NH23: Helping my Bro recover from Citalopram withdrawal

[NH23]

Please can I get your help, my brother was taking Citalapram 5mg for 8 months for his rare mental condition and stopped taking in July cold turkey (medical insurance ran out and as the meds weren’t helping, he didn’t think it was worth it to go back on when was able to do so and be done with it). 

 

For 3 months, he didn’t really feel any withdrawal symptoms and lived life as normal as possible. Then out of no where, he was feeling a huge serotogenic effect from any food he would eat to the point where he has just been drinking orange juice and eating mushed broccoli to avoid the serotonin syndrome like symptoms it’s giving him. 

 

Now even that has such a huge serotonin syndrome like effect after he took hydrolysed collagen as a supplement as it has no tryptophan and supposed to reduce serotonin intake but actually did more damage. His symptoms when eating most foods are Numbness in the head and his face, confusion, loss of coordination, his movements feel very light (e.g when raising arms in the air etc). And the increase serotonin gives him many nightmares at night also.)

 

After over a month of trying find answers for this symptoms, we realise through this website (thank you) that he has SSRI withdrawal syndrome.

 

Went to many to many doctors, neurologists and Psychiatrists and it took our research to finally get a Psychiatrist to agree that this is withdrawal syndrome.

 

It looks like his nervous system has taken a big hit and now my brother is wasting away as he is barely eating to avoid further damage. 

 

Does he go back on Citalapram but taper slowly?

 

We’re worried that as it’s been over a month of experiencing these symptoms that his brain maybe sensitised to Citalapram but we’re not sure and just very scared by the gamble of reintroducing Citalapram vs the gamble of doing nothing and my bro waste away. 

 

Please, any help would be appreciated!

[AliG]

Hi NH. Welcome to SA. I'm so sorry for your brother~ it sounds like you care for him very much. Can I ask a few questions? What is his rare mental condition?

 

Has he had no drugs( Citalopram) since July - cold turkey?

 

It would be great if you would put your brother's drug and withdrawal history in his signature. It appears below each of your posts. The link is below:

Please put your withdrawal history in your signature

 

Once we have a little more information ~ we can offer some more concise advice.

Ali

[NH23]

Thank you AliG! 

 

I really appreciate any help and advice that is offered, and thank you all so much for this website and your hard work. 

 

My bro stopped Citalapram cold turkey this time as well as other times before as he never had a problem before with withdrawal and never knew about tapering from “small” doses as the doctors said they are very small and minimal doses and never even mentioned tapering. 

 

His condition is hard to explain but one day his brain out of no where developed a hyper focus on body organs and processes constantly and constantly would calculate the worst case scenario of every situation and present them to him with thoughts and images, just to make him anxious while he is going about his day. 

 

He suffers terribly with it which is why was just looking for some relief despite hating taking any drugs.

 

Never taken recreational drugs or smoked. 

 

He is on no drugs now and is seeing some gradual improvement in withdrawal symptoms. 

 

I think his brain has changed since taking 5HTP as he developed a mild serotonin syndrome and his brain has been rewiring ever since, which is why his brain is so sensitive this time round. 

 

I have put his drug history in the signature. 

 

Thank you you all in advance! 

[NH23]

Please can anyone help us???

[nz11]

Thanks for doing the drug sig.

Unfortunately when it comes to getting off these drugs things can change big time on each successive attempt. Doctors are not aware of how difficult it is. This is a tragic worldwide situation. 

There are an arms length list of wdl symptoms and they are often delayed OCD is one of them and it sounds like it may be swamping your poor brother.

How old is he ?

Is he able to take over the driving of this thread.

Are there any other  symptoms that are concerning you or your brother. SSRI wdl can often be a life threatening medical emergency because it can cause suicidal reactions.

CT of these drugs is not recommended.

Does your brother know this is a wdl symptom? Check out the self care links may be a good idea. And the neuro emotions link

 

 

 

 

 

[NH23]

Thanks for the advice to check out the links NZ11. 

 

My brother Is almost 30 years old and he is only now aware that this change is from the CT of Citalapram. 

 

I created this thread and doing a lot of the research to support him as it’s a bit too overwhelming for him right now. 

 

The problem is that he is barely eating because most things he eats hits him with a serotogenic reaction in his brain and more damage to his CNS. 

 

Its like his receptors in his brain are damaged and super sensitive and are causing the above mentioned symptoms without mercy despite barely eating and because of this he has a seesaw battle between actually eating to survive or damaging his brain and cns. 

