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

well this is a shit place to be, coming off citalopram, isn't it?

24 replies

sobloodygrumpy · 28/11/2009 21:05

I've name changed for this btw. I ran out of citalopram just under a week ago, and thought I would give coming off them a go, having been on them for over a year now, for PND.

And now I find myself in this crappy situation, where everything feels negative, I'm shouting at the children, I feel like slapping DH, and I've had the most shit day.

I was only on 20mgs, and I felt confident about doing it (having spoken to the dr about it, before, she's said that on such a low dosage it is possible to stop, so its not completely without medical supervision, I suppose, and I found 10mg worse than pointless), but now, I'm calling every aspect of my life into question and feeling negative, irritable, annoyed, grumpy etc etc

So, I'm not posting for an answer really, just posting because I can..

OP posts:

nevergoogledragonbutter · 28/11/2009 21:13

I felt fine for around 2 weeks then cried and cried and cried for the next 2 weeks.
Another week or so and I was fine again.
It's worth a trip to your GP to let them know what's going on though.

Original poster

sobloodygrumpy · 28/11/2009 21:15

Thank you - that's helpful to know. I've been on it a long time, so I suppose coming off it will be a longer experience than just a few days.

OP posts:

weaselm4 · 28/11/2009 21:15

Sympathies sobloodygrumpy. I came off it (probably too quickly) a few years back and it was not pretty. Hope you feel better soon.

RockBird · 28/11/2009 21:17

Probably not what you want to hear but I've resigned myself to staying on them. Went from 40mg to 20mg to 10mg and off and never felt so shitty in my life. I've tried several times to come off them and I am just a nasty bad tempered horrible person without them. So here I stay.

Hope it's better for you.

Original poster

sobloodygrumpy · 28/11/2009 21:19

This is reassuring, thank you. I think you've probably saved a deluded me going downstairs and demanding a divorce!

I had resigned myself to staying on them, but (and maybe this is more about the dosage being right etc) felt confident about coming off and coping. I suppose it comes down to the length of time you are prepared to stay feeling shit to get over them, and balancing whether what you are feeling is the coming off, or the underlying general depression, IYSWIM?

OP posts:

abitchilly · 28/11/2009 21:20

Can you stock up on St John's Wort, evening primrose oil etc etc?

Worth a try and I think, with me, there's something of a placebo effect. At least you're doing something iyswim.

Sorry if a bit feeble, but I know how you feel.

Original poster

sobloodygrumpy · 28/11/2009 21:23

Thanks abit - that is a good idea. I might do some more research into natural alternatives, and I do agree re the placebo effect.

OP posts:

squashedfrogs · 28/11/2009 21:25

RockBird, do you mind if I ask how long you've been on them? They work for me at the mo but I do wonder when I might be able to live without them. Reading your post, maybe it's not a short term option.

abitchilly · 28/11/2009 21:26

Oh yeah and exercise, blah de blah.

PacificDogwood · 28/11/2009 21:29

You could also try reducing slower ie 40mg, 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, then 10mg alternate days, then stop when you are ready. Every step can take as long as you feel you need it to take, ie no right or wrong.

Alternatively, you could go on liquid Citalopram and reduce by 1ml/day/week IYKWIM. It is not an easy med to come off from, but most people do.
Compementary remedies are a good idea too, as is regular exercise if you can manage.
.
Hope you feel better soon.

RockBird · 28/11/2009 21:30

I've been on them for nearly 2 years. Got them for PND but actually I think I could have done with them before. The one thing that makes me reluctant to keep trying to come off is how horrible I am to dd without them. DH understands why I'm in such a shit mood all the time, DD doesn't and I'd rather be on tablets and be a well balanced mummy than be tablet free and take it out on her.

Original poster

sobloodygrumpy · 28/11/2009 21:33

Rockbird. You could be me. I feel have been so mean to dd today.

God this is shit.

OP posts:

RockBird · 28/11/2009 21:53

I had a horrible horrible day on Thursday with her. I hope she's too young to really take much notice but i felt like shit. I don't want to be like that, it's not fair on her.

Is there a reason why you think you need to come off them now? With me it's becase I want to try for dc2 in the new year and I don't know how citalopram and pg go together but if it wasn't for that I really would forget about coming off them.

Not saying that for your case btw! I'm rubbish without them but others are fine.

Original poster

sobloodygrumpy · 28/11/2009 21:59

Because I am so FAT!

I've literally put on two stone on them, and I'm a heffalump, I really am.

