Hi, normalguy. You're on quite a low dose now, actually, so it could possibly take a bit more for you to get all the beneficial effects of the med. I believe a "normal" dose of citalopram can be up to 40 mg so if you're not feeling great at 10 mg that's not too surprising. Everyone is different, so there's really no way to predict what dose you'll need to feel a difference or how long you'll have to take them. What I can tell you is it can take up to 8 weeks for people to feel the full effects of the med, but if you've been on a lower dose and are increasing it, you should feel the difference quite a bit sooner than that. Some people are only on the meds once while going through a traumatic time in their lives then go off and are fine. Some people continue to relapse and choose to stay on the meds rather than go through the cycle of depression. Wish I had more definitive answers for you!

Hi kim, thanks for that it does make sense about the dosage as my doc wants to increase the dose to 20mg's Im just worried about having to rely on them. I was in denial bout my depression for over a year and when i did eventually seek help I did my utmost to stay off meds but realise now that I have to try and get through this and if the meds help then I will stick with them , just dont wanna spend years on them.

Thanks again
Normalguy

I understand how you feel. Are you in therapy as well? If there are issues in your life that seem to be contributing to your depression, dealing with those could help you get to a point sooner where you can try going off the meds. I think the important thing right now is for you to give the meds a fair chance to work and affect how you feel. Once you're feeling better you'll be in a better frame of mind for deciding next steps. Good luck, normalguy!

Cut down from 20m/day over last 3months. Just gone cold turkey and finding it hard. Brain fogging, snappy, crying LOTS, co-ordination is rubish.
Boyf being ace, but normally spend 22hrs per week training as an athlete. Just really need assurance.

Hello all,

I'd been on 40mg of Celexa for 2 years and a week or so ago decided to quit "cold turkey".

The first few days I had zero side effects or withdrawl symptoms, then on the way to pick up my son from school I felt like I was falling down a hole and could swore I heard a sizzling sound. This continues to this day, sometimes I'll go for over an hour without that sensation and then the next hour my heart races, tingling, and that dizzy "sizzling".

It's almost what I felt before I started taking the meds right before I'd get a *massive* panic attack. Of course, this has got me quite worried but so far I've not tipped over that edge into full blown panic mode. *knocks on wood*

Now today, about 13/14 days after stopping, I'm still having the "sizzles" and out of nowhere just burst into tears...which I haven't done in around 10 years. Actually laughing while I'm crying because I feel no sadness or emotional ache...just crying rivers.

I'm just ready for these withdrawl symptoms to go away and either feel better or get my panic attacks back...this limbo is driving me bonkers!

Ok so 4 days after my last post and I'm pleased to say the withdrawl symptoms are going away. I had 2 days of pure clarity, then yesterday the tremors started again but much more mild.

Have taken 2 Xanax (0.5 each) in 4 days and no serious signs of anxiety.
Mood: Hopeful

Had a minor episode yesterday play wrestling with my 6 year old son.
As usual, whenever I perform ANY action that represents aggresion, even in mock form, my brain refuses to stop when I want it to. I call it being "Mantic". It's absolutely controllable though...a few deep breaths and absolute stillness work.

Hi. To make a long story short, my sister died, my father died and I was caring for my elderly mother with cancer until she passed on the 7th. I began weaning myself off of 10 mg Lexapro a few weeks before her death mainly because of all the side effects. I cant remember them all right now but there was a transient sore throat, flu like feelings which would come and go, vertigo (oh those spins were bad), heart palpitations, terrible sweats which I initially blamed on being menopausal, and my blood pressure was (and still is) taking a roller coaster ride either too high or too low. I am down to 5 mg weaning now but this blood pressure issue is really scaring me. A neighbor who is a nurse told me that it is probably one of the other meds I am on (BP meds and Lorcet). The Dr only gave me Clonidine to drop the BP and told me to continue the Lexapro even tho I am not feeling depressed and am sick of the side effects. That is when I decided to wean myself off. Does anyone else have a drug interaction going on? The Drs office did tell me months ago something to the effect of "drug companies dont test on every other available drug for side effects so we dont know all of them". I really didnt care for that explanation from a Drs office. Anyhoo...if anyone else is having the BP problem or has any other info I would appreciate it.

Tina

Hello!

