To ask what the hell is wrong with me?? Scared

[daphne87]

For about a week now.

Whenever I'm moving around I get sudden dizzy spells, feels like my brain is shaking behind my eyes, feel like I'm going to fall backwards. Vision a bit blurry. This happens very very often throughout the day. Sometimes palpitations at the same time.

Also forgetting or mixing up my words a lot.

I'm generally healthy, 32, normal blood pressure and heart rate (checked it), don't smoke, drink too much wine though. Usually very active but have been very sedentary during lockdown.

I have a big fear of hospitals and doctors. I hate going. Especially just now I'd hate it.

Anyone any idea what this could be??

Oh and I don't take any medication. About 3 weeks ago I stopped taking Citalopram, but I was only on them for 2 months.

PoTS? You need to have your heart rate and BP tested when standing from lying down. See here for more info.

I had that withdrawing from citalopram. My doctor fobbed me off said SSRI discontinuation syndrome wasnt a thing. It was. I will never go back on anti ds because of this

Anaemia or low ferritin could also be to blame.

Dog calls for a visit/call to the GP.

Dog? Meant to write def.

I agree it sounds like withdrawal from the meds.

It might be to do with the citalopram withdrawal tbh.

Definitely withdrawal from Citalopram. I had this, it felt like my brain was shaking inside my head. It’s awful but it’ll pass.

Citalopram withdrawal. If you just stopped taking it, rather than gradually reducing it, these are classic symptons. I can relate fully.

A friend of mine had symptoms like that, especially not being able to put words together. It turned out that he had a brain tumour. Definitely go to the doctor asap.

Stress? Low blood pressure?

I've had similar symptoms. I had it a few years ago and I thought it was related to stress. I've got it again at the moment, since lockdown. Feels like I lose my balance for a couple of seconds or that the Earth is spinning (bit like falling over when you're drunk?). At the moment I'm getting it when I lie on my back.

I've been back to the GP who has referred me to ENT because he suspected it might be Ménière's disease, although I don't think I fit the symptoms of that - my dizzy spells are much shorter.

Possibly withdrawal from the Citalopram?
You're supposed to wean yourself off of them very slowly - well it works that way with most SSRIs, I don't have personal experience of Citalopram.

I suggest that you do call your GP or 111 and get advice, but do let them know that you have recently stopped taking it.
Why did you stop taking it so soon, were there side effects?
Two months is barely time for it to start working, yet there will probably be enough in your system for it to cause withdrawal problems. Was your withdrawal supervised by the person that made the initial prescription?

I have suffered with anaemia when pregnant and my symptoms sounded like yours. Defo see a doctor.

Like pp I had that when stopping a medication or if I missed a dose when I was taking it.

@disconnecteddrifter did you have those exact same symptoms as me when coming off Citalopram then?? I stopped almost 3 weeks ago after cutting down from 20 to 10 to 0 in one week. I was only on them 2 months before that.

@Vinosaurus thanks for the suggestions, will look into that link. I did have low vitamin D and B12 a few years ago, they did some injections and another test which came back ok (intrinsic factor??).

Did you taper off the citalopram?

I've recently come off it from taking 40mg, it took me many months.

When I got down to 10mg I started taking one every other day, did that for a few weeks. Then one every third day and did that for a few weeks. Then came off it.
Didn't have any issue.

Could it be vertigo?

That sounds like my anxiety attacks

That’s the anti depressants causing that ,or rather the withdrawal of them ..that’s why I won’t ever take them again

No idea what it's like, but this may give you more insight.

citalopram withdrawal forum

I had what felt like brain zaps coming of SSRIs (citalopram is one too) many years ago. Really weird and not nice, and this was despite tapering off slowly.

Hope you feel better soon OP.

Citalopram withdrawal

Yes another in agreement about withdrawal
When I have come off them I felt as if my brain was buzzing with sort of zap type feelings . I'd also get palpitations and become very anxious.

Definitely sounds like citalopram withdrawal

I had the same thing when withdrawing from Citalopram too quickly.

Hopefully it's just the Citalopram then.

Can that suddenly start 2 weeks after stopping??

I didn't have any side effects from Citalopram beyond the first day or so, except they completely killed my sex drive.

I took 20mg a day for about 8 weeks. For exacerbation of PTSD. Never needed any meds before but things got really bad. They helped surprisingly quickly. Then I ran out and couldn't collect the prescription for a few days and the anxiety didn't return so thought I don't need them. Thought I should be taking them though as the doc prescribed them, so I half heartedly took half a one for about a week and then nearly 3 weeks ago stopped.