☼ joy2730: withdrawing from citalopram, quetiapine

[joy2730]

Another good day I can't believe how calm I am in my work I occasionally care for dying people and today I looked after a lady dying of bone cancer and she was in pain but at the limit of her meds and I felt so calm it is strange I am beginning to think citalopram has given me anxiety and depression previously

[joy2730]

Another good day am able to enjoy the reading and writing I do much better and enjoy the people around me more I feel more connected to my environment

[joy2730]

Another good night and day but am struggling with constipation and weight gain again but my mood is really stable

Going swimming to night and am having to really cut the calories

[joy2730]

Still really good and I have lost 3lbs in weight but am really watching what I eat and exercising more but my appetite is more controllable now and I don't feel as desperately hungry I think I have gained about 2 stone unnecessarily while on citalopram and at least any paradoxical weight gain is now under control and I feel really good no symptoms I am going to reduce to 15mg in about 3 weeks time and not before this I believe is the key and I suspect that the lower down the dosages I go the more time I will take to stage at each stage

[AliG]

Joy.    It can certainly help to do a very slow taper. You might even want to consider a "  Micro - Taper " , if you think it might be helpful , in the long - term There are many here who have found this to be the ideal way of tapering , with the least amount of withdrawal symptoms and disruption to their life. Please have a read .

The slowness of slow tapers

 

Micro-taper instead of 10% or 5% decreases

 

As you get lower in dose , it becomes even more important to be exacting , precise and to take your time.

 

Why taper? Paper demonstrates importance of gradual change in plasma concentration

 

Ali

[joy2730]

Another good day last night had a really good sleep and tomorrow I am going to shed a tiny drop more can it will be a tiny drop I will measure it in the morning when I look carefully at my oral syringe but I think it will be a fifth of 2 mg

[joy2730]

In a rush today and didn't get chance to have meds til later lunch when I decided to take 15 mg ie half of a ten pill and half of a 20 pill as it was quicker so now I am monitoring myself carefully recently I haven't had any head zaps if they return I will have a rethink

 

Mood really stable

[joy2730]

Seem to be doing fine on 15 mg now my body is telling me I have dropped the dose a but but it is all very doable

[joy2730]

Good on 15 vivid dreams last night slight headache this AM but not bad enough for a painkiller slight tingling in arms and hands bit all very doable still

[joy2730]

Another good day feeling hot but ok

[joy2730]

Had a wave last might hit and cold aching neck muscles and vertigo but fine this morning

[Fresh]

Just popping in to say HI joy. I see all your posts and you're doing so well!

 

Now that you're decreasing , could I ask that you add the date and new dose to your signature each time , so we can see where you're at.

I found magnesium spray is nice for aches and pains in specific places. There are instructions to make your own in the thread on magnesium (symptoms and self-care section).

 

bw , Fresh

[joy2730]

Thanks fresh have updated signature and will keep updating it in a brief fashion so pattern is not lost in detail I will put details in main body

 

Feeling good today slept well going swimming tonight a bit wobbly on my feet this morning

[joy2730]

Doing really well on 15mg sometimessage when I stand up I seem a bit wobbly on my feet but no other symptoms

[FunkyBaboon]

Hey joy,

 

I think you might be referring to orthostatic intolerance. I suffer with this too when withdrawal is bad. The body struggles to adjust the blood pressure quickly enough when you go from sitting to standing and so you get light headed and dizzy.

 

This is likely to be due to autonomic dysfunction caused by withdrawal.

 

Glad to hear you are otherwise feeling okay!

 

Funky

[joy2730]

Thanks for the comment about orthostatic intolerance.  I think you are probably right. I had this when withdrawing from dothiepin many years ago but it was much worse with dothiepin, I also had it when withdrawing from diazepam and that was worse than with citalopram.

 

Today is fine everyone but I am feeling bloated, constipated and a little irritable.  Nothing too bad though.  Slept well again last night and mood is fine, but I think I am struggling with my weight again. 

 

I feel I really want to weigh just a little less, a stone would do, I don't want to be slim or even attractive, just less big and bloated

[joy2730]

Another good day and night, I am no longer desperately hungry all the time and feel I have more control over my food.  Because I work away from home a lot and can't shop while away I have just stocked up on generic Nytol to help with my sleep when withdrawing but I must admit that I only use it about twice a week at the most, but it is a good standby and I have read of other people using this to help with the very shallow sleep you can experience on withdrawal.  That and paracetamol etc for the headaches, but the first time I tried to withdraw I relied on paracetamol a lot and I think it stopped me recognising that I was going too fast.

[joy2730]

A brilliant nights sleep without Nytol or phenergan to help I seem to be over the wave of Tues last week and in the clear now so now I am having a window loving being on just 15mg weighed myself this morning and it's far from good bit I am not gaining which is something but I am eating a lot less than usual for me just to stay weight stable and do have constipation again gross

[joy2730]

Question can you all check with your experiences when do u think it will be OK for me to reduce to 14.5 I have been at 15 for a week

 

Advice needed

[SquirrellyGirl]

Hi Joy,

Following the 10% protocol, you would stay at this dose for four weeks. Keep notes on paper as to any symptoms arising and what dates/ttimes they appeared. If you feel stable at four weeks, you could then cut down to 13.5 mg max.

 

If you are just beginning, then I would recommend that plan. Once you know your symptom pattern relative to cuts, you could do 5% every 2 weeks. I have found that schedule to produce virtually no symptoms.

