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shannonjoyjoy: Withdrawing from Celexa, need hope


shannonjoyjoy

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On 9/30/2021 at 3:41 AM, shannonjoyjoy said:

Thank you so much. I just see no end in sight right now. Although my boyfriend has been beyond supportive, he keeps telling me to “think positive” and have a “different frame of mind”. I know he is right. But when I am anxious, nauseous, trembling, my surroundings look almost pixelated…. and my hope for the future is all but gone it’s very hard to stay positive. I am working a full-time job, and have children and just getting through the day is absolutely horrendous of times. I was NOT like this before. My doctor now thinks that the .5 of Xanax I took for two months at night is making things worse so put me on Klonopin to wean. 3 days ago was when I went from one pill to half and my world has exploded again with all new symptoms of withdrawal. I don’t know if I need to talk to a different doctor who’s willing to allow me these meds temporary while I go through this or if getting off is the right thing to do. Thanks for responding with your kind words it means a lot. 

I hear you. I'm not qualified to comment on what you should or shouldn't do with your dosage but are you able to be totally honest with your doctor about what you're going through and what you want? That seems to be half the battle - these doctors don't know the half of what us patients are going through I reckon. 

History of depression and anxiety. Symptoms of PTSD. 1998-1999 Venlafaxine 2006-2007 Prozac.2013-15 Sertraline 50mg. 2015 cross-tapered to citalopram 20mg. 2015-2021 Citalopram 20mg (brief increase to 30mg for 2/3 months in 2019. 01/2021 Dropped from 20mg to 10mg, back up to 20mg til June. 25/6/21 stopped CT. Started 50mg 5htp after a week without citalopram in the hope this would balance out my serotonin levels. After 3 days increased to 100mg 5htp. 11/7/21 Stopped 5htp with the intention of reinstating citalopram at 1mg. 16/7/21 Reinstated cit at 1mg. 2/8/21 Increased dose to 2mg. 28/11/21 10% reduction to 1.8mg.

8/12/21 2mg 6/1/22 1.8mg 10/2/22 1.6mg 13/5/22 1.5mg 4/6/22 1.55mg 4/7/22 1.4mg 4/8/22 1.25mg 1/11/22 1.1mg 3/3/23 1mg 18/4/23 0.9mg 2/6/23 0.8mg 4/10/23 0.7mg 11/11/23 jumped off @0.7mg started on 5htp 200mg -400mg, L-Theanine, and L-tyrosine 200mg. 25/11/23 came off 5-htp, l-tyrosine and l-Theanine. 24/12/23 went on 7.5mg mirtazapine. 27/12/23 stopped mirtazapine & reinstated citalopram @.35mg. 1/1/24 increased to 0.5mg. PTSD diagnosis October 2023. 11/11/23 started EMDR therapy for PTSD. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to taper off citalopram. Vegan, otherwise healthy lifestyle. Other medications; tapering off combined HRT. Other supplements; magnesium glycinate, vegan omega3. Completely OFF caffeine (since July 21). Finding it difficult to completely give up alcohol but haven’t had any since 25/12/23. Main symptoms; crushing depression, anhedonia/emotional anesthesia, irritability, rage, anxiety/fear, intrusive thoughts, cognitive fog, inability to focus, restlessness and some insomnia

 

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Week 11

 

Well I have made it 11 long weeks without Citalopram or Latuda after cold turkey ending. (Not my choice) It is safe to say it has been the worst 11 weeks of my entire life. I’m so grateful for this website, and yet feel sad when I think of how many people around here are struggling with the same issues.


I am currently working a full-time job as a medical assistant to a spine doctor, and am a mom to an 11 year old.  Working while going through this is pretty stressful but keeps me busy throughout the day and I tend to get through it as my mind is occupied.  I am trying so hard to continue on with my life in spite of these horrendous symptoms. Today is the first day that I had to come home from work due to my symptoms. Extreme nausea has been an ongoing issue since getting off the meds, but some days are worse than others. I started this job during my withdrawal. It is utterly shocking that I even had it in me to fake my way through an interview and first day of work due to symptoms. But I did it. My previous job was far too stressful. I was very unhappy and knew that this would only contribute to worsening my mental health. However, because I am new, I do not have sickleave yet. This definitely contributes to my anxiety. 
 

