Stopping Citalopram - withdrawal symptoms - how long (ball park figure)?

[marthamoo]

I've been on Citalopram (Cipramil) since ds2 was born - 3 and a half years - and it's taken me the last 18 months to wean off, I've found it very hard. I was on 10mgs (original dose 40mgs) every other day and I stopped altogether 5 days ago.

I'm suffering quite badly with feeling very dizzy, light-headed and spaced out. In fact, it seems to be getting worse rather than better. If anyone has experienced this, how long did it last?

I'm also a bit weepy and bad-tempered today but I'm hoping I can just put that down to PMT and school holidays.

HI

I have been on citilopram for 4 years following the death of my mother and a vicious assault on my partner which nearly killed him. I have been coming off since January and have gone from 20mg to 10, to 5 and now zero. Going from 20 to 10 was a breeze as was 10 to 5, but 5 to nothing has been awful. Lots of electric shocks, feel very irritable and irrational, tired, sick, dizzy. But also, my appetite has increased dramatically! The only time I seem to feel better is if I am eating!!! Not good!!! I do find exercise helps dramatically, off to the gym tonight again! Hopefully this will pass as I think my poor husband and kids have had enough!

Hi

I'm like you hypermum1, I keep myself busy. I work full time, I have a child and I am also doing an open university degree. I think if I fill my day with some positivity then I should get through this.

Coming down from the citalopram was easy but as soon as I came off them altogether, thats a different story.

Have a look and see if your healthboard offers EMDR therapy if suitable in your case ??

up here in scotland Forth Valley healthboard use omega3 high EPA / EMDR /ENT THerapy as both primary and adjunctive therapy re medium to severe depression they've been using high EPA formulations for a few years now with great success and its combined with therapy. The company that provide it to Forth Valley offer it to NHS referrals at a discount maybe worth a look ? Go to professionals area and click on NHS Patients and that is where you get the discount
www.takeomega3.co.uk/
i

Hi hypermum1. I just wanted to thank you for your post as it's made me feel much better about what I am going through at the moment. I have been on Citalopram twice now - the first time for about a year, and this current time for about 2.5 years. I have been putting off coming off them this time because I remembered how horrid the withdrawal was last time I stopped. However, I thought I was doing really well as I'd got down from 20mg to 5mg over the last 6 months, relatively painlessly. But now I'm trying 5mg every two days, the dreaded withdrawal has started. 5mg is such a small dosage that I didn't think it would affect me so much coming off it, so I was worried that the symptoms I'm having at the moment weren't due to withdrawal, but your post has reassured me that they are. So, I'm going to persevere and try and ride it out because I want to be off these little devils once and for all. I'd really appreciate hearing how you're feeling now as you posted 2 weeks ago (just to give me an idea of how long I may have to put up with this!!!). Thanks again, and to everyone else who has posted here, and good luck to everyone trying to drop the tablets :)

Hi there LadyPx. Been off the pills for 3 weeks now and it has not been easy!!! Been very irritable and, as I said before my appetite increased dramatically, craving sweet stuff all the time! That seems to have gone off a bit now but I am still quite grumpy! the dizziness and electric shocky/whooshy head seems to have gone. I just have no patience what so ever. But exercise seems to help dramatically! I am not really a big gym bunny but I really do find it helps so am forcing myself to go 2/3 times a week! I do think the hardest bit of coming off them has been going from 5 to nothing. Like you said, I thought it would be easy as 5 mg is such a low dose, but apparently not!!! Hanging on in there and trying not to blame every temper flare up on the lack of pills. The pressures of life these days are enough to make me irritable!! Keep going with it, it will be worth it in the end I am sure xxxxx

Thanks for your reply hypermum1. Funny you should say that you've been craving sweet stuff as I was just thinking I could do with some chocolate!! Really sorry to hear that you're still suffering after 3 weeks, it sounds like you are doing really well managing to stay off the tablets though. I weakened as I felt SO rough last night, so have decided to start taking 5mg again to try and restabilise myself and then try 5mg one day, 2.5mg the next etc., and just try and do it much more slowly, rather than go 5 to zero. I have a gorgeous little boy and a lovely husband and I can't bear being so irritable and miserable around them. Plus it's my wedding anniversary tomorrow and we have a lovely dinner planned, so I am hoping the 5mg will kick back in before then so that our evening isn't ruined. Anyway, am wittering now, so thanks again for replying, and I hope your hard work pays off and you are feeling properly back to normal very soon. xxx

