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VeganLife: introduction - citalopram


VeganLife

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Hello, 

 

This is my introduction post where I will be sharing my drug history, experience, and goals towards a drug free life. 

 

A little about me: I am a 26 years old male with interests in animals, nutrition, fitness, socializing, movies, and other things. I have been taking citalopram for 21 years and my goal is to taper off of my current 10 mg dose down to zero. I would appreciate tapering advice from anyone with experience with successful SSRI tapering, especially citalopram.

 

Backstory: I started medication around the time I was 5 years old, just starting kindergarten. My parents had recently gotten divorced and I was taken to a child therapist and then a pediatrician. I had a lot of tantrums as a toddler, poor eye contact, trouble making decisions, and I would frequently get in trouble at preschool. At the advice of the pediatrician I was put on 40 mg of citalopram, brand Celexa, and what seemed to be at about the same time, 60 mg of dextroamphetamine, brand ProCentra. I still would get in trouble a lot at school up until high school, but I was a very happy kid. I stayed on both of these medications at the same doses till I was 17 when I successfully requested to be taken off of some medication. I tapered off of dextroamphetamine with no trouble at all. It was a little tougher to concentrate on hw, but I didn't mind. After graduating high school and starting studies at my local community college, I decided to taper off of citalopram. As with the dextroamphetamine, I worked with my pediatrician to help me taper off of the medication. I was told this would be difficult so I tapered off between spring and summer studies. I didn't notice any negative effects all the way down to 10 mg of citalopram. I felt different being on a lower dose, but I liked how it felt. Tapering from 10 mg to zero, however, did not go well. I developed pretty unbearable irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). At this time I am starting my second year of community college and I am 19 / 20 years old. Besides having IBS, I had heightened senses, a bit of depression and anxiety, and I was less hyper and less enthusiastic. I became diet obsessed and tried to find food I could eat without getting bloated and or having digestive pain. I lied to my pediatrician and I said I was fine and decided to stayed off of the medication. I visited digestive doctors, got blood tests, and looked for diets to solve my problems. After about 6 months, I saw my general care doctor and asked to go back on citalopram at 10 mg. Before taking citalopram I requested to try a different medication, a tricyclic antidepressant. I can't remember why I thought this was a good idea. I started at a low dose and had unpleasant headaches among other weird feelings. After a month or so I decided to go back to citalopram. I believe I started with 5 mg and then worked my way up to 10 mg. I had almost constant headaches getting back on the medication, and driving felt different, possibly due to the medications effects on balance. I can't remember if I had headaches tapering off of the medication. After two to three weeks, I felt pretty good. At this time I believe I was entering my third year at my community college. I found my digestive system was generally okay if I ate whole foods and stayed away from cooking oils. My anxiety was still much more present than when I was taking 40 mg, and I didn't feel as happy. I have stayed on my 10 mg dose of citalopram since then. To help manage my anxiety, I meditate, stay physically active, eat as healthy as I can, and socialize as often as I can.

 

There is so much misinformation out there, even in scientific research. I am not sure what to believe about the harms and benefits of antidepressants. I was for sure much happier on a higher dose, but I was also a kid when things were easier and I was still growing up, so its hard to say. These are very stressful times in the world, but there might never be a perfect time to try to taper off of the citalopram. I would appreciate any advice on tapering or any shared stories of similar experiences. 

 

Thanks for reading,

 

VeganLife

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a volunteer-run community of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  I'm sorry that you had trouble getting off of the last 10 mg of citalopram.  

 

Can you please give us specific information in your signature about your drug history for all drugs you are on and have been on, especially for the past 18-24 months?  It would be especially helpful to have the details of your drugs in a concise vertical list (no symptoms), only drug names, specific dates (as best you can say for example early March if you don't recall the day) and dosages of each medication decrease or increase.  Use this format:

 

Drug name: date, dose, date, dose, date, dose…

Drug name: date, dose, date, dose, date, dose…

Etcetera

 

Please read the link below for instructions.  This will allow us to give you the best guidance.  