I had a pretty good window this weekend. There were times where I actually felt somewhat normal, though only for a couple of hours. It was so nice to have a glimpse into the old me. I felt motivated at times, I felt almost happy a couple times. Monday at work was the same way. I was busy, focused and chatting with co-workers and patients. Then came Tuesday. I woke up with extreme anxiety and panic like I normally do, but it didn’t pass. I was jittery, had tremors, extreme nausea. I don’t even know how I made it though work. Today was the same with an added bonus of a pounding heart. This is a new symptom for me and is extremely uncomfortable. I take 10 mg Propranolol three times a day which usually combats this kind of thing, but it’s not working today. I had to leave work today and come home. As you can imagine the anxiety is much worse because I am worrying about missing work and yet feeling so awful at the same time. Hoping this passes soon.
 

Current symptoms are: Panic/anxiety, very severe in the morning hours. Pounding heartbeat, extreme nausea and upper abdominal pain. Full body tremor; I’m not physically shaking but it feels like my chest is if that makes sense? Lots of crying spells, mostly because I feel that this is causing my life to fly by and I am missing out on so much. Agitation, noise sensitivity, and leg muscle weakness. Currently tapering off of Clonopin as well after a couple months of nightly .5 Xanax. Doc has me alternating 3/4 and 1/2 of a .5 mg tablet each night. This has definitely added some new symptoms to the mix. I will post more next week. Hoping that I have a couple good days ahead of me. There are so many days that I think but I will have to follow my doctors suggestion and take another anti-depressant. But there’s no guarantee that it would rid me of the symptoms anyway. And I never want to go through this again. 🥺

 

Edited by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic

4/2011- Started Celexa 10mg

2/2020-Lamotrigine 25mg, x2 weeks.
Latuda 10mg, .5 Xanax prn at night, Traz

6/1/2021-Sudden aversion to Celexa 

6/15/21 2.5mg Celexa, off Latuda 

Propranolol 10mg 4x/day 

Lithium 75mg x 1 week-made sx worse

7/23/2021-Stopped Celexa 2.5, .5 mg 

Xanax prn at night for sleep

Propranolol 10mg, 4x/day. 

8/24/2021 Klonopin .5 at night to taper

10mg Propranolol 3x daily 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi @shannonjoyjoy,

I can relate to being a mum and working with these horrendous symptoms. This would have to be the most scariest thing we have to go through . I find a least when I’m at work I can distract myself and not think to much. Your definitely not alone in this . Reach out if you need help.

1995 started Paxil 20mg slowly increasing to 50mg until 2014

-2014 I decided to tapper myself not knowing how too and crashed , DR added 50mg Seraquel

-2015 tried tapering again and crashed

 

Started Tapering Both drugs at the same time 6% per month doing daily micro-taper 

Guided by Mark Horowitz

24/09/23  14.47mg Seroquel.  16.19mg Paxil 

27/11/23.  12.13mg. Seroquel.   13.85mg Paxil

 

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On 10/6/2021 at 2:18 PM, shannonjoyjoy said:

Currently tapering off of Clonopin as well after a couple months of nightly .5 Xanax. Doc has me alternating 3/4 and 1/2 of a .5 mg tablet each night. This has definitely added some new symptoms to the mix.

 

This does not sound like the kind of taper we would recommend here. Do you have any control over your taper? @Frogie will consult.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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My doctor is pretty set in her ways with the taper. Quite honestly I really have no desire to see her as she’s been zero help during my SSRI withdrawl. She told me today that the only way I would feel better is to take Clomipramine, and that most likely my withdrawal symptoms would last forever until I did. I have an appointment on November 8 with a different provider. I just don’t want to be left with no one that can prescribe the Clonopin and supervisor taper.

