jimmy555: Citalopram CT, require some help

[jimmy555]

Hi all was on citalopram 4 to 5 years then can off too quickly and suffered ba withdrawal ,been off around a year and still feel miserable  was prescribed sertraline and been on for two days but am at a crossroads and feel I dont want to be drug dependent . Looking for advice really ,read som scare stories about permanent damage. Is its best to just stay off and will I eventually feel better ? Thanks

Edited September 11, 2016 by scallywag
tags added

[scallywag]

jimmy -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)

I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but am glad that you found us.

A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-18 months particularly? Any drugs prior to that can just be listed with start and stop years. Please put your withdrawal history in signature

Please put the date of your last dose of citalopram in your signature. If you can't recall the exact date, something like "early July 2016" or "Mid-April 2016" is sufficient.

When you say you came off citalopram too fast, what do you mean: Did you stop suddenly from your previous dose? If not a "cold turkey" stop, please let us know a little bit more about how you tapered.

Here's information about citalopram:
Tips for tapering off Celexa (citalopram)

It's helpful to keep notes of your symptoms on paper. You'll find some ideas in this thread:
Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list

Lots of people recover fully after going through withdrawal from SSRIs. Please have a look at the Success Stories forum.

 

When we get more information from you, we'll be able to provide better information and suggestions for you to consider.

[jimmy555]

Many thanks yes stopped white abruptly over a year ago was on 10mg citalopram for about 4 years  then when back on for a month at a higher dose then tapered .Been off a year but felt lousy all the time now been prescribed sertralind 50mg been on two days but not sure if I should carry on with it.

[jimmy555]

Basically do people recover seen the videos on website giving very glum news 

[Petunia]

Hi jimmy,

yes people do recover, but after a CT or a too fast taper, it can unfortunately take a long time, not for everyone, but for a significant minority of people it can take months or even years. This is why we strongly recommend slow careful tapering when wanting to stop these kinds of drugs. We advise reducing by no more than 10% of the current dose per month.

 

See:  Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Something isn't clear to me. If you took Citalopram again for one month this time last year and then tapered more slowly, I'm assuming that taper would have lasted at least 6 months? How did you taper the second time in Sept 2015? When did you last take Citalopram?

 

If you are still experiencing withdrawal symptoms from stopping Citalopram too fast, I would rather have seen you try reinstatement of a small amount of that, than starting a new drug, especially because you don't want to be dependent on these pills anyway. We usually don't advise trying reinstatement when someone has been off the drug for more than a few months, but sometimes it can work.  You would try a small amount, wait at least a month to stabilize and then start the 10% taper method. The idea is to very gently slide off the lowest possible dose closest to 0mg so that your nervous system doesn't notice the change. Not everyone needs to taper this carefully, but it sounds like you might be someone who does.

 

Here is our reinstatement topic with more details:  About reinstating and stabilizing to stop withdrawal symptoms

 

How are you feeling now that you are taking sertraline?

 

I'd highly recommend reading Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker. Psych meds can cause harmful side effects and long term, they can worsen health, increasing the risk of other illnesses. I agree that its better to find healthier ways to manage life. Drugs cause dependency, but don't address the cause of our problems or solve anything.

[jimmy555]

Hi thanks for response only took two pills of sertraline and decided wanted to remain drugs free ,been off AD's over a year and when I reninstaed very briefly  I tapered over about a month as was on a very small dose. What does CT mean please ?

Also having briefly looked at Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker does tis mean that people who take AD's long term will be  chronically ill forever even after they have stopped ?? This is anxiety ridden in itself surely 

[ChessieCat]

CT = cold turkey = going off something without reducing the dose over a period of time.

 

I have been on antidepressants for 25 years.  I've managed to halve my dose since October last year and am feeling much more like my old self.  I'm able to laugh now and also enjoy things more.

[jimmy555]

Thanks but  having briefly looked at Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker does tis mean that people who take AD's long term will be  chronically ill forever even after they have stopped ?? This is anxiety ridden in itself surely .Also Petunia what are your symptoms of withdrawal?

[ChessieCat]

Here is a post with a video by a member here named GiaK.  She withdrew from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.  It took her a bit over 6 years to do it. Finished on Feb 9 2010.

 

Obviously this is a very extreme case of drugging but you might find this interesting.

 

"Today is my anniversary off a huge psych drug cocktail I’d been on for 20 years."

 

and at the bottom of her post:

 

"And for those of you experiencing protracted psychiatric drug withdrawal syndrome see the IT GETS BETTER series."

 

video-my-6-year-anniversary-off-psych-drugs-how-i-made-it-through-the-darkest-times

[jimmy555]

Many thanks but  having briefly looked at Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker does this mean that people who take AD's long term will be  chronically ill forever even after they have stopped ?? This is anxiety ridden in itself surely .Also Petunia what are your symptoms of withdrawal?

[dowdaller]

I tapered off too quickly, I am a year off everything, I am much better than  while on meds, I can remember things , I can get up early in the morning without feeling hungover, I have crap days I suffer with bad anxierty from time to time with ocd symptoms, but I wont be going back on meds anytime soon. So yes it does get better but nothing is perfect, 

[jimmy555]

Thanks were you on long ,it seems only a minority are affected

[scallywag]

jimmy: The book Petunia mentioned, Anatomy of an Epidemic, discusses a number of studies that have found that depression, anxiety, and psychosis are self-limiting for many (most?) people. The "epidemic" he refers to in the title is the prescribing of the drugs not post-discontinuation effects.

[dowdaller]

Thanks were you on long ,it seems only a minority are affected

 

Two and half years but I was on a cocktail of xanax lexapro, effexor, rivotril, sleeping meds, olanzapine, Your brain takes a long time to get better from these types of meds. I dont think anyone gets a free ride through withdrawal from these meds. A long slow taper seems to be the best approach.

[Rockingchaircat]

Many thanks but  having briefly looked at Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker does this mean that people who take AD's long term will be  chronically ill forever even after they have stopped ?? This is anxiety ridden in itself surely .Also Petunia what are your symptoms of withdrawal?

I too got off rather too quickly. But I'm not gonna go back and try to do it slowly, I've been off of it too long to go back.

 

Chronically ill? No. It may seem like it at times. But my health has improved. Getting off of the damned things is worth it.

I was on one antidepressant or another at one time.  I discovered that I was taking similar acting meds intermittently. I guess I was in a grey area- taking one steadily and taking something else intermittently.  But I was on mine for 15 years. Even now on my 14th month off- I'm getting way better. Not out of the woods by any means, but definitely getting better.

I've been where you're at. All you can think about is the mountain before you. And it seems insurmountable.  It's not. One day at a time, one step at a time. You will get better.

[coldturkmama]

I accidentally went cold turkey and I too suffered greatly. At almost 3 years off I'm doing way better than in the first 2 yrs.

Things will get even better with more time. Good luck!