Hi there. Just thought I would update you all. It has been a month now off the tablets and I am actually feeling loads better. This is a miracle considering what is going on in my life at the moment but am lucky enough to have a very supportive husband and quite robust children!!! I am still finding the real saviour to be the gym. Had quite a bad day yesterday but a session in the gym and am feeling so much better today. Am not sure when I will actually be able to say I feel totally OK. Not sure how long it is mean to be but am sure the pills must all be out of my system by now? Anyway, despite being very very tempted to go back to the pills more than a few times, I am still trying to be strong. Certainly do not want to ever have to go through this withdrawl again as it really is not nice!!!! Hope you are all doing well xx

Dear All
Your posts are not only enlightening but comforting too, as I often feel quite bewildered with all the emotions and physical symptoms that withdrawing from Citalopram seems to have kicked off. My partner has endured this with me but at times it has pushed his patience to its limits.

Can anyone relate to a metallic taste in the mouth and the most vivid and quite terrible dreams? I feel nauseous and have been plagued with headaches. When starting to lower the dose, I had a couple of weeks when sleep came easily and I could not get enough but now (since stopping 5mg alternate days) I feel wired and anxious, sleep is shallow.

It was reassuring to read that Hypermum1 is now feeling much better a month down the line from stopping taking Citalopram. For me, exercise, nothing formal, but just being out in the fresh air and seems to ease things along. The garden is the best place to be right now! I am managing at work but when I get home and let down the ?mask? I feel quite broken.

Perhaps I could have weaned down more slowly, according to the advice of the posts, although it has been about 5 weeks now and seem so close to being chemically ?clean?. I am keen to give Omega 3 a go as suggested.

For the record, I am sure that Citalopram helped me in some way but the payback when you feel ready or motivated to stop taking this type of medicine may cost you and your loved one.Perhaps it is because you may feel acutely unwell and unstable, maybe this is better than chronically depressed. Whatever you decide, please be careful.

Thanks very much for all your help here.

I was on Cit. for a year and decided my life was much more in my control. I cut from 20mg to 10 mg for a month and gave up two weeks ago. After day 5 cold turkey I was very weepy/ emtional. But from day 10 until now (day 16) I have had amazing dreams, but feel very dizzy. The bruxism has returned which I suffered for nabout first 6 weeks of starting taking it last yearNo sign of depression tho' and that's the main thing.

I stopped taking the darn stuff 1 week ago unaware of ther side effects. I was on 40 mg per day for around 10 months. Its bloody awful I can tell ya. I feel dizzy and woozy all the time. I also have bouts of sickness. I also have completely emptied my bowels repeatedley and have a raging appetite. It makes me wonder what the heck I was putting into my system. Im, hoping to stick out the 'cold turkey' because I certainly dont want to spend months and months weaning myself off the stuff. I just hope it starts to subside.

I was on 40mg down to 10mg then came off, it was so bad I ended up back on 20mg. Think I took it for 2/3 years. In the end I took it down to 10mg, then started cutting tablets in half (at instruction of gp) then taking half a tablet every other day and made the reduction very very very very slow and then started to forget to take them cos it was every other day, and it was ok.

Dont come off this too quick, the side effects of quick withdrawal were worse that the PND that I took them for!!

Take it easy and good luck

Thanx for the advice, I have wanted to come off them for a while now, but the doctor wanted me to stay on them. I didnt realise what it would do to you comming off such a large dose like myself. Im tempted to try and wean myself, but I keep thinking that Ive done so well so far by having nothing for 10 days now that I may as well stick it out. Its just so horrible, the sickness and wooziness is driving me crazy, but I keep thinking that tomorrow will be a little better???? Do you know how long the symtoms last for??

When I had those symptoms I didnt see it through and went back on them, so I cannot say. Think I did that for a week to two weeks. If you have come this far and can handle it, then stick with it, like you say you have done 10 days, that is great.

Just make sure you remember that your moods are likely to be affected, ie snap quick, and make sure you hold yourself back if you are feeling cross, during this cold turkey period.

Good luck

Hi, it's been very comforting reading other's stories and experiences, tho that doesn't help the personal situation. I came off 20mg after about 2 years, cold turkey, a week and a half ago. I went on holiday, and with all the bank holidays recently, couldn't get a repeat prescription from my Dr. So decided to just stop. What a bad idea. The withdrawal has been horrific. Mood swings, spaced out, nausea, lethargy, lack of concentration, my entire body aching (even my blooming nose bone was sore!)the feeling of wanting to kill someone, the thought that I was going to die.