I'm new here but i just needed to find a place where i could read up on some actual experiences with Lexapro.
I have been taking Lexapro for about a year now and i really don't want to be on it anymore. I don't want to be on any type of anti depression medication but who knows if i need it? I had a really really bad breakup that just tore me up. I was so depressed for months and was suicidal. I finally went to the doctor and he put me on Lexapro. It was heaven when it started working. I felt alive again and stable and not like i was losing my mind. It has been about a year now though and i have finally gotten into a new relationship. Its a really healthy one this time (thank God) and i thought that once i got my life together on my own and then met someone else once again that made me happy i would feel better. NOPE Its strange because where i am at now compared to where i was at a year ago is so different. I have everything i should want now but i feel so D*** numb so often. Its not hard to get sad but its so hard to feel happy. Its like there is a wall and i can't get past it. I want to stop taking Lexapro because what if i only needed it for when i was super depressed but now i don't need it? I have missed taking it for 5 days before (worst days ever) i experienced shocks, disorientation, dizziness, pain in my eyes and pain in focusing on anything. I've come to a point where i feel its hindering me rather than helping me. I'm so scared to come off of it though because not being on it cold turkey turns me into a mess. I don't think i could even go to work or class if i felt the way i did the 5 days i was off it. Just wondering if anyone has stopped taking anti depressants(specifically lexapro), gotten through the withdrawal symptoms, and are better for it.

thanks so much!!!

-Pat

I too stumbled onto this site. I've been on some type of SSRI's for the last 7 years and I feel it's time to taper off. I've tried Celexa, Lexapro, Effexor XR, etc. I was on Effexor XR @150mg and then made the switch to 20mg Celexa then back up to 40mg.

I've tried this week to taper off by myself and I have very annoying withdrawl symptoms - dry mouth, brain zaps, etc. I've tried to tolerate it but it's getting the best of me. I ended up taking 40 mg after I got home because I couldn't deal with it.

I called my doctor's office and he suggested that I follow this discontinuation regimen.

I take 3 - 10mg tablets a day for 2wks then...
2 a day for 2 weeks, then...
1 a day for 2 weeks then...
1 every other day for 2 wks.



Thanks,
GSleader

I don't know how many people are active on this forum, but I'm glad it's here. I found it through an internet search because I'm having a difficult time with what I now realize are Citalopram withdrawal SEs. I wasn’t even sure there was such a thing until recently; I thought I was either going crazy or about to die from some strange illness.

What got me to sign up was the posts that reference not only the withdrawal symptoms, but also something else that doesn't get discussed when the doctor suggests you take an SSRI. I’m talking about the zombie effect these drugs produce. I mean no offense to those that believe these drugs have helped, or are helping them now. I understand depression and would never minimize the positive effects some people experience when taking SSRIs. I’d like to present a different side of the coin though, one that some may never see, or may not recognize until reading a post describing it.

Anyway, here’s my story...

I began taking Citalopram to help me sleep (mild sleep disorder where I don’t get into deep sleep often or for long). The medical “solution” was to prescribe an AD. It didn’t matter that I told them I was not depressed, or if I was depressed at all it was because I couldn’t sleep, not the other way around. Regardless of my statements, I needed to sleep so went along with it and began popping pills. I’ve done so for almost 4 years now.

Result? I’ve turned into a zombie. I’ve gained 20lbs. Exercise was something I did religiously. I’ve been extremely active and athletic my whole life but I don’t exercise any more (I will blame some of this on a sports injury, but certainly not all). I no longer have any initiative, drive, or ambition. Things just don’t matter anymore. Even looking at beautiful women didn’t do much for me…. I’ve gone from fastidious (perhaps too strong a word, but certainly careful with my appearance) to not caring what I look like or what I’m wearing. My only strong emotion left is an intense dislike for our president (which shows I’ve still got some sense). I’ve frequently felt dizzy; I’m often lightheaded to the point of near collapse sometimes (I’ve always had low BP); I’m hungry when I shouldn’t be, have suffered chills that no amount of blankets assuage, and experience frequent headaches and malaise if I miss a “dose”.

