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Original poster

Have to get off citalopram, any advice please

51 replies

Bananaketchup · 01/04/2010 22:24

Hi all, my first post here!

I have had anxiety/panic attacks in varying degrees for about 15 years, have been on citalopram for several years and it's worked well for me.

I reduced from 30 to 20mg about 2 years ago but I wobbled badly and lost my nerve, so went for 25mg and spent several months building my confidence again. I reduced to 25 one day/20 the next in November, then 20 a day in Feb, it's going well and I'm very motivated. I'd like your thoughts on how long you think it might take me to get off it completely given that I've reduced twice in 3 months and feel fine with it?

I have to get off it as I have applied to adopt and they will not look at me until I have been off ADs for a year. I'm and a bit about it as the adoption teams have a very narrow minded view that ADs = can't cope, which they would never say about a person with a physical problem. But it's fine to say it about mental health, even though I have proved I am a fully functioning person with a stressful job etc and no problems with coping with life. My GP was very shocked as she recommended me with a glowing reference. But there's nothing I can do about it so I've just got to accept that and get on with stopping the ADs.

If anyone has managed to read my little rant, any suggestions please?

OP posts:
BuzzingNoise · 02/04/2010 16:15

I'm surprised no-one has offered any advice yet as there are a lot of citalopram users on MN.
I have been on it for over 2 years now, and I have read a lot about it so I know, from others' experiences, that coming off it can be tricky.
Last week I ran out of tablets and wasn't able to get any more for 6 days. I was fine for 3 days then felt AWFUL. I was tearful, down, and my vision was odd and I couldn't wait to get back on them.
If you do want to come off them, I think it's best to lower your dose as much as possible and then wean yourself off them. Expect some odd side effects, I guess.
I hope by me bumping you that you get some better, first hand, advice.

BuzzingNoise · 02/04/2010 16:15

PS, I love the name!

GetDownYouWillFall · 02/04/2010 16:30

I can't believe the adoption service won't allow you to adopt whilst taking ADs!! Surely it's better to be on ADs and be well, than struggle to come off them and then really suffer.

Just because you have / have had depression doesn't mean you can't be a good parent. And they are crying out for more families to adopt. It's bordering on discriminatory, really.

Eurostar · 02/04/2010 16:42

Find a CBT therapist to support you while you are coming off and see if the tools you learn to deal with panic and anxiety help you?

Original poster
Bananaketchup · 02/04/2010 17:29

Thanks for replies, all suggestions are very gratefully received as I really need to get it right this time!

Thanks BuzzingNoise, I am expecting some weird side effects I just hope I can see them as that rather than stressing out that I'm getting worse and can't manage without the pills, if that makes sense? I think that's what happened when I wobbled before, I panicked that I was going down hill when the withdrawal effects kicked in and it became a self fulfilling prophecy.

GetDown I couldn't agree more really, they want me to prove I can cope by stopping something which helps me. But once I have a child placed I could go straight back on the ADs, it makes no sense. I will write to them and say this but at the moment I'm too sad and frustrated to do it properly.

Eurostar sadly CBT doesn't work for me, I'm a therapist myself so my brain knows all the tricks and goes 'hah, I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work!'. Maybe something herbal would help, just to give me the feeling that I'm taking something to help? When I find something hard I take comfort in thinking 'I've taken my citalopram, so it'll be okay', maybe I could find a non-medicinal substitute to give me that comfort blanket feeling?

OP posts:
BuzzingNoise · 02/04/2010 17:49

How about St John's Wort? Your citalopram would have to be completely out of your system before you could take it though.

BuzzingNoise · 02/04/2010 17:50

Oh, and I must recommend Berocca! SOmeone on MN suggested to someone else who was coming off ADs, and I saw and thought I would give it a go and it has helped me feel better. It could be all in my mind, but that's fine with me! After all, it won't do any harm.

Original poster
Bananaketchup · 02/04/2010 18:03

Okay thanks, the St John's Wort can go in my back pocket for any tough times in the year I have to be AD-free. And I will give the Berocca a go, as you say it can't hurt, and if it gives me my safety net feeling could be just what I need! Thanks again.

OP posts:
IMoveTheStars · 02/04/2010 21:19

BananaKetchup mind if I join you? I was just about to start a very similar thread, I was on 30mg citalopram until about 6 months ago, have managed to get down to 20mg fairly successfully but I want to come off them.

(tell me to bugger off if I'm hijacking too much)

I've been lowering my dose - alternating 20mg one day, 10mg the next. I only started a few days ago and I'm starting to feel the effects. I wanted to post to ask for tips on effective ways to lower the dose and how to deal with the dodgy feelings/anxiety/feeling like shite that I'm getting at the moment.

Good luck OP. Also very that you can't adopt while on AD's!