 

How to List Drug History in Signature

 

Here is some important information about how these drugs actually work.  This explains why we get symptoms from going off of these medications, and why it's so important to taper slowly and carefully, and be very cautious about changing our doses: 

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

 

This helps you understand what withdrawal syndrome is: 

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

 

How long ago did you reinstate to the 10 mg of Citalopram?  Are all your symptoms of withdrawal gone now?  Please don't start a taper unless you are completely stable, with no withdrawal symptoms.  Tapering is best done extremely slowly, and we generally taper by 10% of the current dose no more than once every 4 weeks, so that the reduction becomes exponentially smaller.  An even gentler method is called micro tapering.  I will give you information about both methods.  

 

 Why Taper by 10% of my Dosage  

 

Brassmonkey Slide Method of Micro Tapering

 

Tips for Tapering Citalopram

 

Here is a link with checklists of common WD symptoms, which should be minimal to none if you taper correctly: 

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen Withdrawal Symptom Checklists

 

 

Here are some techniques to cope with symptoms: 

 

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Stability is really important when we are tapering off psych meds.  Please read the link about stability:

 

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 


Magnesium

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

SSRI drugs are harder to get off of on the lower doses, because at the lower doses, they have stronger effect on our brains.  That is why we suggest the exponential taper, and making smaller and smaller reductions.  This link explains why, take a look at the chart.  Even at very low doses, an inordinately large number of our brain receptors are still affected. 

 

SERT Transporter Occupancy Studies

 

Good luck, and we look forward to hearing from you again soon. 

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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Hello getofflex,

 

Thank you for replying with all of this information. I added my medication and dose history in my signature.

 

I reinstated my citalopram 10 mg during Dec 2016 to Jan 2017, after being drug free for about a year. It has been five years and I would say I am withdrawal symptom free. I still struggle with anxiety, sadness, and occasional digestive problems, but everyone struggles with these things.

 

I didn't realize that going from 10 mg to 0 mg is more dramatic than going from 40 mg to 10 mg. Though this makes a lot of sense based on my experience tapering down to zero in the past. It's too bad they dont make tapering easy by providing smaller doses than 10 mg in tablet form. Based on the things I have read here in your reply. It looks like I will need to see my general care doctor about switching from tablet to liquid citalopram. Then I can very slowly taper to 90 mg, 80 mg and so on. Or my other option would be to get a chemistry scale and measure out all my doses from split tablets, though this seems pretty difficult. 

 

I am curious if switching from 10 mg tablet to 10 mg liquid will create a difference because of how liquid vs tablet is absorbed.

 

Best,

 

VeganLife

 

 

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • Moderator Emeritus
23 minutes ago, VeganLife said:

Then I can very slowly taper to 90 mg, 80 mg and so on

Did you mean 9.0 and 8.0?  I assume so.  Going from 10 mg to 9 mg is fine, but don't do a linear taper, dropping by 1.0 mg each time.  Please do the exponential taper as explained in my links above.  If you look at the chart in the last link above, you can see that even at 3, 4, or 5 mg citalopram, the curve is nearly vertical, showing how even a tiny reduction has a big effect on the brain and serotonin receptors.  So for example, a 10% exponential taper would look like this: 10 mg, 9, 8.1, 7.3, 6.6, etc. Each reduction gets smaller and smaller.  

 

27 minutes ago, VeganLife said:

I am curious if switching from 10 mg tablet to 10 mg liquid will create a difference because of how liquid vs tablet is absorbed.

