edgewater9: Intro/Help

[edgewater9]

Good morning, I have been tapering off Citalopram for roughly two years in total. After a huge crash I recently reinstated .5 MG liquid to stabilize my nervous system.  After however many months it takes to stabilize I will reconsider a taper. If for some reason in the meantime the Citalopram becomes ineffective or poops out what other medications and dosage would work to continue stabilisation? My doctor has suggested Buspar, which I'm agreeable to but would need a dose recommendation as I suspect it would be smaller than the normal starting dose. Thank you

Edited August 25, 2023 by FireflyFyte

[FireflyFyte]

Hello Edgewater,

 

Please put your drug history in your signature as explained at How to Summarize Your Drug History in Your Signature

 

We are a site dedicated to tapering off of psychiatric medication and cannot advise on trying new medications, this is a conversation best had with your doctor.

In the meantime, would encourage you to follow the plan to stabilize for several months before resuming your tapering.

 

Thanks,

Firefly 

[LostInCanada]

@edgewater9 welcome to SA. Glad you found us. There are so many amazing helps to be found on here with the various topics. You have done great tapering over the past two years. Looks like you are trying to have a plan in place if the citalopram poops out. I wouldn't get ahead of myself worrying about that. Chances are it won't happen. Also changing over to a different drug even in that scenario has risks and no guarantees. Your plan to get stable is wise and then keep tapering. How low did you get with your taper? What happened when you crashed? Most important be kind to yourself, you've got this!

[edgewater9]

Thank you all, LostinCanada I jumped completely off Citalopram when i got to 1 mg (I was cutting pills then) and it was disastrous after 3 weeks off. I experienced terror, dread, multiple panic attacks a day and uncontrollable shaking so i couldn't even hold a pen.  My heart would start pounding for no reason at all times of day and i was unable to sleep. Taking the small dose of citalopram (.5) helped a lot but in slow increments, the uncontrollable shaking began to ease and now the panic attacks are less frequent. My sleep was getting better but has taken a really bad turn for the worse, I am thinking of updosing in tiny increments and leaving it there for a couple of weeks because I feel at this point I have not truly stablized. I have started experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms again, although I know its only been three weeks.

[LostInCanada]

@edgewater9 sorry to hear you are having more issues. Are you aware of the windows and waves pattern that occurs during healing? It may feel like an upsurge in symptoms and that you are going backwards but then it breaks and you feel better again. This can happen at any time and stick around for as long as the body needs it. It is an unfortunate reality to WD. I mg was definitely too high of a jump off point...for the drug I am in the jump off is .016 mg. The drugs don't work on a linear scale but on a hyperbolic one so the lower doses really pack a punch. So I would probably hold off on updosing especially because of your reaction previously and read up on waves and windows. Also have you tried adding magnesium bisglycinate, start slow with 50-100mg and go to 200 mg daily. A good omega 3 with DHA and EPA may help too. Because our CNS is sensitive start with lower doses. Also a small amount of melatonin mat help, I use a quarter of a mg pill. Too much can be activating. Hope some of this helps.

If you click at the top left of the page, intros and updates, then click support, it will take you to a good page of resources. Scroll down to Symptoms and Self-care. Click on that and you will find info for insomnia and waves and windows. 👍

[edgewater9]

Thanks for the info lost in Canada, I am now familiar with the windows and waves pattern after finding the site after my 2 year taper. I am currently taking magnesium and fish oil as others have suggested. I also have been taking .3 MG of melatonin, it will get me to sleep but I wake up a couple hours later. For the updosing I was going to from .25 ml liquid (.5mg citalopram) to .26ml on the syringe.  Tiny little amount just to ease these severe symptoms and try to get better sleep. Before I jumped from .25 ml to .35 ml, a 40% increase and obviously big mistake. I feel lucky I didn't hypersensitive myself to the med

 

[edgewater9]

My doctor placed me on Buspar 7.5 MG 5 days ago and I have had severe skin crawling anxiety ever since, which I did not have before. It is to the point it is unbearable. They want me to taper off it in 2 days with lhalf reductions at every dose (currently twice a day) I'm suffering but won't this cause even more damage?

[FireflyFyte]

Hi Edgewater,

 

I moved your post here as we ask that you keep your questions to your introductory thread.

