Cipramil withdrawal

[juniper68]

Has anyone else been on these? I'm currently coming off them (20mg) and wondered if anyone had side effects with withdrawal?

I was going to start this thread sometime! Yes! You too? I've been on Cipramil for 2 years now and tried to come off before Xmas. Dropped from 40mgs to 20 mgs which was way too drastic. Lasted 10 days: had permanent headache, dizziness and light-headedness, nausea, and a strange out of focus feeling in my eyes. Worse than the physical side effects was a return of the horrible depressive feelings: worst Mum in the world feelings, mood swings, weepiness, huge rages. Culminated one Sunday afternoon with me screaming at the kids, throwing my toddler on to the settee, and chucking dh's dinnner in the bin went back up to 40mgs that evening.

But...not all gloom and doom. Mid January I dropped down to 30mgs - much easier transition this time. I still have a bit of light-headedness, etc. but only around the time I am due to take my tablet (I take it early evening). No sign of the depression this time. I did about 6 weeks on 30mgs, and I'm now down to 20mgs (have been for about a fortnight) and so far so good.

Advice would be to take it VERY slowly - don't let your GP rush you. I'm planning at least another month on 20mgs, then 6 weeks on 10 mgs, then alternate doses of 10 mgs every other day for at least a month. That's how I came off Prozac after my first bout of PND (after ds1).

HTH - please post and tell me what's happening to you too.

I'm currently on Cipralex which is very similar. I've been on them for three months and feel fine. I had very bad PND first time round and took the medication as soon as I stopped breast feeding to keep the depression from coming back this time. I'm worried about staying on them to long incase the side effects are strong. Is withdrawl linked to the amount of time you spend on them?

Hi Marthamoo - really interested to read how you came off prozac. Ive had to swap to prozac because I've benn trying to come off seroxat for TWO YEARS (dont worry anyone reading this - its only seroxat that has this severe problem.)

Am down to 10mg prozac now but have to take the liquid and reduce by 1mg at a time to try and avoid triggering anymore withdrawal from the seroxat if that makes sense.

Juniper - hope it all goes ok!
Kizziex

Interesting one i was on cipramil for 2 years i tried the cutting down 40mg -20mg was not too bad but found it really difficult to cut down from 20mg my gp had me doing alternate days of 20 and 15 etc and it did my head in i didnt know where i was and kept on having to go back up. Also kept missing every other day. I tried to come off them so many times and in the end i thought you know what i feel awful every other day sick and all that so i just cold turkied and for me it was the best thing it was about a week of feeling yuk and then a great feeling of being in control of myself again. Im not saying its the answer for everyone and the doctors would probably freak but i worked for me so i thought i would share it with you. It is good to feel ones life again rather than the fog. Good luck to all of you. Baby 2 due in Aug so i'll prob be back on them by September!!!

Hi Kizzie, how are you getting on?

I am back on Prozac as of last week, I went to see my Gp and talked to him. We agreed that Seroxat were not the answer, and as I didn't have any problems coming off Prozac he prescribed them again, wants me to take them for a minimum of a year before reducing or trying to come off them this time.

Hi Allibubbles - good to hear from you.

Im still struggling from the withdrawal. My dr wouldnt let me take seroxat and prozac at same time (which is what I think you did) so had to just stop seroxat one day and go onto prozac the next. About 5 days later went into really terrible withdrawal. Anywa - its a very long boring story but now 5 months on Im down to 10mg prozac but have been advised to keep cutting down very slowly because they dont think Ive fully recovered from the seroxat problems yet.

The only thing that makes me feel slightly better is that they've taken 'this is not addictive' off the label - although it still makes me angry because thats the only reason I agreed to take it.

I remember you saying before that you'd take prozac again if you felt you needed it. Sorry that things have obviously been tough for you recently but for what its worth I agree that you were right to avoid the seroxat. Just not worth the hassle at the end.

Are you starting to feel any better yet? Hope things look up soon!
Kizziex

I know it didn't help you at the time, but GPs have now been advised nationally not to prescribe seroxat unless nothing else is working, and only under the guidance of a psychiatrist. So hopefully other people won't have to go through that.
With any SSRI, or other antidepressant, you do have to come off slowly, more slowly than most people want to - it took me six months to come off sertraline last time I came off it, and that was about OK.