Yes, it will.  Therefore, we suggest you gradually cross over from the tablet to the liquid first, before doing any reductions.  This link will explain how: 

 

Changing Form of Drug: Tablet to Liquid, Liquid to Tablet

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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Yes I meant 9.0 mg and 8.0 mg, sorry about that. And you're right, I looked at the chart and you can't jump down by 1.0 mg each time. Based on a 10 % reduction every 4 weeks from my current dose of 10 mg, it looks like it will take me two to three years or longer to reach 0 mg. That is quite a journey. At what dose to you make the jump to 0 mg?

 

Looking at your signature, I see you did a slower taper. How did you measure such an accurate dose and why did you decide to taper slower than 10% reduction every four weeks?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

 

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hello, yes, it will take a very long time to taper properly, but it is well worth it!  When people jump off cold turkey or fast taper, they often end up very very sick, with terrible suffering, and this can last for many months to years.  It took our founder, Altostrata, 11 years to fully recover from a cold turkey off Paxil.  

 

It is suggested to go as low as you can before you jump off.  I would say, go all the way down to 0.01 mg, if you can.  I used the liquid Lexapro, which makes it very easy and simple to measure any dose.  You measure the liquid with a syringe.  I went slower than every 4 weeks, because I listened to what my body was telling me.  I waited until I was stable for a couple of weeks (no major swings in symptoms) to do another reduction.  What you don't see in my drug signature, because it got too long, is that in the first 2.5 years, I tapered way too fast, and did a couple of big reinstatements.  This was before I found this forum, I was doing what my doc mistakenly told me to do.  This sensitized me, and caused me to have protracted withdrawal, so it made sense to taper super slowly.  I'm glad that I did.  I'm almost off my Lexapro, my next reduction will be to zero!  

Edited by getofflex

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am also curious what to expect when I am down to zero. Even though it is so far away, I want to know what to hope for or expect. Should I expect to feel the same, or a little more anxious? Yeah, I felt pretty mentally sick when I went off of it too fast. Wow, I am shocked that Altostrata stayed off of her medication for so long with continued symptoms. That must have taken a lot of courage.

 

I went to the doctor a few days ago and I switched my medication to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5 ml and I have taken it twice. I have been taking my medication at night, before bed, for the longest time because I used to throw up if I took my medication in the morning before eating. I often eat a late breakfast so I switched my timing to before bed. I feel a bit of a difference taking the liquid medication. To me, it feels a bit stronger and I feel a little out of it and weird until I wake up the next morning. The next day I feel pretty normal. Did you have any similar experiences when switching from a tablet to the liquid form? I am wondering if I should wait till I get used to this or it goes away before switching to my  1st 10% reduction. 

 

Congratulations on being drug free! :)

 

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to VeganLife: introduction - citalopram
  • Moderator Emeritus
14 hours ago, VeganLife said:

I am also curious what to expect when I am down to zero. Even though it is so far away, I want to know what to hope for or expect. Should I expect to feel the same, or a little more anxious?

I can't say, as it is different for everyone.  I just went to zero on my Lexapro 6 days ago, and I'm feeling pretty good.  That is why I did an extremely slow taper.  I don't feel the same as I did before I started the med,  because that was 20 years ago, and I was a younger and different person then.  Life experiences and aging tend to change us.  I will say, I feel less depressed and anxious since before I went on the drugs, because my life circumstances are simpler, and different, and I've also learned how to deal with life in such a way that I don't get as anxious. 

 

14 hours ago, VeganLife said:

Wow, I am shocked that Altostrata stayed off of her medication for so long with continued symptoms. That must have taken a lot of courage.

 

Yes, that and determination.  

 

14 hours ago, VeganLife said:

I went to the doctor a few days ago and I switched my medication to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5 ml and I have taken it twice.

 

I hope you are switching from tablet to liquid gradually, as I suggested in my post from July 3.  I switched immediately to liquid, because I had not yet found this forum and didn't know better.  I don't remember what happened, as that was over 3 years ago.  

 

14 hours ago, VeganLife said:

I switched my timing to before bed.