I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy good health and have never taken medications other than pain relievers or antibiotics for strep, etc. No literature I received ever contained complete information documenting what could, and has, happened to me. I received no advance SE warning from my doctor, and just the usual "if your nose falls off discontinue use" message with the pills. For many of us these drugs are not miracle drugs. They may temporarily cure an ill, but they really lull us into submission while they slowly steal our consciousness and turn some of us into zombies. In short, I feel as if my life has been stifled and taken from me by a little pill.

I’ve had enough. I want my life back. I’ve known for quite a while something was wrong. Something was wrong with me and terribly wrong with what I’ve allowed to happen to my life. When I looked in the mirror, I would see me, but I wasn’t really there; there was only a fattened up grotesque shell of the man I was. The essence, the “me” part, was simply gone; replaced by a person that simply no longer cared; a person that lacked presence. It was after all, completely understandable. I was no longer there.

I had suspected the drug may be doing something unpleasant and tried to stop once before, but I didn’t know about tapering off and I felt terrible so I quickly resumed my dosage. Another year passed. I finally decided to talk to my doctor who, other than appearing disinterested, mentioned a plan to reduce my dosage slowly over 6 weeks. There was no mention or concern about what might happen during the process. Even when I mentioned the dizziness I was experiencing (pre withdrawal) it didn’t faze him and he didn’t mention it might be due to the drug. He pronounced me physically fine, but I simply thought I was falling apart. I shuddered to myself wondering if I felt like this now, what would old age be like.

I have been taking 20mg daily for a few years. The plan was to take 20mg and then 10mg every other day for two weeks, then 10mg every day for 2 weeks, then 10mg and 0mg for another 2 weeks which would bring me to the end. I’m five weeks into it and I feel terrible. I’m dizzy all the time. I’ve been unable to stay on my feet comfortably for the last few days and today I’m simply “on the couch”. Frequent headaches, blurry vision, slowed thinking; I’m enjoying all the ugly withdrawal SEs.

These things can not be good for us. I don’t want to put one more gram of this stuff into my body and want to cut the process short. I’ve been thinking I’d rather suffer the SE, which right now are incapacitating for me, than use these drugs anymore, but I need to function, and for two days I haven’t been. I may take it for another week, but last night I was adamant that I’d never touch it again. Perhaps this is more of the mental confusion these things bring on, I really don’t know. Perhaps I’m just turning into a wimp.

Please understand, I mean no offense to those that have experienced depression may have benefited from these drugs, I’m glad you’ve found help and I’m not trying to criticize anyone’s choices. I won't try to suggest that I haven't felt depressed in my life because it wouldn’t be true. We all have, or will, face deaths in the family, loss of important relationships, and difficult events that are beyond our control. I’ve experienced these things and did feel depressed. The despair and pain can be overwhelming.

To some of you others out there that may be over the worst of things, if you can get off these drugs, do so. Do so now. Don’t go from one to the other. I’ve had enough Soma (ref: A. Huxley's book Brave New World) to know that for me, it’s not a good thing. I want my life back. I want to know that there is more to life again than being a zombie trapped in a hazy and unfeeling stupor. I’ll never take another AD again, and I’ll caution everyone I can against it unless it’s a last resort.

Depression passes for most of us. I don’t want my life to pass while I was drugged and unable to live it.

This post has been edited by nomore: Mar 30 2008, 10:29 AM

I too mean no offense to the people that antidepressants help. I had come off of Cymbalta (horrible experience), under a doctors supervision. 45 days of cold turkey, just like the old doctor said. When I told him how awful I was doing, he told me to "tough it out, people don't have withdrawal from Cymbalta" Day 46 of feeling lost in the applesauce, I found a new doctor (5 weeks ago) and I was prescribed Celexa 20mg to help balance me out.

With Celexa, I felt the antidepressant "mask" immediately. Like, oh my gosh, I feel soooo good, I love this feeling, after researching, I found that sort of result could be an indicator of a manic episode and called my new doctor immediately. Really, I find it hard to admit that I don't want the euphoria feeling, but I know that it is the drug and not "real". I am also doing talk therapy, and know that I want to feel the highs, lows and middles of life again.