 

And it’s just getting worse each day! 

 

Does he go back on Citalapram but taper slowly?

 

We’re worried that as it’s been over a month of experiencing these symptoms that his brain maybe sensitised to Citalapram but we’re not sure and just very scared by the gamble of reintroducing Citalapram vs the gamble of doing nothing and my bro waste away. 

 

Or a serotonin blocker? 

 

Please any suggestions would be great to just consider... 

[nz11]

sorry he is in a bad place.

You speak of serotonin syndrome but my understanding is this occurs when an ad is taken in conjunction with another serotonin affecting drug. This doesn't seem to be the case for him. Are you sure he is not taking any other drugs. No secret pot plant stash?

 

I can understand his reluctance to eat I can empathise especially when it comes back out unexpectedly from both ends. I'm having trouble understanding your thoughts though that  eating is causing brain damage.

What's he feasting on St Johns Wort and Sam-E salad ? Sorry you have already told us that being broccoli and OJ. 

 

Maybe check out this link on food sensitivities...

Food sensitivities

Its rather difficult to get to the bottom of stuff when dealing with a third party. 

Have you perused the symptoms and self care thread Is there anything on the menu there that you think could help.

 

There are some mods here who are very clued up on the food and the diet thing. JC are you out there? 

 

What about keeping things real simple like soups and rice and salted seaweed squares (they are actually delicious) that's pretty much what I lived on for a while in acute wdl.

 

On ‎1‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 8:37 AM, NH23 said:

He is on no drugs now and is seeing some gradual improvement in withdrawal symptoms.

 

2 hours ago, NH23 said:

And it’s just getting worse each day! 

What does this mean. Do you mean he eats less and less each day.

 

So apart from OCD and difficulty eating what else is there that may be of concern, if anything? 

Try not to panic.

 

Sorry I'm not much help, there are a lot of symptoms that I would expect  from someone in acute ssri wdl and to be honest I'm not hearing of them so I'm not sure what is going on.

 

 

2 hours ago, NH23 said:

it’s a bit too overwhelming for him right now

In what way? Maybe your brother isn't so great at the English language as you.

Anyway your brother is very lucky to have a sibling look him after the way you are. He is very fortunate.

 

nz11

I must confess when it comes to food I generally go for the seafood diet ...when I see food I eat it!

[NH23]

Thank you for your response and links NZ11. 

 

I know for a fact he’s not taking any other supplement or drug as I am with him the whole day. 

 

Everytime he eats food other than orange juice and green vegetables (peas, broccoli, kale etc), he experiences Numbness in the head and his face, confusion, loss of coordination, his movements feel very light (e.g when raising arms in the air etc). And for him it feels like the increase serotonin gives him many nightmares at night and hallucinations as he closes his eyes before he goes to sleep. 

 

Even when eating orange juice and green veg, he still has this reaction but not as bad as eating anything else. 

 

These symptoms get worse everyday as it’s like his CNS is taking a hit everyday and never getting a chance to recover.

 

I know this is not typical wdl symptoms of Citalapram so I think the CT of Citalapram 5mg has caused damaged to his serotonin receptors or something of that nature and his brain is struggling to handle any sort of serotonin. 

 

The reason we feel it’s related to serotonin is because these are the same symptoms he experienced with serotonin syndrome from 5HTP (I know it’s rare but my bro has very sensitive brain). 

 

We think it’s more damage from Citalapram then maybe just withdrawal syndrome but we’re not sure. 

 

We we’re thinking of reinstating Citalapram and tapering but it would might kill him with how sensitive his brain is now so we were think of taking things that would decrease serotonin instead to give his receptors/brain a break to repair. 

 

For example taking Periactin or trying Shilajit or something like that.

 

Please can anyone and everyone (moderators as well please) give an opinion on this and what from your experience would be the best thing to do? 

 

Please help us 🙏🏼

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NH23]

Getting results of blood and urine test tomorrow from GP and taking it from there.

 

Any advice out there on my previous posts? 

[scallywag]

NH23,  if you're considering reinstatement of citalopram start with a VERY VERY small amount -- 0,5 mg or less.  Please read the first few posts of this topic:

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms.

 

Please post in this topic whether your brother wants to try reinstating citalopram.

 

Remember that symptoms won't improve right away but you and your brother need to pay attention to whether symptoms worsen. An adverse reaction doesn't take a long time to show up.

• If symptoms get even more severe after reinstating, your brother should STOP taking the medication immediately.
• If symptoms stay the same, continue taking that amount for at least 2 weeks while keeping track of 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.

