tan8856: Been off Citalopram 8 months but still getting bad night sweats & insomnia & grumpy :(

[tan8856]

Hi All

 

I'm relieved to find a forum out there that fits my situation. The doctors say withdrawal symptoms should stop a month or two after stopping ssri's but I think they are wrong and I'm sure many of you agree.

 

Thanks for listening to my story, I'll try to keep it brief.

 

13 years ago at age 25 my anxiety got the better of me I developed social phobia in the form of constant blushing and shaking when interacting with people. It psychologically crippled me. I lost my job and could barely leave my house. I left it a year before I went to a doctor by which time I was a complete mess. The doc prescribed me 20mg citalopram and that drug worked wonders! It stopped me blushing 95% of the time and meant I could lead a normal life again plus it made me cheerful and carefree. Amazing!

 

But, every time I tried to come off it my blushing would return so I ended up staying on it for 11 years. I didn't really have any side effects until after 8 years when I started getting tinnitus and night sweats. These got worse and worse, I would lay in bed with my ears ringing so loud it was like I'd been to a nightclub! And the night sweats became unbearable, I would wake up 4 times a night soaked to the skin, freezing cold, need to change my clothes, bedding, take a shower I got so tired from bad sleep.

 

So I went to doc and she put me on beta blockers which are working great and I don't need to take them that often as my blushing is nowhere near as bad now I'm 38. Great news BUT the side effects/withdrawal of coming off citalopram has been sooooo tough.

 

Ive been off 8 months now. For the first 3 months I was so depressed, I wanted to cry all day and even felt suicidal at times. For the second 3 months I had terrible anxiety and would get to almost having panic attacks. For the last 2 months I feel a little better but have little interest in people, people just get on my nerves and I feel distant from everyone, I have a 'don't care' attitude and my marriage is suffering because of it as I'm moody and quick to anger

 

Plus throughout the 8 months I still have those damn night sweats combined with bad insomnia! It's been 8 months but I still wake up soaked to the skin and even when I'm not sweating I just can't sleep! I don't know how I'm functioning normally as I slept better when my kids were newborns!! Some nights I just lay in bed with my eyes shut but awake for hours and hours looking at the clock every so often and thinking 'I can't believe it's 4:30am, I havent slept yet and I need to get up for work at 7am!'

 

Has anyone else been in this situation? How long do the sweats last? My doc says they should have gone after a month or so and has booked me blood tests to check for early menopause, but I know it's due to citalopram use. How about the insomnia? Have I somehow damaged my nervous system and it's going to take years to repair itself, if ever?? I'd never have stayed on citalopram that long if I'd known it's legacy would be so long lasting.

 

Thank you for reading my history. I'm glad I'm not alone in feeling like I am 'surviving' antidepressants. I have no one to talk to as I'm a private person and none of my friends know about my history and my husband lost interest a long time ago. Any advice is welcome xxx

[dalsaan]

Hi Tan

 

I'm not sure what to suggest given you have been off for 8 months. It sounds like it's been very difficult for you. You will find this a welcoming site. Someone with more experience will be along soon

 

 

Take care

 

Dalsaan

[mammaP]

Hi Tan, welcome to SA. Doctors rarely know that withdrawal from ssri's can last a long 

tome and be excruciating. They usually say it is a return of the original condition and prescribe

more drugs so it's refreshing to hear of a doctor who isn't doing that! 

 

Many people find that magnesium and good quality fish oil capsules help with withdrawal symptoms.

 

There are many useful suggestions and experiences in the symptoms and self care forum, you will

find that here. 

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/8-symptoms-and-self-care/

 

The good news is that this will pass, there will be good days and bad days, windows and waves, but it

will get better. 

[Bellisimo]

HI! Im so sorry you have to go through this aswell and im happy you found this forum because it has helped me alot during my withdrawal time.. Im free 8 months aswell from citalopram, i suffer from crazy insomnia, sweating also, not so much sweating that i need to change clothes but some sweating, i can bearly sleep, i dont sleep at night.. i have tinnitus aswell, this ringing killing me also!! But im hanging in there, i know some people say it gets better after 1 year and for some earlier and for some longer , im just try survive from day to day , i also have bad aniexy and panicattacks

[Jemima]

What you were going through at the end of your Citalopram use sounds to me like a case of "poop-out" (hate that term, but it describes the situation pretty well). What that means is that the drug quit working while you were taking your usual dose so you went into withdrawal. Antidepressants can do that. Tinnitus and night sweats are often signs of withdrawal, especially the tinnitus. I would expect that getting off the drug would be especially difficult under the circumstances.

 

Everyone's withdrawal is different with regard to how long symptoms last, so I can't answer your questions about insomnia and night sweats.  However, when you have time, it would be a good idea to browse the "Symptoms and self-care" section of the forum. There's a lot of information on non-drug ways to feel better there.

