Before I start this discussion, I can confirm that I'm in 3 weekly contact with my GP and I'm not looking for answers, just friendly advice or similar situations
I'm a 46 yr old male and have been on 20 mg Citalopram for nearly 2 years. I'd been on it years back and it worked good but this time it never really hit the spot, so my GP and I made the decision to come off it and take stock.
I started reducing the dose 8 weeks ago and I'm now on 10 mg every 3rd day!! I've been getting all the common symptoms of reduction, anxiety, low mood, sadness, melancholy, not sleeping, exhausted, etc etc so I just want to get off it completely and see where I'm at in a month or so. 10 mg every 3rd days not much, is it?? Should I cut to 5 mg every 3rd day or just stop? Is/has anyone else been in a similar situation?
I came off this meds twice - the first time by halving my dose each time and I spent many months doing this like you're doing now, and still got withdrawal. Anyway, I was well for a year but I had to restart due to the stress of family illness (another story).
Anyway, when I was ready to withdraw again, I did it my reducing by 5mg each time going from 20 / 15 / 10 / 5 / 2.5 / 1.25 / 0 and staying on each reduction about 1-2 months, so I spent a year doing this. I bought a pill cutter and then the last 2 doses I crushed as they were too small to cut further. This way I had no withdrawal at all. Having pill free days in-between as you are, the body will miss the meds, but taking small amounts every day worked better for me.
It might be wise to wait on the dose you're on, or even increase a little and wait until those withdrawal symptoms have settled. Maybe then discuss with your doctor about doing it by 5mg reductions / 1-2 months each time. It really worked for me. I couldn't go a day without meds as I'd feel sick and heady, so I reckon your body is missing meds on those pill free days. Also don't reduce too quickly. Months might seem a long time, but it really isn't long enough. My year coming off was smooth and you really shouldn't hurry this.
Did the same myself from 20 mg three years ago. Took me a year to get off 20mg. My reduction schedule read like a chemistry spreadsheet though! I reduced 2.5 mgs at a time. Even alternating days. Altered dose every fortnight
Your doing it much quicker which I would not do. Nor would I have tabletfree days to be honest
Like Kate, if I had a blip I would go back to the dose I was on before.
kate was very encouraging as she had done it before me as she said
i had no withdrawel symptoms at all
but I am on it again now and probably for the long term actually
I totally hear what your saying and Have an appointment with my GP on Thursday. I plan to go on to 5 mg per day for a while and take stock again in December.
sorry to hear your back on it again, sometimes that's the way we have to deal with it. I've been on/off it for 20 years or so and it's a real drudge.
I'm adamant this time to get off it for a while. I've been changing small things in my lifestyle that I hope should help, I.E. reduced coffee, Alcohol, sugar. I've started taking Fish oil and turmeric supplements, increased fruit and veg and walk/hike and swim lots and lots. I've tried yoga and all that stuff but I'm not sure it's really me tho.
I've recently started a new style of therapy called CRM (Composite Resource Model). I might start a new thread on this as I progress over the next few months. I also try mindfulness in my daily routine and i think this helps to a degree.
I do have to agree totally with katecogs....SSRIs in general are not a medication which you can stop in a month without horrendous withdraw symptoms.
I have been on celexa for 17 years and am on my third attempt to get off this medication. I am now down to 5mg and have been as high as 40mg over the years but for the majority of time I was on a steady dose of 20mg per day.
I have tried cold turkey twice and that was disastrous, made it 10 days once...worst of my life... I have tried 20 / 15 / 10 / 5 / 0 over 4 months and this proved very very difficult and ultimately I had to start back at 20mg to stabilize all the withdraw symptoms. I agree with katecogs that from everything I have experienced and read 2 months between reductions 20 / 15 / 10 / 5 / 2.5 /1.5 / 0. I have used this method so far as a template and am currently at 5mg with no real noticeable withdraw symptoms.
Hope it goes well for you ...but take care and be patient with yourself through this process.