Please can someone help citralopram withdrawl (paatly unintentional)

[notsofarnow]

Can anyone help. was increased to 60 mg from 40mg in Feb but have been much better recently due to it being summer, so reduced about 4 weeks ago to 40 mg. The first part of that first week was a bit wobbly. But last 2 weeks due to holidays and having fiance to stay I have probably only taken one or two 20 mg tabs. Yesterday had bags of energy did loads, but last night went into downward spiral. Today I have been dizzy, lightheaded, lethargic, miserable and generally can't be bothered. Want the kids to go away but don't want to be on my own either.

Anyone else any experience of this and how long before it feels better if i start taking the tabs again.

I think it is recommended that you should cut down much more gradually than that, so I'm not surprised at the withdrawal symptoms.
If you start taking them regularly again, I would think it would be three weeks before you feel stable again, and you could well have some of the initial side effects of the citalopram, although they shouldn't be too severe.

don't go more than 5 to 10mg down at a time. As citalopram has a half life of 36 hour you can do so by taking different tablets on different days, ie to cut down to 50mg you can take a 40 one day and a 60 the next. And take your time, you've been on it for months, don't rush off it.

You need to go back to full dose and stabilize yourself, it's always a bad idea to stop cold turkey or miss tablets, you will get withdrawals which is what has happened. I would also recommend if you are withdrawing to go much much slower and much smaller drops, and not the alternate day thing.

I agree - maybe go back to 40 and then reduce by 10 every 3-4 weeks, or until you feel stable at each dose. Remember tomorrow is another day and will be better (in some way, however little!). Good luck xxx

I'm always shocked how quickly the moods kick in when I forget to take meds for a day or two. Two days in a row leads to temper tantrums, and can't even blame cold turkey as that's what I'm like without them [blush}

Sounds like you've withdrawn from quite a high dose very quickly. I'd go straight back on 20 a day then drop to 10 one day 20 the next for a while, then down to 10 etc. No point in ruining all the good work by going cold turkey.

racingheart I'd say that was way too fast still.

They are NOT addictive!!

Do not confuse withdrawal with addiction.

If they were addictive you would crave them, need more of them and you would stop feeling the effect.

What happens when you take an SSRI is that the drug ensures more serotonin is released in the body (the reuptake inhibiting factor) so the body makes a bit less. So when you come off it your body needs a bit of time to get back to normal. Nothing to do with addiction at all.