 

It sounds like you might be having an adverse reaction to the Buspar. You can read more at Immediate adverse reactions to an antidepressant or within a few doses? How long for recovery?. This could also be related to Hypersensitivity and Kindling.

 

Since you have only been on the Buspar for 5 days, it is safe to simply stop taking the medication.

 

Thanks,

 

Firefly

[LostInCanada]

@edgewater9 your CNS was already sensitized so it's not surprising that taking another drug would make matters worse. You are in a time frame to just quit. It will take time for your body to undue this new damage. It is why SA does not recommend more drugs.

[edgewater9]

Thank you both for replying so quickly, that is exactly what I needed to hear. I will cease the drug immediately 

[edgewater9]

Just so you're both aware and can offer insight, I had a complete mental crisis the other day (while driving) and that's the reason I finally accepted the Buspar. Do you think its safe and I should try to updose the citalopram in tiny increments, say .02 mg to avoid another crisis?

[edgewater9]

Do you think all drugs would disagree with me now? When I was withdrawing badly at a similar point I took Hydroxzine to sleep qnd mitigate anxiety with no issues

[LostInCanada]

@edgewater9 I don't know if you will react badly to hydroxyzine. I took a kid's benadryl for multiple wasp stings on August 19 and I think I am still being affected with adrenaline and anxiety since then. I don't know what to say about updosing since you did have a bad reaction previously. It just sucks because there is no quick fix even with a small updose. Also stopping the buspar might be the only change your body can handle at the moment.

[edgewater9]

Thanks for letting me know, I think I will start extremely tiny with the updose and take it one day at time consistently. My insomnia has been so bad lately I have had several nights in a row with zero sleep and am having a hard time functioning. I was hoping to try the Hydroxzine as everything else natural or relatively safe has failed. Before if I fell asleep I would wake sharply at 3 am and be up the rest of the night for at least some sleep, but that seems to be no more.

[LostInCanada]

I get that 3am cortisol rush as well. Have you checked out some of the sleep hygiene tips on here?

[edgewater9]

I have and practice almost all of them, hoping something will start to break soon for a little improvement. More than anything it's almost impossible for me to go back to sleep after 3, I have tried glycine, magnesium and theanine. GABA and magnesium seemed to work a little for a quick drift sleep around 5 or 6 if I'm not getting up for work, but leaves me feeling very out of it the next morning if I am working. I don't know if anyone else has had that experience with GABA specifically 

[LostInCanada]

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/22853-gaba-supplements-good-or-bad/?do=findComment&comment=486323

[edgewater9]

Just an update, it has been more than 24 hrs since stopping the Buspar and I have not had any of the skin crawling anxiety since 4 pm  yesterday, when the last few days it would come every couple hours. I also took 20mg of hydroxzine and slept through the night for the first time in months with no reaction except being very foggy in the morning.

[LostInCanada]

So glad to hear this. Be patient, be kind to yourself.

[edgewater9]

Bad news friends, I woke up this morning with a feeling of terror and an hour later the skin crawling restlenesss in my glute area was back worse than ever. I think this is akathasia, is it possible to have withdrawal akathasia as well if I was only on Buspar for 6 days? And should it be this severe? it's 10/10  and I have experienced crisis level symptoms before and I feel like I want to tear my skin off.

[LostInCanada]

All I can say is just be patient and see if in the next few days it resolves. The body is just recalibrating to accommodate all the changes. Hydroxyzine is also a change and the body can become dependent. I would use that sparingly if at all. 

[edgewater9]

Thanks for the advice, I'm hoping it's just severely increased anxiety due to the CT. I disliked taking the Hydroxzine as it's another drug but was becoming unglued with the complete lack of sleep. I will provide an update in the coming days

[FireflyFyte]

16 hours ago, edgewater9 said:

Thanks for the advice, I'm hoping it's just severely increased anxiety due to the CT. I disliked taking the Hydroxzine as it's another drug but was becoming unglued with the complete lack of sleep. I will provide an update in the coming days

 

I hope things settle over the next few days. Try and take care of yourself.

[edgewater9]

Early this morning around 6 I had a small dose of the skin crawling anxiety but it went away within minutes. Around 9 I started having really severe regular anxiety come on quickly with severe trembling and shaking. It lasted for about 2 hours and decreased severely in intensity but got replaced with flu like symptoms and body aches. At 1:00 the flu symptoms went away rapidly and I experienced rapid ear popping and brain zaps that are still continuing but I'll happily take it, I've never experienced such a rapid change in WD symptoms before.