 

SG

[SquirrellyGirl]

My apologies I couldn't see your history on my phone so I see that you've already been tapering. Are you wanting to do a micro taper? 10% of 15 is 1.5 over 4 weeks so .5 every 10 days would be a reasonable schedule. A more senior mod can correct me if needed :-)

 

SG

[joy2730]

Thanks squirrel girl .5mg every 10 days seems really good so towards the end of this week I will reduce to 14.5 mg and see how that goes

 

Thanks for the advice and I will update my signature when I have done it

[SquirrellyGirl]

i didn't notice before that you had reduced to 15 mg on March 26, which is fairly recently.  Was that from 17.5 mg?  Trying to tease it out of your thread.  IF you just went to 15 from 17.5 mg on March 26, then that was about a 15% cut in which case you'd want to wait about six weeks.  I would not add another 0.5 mg on top of that so soon if you did in fact do that drop. 

 

SG

[joy2730]

Thank you squirrelgirl. I did reduce to 16 first my trouble is although my weight has stopped gaining it is very solid on me and so I want to get down in these larger doses a bit I must slow down I think I will keep.my signature more up to date

[joy2730]

No symptoms whatsoever feeling fine sleep good went to a business lunch and for the first time on year felt full after a meal out and physically satisfied after eating perhaps this is a sign my outrageous appetite is now under control wore a dress andy legs looked a better shape

[joy2730]

Still doing well but light sleep last night

[joy2730]

Doing well so now down to 14.5 mg

[joy2730]

Doing well very vivid dreams last night mood good so far 14.5 mg is suiting me I feel muchore alive I am going to try to keep off the sleep aids because I have noticed they do tend to slow me down and make me sound more tired the next day and u am sleeping ok without them anyway at present

[bubble]

Hello Joy,

 

I've been reading through your thread and was so inspired when you shared that you studied in your 50-ies. That's so amazing.

 

While I was reading through you thread I also got a sense of impatience on your part You frequently mentin how you will hold for a long time and then a few posts forward you cut I have this feeling on you being too focused on cutting, like  asense of urgency to cut by as little as you can manage just so that you have a feeling you are moving. And this worries me. Also it seems you are managing withdrawal symptoms with other drugs. Taking and stopping them will destabilize you further.

 

Apart from dealing with withdrawal symptoms, holding is often the most difficult part of tapering. Frequent cuts no matter how small are dangerous because they accummulate and then at one point you just lose ground under your feet (I'm still recovering from one such experience). I really wouldn't like this happening to you.

 

Despite the horror of my recent experience when I feel better I also start itching for a cut so I understand very well how it feels. Tapering is the most important thing in my life so it feels awful not doing anything about it for a long time (and holding feels like not doing anything about it). So I have to do a lot of self talk, remind myself of its importance over and over again by reading threads of other members. I'm trying very hard to divert my focus from tapering to other areas of my life: trying to practice meditating, healthy eating, physical activity.

 

You could try holding for let's say 2 weeks after your symptoms improve before deciding on a next cut.(instead of cutting almost immediately after feeling better).

[joy2730]

Thank you so much bubble u r so insightful I do get an itch to make progress and that could well ultimately be my undoing. I must hold.

 

I now provide healrh and social care to clients facing difficult conditions such as dementia obesity motor neur in disease ms etc. The company I work for is not doing well though and I sense change ahead I also see that that contributes to my impatience as I want to be as well as I can to meet the challenges ahead.

 

I feel so much better every time I have got rid of a psychiatric drug and am so glad I am able to have this late career. I could never have done it when so full of drugs

[bubble]

You have no idea how much your example means to me. I'm soon turning 39 and among other things wanted to get at least one more year of education that would be more in line with what I have been doing for the last 7 years. And among other things that these drugs have robbed me off, these was also this 'ambition'. How can I contemplate studying in withdrawal with this foggy brain and lack of concentration and attention. Plus it is too late...

 

Then I read your story and just went wow: I have time, my life isn't over

 

What helps me hold is thinking about how far I have come, how I know about the proper way to taper now and how well I'm doing. Try to enjoy that. And I will keep an eye on your dates here

 

(And if you see a change in my signature any time soon feel free to react

[joy2730]

Take heart bubble your mind and body are just waiting to be given a chance. I am a bit concerned that 40 days out you crashed that seems really upsetting I would hate that but going back to 5mg worked which is good.

 

Me good overnight a good sleep all well so far if my symptom pattern is developing true I should feel hot and sick tomorrow night but it should be gone by wed morning

[joy2730]

Another good night and feeling well a bit hot though clear headed and a stable mood

[joy2730]

Doing really well brilliant nights sleep back in my own bed as I sleep away from home 4 to 5 nights a week lots of good conversation with hubby and son going to see my daughter in minute

 

Reducing dose seems to be helping me communicate with my family better

 

Apetite normal by that I mean when I have finished eating I actually feel full instead if hungry still, although to be fair to citalopram all my other psychiatric drugs made me hungry too

 

I am really enjoying this journey now but do have a slight headache which I am sure is withdrawal

[Fresh]

Good for you Joy. I'm enjoying following your journey.

 

[joy2730]

Feeling really good but woke at approx 5 an this morning and had a struggle to get back to sleep so that might show a change also felt a but hit and cold in night but all quite doable