Please only make one drug change at a time.  You switched the timing of your drug, and the form of your drug, at the same time.  A drug change includes changing the form of the drug (pill to liquid, etc) as well as changing the time of day we take the drug.  Your nervous system needs and craves stability, so please make these changes very gradually and carefully in the future, and only do 1 change at a time, so if you have symptoms, you know what caused them. If you read that link about stability I gave you in my first post, it talks about that.  Here is the link again: 

 

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

14 hours ago, VeganLife said:

I am wondering if I should wait till I get used to this or it goes away before switching to my  1st 10% reduction. 

Yes, definitely wait a while after making 2 drug changes (change in form, and change in timing of dose) before you do your first 10% reduction.  Listen to your body, and wait until you have been stable for a couple of weeks.  

 

Stability

Edited by getofflex

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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I have a pill cutter so I could do half liquid and half tablet. I did read all of your links from your original response, but I don't know how you can accurately cut a pill into thirds so I went directly from tablet to liquid. If suggested I will consider half tablet and half liquid. I guess I could cut the pills into quarters as well. I didn't see any harm in going straight to liquid, since both the doctor and pharmacist had no comments. But something isn't right and I am wondering if tablet to liquid is a different dose because liquid is absorbed so much faster than a tablet.

 

I have being taking my medication at night for 5 years, so timing is the same for me.

 

I also read online that liquids are much stronger than tablets at the same dose because you lose half or more of the drug in digestion. https://medicare-europe.co.uk/science-clinical-data/liquids-vs-pills.html

Do you agree with this? If so, that means my current liquid dose of 10 mg / 5 ml is too much.

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • Moderator Emeritus
17 hours ago, VeganLife said:

I don't know how you can accurately cut a pill into thirds so I went directly from tablet to liquid.

I see.  Yes, half tablet and half liquid would work.  Another option is to grind the tablets into a powder, and weigh this with a scale.  There is info about that in the link.  Tablet to liquid is not a different dose, but yes, the liquid drug gets into your system faster than a tablet. 

 

17 hours ago, VeganLife said:

I also read online that liquids are much stronger than tablets at the same dose because you lose half or more of the drug in digestion

My husband, who is a registered pharmacist, says this is not true.  Both tablets and liquid go through the digestive tract.  There is lots of info on the internet, a lot of it false, so take stuff like this with a grain of salt.  

 

 

 

 

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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How do you copy and comment on sections of my last post?

 

I believe I am over the hump and I am getting a little used to the full liquid medication. I am going to stick with it and see if things even out and feel back to normal. If things get worse, I will use my pill cutter and do half and half for a bit. All this talk of crushing pills, using scales, and measuring small doses reminds me of my chemistry classes :) 

 

Thanks for letting me know. I was a bit panicked yesterday so I jumped to that conclusion. It makes more sense that it's the same dose. I'll get used to the 10 mg / 5 mL of liquid, hopefully in a week or two, then I will start my first 10% reduction down to 4.5 mL. Eventually when I get down to 1 mL or lower, I will buy myself a lab pipette so I can accurately measure down to 0.01 mL.

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • Moderator Emeritus
1 hour ago, VeganLife said:

How do you copy and comment on sections of my last post?

 

You highlight the text you want to use and a pop up Quote Selection will appear.  You click on that and it will appear in the Reply Box.  You then click underneath the quote to type your text.  Make sure you don't click in the box otherwise the response will not be easily seen.

 

Edited by ChessieCat

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello,

 

Thank you for the information on how to create a reply box. When I highlighted sections previously a quote selection button did not appear. Though it seems to be working now.

 

I had a few follow up questions to tapering that I am hoping for some help with understanding. I have been taking the liquid citalopram for 2 weeks now at the 10 mg / 5 mL dose. I take 5 mL. I am surprised how different I feel, even two weeks in, compared to the 10 mg tablet I have been taking for so long. I was wondering if I had a "poop out" effect with the tablet where the body gets used to the medication and it is no longer effective. Anyway taking the liquid medication I feel less alert, a little drowsy, and sedated. Should I wait till this goes away or is this the new normal and I should start my taper when ready. 

