Jemadu: Introduction & my citalopram experience.

[Jemadu]

Hello everyone,

My name is Jeroen, I'm 31 years old, and I'm from The Hague. I've been on Citalopram since 2018 due to dysthymic disorder (chronic depression). The medication has helped me get my life on track, but I've also experienced some unwanted side effects. Two years ago, I attempted to stop taking it, but I tapered too quickly and experienced severe withdrawal symptoms. Last September, I started tapering off again, this time over a ten-month period, and I have been completely off Citalopram for two weeks now. I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms again, such as brain zaps, brain fog, low energy, irritability, and cognitive troubles, but they are slightly less intense, and I have a better understanding of what to expect.

 

My biggest challenge over the last years is dealing with persistent brain fog that affects my daily life and self-confidence, including difficulty thinking, struggling to find the right words, and memory problems. This realization has made me suspect that these symptoms might be a side effect of Citalopram, which was also a reason for me to stop taking it.

 

Finding this forum has been incredibly helpful for me. It feels reassuring to know that I am not alone in experiencing side effects that are often not mentioned on standard health websites. Reading the success stories here has given me hope, and I aspire to share my own success story in the future.

 

Best regards,  
Jeroen

Edited July 12 by Emonda
Name to title

[Emonda]

Welcome @Jemadu

 

Thanks for your post. I note your post in another thread and will try to move that here shortly.

 

24 minutes ago, Jemadu said:

Last September, I started tapering off again, this time over a ten-month period

 

It sounds like your taper was way too fast: Why taper by 10% of my dosage? The reductions should get smaller and smaller each month, for example: 10mg, 9mg, 8.1mg, 7.3mg etc. This process involves a degree of trial and error (as in, you may need to go slower), as there is no way of predicting how an individual will respond. Importantly, if you develop unpleasant side effects from tapering, halt the taper, give yourself time to settle, and once stable, taper more slowly and by smaller amounts moving forward. The experience of others suggests that the lower you go in dose, the slower you need to go with tapering.

 

 

24 minutes ago, Jemadu said:

I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms again, such as brain zaps, brain fog, low energy, irritability, and cognitive troubles

 

Those that taper too quickly often develop very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. This Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) is a helpful summary of what many experience. The point of providing this list is not to scare you but to ensure your eyes are open to the warning signs as you taper. What you describe above sounds typical.

 

24 minutes ago, Jemadu said:

I have been completely off Citalopram for two weeks now.

It would be worth reading these two links:

About Reinstating and Stabilizing to Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms

and Kindling is something you need to be very aware of.

Can you provide more details on your tapering over the past 10 months. What was your final dose? How long were you on that dose before stopping. The more info, the better.

Recovery from ADs and tapering / CT is not linear. There are good days and not-so-good days/weeks/months. This is referred to as the Windows and waves pattern of stabilization.

We don't suggest many supplements, but two that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. Add one at a time and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

Avoid alcohol.

Don't change the manufacturer of your AD.

Once again, welcome to S.A.

Emonda

[Jemadu]

17 minutes ago, Emonda said:

Can you provide more details on your tapering over the past 10 months. What was your final dose? How long were you on that dose before stopping. The more info, the better.

Initial dossage: 20mg
15mg for 2 months
10mg for 2 months
8mg for 2 months
6mg for 1.5 months
4mg for 1.5 month
2mg for 1 month
And then 0 mg

The tapering from 20mg to 2mg went very smoothly, with hardly any withdrawal symptoms. The first week after reducing from 2mg to 0 was promising. However, during the second week (last week), withdrawal symptoms began to appear. This was also the case the first time I tapered from 30mg to 0mg in about three months: only during the last step, from 2mg to 0mg, did the withdrawal symptoms appear.

 

21 minutes ago, Emonda said:

We don't suggest many supplements, but two that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil.

I supplement my diet with fish oil, initially starting with a daily dose of 1000mg EPA and 700mg DHA. This regimen had a positive impact on my cognitive difficulties. After reading some scientific articles about optimal dosage, I decided to increase the amount a few days ago to 2000mg EPA and 850mg DHA daily, hoping to further enhance the benefits for my cognitive health.