Citalopram survival guide

[Optimistic]

Thank you so much....I needed this!!

[kenny830]

Hello there,

Just wish I had found this fourum before I stopped Citalopram after 9 weeks. This was at the end of April, so 5 months ago now. I had good and bad spells as expected, but the last two weeks I got very depressed and a weak leg. I have a head injury with hemipligia down one side of my body.

I started on 5 mgs as I was so scared after having a bad reaction to coming off Cipralex, which ended in it pushing me to kill myself! Then went to 10 mg and got the very bad headaches. The 15 for two weeks made me depressed, and weak. I had sometimes where I could run early on.

I phoned the GP in a panic as I was so unwell and she said to stop the drug. When I lowered the dose one time I suddenly felt well and then realised it had started working! I lost the threputic dose thou so all was lost. My head was screeching coming off the drug.

That was about 5 months ago - I have been on Citalopram twice before this so in all three times. I am really unwell and having to go back to my head injury rehab centre and I was just wondering if you know how many times you can safely start Citalopram?

I understand my case is quite unusual but I am very scared. I've tried other pills but nothing seems to work for my condition, or I cant tolerate them.

Thanks for your continued work on this guide. I wish I had found it earlier..

Keith

[raindeer]

Thanks for this post no poet, it helped tremendously. I only took citalopram(1 day) for a short time and it still gave me SSRI discontinuation. Probably because I had alcohol 7 days after stopping, but im not sure. Its been like 5 weeks since I stopped but I still have a foggy headed feeling and a weird head feeling on the back right of my head(sometimes headachy and sometimes foggy). The depression that came after stopping has gone away, but I still get mood swings from time to time.

[Bike Rider]

Instead of the leaflets the drug manufacturers put in the boxes, they should print of your post and put that in instead.

Excellent article and I can confirm a lot of what you have wrote as I am on Cit myself.

[NoPoet]

Thanks everyone.

My anxiety has drastically improved over the last 6 months or so. I've gone from 20 out of 21 on the GAD chart to 8 out of 21. The only reason my score isn't lower is because I have been anxious all my life and am having to learn how to live without it.

I am fighting the NHS and DWP in court to effect system-wide changes to help people with mental health conditions, and I have teamed up with advocates and a lawyer (who is offering his services at no cost) to do so.

I have drastically re-written this guide to reflect the years of extra skills and experience I've earned - this has effectively become a new self-help book. I am starting to approach publishers with it, and a novel which is the high-functioning equivalent of the Case of the Dog in the Night-Time. I will tinker with the Citalopram Survival Guide from time to time but need to be careful not to upset any publishers.

If you're reading these words, change is coming. Work for recovery. Fight for it, cry for it, reach for it even though it may seem so far away. It's not as far as it looks. You were not born to suffer, no matter how much you may believe you are. You may not believe it now, but one day you will see it for yourself.

Remember this guide, and remember that there will always be people fighting back, so you'll never be on your own or out of our thoughts. We're the resistance, and our day is coming.

[Martachris]

Thank you for your Citalopram survival guide. I have been on 40mg Citalopram for 10 days. Previously I had been on 40mg Paroxetine for a number of years. This was done with no break between them.
I am seriously struggling with side effects. Heightened Panic, anxiety and depression. Pain in head, neck and shoulders. Strange feeling in head as well.
Trying to work my way through this with help from my GP and counsellor.

[Mojo61]

Thank you so very, very much for your wonderful guide. I have only just started out on Citalopram (day 7 on 10mg) and when I'm feeling anxious, worried and thinking of jacking it all in I read your wise words and it gives me the courage to carry on shoving that tablet down my throat every morning. I'm having a rough ride but I'm hanging in there and it is all thanks to you and your fantastic survival guide. It has made me realise that what I'm feeling is "normal" and all part of the recovery process and not to give up just because I'm imagining I have EVERY side effect detailed in that weighty tome they euphemistically call the "Patient Information Leaflet". You are an inspiration and give us all hope and reassurance - so thank you again!

[TheDucky]

This is the best thing i've read on cit. Thank you!!

[Debs21uk]

This is brilliant! Well done, it answers so much and gives great practical advice when you think you'll never recover x

[markyboy123]

I think I`m getting a script for Citalopram tomorrow , I am very scared about it . but reading this link has helped a little. Cheers