Greyeyes: 14 years citalopram - withdrawal and updosing severe problems

[Greyeyes]

Hello everybody. Thank you for having me in the group. I need some help and guidance. Here is my story. I started citalopram 14 years ago for panic attacks and severe anxiety. I have gone between 10 and 20mg. I tried to stop in 2016 along with my doctor the incorrect way seesawing doses and went into severe withdrawal. Having no knowledge I updosed to 20mg. I stabilised (almost) and started to taper again in 2017. I was tapering using the scale method at 5% drops every 4-6 weeks. In November 2018 I again went into severe withdrawal and went back up to 20mg. It’s now June 2019 and I am in what I only describe as hell. It’s been months of hell. I have lost an extreme amount of weight,I can barely eat or sleep and I am terrified constantly. I feel sick constantly I have severe agitation and get very restless. I see no joy in anything and am regularly suicidal. Every day is a living nightmare and I just don’t know what to do.  Can anybody help me???? 

[Greyeyes]

Urgent help needed

 

Please can someone reply to me. I’m in a terrible way. 

 

Edited June 18, 2019 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Greyeyes.

 

I'm very sorry you're going through this. What times of day do you take your drugs, and what dosages? How do you feel after you take your daily citalopram?

 

When did agitation, etc., start? What is your sleep pattern?

[Shelders]

Hey Greveves 

 

I am currently reducing from 30mg Citalopram which I’ve been on for 8 years. It’s so difficult, like you I’ve tried before, my GP suggested 10mg drops with alternate days before. I just kept crashing back down with the withdrawal effects. 

I am on 20mg and it’s taken me 6 months to get here from 30mg. It’s going to take me a couple of years getting off them at this rate because I’m really sensitive to meds and I’m literally having to relearn all my emotions. I was so stressed with a work issue the other week I had to ask a friend If stress can make you want to cry? I felt so crap and tearful but wasn’t sure if that was normal or the illness returning. 

Its really difficult for me to reduce any quicker. 

Do you think that maybe you need to reduce much slower than you have been? 

 

Sending hugs.. bloody awful this reliance on meds