withdrawal of citalopram

[willitstop]

Hi all im thinking of stopping my citalopram and going it alone in my battle with agoraphobic and anxiety and panick disorder.
Has anyone stopped citalopram and what are the withdrawals like
any advice apreciated thank you xx

[menomum]

Hi there, when I first took Citalopram a few years ago and decided to come of them I had some quite horrible withdrawal symptoms such as those horrible electric shock feelings in the head. But I realise now it was because I was doing it to quickly, because this time I have been coming of them gradually since Christmas, halving the dose for 1 month, then every other day for 1 month, then about 3 times a week until I don't take any, and I haven't had any symptoms at all. Hope this helps you, good luck.

[bluebell68]

Hi i recently came off Citalopram after taking it for 8 months and i did suffer some withdrawral symptoms despite stopping very gradually but i wouldn't want to let that put you off cos it is not the case for everyone. I had a bit of a problem with sleeping, i found it difficult at times to get to sleep but it does pass ..also i had a couple of weeks of a strange zapping sensation a bit like and electric shock feeling but not in a painful way, it was a little bit wierd but is a uncommon but noted side effect and nothing to worry about.... but again it doesn't last. Have you discussed stopping the meds with your doctor tho, its really important to do this cos i felt so much better on the tablets that i decided to stop even tho my doc felt i should stay on them a bit longer. I have recently started taking them again cos i think i rushed things a little, which i only mention to stress how important it is to take advice from your doctor..., and as i said you could find that you don't get any side effects at all... if you and your doctor are happy for you to stop them then thats fine. Also your doctor will be able to give you a plan on how to reduce them gradually depending on your dose.
I hope that i haven't put you off and i am sure that you will get many more replies from people with different experiences of stopping... we are all individuals and only you can know when its the right time for you.
All the best
Rachel

[space]

Hello all, and well done for having the courage to try to come off this drug! It has been very enlightening reading your posts, I stopped totally about 3 wks ago after breaking my 10mg tabs in half for about a month. I suffer from general anxiety but after having my son it morphed into health anxiety and panic about our general safety and welfare. Since stopping I have found myself resisting self checking easier, and worry much less health wise about my son, tho not perfect! I have had the woozy 'head zap' moments too, but also had these when I was cutting down to 10mg from 20, but as a I have an inner ear problem I blamed that! The electric shock thing was reassuring to read, as I had them a few weeks back and was a bit concerned! My problems now are mainly tearfulness, feelings of aggression (though I'm able to pretty much control it physically, ie by stamping my feet and not on my boyfriends feet, it's not nice to feel that tense and stressed) and low tolerance for the tiniest things, so my poor boyfriend gets moaned and shouted at more than ever and my little boy gets shouted at sometimes, which I'm not proud of. I think it could be much worse but it's still frustrating to not be yourself. I'm not helping myself by trying to tap into 'more acceptable' anxieties such as weight and diet either. Am going to try relaxation techniques and maybe flower remedies, or even St John's Wort. Good luck to you all, and if anyone has any top tips on fighting the tenseness let me know! Best wishes

[Mully]

My problems now are mainly tearfulness, feelings of aggression (though I'm able to pretty much control it physically, ie by stamping my feet and not on my boyfriends feet, it's not nice to feel that tense and stressed) and low tolerance for the tiniest things

I can totally relate to that, one of the main symptoms that rocked me was the aggression/frustration and crying at the drop of a hat!.. I even threw my phone at the wall and smashed it .. which was completely out of character for me!.. I have never lost control like that in my entire life .. as I was always aware of the consenquences.
For me it was about 6 weeks later all this started to happen and i just could not cope. Hence I am now back on the meds as I just could not handle these side effects. I think it helps if you have support and understanding friends/family/partners etc.. and I respect anyone who is trying to come off these tablets.


Willitstop: I would recommend you try and come off the meds slowly.. try not to rush it.. maybe your GP can monitor you as you reduce the dosage over the next few months. Good Luck ! xx

[Gettinghappier]

Hi there

I was on 20mg but I have been biting them in half for the last week as I want to come off them. No offence to anyone but I just feel like I don't want to get to the point where I never come off these things. I only took them to help me through a period of time and now that I am getting professional help to help me learn new coping mechanisms etc and life is becoming more managable I feel it is time.

Also last couple of weeks I have had about 2 days out of each week where I have been seriously mad. You know where I could picture literally smashing up the place. I have just been really snappy. I haven't of course smashed any rooms up but the desire to is really strong. I have also been tearful. I was interested to read about someone getting a bad memory too as I have found myself forgetting what I was about to say and started to worry about it but if it a side effect of this drug and not my mind failing me then I can relax!

On the plus side I am calmer but I really do think that this as much due to all the other things I am doing maybe.......

So, what is cold turkey like? I am not working right now and want to get this stuff out of my system before I do start working again hence wanting to get off sooner rather than later. If I have already halved it for a week then if I just stopped tomorrow would it be pretty much over by next weekend???

P.S Willitstop. Have you ever considered CBT to aid you with your anxiety etc? Just a thought. Good luck

[Tracy43]

Hi All
I decided after a month of taking these things that I am done with them. I guess the biggest reason is my fingers are really puffy and sore and that reminds me how much water I am holding. Others reasons to but as I have only been on 10mg for a month is it worth just dropping them or cutting down to 5mg for a week?

[Asha1979]

Hi Tracy I would not advise just going cold turkey even though you have been on a small dose for a month. I would speak to your doctor about this.

[madelaine]

hi folks a cumin off escitalopram after 20 years side effects are bl--dy horrible shocks in ur head dizzines teary angry agressive the list is endless but av not had a panic attack thro it all 1 on 1 off for a month smallest dose tmadelainehen 1 on 2 off for two weeks under docs orders hope it works n keep well