Coming off Citalopram /Celexa

The unknown: Same as we suggest for everyone. Ween yourself off if slowly. If you're on 40 now, go to 20 for two weeks, then 10 for 2 weeks, then 5, then 5 every other day. You'll still have some side-effects, but they won't be as severe.

Are the side affects that bad it's scary

Salma akram wrote:

Are the side affects that bad it's scary

Not sure "scary" is the right term since you KNOW what's causing them, but they are very disorienting and strange. The brain zaps are the oddest of them all. But you just will feel dizzy, nauseous and out-of-Place. This is why we STRONGLY encourage weening off them and not stopping cold-turkey.

Bill

Hi guys, my problem is a little different in tapering citalopram. I have done lots of research and know how to come off but the dr is not being very helpful.
I was on paroxetine for about 1 year and 9 months increasing from 20mg to 40mg to 30mg in that time and changing to citalopram for the last year. I started on 20mg, went up to 30mg after about 2 weeks after the "washing in citalopram, washing out paroxetine" period. September I dropped to 20mg with no probelms, so after a month I dropped to 10mg. Within a week I couldn't cope so went back up. A few weeks later I saw my dr again and I asked for the liquid but he said he couldn't prescribe it because it was too expensive. He suggested I did alternating days of 20mg and 10mg. I stuck with it for 3 weeks but I was all over the place so went back to 20mg.
I now want to taper again and thought about "sretching the half-life" i.e. 20mg in the morning then 20mg the next day in the evening, then miss a day and take 20mg the next morning and so on. Has anyone else tried this, I tried researching this method on the internet but found nothing.
I am fed up of being on them, I feel fine these days but every time I try to taper it sets me back. I would prefer the liquid, but how can I persuade my GP to give it to me? I've not seen him for a while because GPs know nothing about coming off anti-depressants.:(
Any help?

I have been on Celexa for only 4 weeks now. i am having difficulty sleeping at night on 10 mg. 2 to 3 hours of sleep makes for awful days. I decided to drop back to 5 mg to see what would happen. I slept 7 hours and felt like a new person. Of course I was still sleep deprived, but could function in my daily life. Tried that same method last night and got 5.5 hours of sleep. Still tolerable, but I did wake up with some anxiety at midnight. Some of my friends have been using accupuncture to improve their symptoms. As they improve, they are able to take less meds and to get on specific vitamins such as Herbal anxiety from Metagenics lab called Lumina or St John's wort with folate and B12 for depression. Even on my little dosage, I hate the side effects of sweating feet, dry mouth, lack of sleep, muscle weakness and an irritation of the urethra from taking Lorazapam. I am giving accupuncture a try since it deals with the nerves. My life drastically changed when this anxiety showed its face. I so want my old life back without these strong medications. Our bodies see them as a toxin.

Delilah: The medicine is designed to operate and dissolve on a 24-hour period. My worry is that you said that when you dropped to 10mg, you couldn't handle it. How do you expect to operate when you're completely off of it? If your anxiety is bad at 10mg, it will be worse when you're completely off of it. I have never used the liquid, so I have no idea of the cost or availability. So my question is, if you're on 20mg and it's working properly, why do you want off of it?

Bill

1flagrl: Our bodies aren't fighting the medication. It simply modifies our serotonin to keep that brain chemistry in balance. Sometimes sunlight, exercise, taking vitamin D, all of these things can help balance the levels naturally, and sometimes we just need to accept that chemistry is a good thing! The first suggestion I would have is to change when in the day you take the medicine. If you take it at night, take it in the morning. If you take it in the morning, take it at night. See if that helps. The other thing you can do, which sounds counter-intuitive, is to take a LARGER dose until your body gets used to it. If you're prescribed 10mg, take 20mg for a week and see how you feel. Then, once you're balanced out, go back to your 10mg. Acupuncture can certainly help with your stress, which can sometimes help with your serotonin levels, but I won't regulate them like the medicine will. Good luck to you!

Bill

Hi 1flagrl,
When I started on paroxetine I had insomnia too which gradually improved over time. I don't remember how long it took, but I remember hardly getting any sleep in the first 2 weeks. If this continues I would go back to the doctor. A different med may be better! As a side note, when I changed to Citalopram I became really sleepy and I can still sleep for britain!
I would also suggest asking your doc for talking therapy such as conative behavioural therapy (CBT) to get to the root of your anxiety, especially as you don't like meds - there are other options!
Good luck. I'm not a doctor but have been on these things for nearly 3 years and these are my views.
X

Hi Bill, thanks for your reply. I should clarify that I am stable these days and feel I don't need the meds, When I try to wean I am sensitive to the lower serotonin and find it difficult to cope with the withdrawal - I'm basically addicted to them!
This is the reason I need to taper more slowly but am having trouble persuading my GP to help. I'm going to see another GP at the practice today, so I'll get some advice on what he thinks I should do.
I don't want to be on these things forever especially as it has changed my personality.

Hi, I'm after some advise. This is my second week of being off CItslopram. I was 20mg for 12months and addressed a lot Of my issues,now in a happier place. However , physically I'm feeling really tired,sluggish,heavy chest and brain zapas, also not as sharp in my thinking and abit vague are all these side effects of my body adjusting? In Nearley went to a&e the other night as I felt breathless and I do get breathless really quickly..how long does this last ? I want to go gym but scared I will faint or something ? Has anyone got any advice pls? Xx :)

Louise: You won't faint or have any other drastic problems. It all has to do with the chemical balance of your brain. Your brain is simply readjusting back to where it was before the medicine. What your experiencing is completely normal and you'll go through it up to about 3 months (side effects will get more and more mild over that time). Just stick with it and you'll be fine.

