Goodness, sorry to hear about your experience. But two weeks is roughly how long it takes most people to normalize to a dose change, up or down.
I have heard about single and/or small doses of prozac being quite useful to fend off initial withdrawal symptoms, but that was for coming off venlafaxine, which has very short half-life. I think the idea is to go from a shorter half-life substance to a longer half-life one.
Another trick that I remember, also from coming off venlafaxine, was to take small doses of benadryl (diphenhydramine). If I remember correctly, the later is a
nonselective serotonin reuptake inhibitor which actually got the whole search started for the SSRIs, back in the 1960s. There is some anecdotal evidence that it might help tamp down some of the scarier SSRI withdrawal effects e.g. the brain zaps and such.
Another thing you might do is have a look at those 'natural' substances like St. John's Wort which we are all supposed to avoid while on certain SSRIs... the things that appear in the warning list for serotonin syndrome. See here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin_syndrome
Perhaps you might be able to pick up some St. J's and get some benefit.
The single most beneficial thing any of us can do, I strongly believe, is to commit to a rigorous and regular exercise regimen. Really, none of these SSRI meds is a whole solution; healthy brain chemistry requires good exercise and good diet etc. too. Ideally, we'd all have everything in place before dialing down the SSRI, but unfortunately, a lot of people rush things too much, and/or get poor advice from an inexperienced GP, and don't have a proper strategy in place for coming off.
How long will you feel the discontinuation symptoms? Well, if you're already long past the half life and still feeling them, then they may persist until you develop a more aggressive strategy for dealing with them. Perhaps the brain has lost some of its ability to adapt to changes around certain receptors. Then perhaps you may even need to retrace your steps i.e. go back on the med and dial down slowly.
I abruptly stopped my daily 40mg dose of citalopram 5 months ago after over 12 years of taking it, and against the advice of my doctor. Having read about other peoples experiences on-line, I expected to have some withdrawal symptoms but had no idea what they might be. All I can tell you is that for the last 5 months, I have suffered confusion, anxiety, paranoia, palpitations, and distress. I have been entirely overwhelmed by everything. I have had to drag myself out of bed and into work. I have felt irritable, tired, unhappy and life has had no meaning or pleasure for me. Most days I have cried endlessly. It has almost destroyed my marriage. All of the sympoms I experienced were how I felt prior to being prescribed citalopram and they flooded back with a vengence once I ceased my medication. For a while I believed I was "withdrawing" and hoped the dark period would pass. I know understand that I was not withdrawing, but rather my mental health was declining gradually over these last four and a half months. One very dark morning, when I could hardly speak for crying and was desperate for someone to help me, I returned to my GP and I am now back on my citalopram. I feel calmer already, the anxiety and desperation that had been worrying my face has gone. I look happier and feel happier. Some people genuinely require antidepressants to enable them to live happier lives. I am one of those people - having battled with feelings of low self-esteem, worthlessness, ocd, and anxiety since I was 13 years old. I am now 45. The last 4.5 months have been awful, not only for me but for those people that love and care for me. Please do not underestimate the value of antidrepressants. They have changed my life for the better. The world was a very dark place for me without them
peace and love to all those people who need help to get them through life, whatever the reason. xxxxx
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Originally Posted by jj1976
