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Gumboot: Citalopram from 2006 to 2015


Gumboot

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Hi Gumboot,

 

"I did suggest tapering off the Citalopram, and the doc was quite amenable but suggested doing it from 20 down to 10, then missing out a day. To be honest I don't know what to do."

 

DO NOT skips days.  That can be almost as bad as going cold turkey.  It will mess your brain & CNS up something awful.

 

This site recommends a 10% taper of the previous dose followed by a 4-6 week holding period to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Also:

 

Keep it Simple, Slow and Stable

 

These might help you to understand why slow tapering is recommended:

 

Brain Remodelling (Rhi's Description of Brain Healing)


Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

The more you mess around with adding/switching drugs and changing doses the worse off your poor brain will be.  Basically it won't know what to do.

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Gumboot , some people don't tell their doctors that they're tapering. As Dan said , you only need the

doctor for the prescriptions.

All the information and resources you need to taper safely are here - we'll help you.

 

:)

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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  • 4 months later...

Well... Things got worse. A lot worse.

 

In June I was referred to a local psychiatric hospital and luckily am working with a community nurse who's a good guy. He prescribed Venlafaxine to replace Citalopram, I've been on it for a month now and really feel it's beginning to do some good - the feeling comes and goes, but it's enough to make me willing to stick with it. And perhaps I'm getting the Citalopram out my system at last. I felt it was poisoning me, but I was afraid to stop it, or to lower the dose or increase the dose or do anything. Perhaps if I'd switched medications a year ago I would have avoided all this. I don't intend to be on Venlafaxine for the next ten years, though, not without asking more questions. I did ask the nurse how long I'm going to be on it and he said he thought six months at least.

 

I've also got a supply of Diazepam. Over two months I've taken it about ten times. I found it relieves the anxiety for a couple of hours but makes me drowsy.

Citalopram 2006 to Nov 2015, initially 10mg, mostly 20mg.

Stopped in early Nov 2015, much more anxious afterwards.

Jan 2016, reinstated Citalopram at 10mg.

March 2016, upped dose to its former level of 20mg daily.

April 2016, Propranolol 40mg prescribed as needed.

June 2016, Diazepam 2mg prescribed as needed.

July 2016, Citalopram stopped, replaced with Venlafaxine 75mg daily.

August 2016, Venlafaxine upped to 150mg daily.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Gumboot - I'm glad to hear that things are improving after that turn for the worse. Your idea of staying on the venlafaxine for 6 months before tapering is an excellent one.

 

Am I correct in assuming that the venlafaxine is the XR version (extended release)?
 
You may have already checked it, but I'll put the links here for your reference:

Tips for tapering off Effexor (venlafaxine)

Counting beads in a capsule versus weighing

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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Thanks, yes it's XR or modified release.

 

I'm still taking one Propranolol a day, I don't think it does any harm and may be helping. But that's something else to be come off from at a later date.

Citalopram 2006 to Nov 2015, initially 10mg, mostly 20mg.

Stopped in early Nov 2015, much more anxious afterwards.

Jan 2016, reinstated Citalopram at 10mg.

March 2016, upped dose to its former level of 20mg daily.

April 2016, Propranolol 40mg prescribed as needed.

June 2016, Diazepam 2mg prescribed as needed.

July 2016, Citalopram stopped, replaced with Venlafaxine 75mg daily.

August 2016, Venlafaxine upped to 150mg daily.

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