To stay on 20mg of citalopram for the rest of my life?

[TheCommunalRibena]

Started taking it because of a bereavement. At one point was on 30mg and been on 20mg for about a year.

I want to get down to 10mg and stay there because it helps my severe PMT (PMDD).

I'm currently down to 10mg and feel awful. No withdrawal symptoms, just miserable, snappy, shouty and hateful.

I came down from 10 to 20 very slowly, over the course of a month maybe even longer and I've been on 10mg alone for 2 weeks and I feel fucking awful.

Should I just stop trying to cut down and stay on 20mg forever? I'm sick of feeling like this.

Someone made a good point to me the other day. People who don't need these meds don't need them because their brains make the chemicals naturally. So this is what they feel like all the time.

I don't know if I'll be on it for life. It's too soon to make that decision.

There are several GP's at the practice I might see if I can see one of the other ones. I could possibly change practices, but the two nearest us are not taking new patients at the moment as they are full. It's on automatic repeat at the moment so I have 3 months before they insist on seeing me again (every 6 months)

SoMuchRoomForActivities - wait and see when something bad will happen in your life.... because that´s when it comes back

Why not stay on them for now, with a view to reassessing in the distant future? Things will be different in five years' time, and maybe even better. No rush though, or need to decide.

I was on citalopram for about 8 years and only came off it to switch to another AD (sertraline) because I had an ECG which showed prolongued QT interval. I’d have happily stayed on citalopram forever as it worked a treat for me, and was better than sertraline. I’ve been on various ADs for about 18 years now and while I’ve tried reducing/coming off, it’s been clear to everyone around me that it wasn’t the best decision. I tried coming off citalopram three years in, and spent 2-3 months having panic attacks and crying at my desk in work for no reason. As soon as I started again, the symptoms went. Depression has run in my family for 4 generations (severely, including sectioning and suicides) so I’m certain I inherited wonky brain chemistry. If 20mg keeps you on an even keel and you don’t have side effects, there’s no reason to come off it.

Don't beat yourself up. I don't know if there are any bad side-effects for taking it 'for life'. I've been on 60mg for about 10 years. I recently had to change GP - moved house- and I contacted the new GP to get my prescription renewed. After a 3-4 min conversation he said I needed to come off it asap, and he would only give me a script for 20mg per day. I got so anxious and fell into an awful bout of depression. After I thought about it I was so angry. I got another appointment - I had to go through a 'nurse practitioner' and she agreed it was way too sudden. Saw another GP and he gave me the script for 60mg. Coming off it is really hard. You have to do it very very very very gradually. That's what my old GP told me. And she said if it was working for me, then just keep on it - which is how I ended up on it for more than 10 years... I'd really question why you want to come off it if it's keeping you stable, and letting you enjoy life then... I don't see it as an admission of weakness any more. Some GP's just don't seem to be very clued in IMO. The one I spoke to on the phone looked up the drug in a book and said there would be no side effects except some "tummy trouble". Load of bull. It really messes with you brain if you come off it suddenly. I think there have been cases of someone committing a murder as he came off it very quick. So be careful, X

I've been on 20mg for about 7 years now, and no plans to come off. The couple of times I've stopped taking it (through laziness or complacence) the difference was dramatic, even accounting for withdrawal.