Original poster
Bananaketchup · 03/04/2010 12:55

Yes please Jareth please join in! I was thinking of going alternate 20/15mg next to hopefully cut down the side effects, although I'll have to go back to the GP and get some 10mgs to cut in half to do it. Maybe give that a go if your side effects persist?

Although a big part of me wants to just stop quickly so I can be in my compulsory one year off I know that will end up being counterproductive cos I'll feel like shit so I need to find some patience from somewhere and do it properly. Good luck!

OP posts:
Scandiwoman · 04/04/2010 10:57

Hi,

Can only recommend what worked for me.

Cut the 20mg back to every other day, see how you feel. If OK, carry on doing that for 3-4 weeks. Then cut down to 10mg for 3-4 weeks. If OK, try 10mg every 3 days OR if you feel alright to try, cut out altogether. If, at any of these stages, you don't feel right, go back to the previous stage for a few weeks before you try again.

This worked for me. I have been off citalopram for a year now....

IMoveTheStars · 04/04/2010 18:28

good idea Banana, I do need to go back and get some 10mg's anyway as I can't easily break them evenly in half. 15mg sounds like a good way to do it for now.

Scandi - thanks for your post

Original poster
Bananaketchup · 05/04/2010 11:26

Hi Scandi, thanks for your post, good to know it can be done!

Jareth - first day of 15mg today, found some 10mgs in the cupboard from when I was taking 25 so here we go! I got a pill splitter from the chemists, it was only about £1.50 and makes halving the tablets easy so could be the way to go? Good luck!

OP posts:
ilovesprouts · 05/04/2010 11:58

hi i take 30mg per day ive tryed to come off them twice b4 ,but had to go bk on them

IMoveTheStars · 05/04/2010 16:31

aaahh, I will ask the pharmacist for one tomorrow - could do with a little box to keep the halves in as well.

Good luck to you too! I'm on a 10mg day today, and definitely feeling it (very odd dreams, all very anxious grr) so 15mg is prob the way to go. maybe I'm doing it too quickly.

Original poster
Bananaketchup · 06/04/2010 15:53

Jareth hope the 15mg helps with the side effects, so far so good for me (after one day, bit premature to be celebrating LOL)

sprouts, do you feel like having another go with us?

OP posts:
claireinthecommunity · 06/04/2010 16:19

Hello all, hope you don't mind me joining.

I've been taking Citalopram 40mg a day for the past year and a half and cut down to 30mg a day two weeks ago. First week I didn't feel much different, but the week just gone I started to get headaches and feel a bit sicky - a bit like when I first started taking them. At the beginning of week three now and the sicky feeling seems to be subsiding, but I still have the headache - a little like a hangover, without the night before!

Original poster
Bananaketchup · 06/04/2010 16:26

Hi Claire, more the merrier! Hope your undeserved hangover doesn't last too long.

OP posts:
IMoveTheStars · 06/04/2010 16:35

Hi claire - I'm getting the headache too, it's horrible. I was wondering if that was one of the side-effects.

Didn't get to the pharmacist today, but have been in touch with my GP to ask for some 10mg tablets.

claireinthecommunity · 06/04/2010 16:59

Thank you for the welcomes

I tried to lower my dose from 40mg a day to 40mg every other day last year, but it was too much of a leap and I don't think I was really ready for it at the time either. This time feels different, I feel a lot stronger, but thought 30mg a day was more sensible.

DH and I are TTC and I would like to be on as lower dose as possible.

Original poster
Bananaketchup · 07/04/2010 17:45

Hi all, I've developed the killer headache today, hopefully at least that means something's happening?

Is anyone else not sleeping that well?

OP posts:
IMoveTheStars · 07/04/2010 21:37

Hi.. Banana - mine's gone for the moment, so there is hope

sleeping still OK, but feel more tired than usual, so expect that will be the next symptom to rear its ugly head. Can't wait for the teeth-grinding!

claireinthecommunity · 07/04/2010 21:40

Hi Bananaketchup, during the second week of the lower dose I was finding that I was only sleeping for a few hours then I was wide awake, then I'd crash out for a few hours in the afternoon. So far in week three I'm sleeping for longer and not needing an afternoon nap.

I have also noticed that when I first wake up my eyes take a while to get into focus, say for about a minute or so. I'm still getting the headache but the sickiness has just about gone now.

EmilyStrange · 07/04/2010 21:43

OP I think that is scandalous about the adoption agencies. For some people who suffer from a chemical imbalance in the brain its like asking a diabetic to come off insulin - well not exactly as obviously diabetes is life threatening but depression and anxiety are chronically debilatating. I think it is discrimination and I hope one day they well be held to account for it. But in the meantime I really hope it works out for you - good luck.

claireinthecommunity · 07/04/2010 21:44

X post with Jareth. I've found that the teeth grinding has actually eased for me, so far anyway!