coming off citalopram - positives?

[catatemymind]

Hi everyone,

after being on 20mg citalopram for over 4 years now, I feel I am now ready to come off them. I've put on around 2 stone since starting them and whilst they served me at the time, I now feel they blunt both the bottom and top ends of my emotional experience.

I've been reducing very slowly over a few weeks, having a couple of days where I take a half dose and I've felt quite teary from time to time but not awful. Any positives on the process of coming off these sorts of meds, when did you start to feel like 'yourself' again and stop feeling quite so emotionally blank? Also, did you manage to lose any weight gained?

thank you in advance :)

Getting orgasms and sexual sensations back was great. Sorry if TMI! I also felt sharper and so did find focusing on a diet or going to the gym was a wee bit easier. On citalopram I found my mind would wander (quite pleasantly) half way through any kind of plan of action or getting my kit together...

Keep an eye on your emotions. If you are feeling especially low it might not be the right time to stop but I do understand why you're keen to work towards that. I remember the blunt feeling! Once off I certainly cried more (wow emotion) got angry, laughed and felt hopeful when off them. You do get lows back as well as highs. That can be ok though and part of life, as long as you're ready for that. Unfortunately for my xh it meant I had the focus and anger to initiate a divorce. I think he preferred me muggy...

Best of luck though, hoping you feel better soon.

I was only on Galilean for about 2 years, don't remember an awful lot about coming off which suggests it went pretty smoothly? I just made sure I did it slowly.
That was about 14 years ago and I've never looked back.
Lost the stone I put on without problems, I think you get a feeling of positivity once you are off them which gives you an inner strength to spur you on. New start and all that.
Just take it slowly and best of luck with everything.

Galilean..seriously bloody autocorrect, obviously should be citalopram

Im taking these meds and they definitely helped with suffocating anxiety. However i have put on 2 and half stone and this is causing me anxiety now 😖. Im definitely foggy brained and not as sharp as i used to be , Im worried if i come off them ill be back to being weepy & irrational. How did you successfully wean off them and over what time period please?

I'm seeing my doctor about coming off later this week. I'm on 40mg so know it will be a while.

Can I ask, why do people lose weight when they come off it? It will be an added bonus for me, but not my motivation as I want to come off so I can TTC at the end of the year.

I’ve been on various antidepressants over the years and I found citalopram the most difficult to come off. The increase in anxiety was horrendous so do reduce slowly.

I had a very similar experience to Bearimy. The withdrawal was awful but it was worth it in the end. Best of luck, OP.

I came off very slowly. I guided myself as the doctor advised taking a tablet every other day. I literally got a razor blade and every couple of days shaved a smaller piece off. It took me a few months as I didn’t want to rush and end up back on them. I’d read that your nervous system can go into shock hence my slow approach.

It did work I definitely got all my up and down feelings back but the downs were ok. I had come to dislike the numb feeling I had all the time which is what I did need when I first went on them.

Good luck.

This thread has spurred me on to start reducing myself now.

Been on them two years nearly at 20 mg a day and fed go with the low libido and weight gain feeling. Have gained two stone on them which is frustrating me and yes the blunt feelings def noticeable.

I'm going to take half every other day to start with.

Been on 40mg for 12 years with a couple of breaks in between for pregnancies. Beginning to think I ought to try life without them too. I've come off them cold turkey in the past, that wasn't great but I wasn't working then. Now I am so am not going to try that!