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • Moderator Emeritus
2 hours ago, VeganLife said:

Anyway taking the liquid medication I feel less alert, a little drowsy, and sedated. Should I wait till this goes away or is this the new normal and I should start my taper when ready. 

If it were me, I would wait 2-3 week before starting your taper, or better yet, listen to your body.  Wait until you feel stable.  This link explains what we mean by stability: 

 

Stability

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi, I wanted to give an update on my medication dose.

 

As suggested I waited another 2 weeks, 4 weeks total before lowering my liquid dose. Switching from pill to liquid I felt off for about 2 weeks, the last two weeks I felt fine. Currently, I have been taking 4.5 mL (9 mg) previously from 5mL (10 mg) for a week. I felt a little off the second day, but otherwise pretty normal. I will continue at this dose for another 3 weeks, then lower down to 4.05 mL (8.1 mg) for 4 weeks. 

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • Moderator Emeritus
17 hours ago, VeganLife said:

As suggested I waited another 2 weeks, 4 weeks total before lowering my liquid dose. Switching from pill to liquid I felt off for about 2 weeks, the last two weeks I felt fine. Currently, I have been taking 4.5 mL (9 mg) previously from 5mL (10 mg) for a week. I felt a little off the second day, but otherwise pretty normal. I will continue at this dose for another 3 weeks, then lower down to 4.05 mL (8.1 mg) for 4 weeks. 

This sounds excellent.  I'm glad it's going smoothly for you.  Please update your signature box to show your recent reduction from 10 to 9 mg with the specific date, thank you.  

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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I updated my signature. I actually realized now that I am two weeks into my taper that I am having some unfortunate side effects. Although I have no physical side effects like when I switched from pill to liquid, I do feel a bit more anxious on a lower dose of 9 mg and it takes me 1-2 hrs to fall to sleep. I am going through a very stressful time in my life and I do have night owl roommates, but I wanted to try tapering off of the medication. Hopefully things get better soon. 

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • 7 months later...

To whom it may concern,

 

I have been successfully tapering my citalopram from 5 mL down to 1 mL over the last several months, reducing by 10% every two weeks. I can see the finish line in sight and I wanted to ask when should I stop taking the medication. The forums say to stop taking an SSRI when I am at less than 98% of my initial dosage. I started out a long time ago at 40 mg. However, the beginning of my successful tapering journey began at 10 mg, after managing that dose for several years. Should the less than 98% rule go to the 40 mg or the 10 mg dose?

 

 

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • 1 month later...
  • Administrator

Hello, @VeganLife Have you had any withdrawal symptoms while tapering? When and how much was your last reduction?

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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Hello, @Altostrata 

 

Thank you for responding to my question. I would say I have not had any obvious withdrawal symptoms. I was struggling with depression, anxiety, irritability, and IBS before I started tapering and I feel that I am relatively the same. I might not sleep quite as deeply since tapering and I do get bloated when eating while thinking about something stressful. But these are pretty minor differences that could be from more than just lowering my dose. Such as more stress in my life, noisy roommates, diet changes, and possibly other things. My last reduction was Monday May 1st, where I went down to 0.835 mL from 1.05 mL. I started out reducing every 4 weeks by 10% as suggested in August 2022 from 5 mL / 10 mg and then followed the instructions and made my way down to reducing by 10% every 2 weeks by around November. 

 

Also I read your introduction post. I can't imagine the amount of suffering and confusion you have gone through. I would not be where I am today without this website, so thank you. I hope all is well with you. 

 

Let me know if you have any other questions,

 

Best,

 

Michael

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • Administrator

You're welcome.

 

If I were you, I would hold at this level for a month, let your system consolidate the drug changes, and then consider more tapering. For citalopram, somewhat less than 0.5mg would be the jumping-off point.

