falsestart: Citalopram help needed

[falsestart]

Hi everyone, 

I have been on Citalopram for 9 years. I haven't needed it for a good 4 so decided to see my GP who advised alternating 20mg and 10mg every other day. Multiple GP's have totally underestimated withdrawal challenges.

 

I started alternating the week before last and felt ok, probably over confidently, i decided to drop to 10mg every day 5 days ago. I have flu like symptoms, spaced out and headaches and insomnia. I'm now not sure what to do? Should i keep going as i have got this far or will ot get worse so should i take a 20mg and how often etc? I'm getting on a flight today and need to feel in control of my symptoms a bit more. Any advice would be deeply appreciated, please.

[mammaP]

Hi Falsestart, welcome to SA. You need to go straight back to 10mg. If you have already taken 10 today just take another 10. Keep up the 20mg for a few weeks to stabilise then we can start to work with you to taper. I am going to post this now because you need this info urgently, then I will post the tapering info in the next post. 

[mammaP]

Most doctors do not have a clue about tapering and we get the poor suffering souls who have followed their instructions and ended up with severe withdrawal. Alternating doses is not a good thing for anyone, it puts the brain into chaos and people end up back at the doctors where they are told they need the drug for life. 

 

When you are stable again, you can start to taper safely. We recommend tapering 10% of the current  dose with 4 weeks between drops. You will learn to listen to your body. If there are any symptoms it is important to HOLD and not make any more cuts. Pushing through will end in withdrawal and taking even longer to be off. Patoence is going to be a quality that you posess in abundance when you are finally off the drug.   You don't have to take it because you NEED it for your health, you need it simply because without it you will go into withdrawal. That does not make you or any of us here addicts but it does make us dependent, and that is why we need to taper carefully, to sneak it away so slowly that the brain adjusts between drops and doesn't notice. 

 

Here is the topic for tapering citalopram. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2023-tips-for-tapering-off-celexa-citalopram/page__pid__19887#entry19887

 

The 3 KIS

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6632-the-rule-of-3kis-keep-it-simple-keep-it-slow-keep-it-stable/

 

We ask all our members to post their drugs and doses along with tapering history in their signatiure. You can find how to do that here...

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/12364-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

 

[falsestart]

Thank you so much! I will take 20 today again and go from there. Being in the UK not having access to liquid citalopram is a bit annoying but I guess not as annoying as feeling sick! 

[mammaP]

One of our members lives in Oxfordshire and managed to get citalopram liquid.  My doctor told me I couldn't get liquid effexor too but I asked at the pharmacy and they told me what to ask for and I got it.  The other member did the same and it turned out to be not very expensive at all. Her doctor told her it was too expensive and couldn't be prescribed. We both got what we needed by asking the pharmacist, doctors don't know it is there. If you cant get it, it's easy to make your own liquid. A bit faffy to start but soon get used to it. I make liquid from tramadol. Should take my own advice and ask for the drops but am used to making it now. 

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2022-making-a-celexa-solution-yourself

 

[joy2730]

Hi When I really pushed at my doctor she said she could get liquid citalopram but she said it was quite high dosage, I think she said 40 mg citalopram to 5 ml of liquid so it would be difficult for me to use, but I don't know.  Sometimes I think you have to really press for it, as it seems to be expensive?  You can try!

 

Joy

[falsestart]

Hi all,

If i need to drop 10% from 20mg to 19mg of Citalopram then how do i do it using a liquid solution?

I am rubbish at maths. 

[scallywag]

11 hours ago, falsestart said:

Hi all,

If i need to drop 10% from 20mg to 19mg of Citalopram then how do i do it using a liquid solution?

I am rubbish at maths. 

Have you read this topic?

Or watched the video in the first post?

Simplest way to make a liquid is to use the same number of ml as your capsule or tablet.

 

50 mg tablet? Use 50 ml water.

20 mg tablet? Use 20 ml water

75 mg capsule? Use 75 ml water.