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Loonybint: Coming off citalopram after 18 years


Loonybint

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Hi,

 

So I think I've found this site too late but thought I would post anyway to see if anyone can help or has experienced similar.  I started taking antidepressants when I was 20 years old - low dose citalopram for anxiety/panic disorder.  I didn't like taking them so stopped and tried all kinds of alternative herbal stuff.  About a year later I was diagnosed with depression and prescribed Lofepramine.  Took this for about two years then was switched to 20mg Citalopram which I then took pretty much constantly for the following years apart from my first pregnancy 8 years ago.  I stopped then cold turkey as I didn't want to take them during the pregnancy.  Went back on after birth as I had post-natal depression.  About 2 years ago GP dropped dosage down to 10mg and then about a month ago I decided to taper off.  I'm now not taking anything and feeling awful - weepy, anxious, irritable.  Considering going back on them although I really don't want to.  Any advice would be really appreciated as I'm not sure what to do next.  : (

 

2001 - May 2021 - Various doses of Citalopram and then Lexapro over the years.  2 unsuccessful attempts to taper in 2015 and 2017

Start taper off Lexapro June 1st 2021

 

 

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  • scallywag changed the title to Loonybint: Coming off citalopram after 18 years
  • Moderator Emeritus

Loonybint -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)

 

I'm sorry to read that your discontinuation of citalopram has left you with emotional symptoms. Unfortunately few of us get good advice about how to taper from these medications from our doctors.  I'll save my rant about drug manufacturers for another time.

 

To help us help you, 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.
  • Link to Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

Some people find relief from reinstating a very small dose of the medication they discontinued, citalopram in your case.  It sounds as if you'd be willing to try this because you say you're considering going back on it entirely.  The reason we suggest a small dose is that your CNS (central nervous system) has already started to adjust to the absence of citalopram and returning to the previous dose or even your last dose may be a bit of a shock to the CNS. When we have information about your taper (dates and doses), we'll be in a better situation to suggest a reinstatement dose for you to consider.  In the meantime, please read at least the first page of this topic:

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms.

How long to stabilize after reinstating or updosing.

 

The content at these two links may help in understanding the process your CNS (central nervous system) went through to adjust to the medication and what's happening now at a zero dose:

How your brain responds to psychiatric drugs - aka "Brain remodeling"

Youtube video, 4 minutes: Healing from antidepressants

 

Should you opt to reinstate, you'll likely take several months to stabilize. At some point you'll be ready to start to decrease your dose. We suggest that you taper by decreasing no more than 10% and making the decrease no more often than once per month. Please read:

Before you begin tapering -- what you need to know.

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?.

Tips for tapering off Celexa (citalopram)

 

Emotional symptoms, weepiness and irritability, are common symptoms. Other members discuss their experiences in these topics:

Neuro-emotions.

Uncontrollable crying spells during and after withdrawal

Coping with irritability, anger and rage

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms.

 

I've given you lots to read and to do.  The most important of those things is your signature that lists your medication and withdrawal history.  Please take a few minutes to do that so that we can give you the best possible information.

 

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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Hi Scallywag, thanks for your reply.  I have been reading through a lot of the info on this site.  Just feeling really overwhelmed at the moment.  I just don't know if what I'm experiencing is withdrawal or relapse of depression/anxiety.  The last time I felt this bad was before having kids so it seems so much worse now having to cope with how I'm feeling and look after 3 young children.  Seems unfair for them to have to put up with this when I could just take the meds again and be 'normal'.  I was hoping I would be able to say for sure that what I'm experiencing right now is withdrawal and that it will get better if I just stick it out but each day I wake up feeling worse and worse.

 

2001 - May 2021 - Various doses of Citalopram and then Lexapro over the years.  2 unsuccessful attempts to taper in 2015 and 2017

Start taper off Lexapro June 1st 2021

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Thank you for taking time to post your signature. 

 

How did you feel when you were on 5 mg citalopram?

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 for your post.

 

I have been on cit for a smilar period of time and trying to get off slowly.

 

Question: 2 years ago, when you went down to 10? What was that like? Did you stay on 10 for the full 2 years? Did you cope the same? Coukd you feel a  difference between being on 20 for a long period and 10?

 

Thanks!

