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.

Thank you, strawberry17, I appreciate your comments very much. I hadn't thought I had come off too fast, because this is what my doctor recommended and I guess I thought they'd know! I suppose there's a part of me that thinks, if I had proper support then the journey to coming off them would be easier - and that in itself feels like a rubbish reason to go back on. But, I do need to look after myself.

The school where my son goes have not been very supportive so far, so a lot of the stress I am feeling is because of that, not the dyslexia per se. We had him independently assessed because the school were so unresponsive to my requests for help, so it's feeling like a bit of an uphill struggle at the moment on that front.

Yes, the old sex drive! Mine disappeared when I started the Citalopram, which given our personal situation, has not helped things one bit. Out of the frying pan and into the fire! I am desperate to feel normal again on that front and also having gained weight in the past 18 months since starting on the meds, when before I'd never ever done so, even after 3 kids, is also soul-destroying.

Thanks again.

Hi All. I first posted here a while back and just wanted to share with you some news which I hope will be encouraging to you all. Having been on citilopram for 2 years odd, I decided to come off in January. I weaned myself off little by little until eventually coming off completely in March this year. I have now been "free" of the evil pills for 4 months and feel great actually. THe withdrawl was not nice, all the symptoms described above but it does get better. I think what has really helped me is that I have started running. I am not athletic, never imagined myself as a runner but I go out twice a week now and the fresh air and exercise really really helps. I am so glad to be off the pills and really hope you can all get there too. It is worth it! I can now feel other emotions too such as excitement etc which had been dampened by the tablets. I still have my crap days and days when I could quite happily crawl under the duvet and stay there but I try to take these as they come and think as positively as I can. My husband has been a great support but I have done this by myself, for myself and you all can too. Good luck all xxxx

Hi hypermum, I am so jealous of you being able to come off them like that, look after yourself though. Think it's really going to take me another year.

Citalopram made me really ill just taking them for a few days; even when I started taking them every ever day I was very unwell due to their half life. I had palpatations and memory loss, and was almost hospitalised.

I cannot imagine anything but coming off them under strict medical supervision. Good luck

It is reassuring to read other people's similiar experiences on here. I have just tried coming off Citalopram after being on it for 8 years at 20 mg. GP got me to drop down to 10 mg for about a month but then advised me I could just stop altogether. I was a bit concerned about this as when I tried to come off about 6 years ago a different GP at another practice got me to take 10 mg alternate days for a while then every third day and I cannot remember having the same withdrawal symptoms I have had this time (I went back on Citalopram as was tearful but in a difficult relatioship at the time). I told this GP and he said I could do it more gradually if I really wanted to so I tried taking 10mg every third day then every fourth day but have been having the same withdrawal symptoms other people describe on here particularly the nasty brainshocks when turning my head and moving around and feeling sick and generally unwell. I took 10 mg yesterday evening and quickly felt better. Today on the advice of my brother who previously had similar symptoms coming off another antidepressant I cut a tablet in half and took half.

Hi Sammy1979, doctors honestly don't have a clue about how to get people off antidepressants safely, some people CAN do it the way you are describing, but most people can't, and get the withdrawals, the way you are doing it is way too fast and confusing the brain. After many years of trying and failing I am tapering slowly off liquid prozac with a syring. I really reccommend this book www.amazon.co.uk/Coming-Off-Antidepressants-Successful-Withdrawal/dp/1845292561/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312704368&sr=8-1

I also have a blog I have written about this very subject if you are interested I can pm you the link.

syringe even LOL

Hi Strawberry17 thanks for replying to me. I have ordered the book you suggested on Amazon. I also found the blog link further up the thread and have only read a little bit so far as been reading through this thread (quite long as started in 2005!). So were you on Citalopram before Prozac (apologies for not reading further back in your blog to find this out)? Thanks

ps it's disappointing that the GP told me I could just stop taking the tablets from taking 10 mg a day as this is the smallest dose they do as I thought he was a good doctor but he obviously does not know what he is talking about!

No I thought my doctors were good, I found out the hard way that they really don't have a clue that people need to taper off antidepressants much slower. I have in the past been on citalopram and Lustral and switched to liquid prozac to make it easier to taper off slowly.
Don't get me wrong, it can work for some people, some people have no problem coming off antidepressants, but an awful lot do have problems because it's way too fast.

I have been gradually cutting down my dose of citalopram - having been on 40mg a day for well over 4 years now. I have finally got down to 10mg a day and am contemplating cutting it out altogether, and this thread has been an eye opener for me.

Very early on in the thread marthamoo posted a link to a site which gave two lists of possible withdrawal symptoms for SSRIs - and I was shocked to see how many of them I have had, especially recently since I went down to 10mg. But I suppose it is good news as it means these symptoms will not last forever, right?

Might it be a good idea for me to go down to 10mg every other day - rather than just cutting out the tablets altogether?

The alternate day thing is terrible, confusing for the brain, if anything you'd be better cutting down to 7.5 mg or 5mg a day and staying there for a few weeks. If you have lots of withdrawal symptoms though it's best to stay where you are at 10mg a lot lot longer until you feel well enough to make another drop.

OK - that is good advice - thankyou strawberry.

I have been taking 5 mg a day (breaking 10 mg tablet in half) since Saturday and the withdrawal symptoms have stopped. I guess I will keep taking 5 mg for a while

Hi Sammy yes absolutely think you should stay at 5mg for a few weeks before you do anything further, honestly the slower you go the much safer you will be.

Have you got a proper pill cutter from the chemist so you get an accurate break of the tablet? think you can get them for only a £2 or so.

A pill cutter is a good idea - I didn't realise you could get them.

Any chemist shoould sell them.

I'll try and get a pill cutter - I've been using a knife - not accurate!

Thanks you guys, how are you doing?

Well I am now down to 1.5mls of liquid prozac and still doing ok (from a starting dose of 5mls and taken since 2008 to get this far).

That's good you have got so far! The book you suggested has arrived. I am just looking at it.

Yes that book really got me started on my long slow taper after years of trying and failing to come off antidepressants, the principle in the book is the correct one for coming off, but, it still went too fast in the book for me, but then we are all different.

i was put on cits for 18 months after having a nervous breakdown,came off them to quickly,had rebound effect and was put back on the 7 weeks ago,was also taking nitrazepam sleeping tablets,came off them to quickly,having horrendous withdrawal but was told it is anxiety,now on zopiclone to make me sleep but it doesn't work,still waking up in early hours after about 3 hours sleep.

I stopped taking citalopram (10mg) about ten days ago and I feel terrible. I have lost my appetite, my heart is racing and my emotions are all over the place. I stopped taking them because they were causing insomnia and vivid dreams and various other unpleasant side effects. I realise I should have reduced them slowly but I really don't want to start taking them again, even at a lower dose. Am I going to feel better soon or should I prepare to feel terrible for a bit longer?

You MIGHT get away with it Oldbean, but I think really your best bet would be to start taking it again and come off far more slowly, definately sounds like you are suffering withdrawals.