mattie1984 Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 Hey all, great supportive forum here, hoping I can get some advice!! Well a little about me. I was prescribed 20 mg of citalopram about 8 months ago for depression About 6 weeks ago I decided I wanted to come off these little pills that I believed had no effect. after reading many horror stories about the withdrawal symptoms and being worried about the possibility of sliding back in to depression I made a plan too set some supportive measures in place. I registered with a councillor, enrolled at a local gym and joined a meditation class, along with this I made changes to my diet and stocked up on B vitamins. so thinking I was ready I visited my doctor and was told the best way would be to reduce dosage to 10 mg for 60 days then take 10mg alternative days for a further month before stopping completely. First week on 10 mg was fine, then in second week I found it hard too focus, had persistent migraines and bouts of dizziness. This I expected so I dealt with it. These symptoms got milder as the week went on and I adjusted to the smaller dose. Then two weeks ago I decided as I had two weeks off work this would be the perfect time to get these pills out of my system so thinking it wouldn't be too difficult I went cold turkey. Well it has been the worst two weeks of my life. I cant concentrate, I'm constantly dizzy and feel sick, I feel light headed and faint. I keep getting what I can only describe as electric shocks in my head and bright white flashes whenever I move my eyes. one minute I feel angry and aggressive the next anxious , upset and tearful. I have no patience with my partner or children and this is all while Im at home as soon as I leave the house I feel like the man in the bubble not really knowing whats going on around me, The worst part is Im back at work on monday and just know in this state I will be unable to function. So my question is, is it worth taking a dose of Citalopram now or should I be through the worse of the side effects by now? also if I did take it how long would it take to reduce my symptoms? and would it be worth taking a higher in order to get too normal quicker? Ive tried making appoint with docs but it being a saturday it hasn't been possible Sorry for blabbering on, any advice appreciated, Im kind of desperate Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 3, 2012 Administrator Share Posted November 3, 2012 Welcome, mattie. Yep, cold turkey was a very stupid thing to do. Now you can see what all the warnings on the Web are about. Don't try to push through the withdrawal symptoms. They may last for months or years. If I were you, I'd immediately take 10mg citalopram. Take it regularly every day at the same time for at least a month. Then we can talk about very gradually going off at 10% reduction per month or less. See http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2023-tips-for-tapering-off-celexa-citalopram/ You may have sensitized your system with cold turkey. When this happens, quite frequently, people become hypersensitive to supplements and even foods. If your symptoms get worse after you take the B vitamins, stop taking them. 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. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted November 3, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 3, 2012 So my question is, is it worth taking a dose of Citalopram now or should I be through the worse of the side effects by now? also if I did take it how long would it take to reduce my symptoms? and would it be worth taking a higher in order to get too normal quicker? Ive tried making appoint with docs but it being a saturday it hasn't been possible Sorry for blabbering on, any advice appreciated, Im kind of desperate Hi Mattie, Sorry to hear you are in so much distress. Take 10 mgs of Citralopram immediately.. you will need to taper down gradually from there. 