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Mental health

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Original poster

Trying to come off citalopram and failing - any advice??

9 replies

ladymarian · 24/02/2010 12:27

Been on citalopram for 11 mths for PND and PTSD. I started on 20mg and had counselling last year. When I had a review with my doctor in Jan she reduced my dose to 10mg as I was feeling much much better and want to come off them altogether. Didn't notice any difference with the 10mg, still felt fine so I started taking them every second day on doc's advice.

In last couple of days my symptoms have returned - feeling tearful, anxious and panicky. This has been a shock and now I am worried I will always be on on them!

Anyone else gone through this??

OP posts:

NoahAndTheWhale · 24/02/2010 12:34

I came off citalopram a few months ago and did cut down very slowly indeed which I think helped me.

I was on 10mg for a few months before I started to miss one a week, then two a week before I went to one every few days, then eventually stopped.

How long had you been feeling good for? My doctor wouldn't let me cut down until I had been feeling good for about 6 months and although this frustrated me at the time it has actually made sense.

I also found that whenever I adjusted the dosage that I would get bad dreams and feelings of anxiety which would go away after about a week. It may be that you are the same and that your anxiety will improve soon.

Try not to worry (although I know that is a useless thing to say ). I would probably start taking 10mg a day again for a while and see if that helped before starting to cut down again, but if you do stay on them longer and feel well whilst doing so, that is a good thing I would say, rather than cutting down and then needing to take them again.

Original poster

ladymarian · 24/02/2010 12:39

Thanks Noahandthewhale. Glad to hear a success story! Are you still feeling well now?

I think I have probably done it too quickly (feeling well for about 8 to 10 weeks). I have never been happy taking them but accepted that I needed them. However I realise that there is no point rushing it

OP posts:

Rockbird · 24/02/2010 12:40

I was on them since March 08, 40mg at worst point. Made several attempts to come off them slowly but always went back on within the month. This time I just forgot to take them. Over Christmas and NY I was down to 10mg and kept forgetting to take them and it was 2, 3, 4 days between tablets till one day I went to take one and thought actually, I won't. I sometimes feel like I'm slipping back and still have some bad days but actually, I might just be able to stay off them this time. So I guess what I'm saying is do it very very slowly, more slowly than you would think possible. Try 10mg one day and 5mg the next etc for a while. I know it's psychologically hard on the days you haven't taken them IYSWIM.

FWIW my GP was happy for me to stay on them as long as I wanted and I would have been too but we want to ttc dc2 this year and I wasn't comfortable with being on them if at all possible. If you feel you still need them then there is no harm in that, take as long as you need.

NoahAndTheWhale · 24/02/2010 12:48

I started taking them in September 07 and finished in about November last year I think.

I am still feeling all right - have little blips but nothing as bad as I have been. I too was on 40mg for a while and found it easier to cut down to 20mg than to cut back from 10mg.

I am sure there is some pyschological thing in it - I think a study where you didn't actually know whether the tablets were real or placebo would be interesting, especially when you are cutting down. But that is only my thoughts .

Rockbird · 24/02/2010 13:21

I definitely felt worse on days I hadn't taken a tablet, as if in my head I had decided that today would be a hard day because I hadn't had one. But this time I didn't take them because I was distracted and forgot which seemed to work for me. Also only thoughts

bottersnike · 24/02/2010 17:00

I've just had to go back on Citalopram - think I came off too quickly, and I've been getting steadily worse over the last couple of months.
My GP has been brilliant, and has advised to go back on them, and get some proper counselling, which I didn't do last time.
I think coming off them gradually will help you a lot, but if it doesn't, then it won't hurt to be on them for a bit longer until you're feeling completely better.
Best of luck.

GetDownYouWillFall · 24/02/2010 18:36

When coming off ADs it's best to just reduce the dose gradually, and not "skip" days as that leads to fluctuating levels in your blood. The best thing is to say, have 20mg every night for a month, then 15mg every night for another month, then 10, then 5, then 2.5 etc. etc. in gradually smaller and smaller increments.
Good luck coming off them, I am coming off mine, but am doing it in the way I described, really really slowly. It's best to do it slowly once, than have to go back on them and start all over again, knocking your confidence in the process.

Original poster

ladymarian · 24/02/2010 21:24

Thanks for your replies everyone

I think I have been a bit keen to get off them which will be counterproductive in the long term....

OP posts:

strawberry17 · 24/02/2010 21:39

Just have to reiterate wht Getdownyouwillfall said, I had PND 10 years ago, and when I felt better couldn't get off the antidepressants without relapsing over and over again, the alternate way of coming off doesn't work for a lot of people, reduce in the way gdywf described or even much slower if necessary!

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