Withdrawals from citalopram

[Namechanged454]

I slowly tapered down my dose, taking them every other day and then every third day...I'm now a week and a half since my last one. I feel irritable, anxious, paranoid & like a zapping/weird feeling in my head. Tingly almost. I was just wondering how long people experienced these withdrawals? It's making me so tempted to go back on it as I hate the anxiety. The physical withdrawals I can deal with but it's the anxiety and irritability that's driving me mad - I feel like I'm pushing my boyfriend away. One minute I'm happy the next im in a sad trance that I can't shake :( does this mean I need the antidepressants or is this just part of the process? Id ask my doctor but it takes ages to get an appt! X

I should add, I was only on the tablets for 18months. X

How long did you take to taper off them? I have found that for me coming off ADs needs to be a very slow process. When I did take citalopram I think it took me about 9-12 months to go from 20mg to off them.

Am currently coming off sertraline - am now down to taking one every other day but has taken about 7-8 months so far. I’m happy with that as I know I need to do it slowly for it to work.

You've got to be so careful when lowering your dose and really should only do it with guidance from your doctor. Your doctor would say how much to cut the dose down by. I think you've cut them down too quickly which is why you are feeling the withdrawal so bad.

When I came off mine I had to very slowly and gradually cut them down.

I know you don't want to but I would try and phone the doctors to see what they suggest - you could be past the worst of it now. Fingers crossed xx

I was on Citalopram for years. Came off in 2016. Sorry I don’t remember how I felt but I know I would have done it a different way from you. When I cut out a medication I reduce the dose slowly. What you are doing could be causing spikes. Did a doctor advise you to do it this way? If so, carry on doing what you are doing.

i am back on Citalopram , been back on it a just a few months. Missed a few days because I was too ill to get my prescription and I was as irritable as hell. I need Citalopram to cope with my disabled daughter who also has bi polar and PSTD, I just need to be numb.

Thanks for the advice. If I'm honest I did this without consulting my doctor, it takes so long to get through and get an appointment that I just read some advice online and tapered gradually over about a month. Which reading this comments, obviously wasn't long enough. Think I'll be ringing the doctor tomorrow and see what they advise! Xx