Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Mental health

Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have medical concerns, please seek medical attention.

Flip

Original poster

Coming off citalopram

12 replies

VenelopeVonSweetz · 10/10/2018 15:54

Hi all, I am looking for a bit of help and advice with coming off citalopram.

I was prescribed 10mg 3 years ago and that has increased gradually over time to 30mg.

I’m planning on wearing myself off 10mg at a time per week, I’m on day 3 so far and I’m feeling stressed and like a shitty person today.

I have previously come off ADs cold turkey and the brain zaps were horrible but I don’t remember feeling the emotional side effects like I am now.

Does anyone want to share their experience?

OP posts:

Pebblespony · 10/10/2018 15:57

Don't do it without your GPS help. It's too hard to do it yourself. I tried, became so depressed I had to go back on it again. Got terrible mood swings, horrible dreams where I was paralysed, it was awful. Did it with GPS blessing, no problem. Off it for a few years. Is there a reason you're doing it yourself? Are you afraid the gp will advise you to stay on them?

PlinkPlink · 10/10/2018 16:01

As above... please don't do throughout GP guiding you.

Took Citalopram for 9 years. Tried to do it twice cold turkey. Ended up back on them again. The final time I tried with the GPs advice and I haven't been back in them since. That was 3 years ago now.

I know it feels horrible but you really must make sure you have other things in place or that you are genuinely in a happier place.

For me, I used fitness as a way to boost my seratonin levels naturally to help get over that withdrawal from anti depressants. I was also happier within myself at that point.

Original poster

VenelopeVonSweetz · 10/10/2018 16:08

Thank you for your replies.

I am in a happier place and haven’t gone to the GP as I can never get an appointment, I have rang everyday for the last two weeks but they say I need to be there before 9am to make it into their walk in clinic but I have to take my DCs to preschool.

OP posts:

MrsPhillippe · 10/10/2018 16:14

I was on Citalopram for a couple of years, 40mg a day, plus 40mg daily of propranolol for my severe anxiety.
I decided last Christmas that I could cope without them now, so I took one every other day for a week then stopped altogether. I do know this is not advised and I would not advise anyone else to do it without their GPS help and advice.

I was quite lucky that the worst thing for me was the extremely vivid dreams I was having, every night. They would wake me up, if gp back to sleep and have another one, this would happen about 5 times a night until about 6 weeks after I'd stopped the meds.

Hope you are ok

MrsPhillippe · 10/10/2018 16:15

Id go back to sleep

CanIGetARefund · 10/10/2018 16:22

I think cutting down by 10mg at a time will work, but each time you go down you need at least 2 weeks, if not more, to get used to it. When you get to the final 10mg, consider cutting that in half and taking 5mg for a while. I have been told that if you get strong withdrawal symptoms, you can tell if they are the original depression by simply taking another dose. If the symptoms go away rapidly, it's just withdrawal.

ThisIsHalloween2018 · 10/10/2018 16:24

I'm on 40mg citalopram and 40mg proprananol.

I would suggest trying to get in with your GP for advice.

The times I've gone cold turkey I've been really Ill.

Can I ask why you want to come off them?

I've been on mine for years and can't cope without them

bilbodog · 10/10/2018 16:25

I agree consult your GP first. Ive been on 20 mg for well over 12 years. I tried a couple of times to come off on my own but didnt manage it. Earlier this year tried again after speaking to GP. Did it fairly slowly, dropped to 10 mg first for a few weeks then dropped to every other day. I thought i was doing ok then realised i wasnt. The withdrawal effects were: felt really angry about everything, wasnt sleeping well, upset tummy/acid reflux got really bad (i didnt realise this was connected at the time) so felt sick, couldnt eat much and then sleeping got even worse and i wanted to cry all the time. Did some more googling and decided it was all connected so went back on them - felt better within 48 hours. Saw the dr who agreed all was connected and she was happy for me to go back on. I am not trying again.

MirandaWest · 10/10/2018 16:27

I have in the past cut down from 40mg to stopping taking citalopram - took about 18 months. Other times I stopped taking them more quickly, I was all right but needed to go on them again relatively soon after stopping

ADastardlyThing · 10/10/2018 16:31

Ime slow......s.....l....o.....w........and then more slowly drop the dose gradually over a month at least, probably more like 6 weeks.

SelinaMyers · 10/10/2018 16:34

I would not do it without the guidance of a GP.

doctorbarbie · 11/10/2018 19:28

Having just come off citalopram too quickly, I would advise to taper as slowly as possible.

If I was doing it again, I would halve the dose and stay there for 2 weeks, halve again and stay there for 2 weeks etc. I'm saying 2 weeks because ime it took 11 days for the withdrawal symptoms to start which makes sense in light of some stuff I have read saying it takes 10-14 days to leave the system.

I was fine until day 11 of taking nothing then BAM! Mood is all over the place (none of them good), low energy, very tired etc etc. I'm getting wound up by the pettiest things. A man sat down next to me on a bench and had the audacity to eat his lunch and the noise of his chewing nearly sent me over the edge. I'm not particularly sensitive to that sort of stuff usually. It feels a bit like extreme PMT.

Apparently, I've got 6 weeks of this. So my advice is go slow.

Flip