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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Okay, so if I decide to hold for a month, then continue tapering, would I stop around 0.25 mL, a 0.5 mg equivalent? I'm trying to map out when I reach zero. Also I made a mistake in my comment above. My last reduction was to 0.835 mL from 0.925 mL, still on May 1st.

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • Administrator
On 5/8/2023 at 10:40 PM, Altostrata said:

For citalopram, somewhat less than 0.5mg would be the jumping-off point.

 

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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  • 4 months later...

Hello,

 

I wanted to give an update and ask some questions about how to become more involved with this site and community. I am planning to hop off my medication at 0.4 mg, which is coming up soon. For the last few months I have not noticed any changes when I reduce my medication. I do have other health problems that I struggle with that I believe are unrelated. Or they could be a part of the recovery of the shock to my CNS from long ago when I tapered from 40 mg to 0 mg in just one or two months. Anyway I am planning to hop off at the end of November. Additionally I would like to become more involved in the community and hear from people who have similar stories to mine. But this site is vast and most posts loose steam from what I have noticed. Let me know if you agree with my jumping off point and if you have any suggested posts for me to get involved in. I am also interested in changing my user name. Is that possible?

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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16 hours ago, VeganLife said:

Cześć,

 

Chciałem przekazać aktualne informacje i zadać kilka pytań na temat tego, jak bardziej zaangażować się w tę witrynę i społeczność. Planuję odstawić leki w dawce 0,4 mg, co nastąpi wkrótce. Od kilku miesięcy nie zauważyłem żadnych zmian po zmniejszeniu dawki leków. Mam inne problemy zdrowotne, z którymi się zmagam i które moim zdaniem nie mają ze sobą związku. Mogą też pomóc w powrocie do zdrowia po szoku, jaki nastąpił w moim OUN, po tym jak dawno temu zmniejszyłem dawkę z 40 mg do 0 mg w ciągu zaledwie jednego lub dwóch miesięcy. W każdym razie planuję wylecieć pod koniec listopada. Dodatkowo chciałbym bardziej zaangażować się w społeczność i poznać opinie ludzi, którzy mają podobne historie do moich. Ale ta strona jest obszerna i z tego, co zauważyłem, większość postów jest luźna. Daj mi znać, jeśli zgadzasz się z moim punktem wyjścia i czy masz jakieś sugestie postów, w których mógłbym się zaangażować. Jestem również zainteresowany zmianą mojej nazwy użytkownika. Czy to jest możliwe?

. I read that you had IBS symptoms after stopping citalopram. Did restoring improve the IBS, because I read you only have occasional digestive problems? Regards
 

 

2022 escitalopram from July 25 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg August-December- 7.5 mg, 5 mg, (1 month) 2.5 mg - C/T 
WD
2023 Short reinstatement from WD date: 

escitalopram May 25-June 12 5 mg, 2.5 mg plus interrupted

Reinstatement 24 07.23 0.5mg escitalopram, 18.08.23 0.22 escitalopram, 07.09. 0.28
Now 0.30 mg escitalopram 

Last year 6 months on escitalopram, I was very agitated, hypomaniacal and with little need for sleep. 
Since July 2023 reinstated and reduced from 0.50 mg to 0.30 mg Lexapro - difficulty sleeping and lack of sleep, eye pain and IBS. Anhedonia. 

November 2023 - 0mg

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  • Administrator
17 hours ago, VeganLife said:

I do have other health problems that I struggle with that I believe are unrelated.

 

What are these health problems and when did they start?