10% off the previous months dose with a one month hold for each cut is recommended. But don't worry about that right now.. you need to stabilize and stop the symptoms. You have only been off for two weeks, and may find the worst start to abate soon. You are having withdrawal symptoms common to most on this site.. they are not side effects and may go on for months, even years with precipitous tapers. As with virtually all docs, your PC is not informed about tapering (eg. his every other day advice is very bad).. You will want to educate yourself before seeing him so check out the excellent resources available on this site. Welcome to the forum. Others will be chiming in soon! Schuyler PS.. Your post is fine, very clear in fact. Please use more paragraph breaks so the text is easier to read. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Jemima Posted November 3, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 3, 2012 Welcome to the forum, Mattie. Please do follow Alto's advice ASAP. There is no point whatever in suffering through withdrawal just for the sake of getting the drugs out of your system as they actually change the way the brain functions and those changes outlive the drug when you taper too quickly or go cold turkey. When it comes to getting off of antidepressants, the slower you go, the faster you'll recover. You've come to the right place. This forum was a godsend to me after I tapered off Lexapro far too fast (on my doctor's advice). Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's RazorIntroduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/ Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus strawberry17 Posted November 3, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 3, 2012 Welcome Mattie1984, Many of us have done exactly what you've just done including myself. If you follow the advice here you'll be able to turn this round. strawberry *** Please note this is not medical advice,discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner***http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/ Original drug was sertraline/Zoloft, switched to Prozac in 2007. Tapering from 5mls liquid prozac since Feb 2008, got down to 0.85ml 23/09/2012, reinstated back to 1ml(4mg) 07/11/2012, didn't appear to work, upped to 1.05ml 17/11/2012, back down to 1ml 12/12/2012 didn't work, up to 1.30ml 16/3/2013 didn't work, bumped up to 2ml (8mg) 4/4/2013 didn't work, in July 2013 I reinstated Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg, feeling better now. A few months down the line I switched to 5ml liquid Prozac and tapered down to a compromise dose of 3ml liquid Prozac and have stayed there ever since, no withdrawals and no emotional blunting/loss of libido. Link to comment
mattie1984 Posted November 3, 2012 Author Share Posted November 3, 2012 Give thanks for all the replies is good too know Im not the only numpty who thinks he knows best on advice received I've just took a 10mg pill (cant believe I've just wasted two weeks holiday for no apparent reason lol) Bless Link to comment
Administrator Karma Posted November 3, 2012 Administrator Share Posted November 3, 2012 Hi Mattie You did all the right things to begin with ... yes, really. You signed up at the gym, got a councilor, adjusted your diet, and signed up for meditation classes ... then you went to your doctor for advice to come off the drugs (that's what we are always told, isn't it? "see your doctor," "discuss with your doctor," "consult your doctor.") You had no way of knowing what we have learned ... that doctors do not have access to good information about how to get their patients off of these drugs. Hopefully, by now you have followed Alto's advice and reinstated 10 mg. It is possible that you will feel some relief within a day, but will gradually begin to feel more stable. I recommend that you track your symptoms so that you can see improvements and identify things that make you feel worse http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1779-rate-symptoms-daily-to-catch-withdrawal-early/. Welcome to the forum. Karma 2007 @ 375 mg Effexor - 11/29/2011 - 43.75 mg Effexor (regular) & .625 mg Xanax 200 mg Gabapentin 2/27/21 - 194.5 mg, 5/28/21 - 183 mg, 8/2/21 - 170 mg, 11/28/21 - 150 mg, 4/19/22 - 122 mg; 8//7/22 - 100 mg; 12/17 - 75mg; 8/17 - 45 mg; 10/16 40 mg Xanax taper: 3/11/12 - 0.9375 mg, 3/25/12 - 0.875 mg, 4/6/12 - 0.8125 mg, 4/18/12 - 0.75 ; 10/16 40mg; 1/16 0.6875 mg; at some point 0.625 mg Effexor taper: 1/29/12 - 40.625 mg, 