I am just extremely lucky I have a supportive fiance, tho at times I am willing him to leave me. We are getting married next year, but I have almost called it off numerous times this past week. Just the sight of him and my kids has been enough to put me over the edge. I haven't felt suicidal, but have had the urge to just run away. I feel like a fruit loop! The nearest Dr appointment I could get is next Monday, so I am hoping that all this nastiness will be gone by then.

I have learnt from this though. No matter how bad things get in the future, I will NEVER go on SSRI's again. I wasn't even put on it for depression in the first place, but for sexual dysfunction. But I sure am feeling depressed now! I hope this goes away soon and I can get the old me back. The one that doesn't shout all the time and smiles again. My poor family is walking in eggshells around me and it is so not fair.

That then causes feelings of guilt, and it all seems a vicious cycle.

BTW, they didn't work for the reason I was put on them. My libido went from minimal to nothing. It was supposed to get better!

Also, my boobs are really painful and swollen. Have taken preg test x2 to rule that out, but wonder if this is also a symptom?

x

Hi
please go easy on yourself girl !! I can relate to everything you have just said. I have stuck to staying off the 'evil stuff' and it has taken 3 weeks for the symptoms to ease off. I use to feel sick and dizzy every other second, now I just get a faint reminder a couple of times in a day, but not to the degree I used to. Im so glad that I stuck to comming off them. My sexual appetite has returned, and WOW its great to want and enjoy it again. It take the depression away thats for sure. Perhaps try to go down to 10 mg per day? From what I can gather though it doesnt matter wether you are stopping from something crazy like 40mg like me or 5mg you still get the cold turkey symtoms, so if you have the will power just stick to it and come off them. Perhaps what may benifit you more is some cognitive behaviour therapy rather than ADs? Good luck sweetie you are lucky to be surrounded by people who love you

Thankyou sweetheart

I managed to stay off them. Its a shame you didnt because it appears that the main symptoms get out of your system by 3 weeks. I will never go on those bloody things again. It helps whilst your on them, but they dont like you to let go and not need them. I hope you can manage it for yourself one day. :)

Hi Kiwijen,
I stopped taking citalopram 2 weeks ago, I had the usual mentioned withdrawel symptoms of electric shock feeling and dizziness and generally feeling unwell, but what is worse is the horrible emotional roller-coaster of anger, crying and irritability. I just want this side effect to stop. I hate subjecting my family to this horrible feeling, has your feeling of anger and irritability gone. How long did is last. I would be grateful to anyone who could let me now of there experience regarding the emotions you go through coming of these horrible things.

Hello, I've been on Citalopram 20mg for the past three years, I've kind of accidently come of them because of a prescription mix up! I've started to lose my sense of taste and smell. :( Has anyone else had this? Really annoyed with myself for not being on the ball about my prescriptions and the doctors for losing my pills and not seeming at all concerned about not having them. Sorry don't mean to whinge but starting a new job tomorrow so obviously this is the worst timing ever!

I am going cold turkey. This is my 3rd attempt to come off cit. First time was cold turkey - was dreadful and I was so scared I went back on them again. Second time was gradual with GPs help and it was only marginally better and I went back on. This time I am just heading into the teeth of the storm.

2 weeks now and some of the dizziness and brain shrugs have eased. I am a bit ratty but trying so hard not to be - not my DC fault I am feeling ill. I have had the one horrible disconnect when I forget what I am doing and where I am - I 'lost' DS2 the other day because I couldn't remember if he was with me or not and he was hiding from me for a game - horrible 5mins.

Then last night I had a panic attack and had to get up, have a pee, drnk some water and then 'talk to myself' about how it wasn't real, I wasn't having a heart attack, my throat wasn;t closing up..... and I managed to go back to sleep. I am not giving in! But I wish these bloody drugs would just let me go without a fight

I found I had no sense of smell on cit and my nose was always blocked or running.

Also I have put on weight - 2 stone in 3 years! But I am also in the throes of hte meno so that might not be helping.

