Went cold turkey on Cita (Now please help and advice)

Treatment and medication
1

Hi i was on citalopran 10mg for 3 months for panic attacks and anxiety and i was not 100% not feeling well but i was ok and i thought i will be ok to quit medicine it's been 7 days now i stoped my medication but i don't right today i had panic attack again and now i am back to square or... what should i do please advise and help. 

I do have some my wife's Ecitaloprma 5mg at home should i take them.?

2

Hi, sorry to hear you are not feeling so good. I really wouldn't advise taking your wife's escitalopram. I think cit and escitalopram are quite similar, but not the same and they haven't been prescribed to you. It's best to come off cit gradually, as you get side effects if you go cold turkey, as you are experiencing. I would go to your doctor tomorrow. Google 'the citalopram survival guide' it's on the no more panic website, and is very good and informative. Good luck.

3

I don't know what the drug is that your wife has...but benzos help with anxiety.

I was also on Citalopram for 8 years..and actually I went cold turkey 3 weeks ago....the first 2 weeks...I felt like you....I feel fine now.....

I did actually go to the hospital because of it (on my own) on 1.5 week discontinuation....to make sure I wasn't dying...all they did was give me a few benzos for 3 days.

I feel ALL better NOW...I feel better than I EVER did taking Citalopram.

I am on Wellbutrin (for about 5 days)...feeling better mentally already.

I wouldn't start the Citalopram again...but just know...I don't think your symptoms will last much longer cause mine only really lasted for about 2 weeks....

I have been drinking Chamomile tea at night for anxiety and it works.

I have taken 5HtP a herb similar to Citalopram ...which calmed some of my anxiety during withdrawal....but if you decide to go herbal....be careful that the herb you try does not interact with any of your medications.

4

Thanks for the advise Marion i will be making app with my Dr tomorrow. 

5

Thanks Missy smile hope we feel better soon i will be drinking camomile yea now.

6

Whoa Whoa ALi,

I would wean off properly man I did and other than a crashing headache that lasted about 5 days. I was fine. If you go cold turkey your brain goes into major withdrawals and panic attacks are one of the few withdrawals you can suffer. The serontonin takes a while to increase and to stop its asking for trouble go back on and wean down for about a month or longer.

 

7

Thanks Stevo smile i wish should have done this before i  started medicines again but took Escitoloroam 5g i called one of my friend Dr he told me its safe to take it tomorow i will make an app with my GP and get the prescribation so this time i will take for 3 to 6 months and then i will try to ween off....not go COLD TURKEY. 

8

Good man it will make you feel way better good luck man and well done on reducing teh meds rememebr you can always go back on its not a failure if you do its important to feel good I am no longer on cita however if that chnages and I need too I will no problems

9

Thanks Steve you are very good. Pray for me 😊😊😊

10

I'm on 20mg of citalopram, I used to take escitalopram at a 10mg dose but I didn't like how I felt. I reduced it down to 5mg but still didn't like how I felt. They are very similar to each other . If it was me, I would take the escitalopram until I could get my prescription renewed.

11

Oh Boy Ali,

Stopping cold turkey is not the way you want to do this!  You should give your doctor a call ASAP tomorrow.  You will most likely need some help, as your body is going through some withdrawals already, and is not done yet.  Going off of Cital needs to be done slowly, as it is a very powerful med.  If you think starting Cital was rough, well I hate to say it, but it will be at least that bad, maybe a bit worse.  That's why you need to give your doctor a call.  Everyone is different...so fingers crossed, maybe you will breeze through...I'm just wanting to give you as much info as I can, and a lot of people do have a very rough time of it, going cold turkey.  I hope you don't!!  I do wish you good luck!!  Please let us know how you do, and what your doctor has to say.  It will help others in your situation too! 

12

Hi Allan I am taking Escita 5mg now took 1 last night called to GP the earliest app is on thursday should i carryon om them till trursday.

13

Hi Deirdra thanks for nice words and info i took 5mg last night and got an app with GP for thursday lets see what he is going to suggest.

It is very hard maybe i was not ready or quit too soon and cold turkey was a bad idea. 

14

Hi Ali, they were prescribed for your wife not you. The best thing you can do is get yourself down the Docs and talk with them.

No one should ever just stop a medication. You should have weaned yerself off slowly and gradually.

Regards,

David

15

You should never stop Citalopram abruptly - you can become quite ill.  Taking these meds for 3 months wasn't a long time and its often recommended staying on the meds for a year to ensure the illness doesn't return.  Withdrawing from them is needed so your body adjusts.

Do not take your wife's Escitalopram - they were prescribed for her only.  Never take anyone elses prescription meds.  You still have Citalopram in your body and you must not mix meds.

As you've been off your meds 7 days, you could restart your meds again or even take 5mg of them to ease back up to 10mg.  If you then want to come off them, it has to be done slowly to avoid what you're feeling now.

See your doctor.

K xx

16

Hi David and Kate thanks for the advise and info i wish i have asked here first before taking any step sad

I have an app with nurse for blood test i called today for app with DR but lady said ask nurse if DR can see you for few minutes and if he can't then i have to wait till trursday. 

17

Most of us learn these things when after we've done them though confused

Hoping you can see your doctor.  Let us know how you get on.

K xx

18

Yep, as Kate says we all do live and learn and I have to hold my hand up to a few mistakes (embarrassing when you'd think after all this time I should know better), but hey that's how it goes sometimes!

Anyway all the best when you do get to see the Doc.

Regards,

David

19

Thanks Kate and David i will keep you updated and if i need help before i will ask you guys again. Really you all are good people i wish everyone become like this. 

20

100% agree with Kate, be careful mixing meds they are both doing teh same thing essentially.....