4/29/12 - 39.875 mg, 5/11/12 - Switched to liquid Effexor, 5/25/12 - 38 mg, 7/6/12 - 35 mg, 8/17/12 - 32 mg, 9/14/12 - 30 mg, 10/19/12 - 28 mg, 11/9/12 - 26 mg, 11/30/12 - 24 mg, 01/14/13 - 22 mg. 02/25/13 - 20.8 mg, 03/18/13 - 19.2 mg, 4/15/13 - 17.6 mg, 8/10/13 - 16.4 mg, 9/7/13 - 15.2 mg, 10/19/13 - 14 mg, 1/15/14 - 13.2 mg, 3/1/2014 - 12.6 mg, 5/4/14 - 12 mg, 8/1/14 - 11.4 mg, 8/29/14 - 10.8 mg; 10/14/14 - 10.2 mg; 12/15/14 - 10 mg, 1/11/15 - 9.5 mg, 2/8/15 - 9 mg, 3/21/15 - 8.5 mg, 5/1/15 - 8 mg, 6/9/15 - 7.5 mg, 7/8/15 - 7 mg, 8/22/15 - 6.5 mg, 10/4/15 - 6 mg; 1/1/16 - 5.6 mg; 2/6/16 - 5.2 mg; 4/9 - 4.8 mg; 7/7 4.5 mg; 10/7 4.25 mg; 11/4 4.0 mg; 11/25 3.8 mg; 4/24 3.6 mg; 5/27 3.4 mg; 7/8 3.2 mg ... 10/18 2.8 mg; 1/18 2.6 mg; 4/7 2.4 mg; 5/26 2.15mg; 8/18 1.85 mg; 10/7 1.7 mg; 12/1 1.45 mg; 3/2 1.2 mg; 5/4 0.90 mg; 6/1 0.80 mg; 6/22 0.65 mg; 08/03 0.50 mg, 08/10 0.45 mg, 10/05 0.325 mg, 11/23 0.2 mg, 12/14 0.15 mg, 12/21 0.125 mg, 02/28 0.03125 mg, 2/15 0.015625 mg, 2/29/20 0.00 mg - OFF Effexor I am not a medical professional - this is not medical advice. My suggestions are based on personal experience, reading, observation and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers Link to comment
mattie1984 Posted November 3, 2012 Author Share Posted November 3, 2012 Thanks karma that is so true. If I was given holistic alternatives, (gym,diet,counseling,meditation ect) and told about the effects of these pills in the first place I wouldn't have took them. Basically I went to the doctor feeling a bit down and stressed and came out with a label of depression and a "magic" pill. Its disgusting that this is happening to so many people. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus strawberry17 Posted November 3, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 3, 2012 Hey Mattie Can you change the title of this thread? you're really not an idiot strawberry *** Please note this is not medical advice,discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner***http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/ Original drug was sertraline/Zoloft, switched to Prozac in 2007. Tapering from 5mls liquid prozac since Feb 2008, got down to 0.85ml 23/09/2012, reinstated back to 1ml(4mg) 07/11/2012, didn't appear to work, upped to 1.05ml 17/11/2012, back down to 1ml 12/12/2012 didn't work, up to 1.30ml 16/3/2013 didn't work, bumped up to 2ml (8mg) 4/4/2013 didn't work, in July 2013 I reinstated Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg, feeling better now. A few months down the line I switched to 5ml liquid Prozac and tapered down to a compromise dose of 3ml liquid Prozac and have stayed there ever since, no withdrawals and no emotional blunting/loss of libido. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus basildev Posted November 3, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 3, 2012 Hey Mattie. You're not an idiot. Just human liker the rest of us. Just get back on the meds and taper slowly. We all know what WD feels like. Good luck with your journey. July 2001 prescribed 20mg citalopram for depression;On and off meds from 2003-2006.February 2006 back on 20mg citalopram and stayed on it until my last attempt at tapering in September 2011.By far the worst withdrawal symptoms ever. Reinstated to 20mg citalopramOctober 2012 - found this forum!Nov 2012 to Feb 2013 did 10% taper, got doen to 11mg - was going great until stressful situation. Cortisol levels hit the roof, hideous insomnia forced me to updose to 20mg.March 2016 - close to 100% back to normal!****** I am not a medical practitioner, any advice I give comes from my own experience or reading and is only my perspective ****** Link to comment