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 IBS was traumatic back in 2015 and 2016 when I was at 0 mg. Since then I have never eaten at a restaurant. That seemed to be the biggest trigger for me. I believe that cooking oils and sauces are the issue. Going back to 10 mg helped but just a little. The biggest help was time. Now I have no digestive problems but I follow a very strict diet, whole foods plant based. Eating at the same time, the same amount, and the same food everyday. I slowly introduce variation when I want with no digestive problems. I believe I could be a bit more flexible if I wanted to with my diet, but what I do now is very convenient for my work schedule.  If I were to travel, I believe I would have some discomfort, but doable if I stuck to a whole foods diet and avoided restaurants, cooking oils, and sauces. 

 

My other health problems I'll describe in the next few sections.

 

My liver enzymes levels are 175 U/L for ALT and 82 U/L for AST. The normal range for ALT is 9-22 U/L. The normal range for AST is 10-25 U/L. My doctor ran some follow up tests but couldn't find anything so told me to retest in a few months. I dont recall having liver enzyme tests in the past so I do not know how long they have been high, if they still are, or what it means. All my other biomarkers were in normal range or slightly out of normal range.

 

I have struggled with nerve, muscle, and joint pain since 2016. I was 21, lean, and athletic so this seemed odd to me. I have pain when sitting on hard services or bad chairs, hiking, carrying groceries, lifting weights, etc. I do physical therapy for 6 months every two years. I have gone through physical therapy five separate times. I see improvements. 

 

I have struggled with staying asleep since I was a child but it has gotten more noticeable with time or from reducing my medication drastically in 2015. I am almost always very tired during the day, this seems new 2022-now. It could be from my drug reduction, it could be my manual labor job, mental stress from work and home life, or all of the above. 

 

I have been told I have high functioning autism. The diagnosis seems to fit with my habits and personality. This diagnosis was based on behavior before I started medication in 2000.

 

I have allergies to pollen and cats. I have scalp dermatitis. Both of these things I have had since I was a baby

 

When I fly in an airplane, on the descent I get a very intense headache or migraine that will take 4 days to subside after the plane lands. Probably not related to the drugs but rather the anatomy of my sinus chambers. It happened for the first time when I was a toddler. 

 

In terms of mental health, I would say I am at par with most considering the state of the world, my recent life change from college to the working world, and other life stress. I am a high stress person. The main difference I notice from when I was on more medication is that now I seem to have lost my sense of wonder and excitement for my interests. But that could just be a part of growing up. 

 

I hope everything I have said above is clear and informative. Thank you for your help.

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • Administrator
1 hour ago, VeganLife said:

My IBS was traumatic back in 2015 and 2016 when I was at 0 mg.

 

We have many people here who developed IBS-like symptoms in antidepressant withdrawal.

 

How have your liver enzymes changed in the last year?

 

All you're taking now is 0.52 mg citalopram? With your history, I would not stop at 0.40mg, I would taper to 0.10mg or below.

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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I believe it, I'm sure there is a connection between what the drug does and the digestive system.

 

I am not sure how my liver enzymes have changed in the last year. I had blood work in 2016 but what biomarkers I had looked at was not shared with me because everything was normal. I wanted to do blood work again, a large biomarker analysis and I wanted to know more specifics so I payed for a test from a health company, Inside Tracker in July 2023. I suspected my doctor would not approve a biomarker analysis unless I said I was feeling really ill. And knowing him, he would not share details with me unless something was of concern. I met with my doctor to discuss the results of my Inside Tracker blood test. He approved a liver enzyme retest to take in October or later to see if things resolved on their own. I was going to wait till I was off my medication in December. But at your suggestion of 0.1 mg, that puts me out to February. So I will get a liver enzyme retest this Friday and ask for the numbers.

 

All I am taking now is 0.52 mg citalopram. I am afraid to start a new job while I am tapering. New jobs are a tough transition. I was hoping to have a bit more freedom to change jobs or travel once I get off my medication. Do you agree / disagree? Hopefully I can hop off smoothly at 0.1 mg in February. 

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • Administrator

I don't know what a biomarker test is, but psychiatric drugs can affect the liver, so you will want to follow up on those tests.

