Trilby: Citalopram Withdrawal (Cold Turkey)

[Trilby1992]

Hi there,

 

I've posted about my situation elsewhere but thought this forum would be more fitting with what I'm going through.

 

 

About 5 weeks ago, I stopped taking 40mg of Citalopram. I ran out of the medicine and I decided not to renew it since I had been considering quitting the medication.

 

The first week was alright. Felt a bit tired. The second week started to get worse. Some of the problems I had before taking the medication started coming back. On the 3rd week, my anxiety became non-stop. Started waking up panicking from this point on. Week 4 was probably worse. Lost interest in my hobbies and interests and started having suicide thoughts. Week 5 was generally better and I thought it would finally wear off. But nope I'm currently on my 6th week without Citaloprams and I seem to be worse than the previous weeks. Today I feel I want to throw up but it doesn't happen. Don't know if the feeling is caused by guilt, bitterness or my body.

 

So far my problems are mainly mental and I haven't had any physical symptoms apart from less energy and probably nausea just today.

Edited October 3, 2016 by scallywag
tags added

[ChessieCat]

Hi Trilby and welcome to SA,

 

What you are experiencing is withdrawal symptoms from cold turkeying citalopram.  You can find a list of withdrawal symptoms here (nausea is definitely one of the symptoms):   glenmullen_symptoms_AS Appendix 1.pdf

 

Are you currently taking any other medications or supplements?  Were you experiencing any bad side effects from taking citalopram?

 

When we take an antidepressant, our brain changes.  These helped me to understand why we get withdrawal symptoms:

 

Brain Remodelling (Rhi's Description of Brain Healing)

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

You may want to consider reinstating a small amount of the drug to bring withdrawal symptoms to a bearable level.  Because your brain will have already made some adaptations please do not go back on the previous dose of 40 mg.  If you do decide that you want to reinstate, I suggest you post your decision here in you Intro/Update topic and one of the mods can suggest a dose that you could try.  Once you stabilise you could then do SA's recommended taper of no more than 10% of the previous dose followed by a holding period of 3-4 weeks which allows the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.  Please have a read of the following information:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

This is your own Intro/Update topic where you can ask questions and journal your progress.  Click "Follow" top right and you will be notified when someone responds.

 

Please let us know what you think about reinstating.

[nz11]

Welcome Trilby.

You are experiencing classic wdl symptoms.

 

CT off 40mg is some height to jump from.

nz11

[Trilby1992]

Thanks for the info Chessie. Atm, I think I'm gonna ride it for now. It takes like 4 weeks for me to see a doctor and I've had what probably was a window throughout last week.

 

This week however has been a little more difficult. Like yesterday I woke up with a lot of shame and guilt pouring in and I felt restless until around 7pm. Lately I have been taking supplements that contains Omega 3, 6; Vitamin B's; and magnesium.

[ChessieCat]

Hi Trilby,

 

Good to hear from you.  These topics might help:

 

Neuro Emotions

 

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

With regards to Vitamin Bs, some people find B vitamins (B6 in particular) activating, see especially Post #3:  hypersensitive-to-b-vitamin-or-b-vitamin-complex

[Trilby1992]

Well, it's been a rollercoaster.

 

I had a couple of days in the 9th week when my body didn't seem to relax at all. It was just constant anxiety and grief from morning to night. I kept asking myself when am I gonna reach the next window and then strangely, I woke up with a cold last week and my anxiety felt like it got placed in the background. Don't know if It was coincidence but it was like my body didn't have space for withdrawal. All of them thoughts that could trigger me didn't seem to affect me much last week. 

 

But unfortunately as I'm getting better from my cold, my body seems to react more to distressing thoughts now. I notice my heart rate has been beating a bit faster than it was last week but not as bad before I had the cold. 

[Geezer2BNormal]

Hi Trilby,

 

I too recently stopped taking 20 mg Citalopram but went from 20 mg to 0 over a 6 week period, not cold turkey.  I had two weeks of bad fatigue and being "brain dead" but then it cleared up for most of August and I had no further physical withdrawal symptoms.  However by the 3rd week of August, I began to get very depressed mainly about my age and I have become obsessed by it with neuroemotions with regrets for how I lived my life, crying a lot, irritable, you name it.  I found this site and the moderators suggested I reinstate at a low dose because I came off the med way to quickly.  I had recovered within about 10 days or so to feeling somewhat normal but the old side affects from starting up the drug again came back like fatigue and being foggy brained.  I thought the depression would alleviate and it did for a while but I've been back on 5 mg for 5 weeks now and I'm finding that the drug does not seem to be working to alleviate the depression as well, especially in the morning.  Mornings are terrible for me.  I really think you came off way to fast and out to think seriously about reinstating at a level suggested by one of the moderators and then taper from there.  I was off the drug for 7 weeks and I'm wondering if that was too long.  I've also found that I seem to be very sensitive to dosage changes and my mailorder service changed the manufacturer on my last refill.  The replacement drove me up a wall with terrible anxiety and intensified the "old age" thoughts.  I got the supplier to refill my prescription from the same manufacturer but at 10 mg but I can even tell that that formula is different as well.  

 

However, my situation is a bit different.  I took the med for 12 years so the longer you are on the drug, that harder it is to get off.  I hope nothing but the best for you.

[Purplestars22]

Hello Trilby1992, have you thought about reinstating a small dose since you are in that time frame where it's possible because the more time that passes the less likely that reinstament will work. I ct from Celexa and got worse at around two months but that's me it is different for everyone. Some people are able to get off the medication easily and some are not so able to and have bothersome symptoms. It is recommended here to take Magnesium and Fish Oil which may be beneficial. In the Symptoms and Self Care Thread has lots of helpful info and advice that may help on dealing with a fragile CNS. I wish you luck on whatever you choose and hope you nurture yourself and take it easy. Ps22

[Trilby1992]

I have mixed feelings about re-instatement at this point. I'm in my 11th week without drugs and I know it'll take a bit of time for me to see a doctor. I also fear my GP would be condescending to me. Currently I have a problem with ruminating over past experiences which is giving me feelings of either injustice or shame. I feel however it may not be as intense as it was a month ago. 

[coldturkmama]

Reinstate now! I went cold turkey from 40mgs of paxil and believe me, if I knew then what I know now I would have saved myself the grief. It's 3 yrs in 3 days.

[Trilby1992]

3 years? damn. Have your waves been less intense lately compared to how it was or has it been the same?

 

 

And how long do you guys think is too long to re-instate?

[ChessieCat]

If you do decide to reinstate, please make sure that you only try a very small dose, perhaps as small as 1mg may be enough to bring the withdrawal symptoms to a bearable level.

 

These links might also be helpful:

 

shame-guilt-regret-and-self-criticism

 

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

[coldturkmama]

Things are better than three first but for me after coming off cold turkey I felt good for about a month and a but and then all heck broke loose.

[andy013]

Hi Trilby1992, how are you doing now? Did you decide to reinstate?