Citalopram: Thinking of going cold turkey - not a good idea?

[LucyEllensmadmummy]

I am on 20mg citalopram

I have been on citalopram for about 3 years. Firstly on 40mg, must have been on 20mg for nearly a year now. I want to stop taking it.

When i mentioned it to my doc a while back she said ok fine, you could take 20mg one every other day, i was a bit , then something happened so i decided to stay on them for a bit longer. Anyway, i really dont want to be taking them now - its getting to the point where i am putting off taking them for as long as i can - but then i end up going for a couple of days at every other day, then DP notices and says im snappy (or words to that effect ) and i do feel fraught.

Is that withdrawal? Or am i not ready to come off them yet? I have had lots of counselling and was signed off before xmas - dont know if it was because my counseller thought i was doign ok or if we were going round in circles.

So anyway, i think it was 2.5 days this time, not on purpose, i deliberately didnt take yesterday but forgot to take this morning, been out all day - then preparing dinner tonight and i felt really weird - buzzy feeling in my head and felt detached from myself. it was unpleasant but not a full on panic attack. Had a heart flutter last night (i am prone to palpitations).

So - why i am asking re the cold turkey is - if i am to continue dropping my dose and gong every other day, i think im going to feel like shit and it will drag on. If i do every other day for more than a few times in a go, i feel like shit - quite angry and prone to well, tantrums i suppose (i have a very firey temper, always have done).

Doc didnt think going to 10mg a good idea, dont know why

If i just stop taking them, what side effects would i expect? might i just have a rough few days or am i mad to even consider it?

[didyouseetheflaresinthesky]

Cold turkey with antidepressants is an extremely bad idea. A very slow weaning off is better. A rough few days is the tip of the iceberg. They're dangerous to just stop.

[Whitestripes1]

Why are they “dangerous”? Surely the symptoms I’ve been experiencing are simply withdrawals from the medicine. I feel more energetic and positive about excercise even though I’m grumpy. Do you mean they are dangerous as in life threatening? Question to .. Dystfits yesterday’s post

[didyouseetheflaresinthesky]

They affect your brain chemicals. You're at much greater risk of suicide and a relapse of depression. You can have hallucinations and with certain classes of antidepressants, mostly Tricyclics, withdrawal can result in an irregular heart rhythm.

You shouldn't piss about with them. Weaning off them takes a few weeks and is safer and a lot more pleasant. Even if your symptoms are mild, why would you WANT to feel like you have the mother of all flus.

[Whitestripes1]

Well the flu and the bad temper is easier to deal with in comparison with the extra weight and no sex drive! That would give anyone depression right! Week 3 and I’m taking my irritability out on the water in the swimming pool. I’m eating better, exercising feel a lot better about myself . Just The irritability to get past now.