mattie1984 Posted November 3, 2012 Author Share Posted November 3, 2012 Thanks guys One question, How do you reduce a 10 mg tablet by 10% ? Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Skyler Posted November 3, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 3, 2012 Thanks guys One question, How do you reduce a 10 mg tablet by 10% ? If I were you, I'd immediately take 10mg citalopram. Take it regularly every day at the same time for at least a month. Then we can talk about very gradually going off at 10% reduction per month or less. See http://survivinganti...exa-citalopram/ Did you check out the link Alto gave you above? The following is from half way down that page. Reduce by 10% per month to start. See Why taper by 10% of my dosage? There is alot of info on this site... it will take you some to incorporate it all, but you need to hold for a month to stabilize before making any cuts so time is on your side. As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule. Requip - 3/16 ZERO Total time on 25 years. Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10) Total time on 25 years. Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section. "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin Link to comment
Administrator Karma Posted November 4, 2012 Administrator Share Posted November 4, 2012 Hey Mattie Can you change the title of this thread? you're really not an idiot strawberry Hi Mattie, If you do not have privileges to change the thread title just let any of us with "staff" (on the left side of the page) know what you would like it to be and we can adjust it. It is so funny I was going to ask you if you wanted to change the title of your thread, too. I just thinking it is self-defeating to call yourself an idiot and I encourage you to have a more uplifting or neutral title on your thread. Karma 2007 @ 375 mg Effexor - 11/29/2011 - 43.75 mg Effexor (regular) & .625 mg Xanax 200 mg Gabapentin 2/27/21 - 194.5 mg, 5/28/21 - 183 mg, 8/2/21 - 170 mg, 11/28/21 - 150 mg, 4/19/22 - 122 mg; 8//7/22 - 100 mg; 12/17 - 75mg; 8/17 - 45 mg; 10/16 40 mg Xanax taper: 3/11/12 - 0.9375 mg, 3/25/12 - 0.875 mg, 4/6/12 - 0.8125 mg, 4/18/12 - 0.75 ; 10/16 40mg; 1/16 0.6875 mg; at some point 0.625 mg Effexor taper: 1/29/12 - 40.625 mg, 4/29/12 - 39.875 mg, 5/11/12 - Switched to liquid Effexor, 5/25/12 - 38 mg, 7/6/12 - 35 mg, 8/17/12 - 32 mg, 9/14/12 - 30 mg, 10/19/12 - 28 mg, 11/9/12 - 26 mg, 11/30/12 - 24 mg, 01/14/13 - 22 mg. 02/25/13 - 20.8 mg, 03/18/13 - 19.2 mg, 4/15/13 - 17.6 mg, 8/10/13 - 16.4 mg, 9/7/13 - 15.2 mg, 10/19/13 - 14 mg, 1/15/14 - 13.2 mg, 3/1/2014 - 12.6 mg, 5/4/14 - 12 mg, 8/1/14 - 11.4 mg, 8/29/14 - 10.8 mg; 10/14/14 - 10.2 mg; 12/15/14 - 10 mg, 1/11/15 - 9.5 mg, 2/8/15 - 9 mg, 3/21/15 - 8.5 mg, 5/1/15 - 8 mg, 6/9/15 - 7.5 mg, 7/8/15 - 7 mg, 8/22/15 - 6.5 mg, 10/4/15 - 6 mg; 1/1/16 - 5.6 mg; 2/6/16 - 5.2 mg; 4/9 - 4.8 mg; 7/7 4.5 mg; 10/7 4.25 mg; 11/4 4.0 mg; 11/25 3.8 mg; 4/24 3.6 mg; 5/27 3.4 mg; 7/8 3.2 mg ... 10/18 2.8 mg; 1/18 2.6 mg; 4/7 2.4 mg; 5/26 2.15mg; 8/18 1.85 mg; 10/7 1.7 mg; 12/1 1.45 mg; 3/2 1.2 mg; 5/4 0.90 mg; 6/1 0.80 mg; 6/22 0.65 mg; 08/03 0.50 mg, 08/10 0.45 mg, 10/05 0.325 mg, 11/23 0.2 mg, 12/14 0.15 mg, 12/21 0.125 mg, 02/28 0.03125 mg, 2/15 0.015625 mg, 2/29/20 0.00 mg - OFF Effexor I am not a medical professional - this is not medical advice. My suggestions are based on personal experience, reading, observation and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus strawberry17 Posted November 4, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 4, 2012 When you get round to tapering, after you have stabilized yourself, you need to ask your doctor for liquid Citalopram, I'm still a bit hazy about how available this is in the UK. Liquid makes it so much easier to taper accurately. *** Please note this is not medical advice,discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner***http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/ Original drug was sertraline/Zoloft, switched to Prozac in 2007. Tapering from 5mls liquid prozac since Feb 2008, got down to 0.85ml 23/09/2012, reinstated back to 1ml(4mg) 07/11/2012, didn't appear to work, upped to 1.05ml 17/11/2012, back down to 1ml 12/12/2012 didn't work, up to 1.30ml 16/3/2013 didn't work, bumped up to 2ml (8mg) 4/4/2013 didn't work, in July 2013 I reinstated Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg, feeling better now. A few months down the line I switched to 5ml liquid Prozac and tapered down to a compromise dose of 3ml liquid Prozac and have stayed there ever since, no withdrawals and no emotional blunting/loss of libido. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 4, 2012 Administrator Share Posted November 4, 2012 mattie, how about "Human needs advice"?? There are instructions for making your own liquid citalopram in the topic for which I've given the link. 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. Link to comment