Depression runs in our family though, so perhaps its better to be fat and happy rather than less fat and miserable

OP posts:

RockBird · 28/11/2009 22:05

Oh I'm fat too but I can't blame the tablets for that. Although maybe if I'd had the tablets years ago I might not be so fat...

Is your gp good? Sounds like it's definitely worth a chat with him or her if you haven't already.

IdrisTheDragon · 28/11/2009 22:13

I think I have stopped taking citalopram - I very occasionally am taking 10mg, but I think it has more of a psychosymatic effect than physiological. I have been cutting down from 40mg for about a year probably - went down to 20mg with some amount of pain ie disturbed sleep and moodiness. Was on that for a few months. Then down to 10mg for a few months, followed by taking it every other day, then one every few days and then one twice a week and now I seem to have stopped I think.

I don't think I could have done without a course of cbt 18 months ago - it really did help to change my approach to the depression. I am still open to the fact I may well need to take ADs again in the future.

badietbuddy · 28/11/2009 22:19

You really should try and lower the dosage gradually if you want to come off them. Your GP will be able to help with this. I only had a week on citalopram as it made my anxiety go through the roof, but I am on Trazodone which works really well for me. I sometimes think I am better (had bad PND and anxiety, ds is now 18 months, but it took a long time to be diagnosed) but if I forget a few doses I really do feel like crap so I know for the time being I am happy to take them. Fwiw, and it's totally trivial, I do think they have helped me lose a substantial amount of weight. I have been dieting which has obviously helped, but my appetite in truth just isn't there. Have you had any talkign therapies? I am on a waiting list, and I do think long term it will help- I don't want to be on these forever, and CBT will hopefully help me deal with my life a bit better than I was before.
Good luck

badietbuddy · 28/11/2009 22:23

And btw, I was first prescribed citalopram in my first pregnancy so they are fine to take- I had no negative effects either, which is odd considering the horrible anxiety they gave me second time around. I was prescribed them at about 3 or 4 months iirc and stopped takign them before she was born- no side effects.

Original poster

sobloodygrumpy · 28/11/2009 23:30

Thanks all. your advice and experiences are all very helpful.

I will go back to the GP I think. I've had CBT, and it helped a bit, but not a huge amount. Not something I'm wild about doing again.

There's no quick fix to this is there? I have often wondered if you ever really recover from PND, or whether its something that will always be there to get you when you're down, a weak spot.

Thanks again ladies.

OP posts:

PurpleOne · 29/11/2009 03:49

Does anyone else have those awful electric shock feelings when coming off them? I accidentally miss a dose sometimes (am on 40mg) and have a really spinny head and 'pins and needles' type feelings all over my body.
Sorry of hijack sobloody. Hope you feel better soon. Please speak to your gp.

Take care x

tadjennyp · 29/11/2009 04:15

I deliberately came off them when I moved to the States because I didn't want to pay the money involved. I was fine for about four months because I was settling in, then dh went abroad with work and I found myself in a terrible mood, tearful, unable to cope with eldest child's behaviour so went back on them for a couple of months. I really did find that having things to focus on, such as an evening class, doing exercise with a group of other Mums helped me feel a lot better without them.

I think you are right sobloody, that when you're down about something it feels somehow easier to reach for the tablets once you've been on them before. They're still in the cupboard but I am determined not to take them again unless I have another baby and suffer with PND again. Good luck with your decision sobloody as only you can know whether you just feel crap from coming off the tablets, or you really are still depressed.

(Glad you are still around here PurpleOne.)

bottersnike · 29/11/2009 09:50

It is encouraging to hear that it's not just that feels rubbish when coming off these damn pills.
I really really do not want to take them any more, I don't want to need them, and I'm hoping that when this fuzzy zonked feeling has faded, I might feel normal!
Does ironing count as exercise??

strawberry17 · 29/11/2009 13:53

You really need to go back on them and then wean off really slowly, I have been there, done that and worn the t shirt with regards to PND and anti depressants and here is my blog about weaning off which may help prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/
You can get off the tablets/liquid but you have to take it slow otherwise it's a complete head fuck.

Steph78 · 01/12/2009 11:07

My sister came of 20mg dose cold turkey a couple of years ao and was comp[letely bonkers for 2-3 weeks, but was then fine. I've been on 30mg dose for 4 mnths for PND and feeling just great. Having read all the above though, it sounds like might be a good idea to stay on the for the recommended 6 mnth the wean myself off slowly instead!

Flip