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Gromit: Introduction & Q about magnesium


Gromit

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Hi,

I am currently on Citalopram 20mgs daily and my GP has mentioned coming off as I have been 'stable' for some time.

I have heard some people recommend magnesium supplements to prevent recurrence of depression but I just wondered which supplements in particular as I find my brain is a bit fogged by this drug. Fluoxetine gave me bad dreams, sertraline did not help my breathlessness which I think is due to anxiety. This is the third time I have been on medication so I foresee myself having a relapse.

Thanks,

Edited by scallywag
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2007 - 2011 ? Fluoxetine 20mgs Prozac usually withdraw by taking on alternate days for a month

2012 Fluoxetine, then switched to Sertraline after 6 months or so - 2014 withdrawal by taking half tablets I think

March 2015 to date Citalopram 20mgs

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Gromit -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)
 
It's great that you are researching supplements that might be helpful as you reduce your citalopram dosage.  Of equal, perhaps more, importance is how you decrease dosage. Many times withdrawal symptoms are misdiagnosed as a recurrence or as a new condition. To minimize the risk of symptoms arising, we suggest that people decrease by no more than 10% of their dose at the time once per month.
Before you begin tapering -- what you need to know.
Why taper by 10% of my dosage?.

Many people find supplementation with omega 3 fatty acids and magnesium helpful during tapering and withdrawal. Start with one at a low dose and increase gradually.
Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil).
Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker.

It would be a good idea to start supplementing before you start to taper citalopram. There are other things that are helpful during tapering that could be started beforehand - exercise (e.g. walking, yoga/tai chi), mindfulness meditation among many.

Another topic relevant to your situation:
Tips for tapering off Celexa (citalopram).
 
A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly?

  • Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.
  • Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago)
  • Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016.
  • Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses.
  • A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs.
  • You can find instructions in this topic: Please put your withdrawal history in signature
  • If you are using a phone or mobile device, you need to switch to the "full" or desktop version of the site. Instructions are in Post 9 and Post 10

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.

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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  • 11 months later...

Gromit many people are told they are having a relapse when the reality is they are really having delayed withdrawal symptoms.

My doctor told me I had an underlying depression when I said that is not correct I had never used that word before he referred me to a pdoc I later saw in the notes he wrote nz11 is having a relapse. Funny I thought he never told me that and how strange since I never had a lapse in the first place.

 

Anyway enough about me ...how about you.

Are you able to give us an update.

We would love to hear from you its been a year now.

nz11

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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Hi, still on Citalopram, I discovered the Out of the Fog sites & I think I have C-PTSD, it is the best fit for all my experiences, unfortunately GP's in the UK have yet to catch up. It is so frustrating.

 

this last year I have mainly been coming across female GP's who assume I am menopausal, also guaranteed to frustrate when it clearly isn't so.

 

also just found out GP's won't just send you to a psychiatrist here, I have to ask, after 10 years on psych drugs, on & off. 

 

My my board name should be 'Frustrated'

 

2007 - 2011 ? Fluoxetine 20mgs Prozac usually withdraw by taking on alternate days for a month

2012 Fluoxetine, then switched to Sertraline after 6 months or so - 2014 withdrawal by taking half tablets I think

March 2015 to date Citalopram 20mgs

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  • Administrator

Gromit, unless you want more psychiatric drugs, a psychiatrist is unlikely to be able to help you with tapering or withdrawal syndrome.

 

As for PTSD, they haven't done well treating that with psychiatric drugs, either. Psychotherapy is your best bet there.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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At the moment my therapist does not recommend changing my medication. In the UK you don't need a psychiatrist to have this medication,, doctors are more than happy to give it to you without ever mentioning a psychiatrist. However, doctors are not familiar with C-PTSD, and they are not qualified to diagnose it,  they just leave finding therapy upto you.

 

2007 - 2011 ? Fluoxetine 20mgs Prozac usually withdraw by taking on alternate days for a month

2012 Fluoxetine, then switched to Sertraline after 6 months or so - 2014 withdrawal by taking half tablets I think

March 2015 to date Citalopram 20mgs

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  • Administrator

That is correct, any doctor can prescribe psychiatric  drugs. 

 

It's up to you to decide whether you'd be better off without them. It is true that tapering may be additionally stressful.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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3 hours ago, Gromit said:

At the moment my therapist does not recommend changing my medication

And why would that be. I assume you mean tapering.

I wasn't aware that therapists had the authority to make recommendations with a persons drug intake.

 

Thanks for updating Gromit. It is good to hear from you.

What came of your doctors rec to taper off the drug last jan. ...did he change his mind? 