Hi Susan - yes, Im really pleased that finally drs have been given the right information. I've been withdrawing for more than 2 years now! It does upset me that I got PND and THEN had to face this too (I had severe PND but the withdrawal has been far worse even than my original symptoms)- but then I know people have to go through difficult things all the time. Im also really worried that Ive been taking SSRI's for 5 yrs but again I know that a lot of other people have needed to do this. just really wish Id never taken them.
Anyway --- onwards and upwards!
Kizziex

Hi All, I'm on 10mg a day now(cipramil)and feeling ok apart from slight nausea and a 'weak' feeling in my legs. Of course I'm a total hypochondriac and it has to be MS!! I'm sure it's just side effects though. I was goin to alternate but after reading the messages I'll keep to 10mg for a week or so and then i may half them. My GP is fab btw and really listens. She's a female with twin babies so this helps take care all xxx

Hi.been on 20mg cipramil about 11 months.
Was having problems with agarophobia and anxiety so doctor put me on these and arranged cognitive behavioural therapy.
Decided to do the therapy i needed to stop taking the tablets as they made me feel detached and numb,not able to cry,tired all the time,not good when you have 2 small children to look after.
I went on a 2 week every other day then 2 weeks every third day then stopped taking them altogeher
Although my doctor wanted me to stay on them whilst doing the therapy for agarophobia.
Its been 2 weeks now without any tablets and although i feel sick most days and get funny sensations in my head i am starting to think clearly and feel more confident already.I wanted to do the therapy as myself in reality so to speak without the tablets clouding my judgement.

Anyone else have a similar story to tell

Maria - sounds like you're doing really well!!
Good luck with the cbt.
I definately recognise that feeling of being 'numb' on ad's.
Kizziex

Hello ,
Have just been given prescription for cipramil from gp.Haven't decided whether or not to take it.
Overall I am happy good friends , good job , two great kids BUT split up with their dad 2 years ago after 7 years and still finding it hard.
I do have a great social life and that but am EXTREMLEY jealous and possessive over my ex.
I mean I physically feel sick at the thought of him being with someone else which looks like it is on the cards.
I still want to be with him and that is my problem.
I also suffer very badly from pms but have never done anything about it (it was one of the reasons we split up in the first place).
So back to the cipramil, as I say overall I am happy just think I am obsessive especially with him and my son , not my daughter though not sure why!
Wanted to know if anyone thinks I am mad for going on them if I am not anxious in any other way?
I have also been offered counselling but could take months to be seen , I think counselling is much better.
Really undecided. (smile)

Hi Aurora...

I dont think your mad for going onto Cipramil.
I was on them but now my g.p has put me onto Citalopram (which I think is the same but different name).
I suffer very bad from panic attacks and anxiety due to losing my first son to Group B Strep in March 03, it was very sudden and totally not expected.
I went onto have another son last March and thats when the anxiety and the shock caught up with me..I suppose I just felt very scared of this happening again to me.
My g.p tryed to put it down to Post-natel depression but i was not having any of it.
Ive been on my tablets for about 8 months now and am on maximum dose. I do feel a lot better but still have good/bad days and very bad days.

I was also concerned about using these tablets but thought that if I had a sore throat then I would take antibiotics without questioning it so why shouldnt I take these tablets that in the long run will make me feel better?
Thats the way I look at it now.

Good luck with your councelling I hope it works out well for you.
Take Care.
wozzle 1

I was taking Cipralex and have recently stopped using them - I started by taking them every other day and then lengthening the gap. Found I felt a bit sick but seems to be OK now.

picadillycircus...

How long before you totally came off them??
Do you feel beeter for coming off them???

wozzle, so very sorry to hear about your tragic loss. I too have had experience of Strep B, Thankfully my ds survived after contracting SB meningitis when he was 3 weeks old. My heart goes out to you.

I was on Cipramil (Citalopram) for 3 yrs on a 40mg dose to start then down to 20mg. I knew I'd overcome my depression and stopped taking them. I felt fine, no side effects what so ever.