But I've started having withdrawals..headache..waves of dizziness.. sickness loss of appetite and tiredness.. I really want to come of them but I'm not coping well with these symptoms..can anyone tell me if they have had them and how long they last plz xx
You must never just stop taking these dead. You need to wean off. It took me a year to wean from 20mg. My withdrawal was 20 / 15 / 10 / 5 / 2.5 / 1.25 / 0 with each reduction lasting 1-2 months. That way I didn't get any withdrawal.
Reinstate the meds as soon as you can as these symptoms won't go away for a long time yet.
Reinstate your celexa..18years is along time to go cold turkey..it may cause havoc on your system..good luck..
The doctor has give me another prescription he wants me to start bk at 40 mg for a month or so and then hes going to lower the dose..thank u so much for the comments..i don't know wat I was thinking by doing it cold turkey xx
Glad you saw your doctor..
To be honest the withdrawals were scaring me..i didn't feel normal or human..i will do it the right way now not cold turkey xx
Why u want to come off?
Hi, I’m trying to wean off and did come off 5mg at advice from doctor. This turned out to be wrong decision as I had awful side effects.
I’m back on 5mg and am going to reduce really slowly as you did. I have a pill cutter but how did you get your dose so low? The pill cutter struggles with 5. Thanks, sorry to ask silly (but practical) question. 😂
Hi I was on it for 14 years and ran out in September, after two weeks with none got another prescription and jyst kept forgetting to take them. I ended up remembering once ir twice a week. Mid January it all came back it was horrid. I was never aiming to come off mine.
Go back to your doctor and do it slowly though. I hope it works x
Hi Ka
Yes if you do it too quick or too big a reduction you'll get withdrawal symptoms, so reducing little by little over a long period and your brain doesn't really notice the loss. You can even reduce by 2.5mg if anyone found 5mg was still too much.
My last 2 doses I crushed because yes, they were too small to cut further (little bits pinging all round the kitchen) 
My pill cutter has a crusher at one end, so I'd crush the final 5mg piece to powder then divide up and take. The last 1.25 dose ended up being a smidgen of powder on my finger ....... I felt like a drugs baron 
I'd come off a few years earlier to this and did it by 10mg over 6 months and had withdrawal and had months of nausea and brain zaps.
But the 5mg / 1 year plan worked well for me and I had no withdrawal at all that time.
I don't know really..but realising now that I actually feel so much better on them..i just felt as though I cud cope without them x
Judith you where feeling better because of the celexa...that's what they prescribe them for to feel better..
Thanks very much for the tips Kate. I’m going to shop for a pill crusher!
Take care, all the best
I stopped taking citalopram on 2/15/2018 (along with clonazepam). I had been on both medications for 14 years and am also experiencing all of your symptoms (except loss of appetite), but my main complaint is the major insomnia! I thought all of my symptoms were related to my new medication (Mirtazapine since 2/16/18) until I spoke with my pharmacist today, who said it was probably the withdrawal from Citalopram. I am also curious how long this will last as I am lucky if I get 2-3 hours of sleep a night since last week. The pharmacist said I could take clonazepam with my new meds (Mirtazapine) until I see my doctor again I asked him if I could switch back to Clonazepam with no affects). Did you did you gradually stop taking Citalopram and have you told your doctor regarding the issues you are having? You may also want to check with your Pharmacist as well.
Just a side note- to anyone new to Citalopram: I was on 20 mg for years but had to switch to 10 mg due to a side affect which caused bradycardia ( a low heartbeat). Anyone on a higher dose may want to check with their doctor regarding this side affect.
I am really glad I found this post. If it wasn't for my pharmacist, I would have never known that the symptoms I am having was due to quiting citalopram cold turkey, which led me to do an internet search on it.. My doctor never informed me of that.
This is really helpful. I think I will check with my pharmacist about weaning myself off of it until I can see my doctor next week.
Why would your doctor change you to and older anti depressants..??
Wow that is absurd that your doctor could be so irresponsible...
New doctor. My previous one is no longer in Network. The new doc said he would not prescribe clonazepam or Xanax as it was addicting and swapped that and my citalopram with the new medication. I have also had a script for Xanax for 14 years but I only had too take it periodically.
I know! I was totally shocked when my pharmacist asked me if I had stopped taking my citalopram or if I had gradually tapered off of it.