Bill

Hey folks.: there are lots of reasons for being depressed other than your levels of serotonin!Find yourself a fine,smart psychotherapist is psychodynamically oriented.Meds Will not make you happy or get rid of your sadness.

Find a great experienced psychotherapist who
Is not enamoured with medications or who does not think psychological problems have a biological
cause.

Why are people talking about god in this forum. Depression is a physically issue due to chemicals in our body. You can't pray your way out of depression.
It's dangerous to tell depressed people to just have faith and god will heal them.
No one would tell a diabetic to pray themselves healthy.

bflo82: There are certainly reasons for therapy and I'm glad that it's helping you, but there is also a need for these medicines. My problem is strictly chemical and the medicine balances that back to normal so I can live a regular life. I tried therapy and it helped dealing with stress issues, but did not help with the generalized anxiety caused by the chemical balance.

Bill

Hello after 12 years on citalapram up to 60 mg last few years I was changed to Mertazapine over only two weeks. Weened of citalapram much to fast by Doctor The result was a mixture of withdrawal terrible panic attacks and extreem anxiety, and side effects of mirtazapine. I tried for five weeks to stay on Mitazapine but had to give up due to extreem tirdness and weight gain, restless legs.My Doctor then in his wisdom prescribed me 20mg Prozac, What a nightmare this has become. Within two days I could not eat hardly anything or Sleep at all, I was told to hang in their which I did for twelve days, after which I had to stop due to feeling very poorly on no sleep or food. I have now been off everything for three weeks and I still can not sleep, feeling quite desperate about my situation. My eating has improved a bit but not normal Please help if you can. Am I still suffering from Citalopram withdrawal or side effects of the other two, and how long will it last? before sleep returns. I have never had sleep problems before this episode or when I was on Citalopram. I have been advised to go back on the Citalopram 20mg to see if it improves my situation. up to my third day now. Once again your help would be much appreciated thank you

On Wellbutrin & Celexa and ran out of meds. My insurance changed with work in 2012 and I procrastinated in getting an appt with a new dr. I called today to make an appt but they can't see me until the 28th. I havent taken Celexa (citalopram) since last Thursday (or maybe Wednesday) and ran out of Wellbutrin today. I really want off these meds and reading this board makes me want off them even more. Dr's definitely never informed me about withdrawal experiences. What a shame they didn't. I've tried to come off wellbutrin in the past but the withdrawal always sent me back. That's just wrong. I'm done with these meds. I just hope it doesn't get too difficult. I was on 20 mg of for about a year or so and can def relate to the zombie-like results. I was Mr. Agreeable on them but also lost my zest for life. I have been on Wellbutrin for about 5 years. I'm just done with them. I'll keep my appt on the 28th in the event it gets too bad but I really hope I can stop. I def feel a little strange (detached head-like feeling, a little nausea, and some headaches) but nothing I can't manage at this point. I have children and I can already tell I am way less patient. I hope I can work on that quickly. I would love some advice as to how long the withdrawal symptoms last. I don't want to be a medicine head for the rest of my life. I understand that some people need meds for chemical reasons they cannot fix otherwise (and thank goodness for the meds in that case) but I want to see if I can function without them. I did for 27 years so why can't I again?

Chris wrote:

Hello after 12 years on citalapram up to 60 mg last few years I was changed to Mertazapine over only two weeks. Weened of citalapram much to fast by Doctor The result was a mixture of withdrawal terrible panic attacks and extreem anxiety, and side effects of mirtazapine. I tried for five weeks to stay on Mitazapine but had to give up due to extreem tirdness and weight gain, restless legs.My Doctor then in his wisdom prescribed me 20mg Prozac, What a nightmare this has become. Within two days I could not eat hardly anything or Sleep at all, I was told to hang in their which I did for twelve days, after which I had to stop due to feeling very poorly on no sleep or food. I have now been off everything for three weeks and I still can not sleep, feeling quite desperate about my situation. My eating has improved a bit but not normal Please help if you can. Am I still suffering from Citalopram withdrawal or side effects of the other two, and how long will it last? before sleep returns. I have never had sleep problems before this episode or when I was on Citalopram. I have been advised to go back on the Citalopram 20mg to see if it improves my situation. up to my third day now. Once again your help would be much appreciated thank you

How are you feeling now? I don't have a whole lot of advice but I am currently trying to get off Celexa as well and can relate to a lot of the experiences you are having. Has your withdrawal improved at all since the 17th?

Hello to you no improvement in sleep problems still not sleeping at all, eating is a bit better.I have discovered a group called CITA based in liverpool who specialise in helping people come off prescription medication They are very helpfull and really know their stuff, to all reading this give them a call on 01519320102 best wishes Chris

I found out i was pregnant a couple weeks ago, and i have been taking Citalopram for about 2 years. I made an apt with my Dr for the baby, but while im waiting i decided to start taking smaller doses of the pill ( cutting it in half.. and then less and less) but im still having horrible withdrawal symptoms like the electrical waves and dizziness but i don't know what else to do.. just kind of wondering the affects of withdrawal on the baby. the commercials scared me about birth defects with taking it so i just wanted to get off as soon as i could! any advice on dealing with the withdrawals at all as well?

I've been on SSRI for 6 years, celexa 3 years . I'm tapering since march 1. It's very very hard . I have experience with addiction
I went too fast 20 to 10 , 10 to 0 and it is not a good idea. Called my doc who told me it should take at least 3 months to taper
I'm on 5 mg the last 3 days to stabilize and getting energy back. The headaches are better now. I hope to be off in a couple weeks , good luck to all