2000 - 2001 Paxil for work related Anxiety and then switched to Citalopram2001 - 2008 Thrived with Citalopram,2008 Unsuccessful attempt to get off Citalopram requiring short term use of Solian and Clonazapam2008 - 2017 On Citalopram but positive effect gradually disappeared<p>2016, brief stint on Valdoxan to possibly boost Citaĺipram but pooped out after a dew weeks, 2017 Attempting to quit again with slow taper

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Hi both,

 

Yes I did stay on 10mg for about two years. I didnt feel much of a difference at the time.  During this time we moved a few times and my youngest sister died (overdose) and so looking back now I feel that I coped pretty well.  I felt better being on 10mg in that I felt more like myself which is why I made the decision recently to try and taper off completely.

 

The move down to 5mg was definitely more noticeable.  I was very irritable and anxious.  I guess I should have stayed on the 5mg longer but I just wanted to get off them. 

 

So after just over a month off I have now reinstated due to feeling unable to cope.  

 

2001 - May 2021 - Various doses of Citalopram and then Lexapro over the years.  2 unsuccessful attempts to taper in 2015 and 2017

Start taper off Lexapro June 1st 2021

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Please edit your signature to show that

  • on 2017-June-11, you "jumped" to 0 mg citalopram.
    -- and --
  • on 2017-July-{date} you reinstated to {##} mg.

Just so it's clear for those of us who need things spelled out. Remember, moderators are members who sometimes are dealing with symptoms. ;)

 

It will take about 4 days for the medication to be in a steady state -- the same daily cycle of metabolizing the medication. From then, it may take a few weeks for you to notice an improvement.  Please read:

How long to stabilize after reinstating or updosing.

 

It's very helpful to keep track of your symptoms. Please keep notes on paper of your symptoms and the times of your dose(s). This post has a useful format for a daily log:

Take notes of doses and symptoms.

 

Symptoms do not necessarily resolve in a linear fashion, a little bit better everyday.  You may have times where everything seems great and "normal" followed by a time of intense symptoms. Someone coined this cycle "windows and waves"; you can read what others have to say about it here:

The Windows and Waves pattern of stabilization.

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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5 hours ago, Loonybint said:

Hi both,

 

Yes I did stay on 10mg for about two years. I didnt feel much of a difference at the time.  During this time we moved a few times and my youngest sister died (overdose) and so looking back now I feel that I coped pretty well.  I felt better being on 10mg in that I felt more like myself which is why I made the decision recently to try and taper off completely.

 

The move down to 5mg was definitely more noticeable.  I was very irritable and anxious.  I guess I should have stayed on the 5mg longer but I just wanted to get off them. 

 

So after just over a month off I have now reinstated due to feeling unable to cope.  

Thanks for that.

Apparently weaning down to half dose is much easier than weaning from half to zero.

 

I wonder how you would have done going slowly?

 

Please post updates on how you feel after reinstating and if you choose to wean back down, how it goes for you...

2000 - 2001 Paxil for work related Anxiety and then switched to Citalopram2001 - 2008 Thrived with Citalopram,2008 Unsuccessful attempt to get off Citalopram requiring short term use of Solian and Clonazapam2008 - 2017 On Citalopram but positive effect gradually disappeared<p>2016, brief stint on Valdoxan to possibly boost Citaĺipram but pooped out after a dew weeks, 2017 Attempting to quit again with slow taper

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Hi, 

 

I'm now on day 5 of reinstating 5mg citalopram and my depression and anxiety are constant and getting worse.  How long should I wait before going up a dose?

 

Thanks

 

2001 - May 2021 - Various doses of Citalopram and then Lexapro over the years.  2 unsuccessful attempts to taper in 2015 and 2017

Start taper off Lexapro June 1st 2021

 

 

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Give it 7 - 10 more days. We would have suggested a smaller dose than 5 mg to reinstate.  You have 2 choices

  • decrease your dose to 2.5 mg and monitor your symptoms
    -- OR --
  • continue at 5 mg for 7-10 more days to see if the symptoms improve.

 

I can't predict how your CNS (central nervous system) will react to either action.  :(

 

FYI and consideration: a doctor would likely prescribe a return to 10 mg.

 

Edited by scallywag

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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