Want to quit Citalopram after 2 weeks

Treatment and medication
1

Hi everyone

i developed health anxiety a couple of months ago after being ill a lot in a short space of time. my anxiety about my health is quite severe and gives me  scary physical symptoms very similar to the symptoms of MS.long story short I became obsessed thinking about every twinge and it got the better of me. I spent two weeks in bed and then started moving up and about to find my mental anxiety got as bad as the physical. I'm on Citalopram 10mg two weeks since yesterday and my anxiety increased ten fold since day 2. My physical symptoms are more intense and the last few days I've been thinking very dark thoughts that make me feel like I want someone to put me out of my misery. I am normally the worst in the morning and night time. Can't sleep since started taking them. I've never had thoughts like this before and I feel anxious about things I never did before like my fiancé and wedding and even cooking. Should I persevere or give up with Citalopram? Told my gp and she has left the decision to me but has given me the downsides of each. Help!

2

Hi Cliona,

There is nothing in what you wrote that most of us have not experienced ourselves.

Everyone is different and expeience different levels of side effects. These side effects are very common with Cita and the anxiety well, hit me like a train and I'm an old geezer or rather a mature chap who would have laughed at anyone who said, last year, in a years time you be llike this!

Apparantly, Cita causes or increases anxiety before it treats it. That and panic attacks, nauseous, buzzing in the ears, feeling spaced, multiple dreams every night which left me feeling awful are some that I have had.

I am 3 months in and came here like you, I was a little freaked out and not knowing anything about the problems I had, side effects I was experiencing or what was happening to me. Fortunately, the lovely people here, through their own experiences have helped in my accepting most of what may happen for the better me in the long term.

Obviously, there are the hormonal differences in our bodies which I am sure some of the girls will be of more use to you than I, but all in all please try and persevere it does get better. There will also be ups and a few downs as you progress and if anything bothers you or you need to talk, seek advice come here and post for a reply.

Remember only we know we are not well and others cannot see this, here you'll get understanding and all the support you need. Cita is a sticking plaster for the brain and here is the treatment and therapy.

Hope you keep up with it, it does like I said, get better.

Do not hesitate to contact the site how ever insignificant!

Regards,

David

3

Hi Cliona, I too have health anxiety and I started 10mg of cit one week ago. I've also started to have CBT therapy. I would suggest giving the medication another week and see if your anxiety settles. My anxiety is always worse when I first wake up too. Maybe you could get a referral for therapy?

4

Me again! DUH! The last sentence should read:

"Do not hesitate to contact the site however insignificant you feel your question may be!"

Cheers!,

David

5

Thanks David that's really good advice. I guess I'm most worried that Citalopram doesn't agree with me and that I'd be better off trying another SSri? Thanks, Cliona 

6

Thanks felicity I am in the process and being referred for cbt at the moment so hope to start soon xx

7

Hi Cliona,

You keep fighting you are doing great, I was that soilder and I know how you feel, keep it up for at least another few weeks, things can only get better!!! I also bought some Zinc and Magnesium supplements as they are meant to help the nervous system along with some camomile tea and they helped me along as well.

God bless x

8

Hi Cliona, ive been on cit for six months, I recently increased my dose from 30mg to 40mg and its hit me hard, a lot symptoms come racing back. I was basically starting cit again, hence the side affects, thats whats happening to you, youre experiencing side affects, not nice, but sometimes unavoidable, I agree with Manny, give it a few more weeks, if things get worse then see your dr, but hopefully it will settle down a bit as your body gets used to the drug...... All the best...Luke

9

hey cliona,

wow your story sounds like how i started out. every little pain i had in my body i thought it was something different! got so worried about it and had suffered for a long time because of it mentally and physically!

i then built the courage up to get help and although im not 100% i have had some good days! all my symptoms have basically gone now!

i suggest you stick with it for a little while longer you having side effects is an indicator that the tablets are working!

i hope you feel better soon tho!

cassandra

10

Firstly I think you have done the correct thing by speaking to your GP. From what I know things could go one way or another for you and I don't think anyone can provide the correct answer.

Should you decide to continue then the side effects may continue or subside I dont think anyone can predict how this will go. From my point of view i stayed on the drug for a period of six weeks and still had side effects after that time and as a result after consultqation with my GP stopped taking them.

Again the following cannot be predicted but should you continue with the drug and as you are suffering side effects when ever you decide to stop either as a result of side effects or as when you feel that you no longer need to be on the drug then there is a good chance that you could end up with some sort of withdrawal symptoms. Again this cannot be predicted but there is a possibility, should you suffer from withdrawal to a certain extent the longer you have been on the drug then should you suffer from withdrawal then probably the longer that both the tapering off the drug and the withdrawal is likely to last.

