lain: from Germany - Celexa / citalopram

[lain]

Hello,

 

I am Lain, a woman of Germany and I would like to talk/write with people who want to end with taking psychochemicals. I take this medicine (Citalopram) since 13 years. In the beginning I likeked the effect of this drug, it helped me very much. I was happier and not so nervous anymore. But after years there came other effects like problems with sexuality for example. And the good effect stopped. Today I`m always in a bad mood and I`ve lost all interests.

 

I am in a german forum which occupies with this problems and which is very helpful to end with these drugs. There ist the rule, to reduce your drug about 10% after 4 to 6 weeks and with that methode I reduce since November and now I am at 7,5 mg per day.

 

Please excuse my bad englisch, I thougt it would be a nice idea to whrite in an english-speaking forum because there is the change to kill two birds with one stone: exchange with other people with that problems and besides improve my English, I hope, that`s okay for you.

 

I thank you for reading this and if you want to know more please ask me. Maybe there is a person who wants to learn german, maybe we can help us mutual.😀

 

I`m looking fprward to getting answers and I wish you all all the best

 

Lain

 

If anybody wants to correct my mistakes.....with pleasure but it is not necessary, thanks.

 

[Gridley]

Hello, lain, and welcome to SA.  I'm going to give you several links.  It's a lot of information, so please take your time reading them.

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.  Please include your original dose of Citalopram and any supplements you are taking.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

At SA, recommend that you taper by no more than 10% of your current every four weeks.  Some people have to taper more slowly.  These links will give you more information about the 10% taper and what is happening in your brain as you heal.  Are you tapering with liquid or cutting and weighing tablets?

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Brain Remodelling 

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

This link give you specific information about tapering Citalopram, know in the U.S. as Celexa.

 

 

Tips for tapering off Celexa (citalopram)

 

The slow 10% taper is meant to minimize withdrawal symptoms so they are tolerable. Most people have withdrawal symptoms as they taper their psychiatric drug.  If the symptoms are severe, you are tapering too fast.  What symptoms are you experiencing and are they tolerable?
 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

 The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

When we take medications, the CNS (central nervous system) responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS has to undo all the changes it made. Rebuilding the neurotransmitter production and reactivating the receptor and transporter cells takes time -- during that rebuilding process symptoms occur.  

 

Youtube video, 4 minutes: Healing from antidepressants

 

Please be aware that sometime withdrawal symptoms don't appear immediately after a too-fast taper.

Delayed onset of withdrawal symptoms

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Please research all supplements first and only add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community.  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 I am glad that you found us.

 

Gridley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lain]

Hello Gridley,

 

thank you very much for this many information.  I think this forum is very similar to the German forum, it recommends the same things.

 

Well, I`m aperson who belonges to the people who react later with withdrawel symptoms. And that is a big problem because I never know, when will I be "save"? You can read in my signature, that 10% all 4 weeks is too fast for me. When I become depressiv it happens very quickly and intensively. On the other hand I am very glad that I don`t have any physical symptoms.

 

When I reduced on 9 or rather on 8 I got a "wave", after 3 or 4 weeks, I felt very melancholic. But generally, especially at 8mg I feel a bit better. The mood is a bit better and i`m a bit fitter. Maybe I experiment whether it is better to make smaller steps in shorter intervalls....the time will show what is better.

 

I take supplements like Vitamin D (with Vitamin K) and "rhodiola", I don`t know the englisch word, it helps me at my nervousness which is a big problem for me.

 

I am very glad that there are forums like this, it`sooooo necessary for the whole human beeing. And I am happy that it is here so international, THANK YOU very much!!!

 

I have a tecnical problem (I`m very bad in these things, please excuse me)....how can I logout? Probably it is a very silly question but as I said....sorry once again

 

Best wishes

 

Lain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lain]

Hello once again,

 

sorry, I forgot to tell that I use my drug in liquid form, I mix it for 5 days and so far it works.

 

Best wishes again

 

Lain

[Altostrata]

Welcome, lain.

 

Good to see you here.

 

Our 10% tapering schedule is based on the last dosage you take. The amount of the reduction keeps getting smaller. If you are currently taking 7.5mg, your next reduction would be 10% of 7.5mg, or 0.75mg.