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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Nz11 my T knows I am on a low dose, she felt that a low dose takes the edge off things and that, with therapy has good outcomes. 

 

2017 was a mixed years with doctors, the GP I had been seeing regularly went on maternity leave. I saw another who asked about symptoms, I mentioned 'brain fog' and she said that was a symptom of early menopause, because I am 'that age'. Next doc I saw, never heard of C-PTSD, dismissive, said to look at coming off after next repeat prescriptions. Saw a trainee this week who gave me enough repeats for 4 months, no idea about C-PTSD, had another doc watching him the whole time, no comments from him either. I only had 2 tablets left so I needed more to do anything.

 

BTW, I am not menopausal, been regular ever since I left home, when I wasn't, which is of interest to T's. Shows how stressful living at home with my parents could be.

 

 I am finding doctors increasingly triggering.

 

2007 - 2011 ? Fluoxetine 20mgs Prozac usually withdraw by taking on alternate days for a month

2012 Fluoxetine, then switched to Sertraline after 6 months or so - 2014 withdrawal by taking half tablets I think

March 2015 to date Citalopram 20mgs

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1 hour ago, Gromit said:

I am finding doctors increasingly triggering.

And I don't blame you. And I am sorry that you have been given the doctor runaround.

We totally understand.

 

I'm sorry to tell you this but I think I'm about to trigger some more triggering!

Are you sitting down.

There are a lot of dangerously ignorant  people out there. I'm now beginning to think I have to add therapists to the list. 

And there are a lot of false pharma  narratives. If one reads the Prozac back story you will see that anything over 5mg is an excessive dose. I put the story in my intro if you want a read. Basically they refused to make 5mg available and made the tablet a 20mg hey why lose 75% or profits by complying with requests for a 5mg max. Lilly set the behavior template other pharma have followed.

1 hour ago, Gromit said:

my T knows I am on a low dose

 20mg of citalopram is not a low dose its actually very very high. 

It will take at least 27 months of safe tapering to get to 1mg if you follow the rec taper method at sa. 

 

Heres another alternative truth that is being feed to people while keeping them addicted...and if you scratch the surface of it you will find another pharma lie. 

1 hour ago, Gromit said:

she felt that a low dose takes the edge off things and that, with therapy has good outcomes

I don't know so much in fact to be honest I find this kind of thinking triggering!

 

 In my younger days I went through a collecting and practicing magicians tricks for family and friends phase.

There was one brilliant one in which a handkerchief disappears. I loved it. It revolved around two very clever things (one I cant reveal to you) but the other of which was a very subtle slight of hand distraction.  No-one  ever picked it up ever!

Now this is only my opinion so take it with a grain of salt but imo saying therapy plus drugs has good outcomes is very deceiving.  Pharma (cant believe they have got therapists now on board with this new line of propaganda) may tell you that drugs are good but drugs plus therapy is better. That's because they know the truth is coming out and they need to start making some  smokescreens. It is a clever distraction  drawing your attention away from the reality of the existence of a very deep drug addiction with chemicals that are not fit for purpose. Keeping you on the drug. Putting false hope in therapy. You are still going to have to get off this drug. Therapy doesn't stand a chance when it comes to ssri withdrawal especially from a too fast taper. our eyes should be on getting off the drug safely ...and slow tapering over years to do so. Anything else and it will be a revolving door to therapy for many years. As wdl symptoms -(some of which are  crying sadness depression anxiety emotional distress guilt) ....from a to fast taper are misintepreted as a faulty crosswired brain. What a boon for therapists I guess. 

I actually wish I had started collecting all the times I have seen testimony of people who had therapy in wdl and stated it was of no use.

That's because the important thing we should have our eyes fixed on here is the slow tapering method. As soon as one of these drugs is swallowed you are dealing with a significantly altered brain from the normal state. I put it to you that therapy may not know how to  deal with such a brain. And vice versa. And especially  so in wdl from a too fast taper.

There are going to be people here who will disagree with me on this and that's okay.

Don't get me wrong here I am not saying that therapy is not good what I am saying is that therapy without drugs is best.  There is no advantage (although pharma would tell you otherwise) to be gained by taking a dangerous brain altering drug as well.

And here's another thing many of the benefits of CBT can be gained by learning it yourself.. self-help books are prolific in the shops.  Freedom is in you.

 

Sorry to read of your cptsd if you think therapy is helpful for that then that's great. Just don't overlook the fact you have a drug addiction that is not helping. 

 

Lets continue this great conversation.

nz11

DYOR and MYOD.

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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