Side effects of coming off citalpram

Part_Mouse

I was on AD's for 12 years and came off,was on citlopram for a good 6 years and switched onto prozac as as trying to get pregnant. I was ok for a couple of months without but had to go back on them a few weeks ago so i to have been in a simular position. I know for me if i was ever to get pregnant the chances are i ouldn't be able to come off the citlopram so have to balance the risk. Best of luck with it though,it does get easier. Make sure you have plenty or fruit and veg also get out of the house and into the sun as much as poss. Don't be to hard on yourself either,the road ahead maybe tough but theres no race

BarmyCow

I am still on citalopram - I tried to cut down and come off a year or so ago and the first couple of weeks of reduced dosage were fine then suddenly - wham ! It felt like I had emotionally hit a brick wall and i felt i was back at square one again.:(
I agreed with my gp that i would go back to my original dose and try again when i felt more ready - he advised that spring/summer is a better time to reduce/come off simply due to the sun. I will probably try reducing my dose in a few weeks, now that i have a better diet routine, I think i will handle this better.
I'll keep reading this thread with interest....

ellie43

Hi

I had been on this for years and decided to come off it in 2008. It took me 9 months till April 09 of very gradually reducing the dose because of the side effects of dose reduction.

I went down 2.5mg at at time at no less than 4 week intervals, but even then it took ages. Don't vary the dose day to day ie 20mg then 10mg then 20mg, as my GP advised. All this does is make the side effects worse as the levels of the drug fluctuate in your bloodstream. Citalopram does come in liquid form and I diluted it down when it got too difficult to cut up the tablets. Is a bit fiddly but did help reduce the side effects.

If you google citalopram withdrawal you will see that others have had your experience

Good luck with getting off citalopram
BW
Ellie

HannahIOW

Good luck I hope you do feel better soon. Seems the effects of citalopram vary for each person. I was prescribed them in January of this year, was on them for 2 days and phoned up my doctor in tears as they made me feel so much worse, I felt suicidal amongst other things, tingling burning skin, panic attacks etc. The doctor agreed I shouldn't take any more and instead I taught myself other ways of coping. It wasn't easy. Forcing yourself to think positive thoughts is quite a task, I also found concentrating on my breathing helped whenever I felt panic. I bought herbal remedys from boots and can honestly say I hardly need to use them. I can't believe how much better I feel now than I did 2 months ago.

Hope things get better for you soon.

moneysaver12

Thankyou for all your replies, its good to hear about other peoples experience and get advice. Yesterday i felt quite anxious and when i went to bed started to worry, so i try to take deep breaths which seemed to help.

Today i have started to take primrose oil, omega oil and vitamin b, also eaten a flap jack. Going to see how i get on with these. Today seems to be a better day, apart from feeling emotional about my husband going away tomorrow for work for a night.

moneysaver12

Hi thought i would do an update. It has been about ten weeks now since i came off the tablets. The side effects went after about three weeks. I am coping without them. I have found that i have become more anxious about things and things do get to me more than they used to. But im managing to deal with that and over time it is getting easier. The first five weeks or so were hard and i felt at times that can i really do this. Now i have gotten through these ten weeks, i believe that i can. It does help that i have a very supportive husband too, who shoulder i can cry on and talk to.

Keeping_Positive

Thanks

Ive been on citalopram for almost 2 years and if I run out I feel fine at first then Ill have a sudden lasp so very nervous of stopping. Its good to hear how you are getting on. Right now Im going to keep on for a while and maybe drop to 10 mg a day. Ive learnt the hard way that its a long road...

Good vibes to others in a similar situation

far2812

Hi All - I have been on Citalopram for about 5 years too! My doctor more or less laughs at me if I say that I have missed a couple of days and feel "different" - honestly, I can tell when I have missed a day on them! I was on 40mg for a while but have now come down to 20mg. I dont really know why - if they work - anyone should come off them! if they keep you stable emotionally - then what is the harm?

I may be opening up a real debate here - and I know it is not the answer to the deep cause - but has anyone ever claimed that being on anti-depressants long term is detrimental to your health?? As I would put it - if you are on them and it keeps you on a straight road - then why stop - to go back to spaghetti junction?

My GP has never mentioned coming off them completely - he just always asks if my mood is stable before giving me a repeat prescription!

I know they are "mood altering" drugs in the legal sense but they only in my eyes have a positive effect.

lilac_lady

I had citalopram for 2 years and they helped me through a bad patch in my life. I came off them by reducing the dosage really gradually and succeeded without feeling awful.

I ageww with far2812, if tablets help you and don't make you feel worse, take them as long as you need them. In some cases (like mine) I needed temporary help. In others, a permanent dose may be the answer.

Nicifer_noonoo

I was taking Citalopram 20mg also, and decided to come off them whilst I was pregnant. My doctor supported me in this, and also said that I would be very unlikely to suffer any side effects on such a low dosage.