So my new doctor tells me to wean off the Celexa, antidepressants "might" be wrong for me. Ok, I am cool with this, I have no official diagnosis at the moment, and but the new doctor says antidepressants probably aren't the right thing for me - well, what is the right thing? Who am I now, without the antidepressants? Can I come off of this one safely and not feel as if my mind has been put into a blender? I am frustrated, but hopeful. Again, this is not to disrespect any person that antidepressants are helpful to as I know they are beneficial and essential to many individuals. And I am looking for yet another doctor, no diagnosis? What is up with that?

I took 10mg for 2 weeks, dropped to 7.5 for two weeks (cutting the pills myself - I did ask the new doctor about getting the prescription compounded, but she said just cut the pills down and would not write a compounded prescription?). After seeing the doctor last night, today I am on 5 mg (cutting pills as per her direction).

Each drop in dosage has been gentle and pretty uneventful. She said wait two weeks at each drop, see how I feel and then drop down again. I am hoping to not have the adverse side effects coming off of Celexa that I had coming off of Cymbalta. On Cymbalta, I became complacent, zombie like and did not generally care for anything. Celexa did help (at the low doses) me get back on my feet, but I am scared that the longer I take it, the harder it will be to come off. I am willing to go as slowly as needed, but really, I feel like the medical support I am getting is non-existent, and trying to find a new doctor that accepts new patients, impossible.

So, if there is any advice and people who wean can give to me, I would appreciate it. Right now I feel pretty good emotionally, but any sort of support or advice would be appreciated.

Hi all I am new here and from Ireland. I have been on Cipramil or Ciprager as its known here for a year. Btw how come a brand of anti d"s has the word rage in it!lol!

Anyway I started on 20mg and I felt just ok I think it helped with paranoia and better able to rationalize things like going out for the day and instead of thinking "oh everyone is looking at me and my baby" I would start to enjoy going out and felt like I achieved something great to manage a newborn and going to the shops! But my low mood was still bad after 3 months so I was upped to 30mg and actually felt angry and became very critical of myself. I had a bad incident last oct that will stay with me forever and I don"t think i can forgive myself for... I had no intention of doing the following and I know that makes a difference but still ... I was out with two friends and they are mums too so it was nice to be out having a chat and quiet drink I felt fine with them but as I was in the taxi going home I only had 3 glasses of white wine but I dont drink a lot and I am petite so it had a big effect on me. I started to feel very negative, and that things were not real,that I was not good enough for my baby or boyfriend, I began thinking of my bad childhood and went into the house and felt very panicky and I did not tell my partner . Instead I said I am going to bed he said he would be in a min just going to put out the bin for next day collection...

I went to our room and started to have a panic attack and the room was spining My though was if I just take more anti d"s and sleeping tabs I could stop this feeling and thoughts and wake up in the morning better. I really had no idea what I was doing..... The next day I woke up in hospital, wires and drips and I could not remember a thing My first though was where is my baby and partner what happened? I felt so weak . The doctor came over and said "you took an overdose" I said "no I would not do that"
Slowly things came back to me and I felt guilt and fear and scared. When partner came in I asked him what happened and he said" I left You for 10 mins and I came back and You were slumped between the bed and the wall , You drifted in and out of counsious and iI saw Your pills all over the floor, When you saw me crying You cried too but had no energy then I called ambulance and gave them the boxes to work out how much You had taken, I could not go with U as baby in bed, I thought You were dead"

The pain I know I caused him and the thought that i could have left my child motherless is something I cant put into words..

I was sent on to local psych, team and my dose upped again to 40mg and weekly sessions I felt better knowing it was called an unintentional overdose brought on by alcohol lowering my inhibitions. I never had thoughts of sucide and don"t know... I found I could not think straight on 40mg I gave it a fair chance 4 months but I started to feel numb to everyday things and no energy so at my check up in march I was upped again to 50mg but it made me get sick so I droped to 40mg still feeling agitation and sick so I though "ok i have been on the high doses what would happen if I go on a low dose to 10mg " So I did just over a week ago and felt more sickness!

Yesterday I was back in with Pschairtrist and I broke down crying and not knowing why... having disscused a lot with her She said why not try a pill free break to see how I feel on my own,what upsets me,what can i deal with as me not medicated me... but to keep a journal and talk about what I feel, She siad there is only so much crying and hurt Ypu feel maybe going through this grieving time esp the guilt i feel over last oct maybe I will come out the other side. If i need anti d again she said it would be a different kind...