I posted this a little while ago and after about a week things seemed to calm down. I’ve been alternating 1/2 and 3/4 pill nightly for almost 4 weeks and will then do 1/2 pill for 4 weeks, the 1/4 pill for 4 weeks. Not sure how my body will respond to going down to just a half a pill. Because I’m an SSRI withdrawal everything is obviously more sensitive. I am bracing myself for some added symptoms.

4/2011- Started Celexa 10mg

2/2020-Lamotrigine 25mg, x2 weeks.
Latuda 10mg, .5 Xanax prn at night, Traz

6/1/2021-Sudden aversion to Celexa 

6/15/21 2.5mg Celexa, off Latuda 

Propranolol 10mg 4x/day 

Lithium 75mg x 1 week-made sx worse

7/23/2021-Stopped Celexa 2.5, .5 mg 

Xanax prn at night for sleep

Propranolol 10mg, 4x/day. 

8/24/2021 Klonopin .5 at night to taper

10mg Propranolol 3x daily 

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  • Administrator

That is not a good taper, and if you're having withdrawal symptoms now, going lower in dosage is likely to cause worse symptoms. Can you tell her you want to stop tapering for a bit to let the withdrawal symptoms go away?

 

Good idea to change doctors.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • Moderator

I’m so sorry you are going through this but this is no way to taper, especially a benzo. Unfortunately, your dr hasn’t a clue as to taper correctly. Most don’t.

 

Can you hold so you can stabilize? Like @Altostratasaid, maybe you can find a dr that understands tapering somewhat. Or would your dr continue to give you the prescription if you told them you didn’t want to go off? Then you could taper at your own pace.

PREVIOUS medications and discontinuations: Have been on medications since 1996. 

 Valium, Gabapentin, Lamictal, Prilosec and Zantac from 2000 to 2015 with a fast taper by a psychiatrist.

 Liquid Lexapro Nov, 2016 to 31-March, 2019 Lexapro free!!! (total Lexapro taper was 4 years-started with pill form)

---CURRENT MEDICATIONS:Supplements:Milk Thistle, Metamucil, Magnesium Citrate, Vitamin D3, Levothyroxine 25mcg, Vitamin C, Krill oil.

Xanax 1mg 3x day June, 2000 to 19-September, 2020 Went from .150 grams (average weight of 1 Xanax) 3x day to .003 grams 3x day. April 1, 2021 went back on 1mg a day. Started tapering May 19, 2023. July 28, 2023-approximately .87mg. Dr. fast tapered me at the end and realized he messed up. Prescribe it again and I am doing "slower than a turtle" taper.

19-September, 2020 Xanax free!!! (total Xanax taper was 15-1/2 months-1-June, 2019-19-September, 2020)

I am not a medical professional.

The suggestions I make are based on personal experience.

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On 10/23/2021 at 5:49 AM, Frogie said:

I’m so sorry you are going through this but this is no way to taper, especially a benzo. Unfortunately, your dr hasn’t a clue as to taper correctly. Most don’t.

 

Can you hold so you can stabilize? Like @Altostratasaid, maybe you can find a dr that understands tapering somewhat. Or would your dr continue to give you the prescription if you told them you didn’t want to go off? Then you could taper at your own pace.

What do you recommend for a more comfortable taper? Lastnight was the first night I took 1/2 2 days in a row and I already feel it. I slept maybe 1-2 hours total lastnight, extreme anxiety. I have been sleeping so good so this is a definite sign. Any help is appreciated. 

4/2011- Started Celexa 10mg

2/2020-Lamotrigine 25mg, x2 weeks.
Latuda 10mg, .5 Xanax prn at night, Traz

6/1/2021-Sudden aversion to Celexa 

6/15/21 2.5mg Celexa, off Latuda 

Propranolol 10mg 4x/day 

Lithium 75mg x 1 week-made sx worse

7/23/2021-Stopped Celexa 2.5, .5 mg 

Xanax prn at night for sleep

Propranolol 10mg, 4x/day. 

8/24/2021 Klonopin .5 at night to taper

10mg Propranolol 3x daily 

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