mattie1984 Posted November 29, 2012 Author Share Posted November 29, 2012 Hi all, sorry for not updating sooner. So I took the advise of all on here and after resuming with the 10 mg, It only took a few days for the withdrawal symptoms to retreat and for me to get back to the act of living As soon as I could I made appointment with my doctor to discuss what had happened. He seemed to have no interest or knowledge on the subject, and despite informing him of the advice given here he insisted that 10mg on alternative days would be the best way too come off the medication. He went on to warn me of the dangers of seeking medical advice online rather than from a qualified G.P!!. Anyway at the moment Im still taking 10mg daily (taken before bed) which Im functioning ok on. One thing I have noticed lately is I feel very lethargic and wake with a minor headache most mornings not sure if this has anything to do with meds or not but thought worth mentioning I plan to stick with 10mg for anther 28 days then will begain tapering as advised on here. Im in process of changing docs at the moment One thing I do want to mention is that during my withdrawal symptoms, I found the use of cannabis the only way to gain any sort of relief, a small amount used before bed allowed me to sleep and relieved the head aches and other symptoms. (when I say Cannabis I mean outdoor grown, organic natural herb, not the hydroponic super strength genetically modified skunk generally available, that I believe leads to nothing but paranoia and other psychological issues) Blessed Love Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus strawberry17 Posted November 29, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 29, 2012 Hi Mattie Great to hear your positive update, not sure about the cannabis though, I mean I couldn't go there myself and add another mind altering drug into the mix. Grrrr about your doctor, how patronising. *** Please note this is not medical advice,discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner***http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/ Original drug was sertraline/Zoloft, switched to Prozac in 2007. Tapering from 5mls liquid prozac since Feb 2008, got down to 0.85ml 23/09/2012, reinstated back to 1ml(4mg) 07/11/2012, didn't appear to work, upped to 1.05ml 17/11/2012, back down to 1ml 12/12/2012 didn't work, up to 1.30ml 16/3/2013 didn't work, bumped up to 2ml (8mg) 4/4/2013 didn't work, in July 2013 I reinstated Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg, feeling better now. A few months down the line I switched to 5ml liquid Prozac and tapered down to a compromise dose of 3ml liquid Prozac and have stayed there ever since, no withdrawals and no emotional blunting/loss of libido. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus strawberry17 Posted November 29, 2012 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 29, 2012 Mattie I hope you don't mind but I edited your title *** Please note this is not medical advice,discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner***http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/ Original drug was sertraline/Zoloft, switched to Prozac in 2007. Tapering from 5mls liquid prozac since Feb 2008, got down to 0.85ml 23/09/2012, reinstated back to 1ml(4mg) 07/11/2012, didn't appear to work, upped to 1.05ml 17/11/2012, back down to 1ml 12/12/2012 didn't work, up to 1.30ml 16/3/2013 didn't work, bumped up to 2ml (8mg) 4/4/2013 didn't work, in July 2013 I reinstated Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg, feeling better now. A few months down the line I switched to 5ml liquid Prozac and tapered down to a compromise dose of 3ml liquid Prozac and have stayed there ever since, no withdrawals and no emotional blunting/loss of libido. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 29, 2012 Administrator Share Posted November 29, 2012 Yay, Mattie! 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. Link to comment
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