To get a small consistent dose you'll need to either weigh crushed tablets or make a liquid.

 

Using a digital scale to measure doses.

Making a liquid from a tablet or capsules .

Using an oral syringe and other tapering techniques].

 

[NH23]

Thank you very much Scallywag for the response and helpful info and links. 

 

We are still undecided about what to do. 

 

I reached out to Point of Return (non profit that helps with withdrawal) and explained the situation and they suggested it maybe related to his gut health and should be tested and looked after, as the symptoms my bro experiences intensify everytime he eats any food other then orange juice and green veg but also didn’t have any symptoms at all since CT from 5mg Citalapram for 3 whole months. 

 

When he eats, He experiences numbness in the head and his face, blurred vision, confusion (feeling a bit spaced out), loss of coordination, his movements feel very light (e.g when raising arms in the air etc). And for him it feels like the increase serotonin gives him many nightmares at night and hallucinations as he closes his eyes before he goes to sleep. 

 

He’s had his blood and urine checked for overall health and everything was fine, and has no food allergy’s or known intolerances. 

 

He doesn’t have any brain zaps, depression, anxiety, insomnia or any mood change. 

 

Please guys what would you recommend if it was your brother? (Not taken as medical advice so please don’t worry). 

 

Is it withdrawal syndrome or has the CT from Citalapram caused damage to his serotonin receptors (and potentially his gut), leaving his brain very sensitive to any serotonin received and causing damage with each meal he eats? 

 

The difference between the 2 provides 2 different plans of action:

1 If it’s typcial withdrawal syndrome (the we’ll slightly reinstate, stabilise and tapor).

2. If it’s damage that will repair over time (then increasing serotonin via SSRI could be a disaster and maybe best to focus on gut health and maybe even blocking serotonin to provide time to recover via periactin, Shilajit or any other supplement etc.) He compares this to constantly walking on a broken leg which then in return never gets a chance to heal if you no what I mean. 

 

Does any of your symptoms get worse everytime you eat? 

 

Any opinon or advice would be appreciated guys and thank you in advance 😊

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NH23]

Also to add to my above message, when my brother eats an apple for example, he feels all of these symptoms in a very intense way, but when he eats an orange he can feel his brain recovering as he feels head pressure (something he learned from having serotonin syndrome previously). He also regains his sexual drive instantly (reduced serotonin), more coordination, more cognitive function, breathing patterns get back to normal, no numbness in face and jaw, instead of having the absolute worst nightmares over and over again in the night he actually has wet dreams instead when eating oranges (obviously much better). He still feels a bit spaced out with movements feel very light (as if there is no weight in arms) and his vision is still blurry when eating oranges but we feel like his brain/receptors have been damaged but is obviously trying to recover. 

 

With such changes in symptoms with a simple change in diet, is this still typical wdl syndrome requiring reinstatement and tapor of SSRI (increasing serotonin), or is decreasing serotonin best to allow the brain to recover as it seems he is now very serotonin sensitive and as I’ve not seen anyone on this forum that has no food allergies or known intolerances where there condition is drastically improved once they only eat certain foods once CT a SSRI? 

 

Sorry for the mega long posts guys but any opinion you provide is always welcome and thank you in advance! 

 

 

 

 

[NH23]

Has anyone had any bad reactions to the contrast dye used in CT scans. 

 

As as my brother has had problems every time he eats (stated we think from Wdl syndrome but no idea how to treat it), his doctor has arranged a CT scan tomorrow to check all his organs and we're wondering whether the contrast dye used in it will cause a really bad reaction in my bro as he already has a very sensitive brain when it comes to pretty much most food. 

 

He's had MRIs before and taken whatever medication with no problem but that was before the wdl syndrome and now he is very sensitive. 

 

Please see link for the whole info of his conditions...

Any feedback would be appreciated guys! 

 

Thank you! 

[ChessieCat]

Here are a couple of links I found:

 

my-trip-to-the-neurologist

 

mri-while-in-withdrawal

 

If you go to the main page of this site (click on the survivingantidepressants logo at the top left) and type dye in the search bar at the top right it will bring up posts which mention dye.  You could cut the results down a bit by searching contrast dye, but that wouldn't find a post if the member is talking about contrast dye but only uses the term dye.

 

[kesh]

Not sure if helpful but I had MRI with contrast die last year with no problems, but that was before I went on psych meds this time around  (have been on and off them half my life though).