Hi All

its been along time since I discovered citalopram. 2017, I was given it to help with social anxiety symptoms. I read this group pinned thread and began on 20mg. Within 10 days I had a great improvement, very few side effects. It made me feel almost normal again. Since 2017 I have each year reduced my dosage down to one 20mg every alternate day, after about 2/3 months I stopped taking them and all in all I felt fine for about another 2/3 months. Then suddenly I noticed I was waking at 5am. The the insomnia became worse to the point I was unable to sleep more than three hours. My mind races during the night and the added new founds,eep anxiety became a nightly occurrence. Of course lack of sleep caused more anxiety during the day and so the cycle begins.

I thought that my anxiety had gone out of control and ended up losing a lot of weight, continually walking everywhere. It is so bad each time I went back to start the 8 weeks to get back on citalopram and each time it worked like magic. I kept putting weight on while on citalopram ski really needed to lose the laziness and overeating.

I would then continue for 6/8months on citalopram 20mg. They have eroded my teeth made me unhealthy, killed my sex drive.

so to cut a long story short, I was unaware how difficult it is to get off Ssri’s only recently have I read about the side effects. I thought that after 5 months I would be free of the drug but it seems that your head takes a lot longer in some instances, to re adjust to the Seratonin after the chemical has gone.

so I am currently trying again. I reduced to 10mg daily for the last 2 months. I candefinately feel side effects of coming off but nothing too bad until tonight when this is my first night where I am unable to sleep due to feeling hot and a racing mind.

I am going to stay on 10mg for some months and then fingers crossed I will reduce to one 10mg every alternate day.

does anyone have any advice for the insomnia symptoms while withdrawing? I am hoping to share some success stories and not return back to the 20mg dose.

mee.