 

One thing I'd suggest regarding the insomnia is that either your bedroom be kept as dark as possible at night or that you wear a sleep mask at night. Or both. Our hormones are all out of whack in withdrawal, so the sleep-waking cycle is disrupted.  I used to be unable to sleep for two to three days at a time in early withdrawal. Using a sleep mask and being very careful to avoid bright light until after 1:00 PM or so helped me immensely.  Also always wearing sunglasses outside, rain or shine.  After doing these things for just a few days, I was able to sleep again and then the healing began.

 

Welcome to the forum, Tan.  You'll find lots of good information and friendly support here.

[bobcat]

Hi Tan,

 

I'm really sorry you're having a tough time. I'd like to echo MammaP's advice about the magnesium. It's supposed to be really calming, especially before bed. I take it every night. In fact, the stuff I take has "calm" in the title (it probably helps that I dissolve it in hot water: very relaxing). From what I understand, magnesium is responsible for so many important processes in the body, and when we are anxious and under stress, we tend to burn through the stuff pretty quickly. 

 

My only caution would be that you start out slowly, with both magnesium and fish oil. A few of us find one or the other activating instead of relaxing (not necessarily a bad thing, but it can feed into anxious energy and in any case wouldn't be what your aiming for in trying to get a better night's sleep).

 

Here is a topic on magnesium by Altostrata, who knows her stuff: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

[Mario]

Hi Tan,

The sweating is a result of anxiety.  A couple of years ago I had a crisis caused by the reduction of another SSRi (Paroxetine; it is very similar to Citalopram). My symptoms were strong anxiety and strong sweating.

My mistake had probably been to reduce the SSRI too fast for my brain to support it.  After 4 months I still had symptoms, hence I decided to reinstate the full dosage of a newer SSRI (i.e. 50 mg of Sertraline) and then go back to my maintenance dosage. In my case the symptoms completely disappeared after 1 month of reinstatement and then I could start to reduce again even more gradually.  I am very happy because the reduction is going very well and I have almost eliminated the SSRI.

This forum is very helpful because it shows clear evidence that is better to reduce Citalopram very gradually.

How fast did you reduce it ?

[Altostrata]

Mario, many people suffer temperature dysregulation from withdrawal. It's not a symptom of anxiety, it's a symptom of autonomic distress.

 

Thanks, bobcat. tan, please look at these topics about fish oil and magnesium supplements,
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/
 

[btdt]

Tan I am curious as to which beta blocker you take could you tell me please?

[Bellisimo]

HI Tan, we are in the same situation, i also came off citalopram aug 2013

[Bellisimo]

I still get sweats aswell and im soon 9 months off (like you) , not long ago i had night sweats again.. but i dont have it regular no. But for me it come and goes tho, not so bad,.  but this feeling hot i have sometimes, like i have fever but i dont have fever.. ><

[Irvingkirsch]

HI! Im so sorry you have to go through this aswell and im happy you found this forum because it has helped me alot during my withdrawal time.. Im free 8 months aswell from citalopram, i suffer from crazy insomnia, sweating also, not so much sweating that i need to change clothes but some sweating, i can bearly sleep, i dont sleep at night.. i have tinnitus aswell, this ringing killing me also!! But im hanging in there, i know some people say it gets better after 1 year and for some earlier and for some longer , im just try survive from day to day , i also have bad aniexy and panicattacks

 

Hi, how long were you off citalopram before you were able to get a decent amount of sleep each night?

[Irvingkirsch]

Hi All

 

I'm relieved to find a forum out there that fits my situation. The doctors say withdrawal symptoms should stop a month or two after stopping ssri's but I think they are wrong and I'm sure many of you agree.

 

Thanks for listening to my story, I'll try to keep it brief.

 

13 years ago at age 25 my anxiety got the better of me I developed social phobia in the form of constant blushing and shaking when interacting with people. It psychologically crippled me. I lost my job and could barely leave my house. I left it a year before I went to a doctor by which time I was a complete mess. The doc prescribed me 20mg citalopram and that drug worked wonders! It stopped me blushing 95% of the time and meant I could lead a normal life again plus it made me cheerful and carefree. Amazing!

 

But, every time I tried to come off it my blushing would return so I ended up staying on it for 11 years. I didn't really have any side effects until after 8 years when I started getting tinnitus and night sweats. These got worse and worse, I would lay in bed with my ears ringing so loud it was like I'd been to a nightclub! And the night sweats became unbearable, I would wake up 4 times a night soaked to the skin, freezing cold, need to change my clothes, bedding, take a shower I got so tired from bad sleep.

 

So I went to doc and she put me on beta blockers which are working great and I don't need to take them that often as my blushing is nowhere near as bad now I'm 38. Great news BUT the side effects/withdrawal of coming off citalopram has been sooooo tough.

