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Original poster

Citolopram withdrawal symptoms

9 replies

TellySavalashairbrush · 26/12/2020 16:35

One week off of Citolopram. I was on it for 4 years, 40mg dose and I did a slow withdrawal under the direction of the gp. I wanted to know if anyone had done this and if they suffered the same withdrawal effects as me; terrible dizziness, numbness and achy joints. I just wondered how long I can expect this to last. I’m due to start a masters course within the next month as well as working full time, so I really need to be feeling better than I currently do.

OP posts:

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 26/12/2020 16:43

They are quite common, I'm afraid. How slow was the slow withdrawal? You might want to talk to your GP about extending it even further. I'm a GP and I find patients vary a lot when coming off SSRIs. Some people seem to stop them overnight (not that I would ever advise that) with no problem. But, others seem to need a really, really slow withdrawal: getting down to 10 mg and then going to every other day, then every 3 days. I have had a few patients where this has even taken a couple of years - you have to play it by ear.

Nichola2310 · 26/12/2020 17:01

I can't remember exactly how slowly I came off but I think it was over 3 weeks or so after taking it for 8months. I found the withdrawal really tough for maybe a month. I regretted not doing it slower.

I remember watching a tv program on this and it emphasised that you should come off them really slowly, over a long period of time.

Original poster

TellySavalashairbrush · 26/12/2020 18:23

Thank you both so much for your replies. I took more than 2 months to come down from 40mg to 10mg and then a week ago I stopped the 10mg. They were a very helpful medication for some time when I had a lot going on in my life (carer for mum with dementia, adult dc experiencing difficulties) but now want a clear head to move forward with my life.

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General health

AJTracey · 26/12/2020 18:24

Its tough, but you can do it. Drink lots of water, take omega oils and keep on going.

PerfectlyPortioned · 26/12/2020 18:26

Yeah it's rubbish but you've done it now. I had withdrawal symptoms for about a month, but felt much better after that and am so glad I stuck with it. Hang in there!

anotherwinkywinkybumbum · 26/12/2020 18:31

Just to warn you, you may experience brain zaps as you go through your withdrawal. They won't last forever but can be quite disconcerting.

Mayzee · 26/12/2020 18:36

Probably about a month and I still get the odd dizzy day after maybe 10 weeks. I should say I was only on 5mg every 3 days for at least a month before I stopped so it maybe be a tougher ride from a higher dose.

LaMadrilena · 26/12/2020 18:36

I was on 20mg, and not for as long as you, but I'm not sure it should be as hard as you describe. Maybe talk to your GP again? I had some ringing in my ears, the infamous brain zaps, and generally felt a bit weird, but nothing unbearable. Perhaps after taking it for so long you need to take it slower?

tinofbeans · 26/12/2020 21:38

I came off earlier in the year from 30mg.. I found going from 10 to 0 the hardest... For the last bit, I held out between doses for as long as I could until the side effects became too bad, then took another dose. Gradually built up number of days between doses until I didn't get side effects any more. It did take a few weeks

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