I have been on Citalopram (taking them for delayed PND) for approx 2 years, and have now been off them for 3 weeks. (I forgot to take a full packet on holiday, so have gone cold turkey).
For the first week I was fine just a few "head shocks" but come week 2 the dizziness, electric shock feeling as got worse. My "mental" health is fine, I feel well in my head, but I am constanly snapping and shouting, which my poor husband is taking most of (I got the " I wish you would go back to the doctors and get some more tablets" the other night - that went down well!!!!

I know all the symptoms will faded, but here are a few of what I am experiecing.

dizziness, woozy loss of balance feeling
head shocks
fatigue
aching limbs
bad skin
head aches
loss of sexual
lack of concetration, even trying to remember basic things
short tempered, snappy

I hate being snappy, my husband can hardly speak to me with me wanting to have a go at him........and the head shocks are almost bad enough to go back on the tablets....

Hopefully they should start wearing off soon....

Hang in there leann! I have been definitely off them for 2 weeks now and I just sort of forget to take them for a little longer. HEad shocks almost gone. Not feeling so dizzy now. Mood is good - had a call from work this morning which can make me heart rate speed up anyway at the weekends but I kept things steady and it was OK. Fingers firmly crossed.

Might try a run tomorrow - I haven;t been because I was feeling so heavy and breathless.

I didbn't tell DH I was coming off until this week - I am trying not to let anyway know what is going on and they'd spend the time waiting for the storm to break out! He did say 'Why?; in a tone of voice that was distinclt foolish in the circumstances but by and large I have been fairly stable. But I was mentally prepared for it this time.

Hi
Just stumbled on this thread, going cold turkey is a really bad idea (for most people), I've done this, and the alternate day thing numerous times over the years and always crashed and burned badly . Long story short I switched to liquid prozac and have spent the past three years weaning myself off it ecrutiatingly slowly, it's the only way that works for me. I have kept a blog prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/ of my progress. A really good book to read is www.amazon.co.uk/Coming-Off-Antidepressants-Successful-Withdrawal/dp/1845292561

Hello, I'm struggling and need to offload in the hope that someone might have a few thoughts or words of wisdom. I started on Citalopram 18 months ago because I was finding it hard to cope with 3 little boys in the shadow of relationship difficulties and flashbacks from nearly losing one of our sons in a near drowning incident a few months before. A month after I started on the pills, I found out my husband had been having an affair with a friend for a year and a half, over the time we'd got married (obviously I didn't know!). Thank god for the Citalopram is all I can say and I don't think I'd be here today, half holding it together as a mum, if I hadn't been. DH and I started counselling soon after and although still working it through, we're are together.

I decided about 4 months ago to try and come off the 20mg I'd been on and tbh started struggling form quite early on with feelings of anxiety, anger, stress and chronic tearfulness. To add insult to injury our son was recently diagnosed as dyslexic and DH has been working very long hours from which he is super-stressed. My body is responding in all sorts of wonderful ways to the anxiety (teeth grinding, eye lid spasm and bad skin) but I've persevered and just a few days ago took my last 10mg, which I'd had every other day for a couple of months. God, I am now feeling awful and I've been an anxious, upset mummy and a grumpy, hateful wife - but it's all so out of my control. My DH has said enough tonight and tried to leave, and I feel desperate. What to do? A friend recommended Happy Days from Healthspan, does anyone have experience of these as an alternative to Citalopram as they work with Seratonin levels in a similar non-medicinal way. So sorry for long ramblings.

Hi Louise CP, you're not going to like this, probably, but my recommendation is that you go back onto the full dose of Citalopram and stabilise yourself, because the symptoms you are describing are classic symptoms of coming off too fast (and maybe too soon?) especially in the light of all the problems you have been dealing with. Your husband sounds very unsupportive . I have a son who is dyslexic (statemented) and has had lots of help at school, he is now 12, and my husband is severely dyslexic and it's something we know a lot about, hopefully now he has been diagnosed the school will put things in place to support him, if not you will need to push.
Going back to citalopram, the way doctors tell most people to withdraw, the alternate day method, for a lot of people is way too fast. This happened to me many times over the years, long story short after a lot of years of trying and failing to come off my antidepressant, I stabilized myself on the full dose of liquid prozac, and have withdrawn excrutiatingly slowly from the liquid prozac armed with my 5ml syringe. Link to my blog about this in the post above yours and in my profile. Oh yes and the reason I was so desperate to get off my antidepressant was the impact on my sex drive.
Hope this all makes sense! Feel free to pm me if you like about the citolopram.