I really hope the next few weeks work and maybe not need to go on anything again...

I have to say the withdrawal is horrible headache and dizzy spells .. how long dose this last? Has anyone any advise...

Hello, I'm Jen, I was just looking online for info about what effects are there to suddenly stopping citalipram and found this site. I'm so very grateful! I been without it for like 3 whole days along with busiprone and I feel like crap and weird. I spoke to a pharmacist about this and voiced my concern and they were like "No there is no side effects from stopping these medications", so I thought it might all be in my head. The truth is I am experincing 2-4 effects mentioned. So I think I spoke to a couple of unknowledgeable individuals. See I've been trying to ration what few doses I have left because my workstudy funding at my school hasn't been there all this month to pay our salaries and I don't even have the $8 to pay for my scripts. I have been so depressed and dizzy/light-headed, sleepless, and edgy. I won't get paid till the 14th of next month. I'm just so appreciateive to find this site. I really am. Finally someone who understands the junk I'm going through. Take care.

I'm glad I found this forum. I stumbled onto it while doing a search on this shock like feeling I get when I move my eyes. I thought it might be viral, or due to the nerves in my neck (I have neck problems).

OOPS. Please see the continuation of my post below......

This post has been edited by fibrolady: Jul 20 2008, 09:49 AM

I'm glad I found this forum. I did a search to try to find out why I was having this shock-like feeling when I move my eyes. I quit Celexa mostly cold turky when I ran out of my Rx while out of state. I'd been on it for 2 years for Fibromyagia pain. Dumb thing to do I know but I thought I was tolerating the withdrawal OK. I had a bad stomach virus right after I quit and I thought the shock-like thing might be viral or maybe my neck was the cause. Now I think this strange sentasion is from withdrawal. It was contant at first, but after about a week it subsided to maybe half of the day. I also experienced sudden anger and exploded on my kids a few times :( Nothing serious, just a lot of yelling. That seems to be improving.

Anyway, I'm probably going to go through with the withdrawal. I don't feel really depressed or anything, I just wonder how long this will take. I also take Tramadol, ususally 100 to 150 mg /day so I think that I don't want to keep dumping these meds into my brain. My goal is to stop as many of the 6 or 7 Rxs I'm on now as I can.

I may get the Rx filled once I get home and take just a little to ease the symptoms. Does anyone have advice about doing that? Can I cut my 20 mg tabs in half?

Thanks to all of you for posting your experiences. It's people like you that help those of us looking for answers when we can't get them from the medical profession.

If the tablet is scored, it's done so that you CAN break it in half, i.e. it's okay to do so. You should really taper off with your docs advice, but I do know from experience that many docs, including pdocs, don't believe us when we say we get withdrawal symptoms .sigh.

I had a hell of a time getting off Lexapro. I was only on 10mg. I Was on it for about 2 years, the last 6 months of which it wasn't working and my increase to 15mg did nothing. I felt so dizzy and flu like and depressed and horrible. It was as bad as coming off Paxil, whcih I did about 5 years ago. Most doctors and a lot of psychs really have no idea of withdrawals and almost don't believe it. I ended up starting Prozac which seemed to help a bit after 5 days off the Lexapro.

I've been on cipralex for 2 years and tried celexa, effexor xr, paxil and zoloft for the 3 years prior. starting in February (after being on cipralex for 2 years) i started getting really bad migrains daily. Near the end of April my doctor figured the migraines were a result of the medication and started to transition me to Welbutrin (bupropion) After 2 weeks at 100 mg and 20 mg of cipralex (from 30mg) the dose was changed to 200mg welbutrin and 10 mg of cipralex. This resulted in me breaking out in hives. I called my doctor and he told me to stop taking all meds and the hives would last approx 2 weeks. The pharmacist also said the hives would last 2 weeks.

My brother's father in-law is a homeopathic doctor and gave me some drops to take 3 times a day. Well i woke up 2 days later with not a single hive or itch. I was amazed as i didnt believe in holisitc medicines. He then told me he could take care of the anxiety (the reason i started taking ADs as i could no longer attend university as i became too anxious around other students) I agreed. He started me on some drops and for the first 2 weeks the anxiety was the same as the cipralex and i felt and slept so much better. I told my GP and he was supportive and said it was something he would suggest as it does work for some. However after the two weeks its never been the same. I have become depressed, anxious, nauseated, paranoid and just "unwell".

