I had been on 40 mg citalopram and wanted to reduce and eventually come off altogether. Initially I went down to 30 and felt terrible for a few weeks, then levelled out.
I'm currently downing to 20 and starting to feel the brain zaps. Do you think I should:
1. just gradually reduce my dose to nothing over the next 6 weeks or so
2. wait until the withdrawal stops, then reduce again, rinse & repeat
3. wait until the withdrawal stops, then wait a while, then reduce again
Basically is one stage of withdrawal easier or harder having completely recovered from the previous stage?
I came off these last year and reduced more gradually by doing 5mg at a time. I bought a pill cutter and cut the 20mg into 4's and went from 20 / 15 / 10 / 5 / 2.5 / 1.25 / 0 having to crush the last 5mg and take the powder. I had no withdrawal symptoms at all this time (I came off once before and dropped like you did and had brain zaps, nauseau, dizziness etc).
Reducing by 5mg I stayed on each reduced dose 1-2 months each.
Its kinder to your body.
Personally I'd stop where you are and maybe give the 5mg reduction a go instead.
Well it is strange that you want to come off the pills, in my case the relief feeling is far greater than my wish to come off the pills. Also I think you time frames are very short, I think I would take a year to come down from there or even more because I want to know when it starts to go back as it was and stop.
It almost sounds to me like you do not need the stuff, me I think I would go back to feeling awful again and I dont want that.
I admire you will to reduce but I would be scared of going backward.
Yes. Listen to what people hav said. I was on it 2013 for 6 months. Then took a year with my trusty pill cutter to reduce . Reducing 2.5 or 1.25 towards the end Similar to what Kate clogs did. If I felt bad I went back to the dose previous for another two weeks. I had no withdrawal side effects
the only problem was 6 weeks on nothing I could feel myself slipping down a hole again. I tried several OTC alternatives. I should have returned to my Gp and gone back on it..my body just needs it. This is my 11th week back on 20 mg. I am so much better it's unbelievable although I was dreadful until 6 week mark. Worse than before. See katecogs very helpful post and one by Anna on why this happens
i think I may have to stay on a tiny dose forever. Even just 5 mg
as said...the relief and well being overrides everything
Since coming off my meds Gillian I've been taking over the counter 5-HTP and l-tyrosine. Apparently 5-HTP are as good as Prozac. Like you, I feel I do need something and I spent 16 years on meds, and prepared to stay on a small dose for life ...... and then I decided to try it without. I came off some years ago years ago and took 5-HTP and l-tyrosine with success again but I felt the need to return to Citalopram due to family illness which took its toll on me big time. After that had passed I came off again and since stopping last year I've been doing well. First time I came off I dropped each dose by 10mg but still spent many months coming off - and had withdrawal. Last year was so much better, and like you had no withdrawal
I'd certainly return to Citalopram though if ever I felt I needed to again. They've been a godsend to me. But .... so far, so good