 

Then you would be taking 6.75mg citalopram. Your next reduction would be 10% of that, or 0.675mg, giving you a dose of 6.075mg citalopram.

 

To log out, click on the arrpw next to your name in the upper right of the page, then choose Sign Out from the menu.

[Gridley]

4 hours ago, lain said:

10% all 4 weeks is too fast for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lain,

 

There are two other tapering methods you can consider, which are variations on the 10% every four weeks taper.  

 

1. You could reduce the taper to 5% every four weeks.

 

2. You could do the Brassmonkey slide method, developed by one of our moderators.  Instead of 10% every four weeks, you taper by 2 1/2% of current dose each week for four weeks, followed by a 2-week hold to let your system catch up to the changes.  It is gentler because you don't experience the 10% drop all at once.  This might help you with your late withdrawal symptoms.

 

Using your current 7.5mg, for week 1 you would multiply 7.5 X .975 (100%-2.5%).  That would give you a dose of 7.31mg for your first week.

 

For week 2, you would multiply 7.31 X .975 = 7.13mg.  That's your dose for week 2.

 

For week 3, you would multiply 7.13 X .975 = 6.95.  That's your dose for week 3.

 

For week 4, you would multiply 6.95 X .975 = 6.78mg.  That's your dose for week 4.

 

You would hold at 6.78 for two weeks.

 

Then you would continue the taper.

 

[lain]

Hello

 

thank you very much for your answers!

 

I will think about your suggestions, but I must say I don`t like preparing my dose everyday, up to today I make it for five days. I know it`s a bit crazy and I propose I have to do it when I reach the lower doses.

 

I`m quite new in these things and I think I will examine with it. I can imagine that it will be easeier to reduce in smaller steps, about 5 %. But the method you told sounds interesting too.

 

In the German farum a person told that you should develop and trust your feeling what is the best for you and I am trying this.

 

Thank you once again for this beautiful forum and bye bye

 

Lain

 

 

 

 

[Carmie]

Welcome to SA lain, 

 

I was born in Germany too, though I came to Australia when I was very young. I lived in Germany n Spain for a few years when I was a teenager though. I used to speak fluent German growing up but I’ve lost it because I didn’t continue to use it.

 

By the way I can’t taper by 10% either, I taper around 4% to 5%. 

 

Wishing you all the best in your recovery journey💚

[lain]

Hello Carnie,

 

nice to hear from you.....very interesting, what you travelled in your life. I cannot imagine, that you don`t speak german anymore. When you could it for a long time, it cannot dissapear? I`m very wondering. It`s interesting but strenuous too to use the english language and it`s frustrating, because I`m so bad in it🙁.

 

But I don`t give up.....thank you for your reply

 

Best luck

 

Lain

[lain]

Hello everybody

 

I´m quite okay. since I reached 8 mg I fell a bit better and it still works. I am a bit impatient but I think this is normally. In the german forum somebody told me that she had a big success when sche got from 5 to 2,7 mg. She felt more aktiv and she felt happier. I hope very much that I experience it too.

 

I don`t like winter, there is less I can do. I must say I`m gettting a pension because of my psychological problems. But it isn`t soo much and therefore I work a bit. In Germany there is the situation that we have "tiny-Jobs", you are allowed to earn up to 450 Euro without paying taxes. And since a few years we have minimum salary, that is very good too. In earlier times I worked for 5 Euro per hour, today it is least 9 Euro per hour.

 

But I don`t like working generally. And I`m not interersted in many things. And I`m too lazy and to unfit. Dont know whether I told that I`m 51 years old, maybe it`s quite normally but in earlier times I was much fitter. I was thinner too. I don`t think the higher weigt belongs to the effects of citalopram because they came after many years when I got to know my boyfriend and changed a bit my eating habits in not sooo healthy.

 

I try to believe that things will go better when I have reached slower doses.

 

best wishes

 

lain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lain]

Hello,

 

I`m feeling quite okay, sometimes I feel nervous and/or a bit angry, but I can handle it.

 

I have a technical question...how can I change the title? I would like to add that I end with Celexa.

 

Thank you very much!

 

Lain