I have been taking citalopram for around 8 years on 10mg prescribed for pmt following ivf treatment (although I have a history of depression). I started cutting down in May as I’ve been a lot better for a long time & my life is much more stable & have done this very gradually; am now taking 5mg daily however I have started feeling very irritable to the point where I feel depressed & am isolating myself. This is really tough as I’m on holiday with my husbands family & really don’t want to be here (am currently hiding out in my room) I don’t know how much more gradually I could have done this so am worried that I’ll never be able to get off them (I’ve tried before a few times & not managed it). Has anyone else experienced this & got advice how to manage it?
did you make the decision to cut down or was this agreed by your doctor.If you are getting stressed ,then i would suggest that you go back to your doctor and explain how you are feeling.
I stopped taking Citalopram a few years ago after taking 40mg for many years. I pretty much went cold turkey....which is totally not recommended. It was extremely difficult. My moods, emotions, and irritability were crazy!
I ready about others that weaned very, very slowly yet still seemed to have the intense irritability. I just wanted to get the drug out of my system.
I am better now....but I went through hell coming off this antidepressant.
The drug numbed me for so long. I wanted to feel again.
I wish you luck and hope others chime in to help you.
Ive done it myself as my dr told me that because I was on a low dose I could just come off them within a week & when I said I’d tried to do this he said that I obviously wasn’t ready to come off them!
Thanks KarenNY. I can’t believe how hard it is & really wish I’d never gone on it. Can I ask how long did the withdrawal last?
I came off them completely in 2015, after about 7 years on. I went from. 10mg to 5mg to 0(with hindsight, this was too abrupt). I had intense irritability for a few months, three or four. I was very snappy, almost anything seemed to set me off, although as well as the cit withdrawal, I was approaching menopause.
If its unbearable, you could reinstate at 10 until the symptoms resolve and at least for 4 weeks, then try reducing to 7.5...in effect you have halved your dose at the mo, and you sound sensitive to side effects of withdrawal. I'd be tempted to try 10, 7.5, 5, 2.5, 1.25
And I'd stay at each dose for at least a few weeks and really monitor how I was feeling.
I do believed you can also get liquid cit and make even smaller reductions, but here in the UK, not sure how easily one can obtain the liquid prescription.
Good luck and just go really slowly. Also, you kind of have to educate your gp. I find that often they say thi gs like 'you'll be able to come off 5 mg no problem' but fail to understand the impact that withdrawal has on different people.
Thanks ruth08109 that’s really helpful as I am also approaching the menopause so it’s hard to work out which symptoms relate to what! I think I will go back to my gp & see if I can get the liquid form as that could work much better as it’s easier to measure.
Wishing you all the best x
Hi nicki,
I’m curious why you want to come off the meds? Did they stop working? I’m sorry you are going through this rough patch especially on vacation. I’ve noticed people coming off have to go very slowly.
Will😎