help on coming off Citalopram please

[caz303]

I've been on 60mg of Citalopram for about 2 years now. I've slowly weaned myself off Lorazepam over the past year with no problems whatsover so assumed Citalopram would be much easier. How wrong I was! I cut 10mg (half of one tablet) since Monday and have felt dreadful since.

After having a google I find out that my symptoms are that of withdrawal off the drug .. dizziness, head wooziness and light-headedness, feeling sick and soooo tired.

I'm in the process of trying to get back into the workplace and have decided to go back upto 60mg until this is sorted. There's no way I can think straight whilst reducing.

I'm just shocked that something that isn't supposed to be addictive can cause such horrible withdrawal symptoms.

[RichW]

Hi Eric

I really feel for you mate. You sound like you are in a really bad space at the moment and I understand your pain. Please try to remain focussed on what you want to achieve. Regarding your withdrawal from Citalopram, is time of the essence? I think Sue is absolutely spot on with her approach, why rush it - take all the time you need. My GP has actually encouraged me to take my time and to not feel pressured into coming off within a certain timeframe. There are a couple of options available: A Compounding Chemist will be able to reduce the dosage by as little or as much as you would like. The other option is to buy a citalopram pill cutter and you should then be able to accurately reduce your dose by 5mg at a time. I intend to go with Sue's approach i.e. reducing by 5 mg every 3 - 4 weeks and seeing how that goes. Try not to lose your patience, I understand that it's a never-ending nightmare for you at the moment but you need to try to take it easy on yourself. You don't need the added stress. If you found 20mg manageable and had been on that dose for a while, I'd get back there and once you have stabilised after 3 weeks or so then reconsider your strategy.

Hope this helps, my thoughts are with you.


Rich

[StressedEric]

Hi Eric

I really feel for you mate. You sound like you are in a really bad space at the moment and I understand your pain. Please try to remain focussed on what you want to achieve. Regarding your withdrawal from Citalopram, is time of the essence? I think Sue is absolutely spot on with her approach, why rush it - take all the time you need. My GP has actually encouraged me to take my time and to not feel pressured into coming off within a certain timeframe. There are a couple of options available: A Compounding Chemist will be able to reduce the dosage by as little or as much as you would like. The other option is to buy a citalopram pill cutter and you should then be able to accurately reduce your dose by 5mg at a time. I intend to go with Sue's approach i.e. reducing by 5 mg every 3 - 4 weeks and seeing how that goes. Try not to lose your patience, I understand that it's a never-ending nightmare for you at the moment but you need to try to take it easy on yourself. You don't need the added stress. If you found 20mg manageable and had been on that dose for a while, I'd get back there and once you have stabilised after 3 weeks or so then reconsider your strategy.

Hope this helps, my thoughts are with you.


Rich

Thanks Rich for your and everyone's advice. I went to see doc on Monday just to let her know that I was struggling with the anxiety and the increasing spacy and dizziness which has really taken over me. She wanted me to stop citalopram immediately and take Venlafaxine 75mg but the whole point is that I just want to get off meds and try CBT and counselling to cope with my anx!

After getting home I researched this med and there some stories about it being hard to come off Venlafaxine?? so very relutant to try it.

I have over a months supply of 20mg cit tabs (x28) so thinking to continue with reducing but doing it using regular dose of 15mg to start with. Feel that the doc will think I'm messing her around if I go back though to let her know of my plans though.

I have a pill cutter, but cutting 20mg tabs to get 15mg is a real pain and don't think I will be getting the accurate dose as it means cutting the tab twice. Haven't heard of a specific cutter for citalopram. May need to try and go back and get 10mg tabs.

I keep thinking "Oh god today I'm worse than a couple of days ago" and keep concentrating on the symptoms AGAIN I'm also thinking the med is contributing to the worsening symptoms and this scares me even more.

Now can't shake it off it with me. Just want to sleep in bed forever as feel this is my only release from this at the moment.... Just need something to feel positive about...

[StressedEric]

Been on 15mg of cit for 5 days now. Anxiety v.high think prob due to changing dose again??? Hope it levels out as v.hard to cope worse being in house all day but don't have any motivation to go out and do anything. Feel v.lonely feel like need company continuously otherwise start panicing can't get it out of my head! Usually go down to brothers which relaxes me but can't as he got cold. Feel like going out of my mind.

[joannap]

i am on 5mg - down from 20mg. they do say that when you cut down - the effects kick in after 3 days - i remember feeling very irritable after i had cut down but it did pass after a week or so. like you - i was still very anxious when i decided to cut down but my reasons were that i have been on and off antidepressants for 12 years and do not want to be on them for the rest of my life plus i feel i am suffering side effects and so i have to come off them to see whether they are being caused by the cit.

i have been through a lot of stress recently and so have found myself crying and getting v anxious and so went to the gps to ask for some beta blockers to take the edge off my anxiety whilst i stop taking them - perhaps you could do this?

i know its really difficult when you are at home alone - i work from home and so spend a lot of time with my own thoughts - not good!!!! however - no matter how bad i feel - i do make sure i go out and so please do plan something small every day to get you out - even if you don;t think it is doing you any good - it will be x

[joannap]

ps - i read somewhere they don;t advise you to reduce by more than 5mg every 2 weeks - i bought myself a pill cutter to do this x

[suzy-sue]

I have found it has taken me 3 weeks to feel better each time I have reduced .I reduced after 2weeks the last time and felt terrible .I only ever cut down by 5mg .I wont be doing that again . Sue x

[StressedEric]

I have found it has taken me 3 weeks to feel better each time I have reduced .I reduced after 2weeks the last time and felt terrible .I only ever cut down by 5mg .I wont be doing that again . Sue x

Did you find that your anxiety jumped up? Seems that every time I change even a small amount my anxiety seems to go into the stratosphere! God, it's so high at the mo constantly sweating and haven't hardly slept at all the last couple of nights. Sitting in work now very jittery and head is pounding. Feeling scared wherever I go, home, work, parents etc.

[suzy-sue]

I didnt this time Eric ,I was very suprised as it s a very common occurence .Always get stable before you reduce again .It will pass as soon as the brain has re-ajusted to less serotonin .Sue x

[StressedEric]

Still on 15mg cit but will be reducing next week to 10mg Still got half a pack of 20mg tabs. Going to docs Thursday and will get 10mg tabs this time!

Just feel v.wierd like I don't feel any emotions when thinking about things and memory is so bad it affecting work. A week ago I had a little bit of "normal" emotions but that gone now just feel "numb".

It's like being in a intense dream world!! Anx doesn't seem to be affecting me that bad tho. Think maybe this a combination of me levelling out on med, mental exhaustion and depersonalisation????? Just want all this to end, get off meds and to try and get (somewhere) near "normal" again if this ever will be possible?