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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A biomarker, when talking about blood, is something that can be analyzed to indicate good health, disease, or infection. Some examples of blood biomarkers include liver enzymes, calcium, cholesterol, white blood cell count. This summer I had about 60 biomarkers looked at cause I am a health nut and I don't feel well. 

 

I just got my liver enzymes looked at again. They are even higher! ALT - 272      AST - 108

Interestingly, my other liver biomarkers are normal. I had a liver ultrasound as well and everything was normal.

 

My doctor is sending me to a gastroenterologist. I'm starting to get worried. Is tapering off the medication causing this problem? Or is this from taking them in the first place and tapering is making things worse? Should I stop tapering until things are resolved? My general doctor does not see my current tapering as a problem and believes that what I am taking is basically zero. Maybe the gastroenterologist will believe differently. I will keep you updated. 

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • Administrator

Please ask your doctors what high ALT and AST mean. It could be an adverse effect of a drug or drug.

 

What are the symptoms keeping you from working while taking 0.52mg citalopram?

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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High ALT and AST can mean many different things. Alone it is inconclusive but a sign that something isn't quite right. The specialist I am being sent to is booked out till March. Hopefully I can swoop in on an appointment cancelation. I am going to meet with my general care doctor again to just check in and see if he has any other ideas.

 

I am working full time right now. I work 2-10 pm on my feet five days a week. From my experience, I believe an 8-5 job or any new job would be a big transition and tough on my body for the first few to several weeks. It will likely make me feel worse and be more stressful temporarily. On the other hand, the job I have now is very stressful and physically taxing. 

 

I'm not sure if how I feel and the high liver enzymes are from the medication tapering. I think it is likely because the timing of everything seems to fit. Maybe getting off of this medication will be taxing on my body no matter how slow I taper off. Or maybe my medication tapering is just a coincidence. 

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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  • Administrator

If you are working on your feet from 2-10 p.m. 5 days a week, that is working at a full-time job.

 

Your liver enzyme tests may indicate a condition unrelated to tapering. Generally, as you reduce a drug, effects on the liver also diminish.

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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  • 2 months later...

Hello,

 

I have decided to hop off my medication at 0.2 mg instead of 0.1 mg. Originally you suggested hopping off at 0.5 mg. After hearing about my cold turkey withdrawal experience, you suggested getting off at 0.1 mg. I feel 0.2 mg is a fine compromise.

 

It's only a difference of 3 months and I don't want to pay for another pipette to deal with the smaller measurements.

 

My liver enzymes are still high and under investigation. It's been about 6 months of testing.  I just found out I have lots of food allergies from a quick blood test, I will be getting more specialized tests soon. These allergies could be a factor in my IBS. 

 

I hear that you are retired, so I am expecting to hear back from a different admin. Hoping for some big positive life changes by the end of this year :)

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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Additionally, I tracked down my retired pediatrician and picked up a thick stack of all her notes she has taken on me from when I was her patient. I was her patient 22 years ago, when I was 5 years old,  and worked with her for 15 years. She was the Dr who prescribed me all my medications. I have yet to read through it. I can't explain why

Citalopram: start 40mg, year 2000; Summer 2015 taper down 30mg, 20mg, 10mg, 5mg, 0mg; 0mg Fall 2015 - Dec 2016; Dec 2016 - Jan 2017 tapered from 0mg to 5mg to 10mg; Jan 2017 - July 2022 10mg, July to August (4 weeks) switch to liquid citalopram 10 mg / 5mL, August 8th 2022 start 10% taper, reducing every 4 weeks (9 mg / 4.5 mL), October 2022 10% taper now every three weeks, Nov 2022 10% taper now every 2 weeks, Oct 2023 continuing 10% taper ever 2 weeks, current dose - 0.125 mL / 1.5 mg

Dextroamphetamine: start 60mg year 2000; 2013 taper down to 0mg

SupplementsB12 

Other drugs: none

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