Again for me i suffered withdrawal and still feel that I have some after 11 weeks of stopping Cit. If I had known about the possible concequenses then i would never of stareted taking the drug and if I had i would have not continued on the drug for as long as I did.

I accept that this is a rather jaundiced view as a result of my experience, however I think that it is worthwhile passing on. Many people appear to use the drug with little or no effeect on them as individuals but also looking at this set of messages on this forum there are a lot of people who rerally do suffer.

Something else which does appear regularly is that many GP's do not understand the consequences of the drug and therefore have to be treated like many other people making comments regarding this drug.

I do hope this helps

Dave

 

11

Hi david,

I know its been a year since the post but had a question on your side effects experience on Citalopram. You mentioned ringing in the ears. I have been taking it for close to two weeks and a few days ago experienced ringing in the ears (no hearing loss). Doc said in no way is this related to the medicine. Was curious if you experienced ringing before taking on the medicine and do you have ringing to this day?

12

I would stick with it I am disabled due to a number of reasons however put on these after a been sexually asulted and 3 years. Now I am on top one 40mg but I could not cope without I am. 51 years young and weight as been better 2 also xxxx

13

I'm in the same boat as you, I had a medical issue and soon after began to worry about it so much that I had a panic attack when a new symptom came into play, chest and arm pain. The urgent care doctor quickly prescribed me celexa without asking me many questions or giving me a proper psych evaluation. I went home and took a 20mg dose and almost lost my mind! the Anxiety was through the roof. I decided that night I was done putting anything in my body that made me feel so poorly, especially since I wasnt depressed or overly anxious before now. I went through the most awful withdrawl (even from quitting cold turkey off one dose!). Thats was monday and its now friday and I'm starting to feel better now that I believe the drug is totally out of my system. I havent slept in all this time and I'm considering toking up to get some sleep, but I don't know if that would be dangerous (seretonin syndrome) or not.

In my honest opinion, if you really feel its not right then ask your doctor if you can take something else or look into naturopathic medicines that wont mess you up so badly. The withdrawal symptoms will likely be nast either way, even if you taper off. Be strong and make the best descision for your body and mind.

GOOD LUCK! I know i needed it!

14

Old post but - Ending citalaprom. - Ended taking citalaprom 20mg and amitrypyline 30 mg after 2 weeks 5 days cold turkey. No problems so far. Covered both by having 5 mg diazapam avaiable for no more than  3 times a day, though havent reallly resorted to them that much.

How did it go?

 

15

paul52702 • about 12 hours ago     Old post but - Ending citalaprom. - Ended taking citalaprom 20mg and amitrypyline 30 mg after 2 weeks 5 days cold turkey. No problems so far. Covered both by having 5 mg diazapam avaiable for no more than  3 times a day, though havent reallly resorted to them that much.

How did it go?

16

Hi Cliona, hi everyone that posted their questions and answers on this site.

I do really hope that in the meanwhile, they've been posted three years ago, the problems have been appeased.

I am new in the branch...

Three weeks ago I made a very bad fall from high up my stairs at home.

I was convinced during the fall that I will not be landing alive.

The trauma of the fall was much enriched by the night at the hospital, the nausea, fainting, uncontrolled trembling.

The tests were all good, I was realeased to go home in the morning but then the most terrible state of anxiety started.

My house doctor prescribed xanax, I switched to oxazepam and a week ago he asked me carefully if I agree to take citalopram.

Which I very much agreed because the panic attacks were unbearable.

And then, exactly the way you described it, and thank you so much for it, it was a great support feeling less alone, the trippled symptoms hit me like a train.

When in such trauma after the fall maybe one experiences even sharper the tremor, dizziness, total panic, waking up at night, and the most horrible mornings.

I wonder, after a week, just like you did, if I should just stop it and continue with oxazepam only until I can get help from a Post Trauma psychologist.

I never took medicine, hate so much the chemical feeling that starts ruling your brain and body and would really want to quit.

Has anyone had a similar experience and did quit?

Or should I be also a brave soldier and continue ? 

Please help me with your answer!

Thanks a lot

17

I started taking Citalopram 3 days ago and I had anxiety attacks, no sleep due to insomnia, hot and cold flushes, nausea and some other symptoms and I’m done with it. I’ve spent hours reading forums on this drug and it seems it does more bad then good.  Withdraw sounds absolutely horrible from this drug, and people say there anxiety or depression goes right back to the same after you quit the drug so why even take it.