 

Ive been off 8 months now. For the first 3 months I was so depressed, I wanted to cry all day and even felt suicidal at times. For the second 3 months I had terrible anxiety and would get to almost having panic attacks. For the last 2 months I feel a little better but have little interest in people, people just get on my nerves and I feel distant from everyone, I have a 'don't care' attitude and my marriage is suffering because of it as I'm moody and quick to anger

 

Plus throughout the 8 months I still have those damn night sweats combined with bad insomnia! It's been 8 months but I still wake up soaked to the skin and even when I'm not sweating I just can't sleep! I don't know how I'm functioning normally as I slept better when my kids were newborns!! Some nights I just lay in bed with my eyes shut but awake for hours and hours looking at the clock every so often and thinking 'I can't believe it's 4:30am, I havent slept yet and I need to get up for work at 7am!'

 

Has anyone else been in this situation? How long do the sweats last? My doc says they should have gone after a month or so and has booked me blood tests to check for early menopause, but I know it's due to citalopram use. How about the insomnia? Have I somehow damaged my nervous system and it's going to take years to repair itself, if ever?? I'd never have stayed on citalopram that long if I'd known it's legacy would be so long lasting.

 

Thank you for reading my history. I'm glad I'm not alone in feeling like I am 'surviving' antidepressants. I have no one to talk to as I'm a private person and none of my friends know about my history and my husband lost interest a long time ago. Any advice is welcome xxx

Hi Tan,

 

How long were you off citalopram before you were able to get a decent night of sleep?

[tan8856]

Hi & Sorry I havent replied to any of these posts sooner but life gets in the way

 

A brief update to try and answer some of your questions....

 

Ive now been off Cit for nearly 3 years, I cant believe its been so long. I was on beta blockers called propranolol for about a year to control my social phobia and whilst they do work the strong effects dont last very long (maybe a couple of hours after taking) but I have mild effect from them for about 24 hours and this is a problem as I do a lot of sport and just cant get my heart rate up for maximum effort. So i came off them about 6 months ago and my SP symptoms are bearable on nothing at the mo.

 

I still get night sweats and insomnia im afraid. They eased a little after a couple of years but my doctor thinks it could be pre-menopause symptoms. Im only 40 and have had the sweats for years so I personally think the Cit did something to my autonomic/nervous system and Im paying the price now. Im due to have a hormonal blood test soon.

 

Im definitely less tetchy and grumpy over the last year, I used to snap at anything but that doesnt happen so much now thankfully. It took 2 years to wear off tho!

 

Some advice for night sweats

 

1. Sleep with a fan blowing gently. We have a ceiling fan on low 365 days of the year and it really helps.

 

2. Use a memory foam pillow. Other pillows hold the sweat and get very wet, memory foam is less absorptive and has really helped. Also just put 1 thin pillowcase over the pillow. I used to have a cotton pillowcase and a think pillow liner and these also hold sweat.

 

3. Sleep in sports clothing. This is a must! It wicks the moisture away and the fan dries you super quick. Anything like Nike Dri-Fit, Adidas ClimaCool etc

 

These 3 things have made a massive difference to my quality of sleep.

 

All for now.  Take care xx

[FunkyBaboon]

Hey Tan,

 

Thanks for checking in and glad to hear you're mostly doing well, must be such a relief to have finally got some relief from the short fuse and grumpiness you were experiencing earlier in your withdrawal. Sorry to hear you are still symptomatic in some ways three years on, that really sucks but I know exactly how that feels as I'm in the same boat. It's really great you've found some ways to make your night sweats more bearable and awesome that you can publicise that to help others

 

I've been off Citalopram for three years now and I've still got all the residual body temperature problems that started when I came off it. Unlike you I seem to suffer more in the cold as I feel the cold very easily now and get attacks of Raynaud's making my fingers, toes and soles of my feet completely white and numb. Then when I warm up it's as though my body switches and goes completely the other way and I get very hot and sweaty quite quickly and have to throw off all of my clothes.

 

When I sweat it seems to come mainly from my core, underarms and crotch etc and there is very limited sweat from my arms and legs. I do occasionallly have instances where my feet do sweat and they can even do that when they're absolutely ice cold - everything is really confused. You're right in that all of these things are controlled by the autonomic nervous system and that problems in these areas signify some disturbance in that.

 

Cheers

Funky

[Cita]

Hi Tan,

 

I am in the same situation as you were 2- 2 1/2 years ago. I been totally of Citalopram 30 mg for 6 months now, after 19 year use.. It has been devastating. Fatigue and anxiety that I did not have before using the pills. I was put on a sick leave a month ago and after that I have been crying intensely almost every day. I actually has never cried much before. Now I feel better, though I am extremely tired.

 

When did you start to feel real improvements?

[potions]

How are you feeling now, tan8856?