I was prescribed Citalopram at 20mg at the end of Nov 2019. I only took them for 5 days as the side-effects were too much. I stopped after 5 days speculating that I wouldn’t get withdrawal. It took a few days to wear off and I felt like I was back to myself for about week. Then, extreme levels of physical anxiety and low mood clouded me. I have always suffered anxiety and low mood, but not to this extreme. The physical anxiety has been worse where I would have hours-long anxiety attacks and some very brief panic attacks. It has been almost 5 weeks since I stopped my medication (which I only took for a short time, of course).
Symptoms include:
•Constant feeling of being on edge
•Uncomfortable and tension all over body
•Some mild body aches in neck, back, legs, arms
•Twitching of the anus, face (eyes, mouth, nose) and neck
•Numbness all over body (including face)
•Tingling/pins and needles in feet and hands
•Intermittent faintness/light-headedness
•Shallow, tight and fast breathing; unsatisfying breaths
•Heavy/weighted feeling in head and neck; sometimes headache; feels like my head is winded
•Waking up early hours randomly and with feeling of sadness/dread
•Sometimes stomach cramps and acid reflux
•Poor posture due to feeling uneasy when sitting; restlessness
•Short derealisation episodes (as if I am outside my surroundings)
•Fatigue, tired midday and no desire to talk
•Swallowing issues and lump in throat
•Sometimes flu-like symptoms such as cough, coarse throat and sniffles
•Almost no libido; no sexual desire
•Some sharp chest, rib and back shooting pains/spasms
•Anxiety about having anxiety attacks; ‘anxiety sensitivity’
All the things that used to help don’t seem to do much:
•Daily meditation
•Daily probiotic
•Eating more (less IBS)
•Regular walks/going outside
•Occupying myself, keeping busy
•Recently started Yoga
Whilst, I am getting better day by day, the improvements are very, very slow. I still daily get this rush of anxiety hit me and mood swings that last for 1-4 hours. I notice when the weather turns, I am much worse. I have never had such dreadful physical symptoms before. I have been to a doctor again and mental health nurse who both say it is anxiety. But why, (my goodness, WHY) is the a new thing for me? Why the extreme physical anxiety symptoms after taking those SSRI’s for only just five days? The annoying thing is that my anxiety wasn’t even this bad before the Citalopram. Now, I am suffering its full wrath.
That exact same thing happened to me. Then, it got so bad that I had to go back on it and have been trying to get back to my “pre med” self since. Ive been on it since March of last year and while i am better than I was in the state youre in right now, Ive never gotten back to the way I felt before meds, which was 10 times better than this. It does feel a lot like being between a rock and a hard place. Im so sorry youre dealing with it too
god bless you, im currently withdrawing and have all those symptoms x
hi i have been on these meds three times for two years then weaned off slowly each time. i have suffered from anxiety and panic attacks since my early forties and now late sixties.
i think what happened is that even though you took them for only a short time you should have weaned off very very slowly. like cut in half for two weeks then half again for two weeks.I was only on 20 mg but reduced this to 15 then 10 then 5 then 2.5 and with at least two months between dosages if not longer. Slowly come off these meds always and doctors often dont know this.
Naturally i would say see your GP again but i would be back on them T a low dosage ,slowly build up and then when you feel good and relatively normal do a CBT course to learn how to deal with anxiety.
Then if your doctor says come off do it very very slowly. i did this and each time i had no issues at all.
please go and get B12 ,checked cause numbess and pins and needles and low mood depression
me too and even sertraline i am on now is not taking away withdrawal …
sounds like withdrawal to me
how long have you been on sert? x
10 weeks but not feeling much benefit at mo
still early days yet, sending hugs x
i know but so disheartening because still suffering withdrawals
oh its such a long one lovely, i basically ended up being polydrugged! one drug to treat another symptom another drugged caused, currently withdrawing from cit was put on it for migraines, it never helped and now i have hundreds of withdrawal symptoms but determined to get off no matter what! it dumbed down all my emotions x
Oh boy u really got hit by the Celexa
are u taking anything now for all that u have going on , if so what if u don’t mind me asking
I have days were I get acid reflux nausea trimmers headaches on left or right temple it moves around sinus pain up early with anxiety attacks , nausea and headache can’t go back to sleep
I pray ur Dr can get u on something that will help u get rid of all does side effects
I get does long lasting anxiety attacks daily 
no fun .
let me know if they found something better for u because it’s no fun to be like that daily
how long tou been in withdawel?
around 2 years but have to taper super slow, would of been down to 4mgs but after a year of being on a lower dose i got a faulty bottle which meant i doubled my dose for 4 days… 8 months later still trying to settle x
omg i could be ljke this for 2 years ?
hi again Felis did you find that the citalopram took longer to work the second and third time?
everyone is different lovely and youve gone on something to help you x
thanks lovely hope the sertraline kicks in and i have to stay on a year and will taper off very very slowlu
you will get there <3 here if you need to chat x