[LostInCanada]

Crazy ride isn't it. Acceptance goes a long way. Sounds like quite the adrenaline rush. You are doing great.

[edgewater9]

Has anybody had success with updosing slightly to stabilize further after reinstatement?? My plan is to completely taper off citalopram but I have had a couple crisis moments lately and feel that I have not fully stabilized. I have currently reinstated at .5mg liquid (.25ml) and was thinking of updosing in .01 increments due to a prior bad event, where I updosed 40% from .5 mg to .7mg and it did not go well. It would go from .25ml to .26ml and then on. I would love to hear success or thoughts, thanks.

[FireflyFyte]

On 9/9/2023 at 3:31 PM, edgewater9 said:

Has anybody had success with updosing slightly to stabilize further after reinstatement?? My plan is to completely taper off citalopram but I have had a couple crisis moments lately and feel that I have not fully stabilized. I have currently reinstated at .5mg liquid (.25ml) and was thinking of updosing in .01 increments due to a prior bad event, where I updosed 40% from .5 mg to .7mg and it did not go well. It would go from .25ml to .26ml and then on. I would love to hear success or thoughts, thanks.

 

Hi edgewater,

 

I moved your post here as we ask that you keep your questions associated with your introductory post.

 

How long have you been on 0.5mg of Citalopram? 

Thanks,

 

Firefly

[edgewater9]

Hi Firefly,

 

    I have been on .5mg of citalopram since 8/8/23. I did a tiny consistent updose to .54, on the second and third day of the dose (today) I experienced 10/10 anxiety all day (very unusual)and think I will be working my way back down. LostinCanada was right, I think my body was only able to handle the Buspar withdrawal and nothing else. Should I go immediately back to the .5 tomorrow AM where I was before? Thanks

[LostInCanada]

@edgewater9definitely go back to the usual dose and just let your poor body stabilize. It is so hard doing nothing cause you want to be proactive but in this case doing nothing is everything. 👍

[edgewater9]

Thank you, I will take your advice. The anxiety subsided a lot from this morning but I am still shaking pretty badly. I think I need months or more at a steady dose before making any changes at all. I'll update if the dosage change back to normal changes the anxiety level tommorrow.

[FireflyFyte]

1 hour ago, edgewater9 said:

Thank you, I will take your advice. The anxiety subsided a lot from this morning but I am still shaking pretty badly. I think I need months or more at a steady dose before making any changes at all. I'll update if the dosage change back to normal changes the anxiety level tommorrow.

 

You have been through a lot of changes recently so think some stability might help. Try not to make any changes as far as dosages, or medications, and give your CNS (central nervous system) some time to adjust without anything new added to the mix.

[edgewater9]

Thanks, after lessening unto the night the 10/10 whole body anxiety returned today at 11 am and is just as bad as yesterday. I went down to my original dose this AM of .5 mg as suggested hoping it would help, do you think it will eventually? 

[edgewater9]

Another question, I stopped Buspar on 9/7 and then started my dosage increase on Citalopram. Looking through my journal I had one extreme day of akathasia type skin crawling the day after stopping 9/8 Everyday I have had serious anxiety that was only present since I started  the Buspar and continued afterward, is it possible I'm still withdrawing from it?

[LostInCanada]

@edgewater9 the body is so complex, it takes much longer to catch up to the changes. It could take 2 weeks. Patience is the key. Hopefully the anxiety will fade sooner. Check out Claire Weekes methods to deal with anxiety. 👍

[edgewater9]

Thanks, my doctor prescribed me propanolol to deal with the anxiety and I have not been taking it since a crisis day with the Buspar no matter how bad the anxiety gets. I'm determined to not add more meds into the mix but I'm really struggling. I also stopped the Hydroxzine a few days back and luckily have been getting at least 3 hours every night.

[LostInCanada]

Doctors just don't have a clue how to deal with the mess they have created. They just throw more drugs on us. More drugs are not the answer. They trust profit driven drug companies to give them their education.  How can we expect good health care when drug companies give the doctors kickbacks? So frustrating and now we have to navigate through the mud. At least we have a wealth of experience here free of financial gain. It is going to be difficult but thousands have succeeded before us. My rant for the day lolol.