks of withdrawal symptoms. The only genuine way I would know would be to start taking the citalopram again to see if I felt better and the feelings went away but if they never then I have suffered this past few weeks of coming off them for nothing that's the dilemma I'm in and generally don't know what to do. I'm taking diazepam and beta blockers which I get prescribed bug they genuinely aren't doing nothing for my anxiety and mood as its that severe

---------- Post added at 20:38 ---------- Previous post was at 20:32 ----------

Hi, I am taking Cit and have just increased from 20mg to 40mg as 20 was too low. I have put a bit of weight on but my GP told me not to worry about that as once we are in control of the anxiety, we can start to lose the weight.

Exercise 3 times a week for 40 mins getting yourself pleasantly out of breath, not only helps lose weight but eases anxiety as it helps the good hormones to be activated.

I find that the physical symptoms of anxiety, butterfly's in the stomach and hunger pangs are not too dissimilar and can confuse you into eating when its not food you want. To help with this my GP put me on a low dose beta blocker 3 times a day and this does help reduce the symptoms.

But I believe that there are other things you can take apart from ssri's.

Hiya bike rider. The exercise part genuinely isn't a problem as if you read my post I fight semi professionally so my training regime and diet are very strict. There is a lot of reasons citalopram can put weight on you. One of them is that it slows down your metabolism so you are going the put weight on whatever regardless. How come 20mg's was too low? And how do you feel on 40? I just dread to think what it's like when you eventually have to come off that dose as I can Imagine it will be hell as I've experienced myself in the past

[Bike Rider]

It was to low because I still had unpleasant anxieties, they were reduced but not enough. Who knows if I will come of them? and so far after 5 days there are slight side effects which should pass soon, I just hope the anxiety will as well.

[Calvin86]

It was to low because I still had unpleasant anxieties, they were reduced but not enough. Who knows if I will come of them? and so far after 5 days there are slight side effects which should pass soon, I just hope the anxiety will as well.

Maybe it's because the dosage was too high that you got unpleasant anxieties. I genuinely think after years of not been on ssri's and now having got myself in this hole off taking them that they are the worst possible things ever. They should be destroyed off the face of this earth. The pharmaceutical companies have a number every year of patients which have to be prescribed these snd the fact that doctors have shares in actually pharmacists is alarming. If these 2 facts alone don't raise question marks I don't know what ever will. Anti-depressants are a multi million dollar industry

[Bike Rider]

But to some people they work Calvin, giving them a better life. On the news tonight it states that 1 in 4 people will suffer some kind of mental health problem and people I have now spoken to about this, most have themselves been on these meds. What else do you suggest.

[Calvin86]

I'm considering just going on and taking 5mg as opposed to 10mg to see if it is the discontinuation syndrome I'm experiencing because I will pretty much know if it is as it says it corrects itself in a day and then if it isn't I'm sure the 5mg tablet won't make me feel any worse than I am now. The only thing is I've been taking 5htp for a week but I read the half life of that is only a couple of hours anyway