I have been on many different homeopathic medicines over the past 3 months and they seem to help for about 2 weeks in which case the improvement turns around and i feel worse. I'm not sure if its the medicines or the withdrawl effects as i know other people who seem to be controlling their anxiety with these holistic meds. This is also a very stressful time for me as my family and I are selling our house and moving to Vancouver from Toronto. I have never done well with change but spent 6 months last year in Vancouver and seemed to enjoy it. However, for the past 3 months anytime i think of moving or selling the house, it makes the nausea and anxiety worse.

I also get quite paranoid and find myself unable to go to the grocery store, mall or basically anywhere as i fear conflict will arrise as i may offend someone or do un-intentionally do something to them to make them harm me. I also find it hard to drive as whenever someone is behing me i feel they are following me as i may have cut them off or perhaps am in their way. From the time i wake up till i go to bed i am anxious and nervous and having to do anything makes it worse. sometimes even having to turn on a light switch cause the anxiety and nausea to worsen. I find it hard to leave the house even to pull weeds or go for a walk. I have to struggle with myself even to vacuum. I no longer feel any purpose to life or have any drive to do anything.

Sorry to ramble on so much but i was wondering if anyone felt like this before due to withdrawl from a medication. I'm also thinking of going back on prescription meds even though i don't want too as i dread having to come off of them again and feeling like this. I have a script for cymbalta but am afraid of the side effects i have read about, especially the Zombie like state.

Thats so weird, I am getting these kinda sudden dizzy sensations, for like a few seconds then they are gone, have been off citalopram for a few days, got these going on it also so didnt freak out too much as I guess I know what they are this time around, but when you get them boy do you get them, is like your gonna fall off your chair, im sure they think ive been drinking at work lol, this and a little pulptation here and there, plenty of sleep seems to help and currently zombified

Good luck to all coming off meds...deserve a dam medal


Leila xx

Hi guys,
just reading this thread and thought i'd share
Well, I have finally taken my last citalopram pill and im jumping for joy (well maybe not jumping as on pills for dizziness for a week, same kinda symptoms as going on them much much milder).
I have gone from 20mg a day to 20 for 2 days then miss a day, then 20 every other day, then 10mg then 10mg every other day, now off, each stage for about 2 weeks. My body feels a little run down, very tired and menstrual cycle has stopped, however its only been nearly a week completly off them.
It sounds strange but it feels nice to have my own feelings back, ive been kinda emotionless on the meds, everythings been "ok", just ok.
Im optimistic and im looking foward to a med and panic free future (fingers, toes and everything else crossed).
Good luck to all of you that are also in the midst of coming off meds or those of you that are thinking about it, they really helped me more than I can say, but now I'm ready to go it alone.

Leila x

Ok...its day 7 or something or other off of the meds completly and ive been asleep for an hour and now awake again...really need to sleep, work tomorrow.
I visited my doc today worried about the hard palpitations im getting, just for a second or 2 that seem to be making me dizzy, he seems to think its just the withdrawel.
Lay in bed I was yet again very aware of my heartbeat (as I used to be a year and a half ago before and beginning meds) Im just trying to remind myself that Im fine, its just the withdrawel, these symtom can be a little frightnening as it reminds me of what I was like and i really dont want that back again. All the techniques I learned for anxiety that I kind of forgot as I didnt seem to need them whilst on the meds are going to have to be dug out for this I think lol.
Has anyine got some kind of eta on how long the withdrawel might last? Its hard to try and reassure yourself that its not happening all over again but Im trying :)

Leila

Hi All..............I have been trying to get to grips with citalopram on and off for two years.....But i get terrible wind and an unsettled stomach,.I have been on methadone since dec 07......started on 90ml but now on 35ml and hope to be weened off it in next few months. surely the methadone and the anti-depressant would cancel each other out as they do the opposite thing. I feel helpless ,alone, incredibaly sad,lost, suicidal, etc. is it worth going back on citalopram now my methadone is coming down?..I live on my own, dont work. because of suicide attempt and depression I have become a loner or withdrawn. find it hard to motivate myself to clean my flat, have a shower, have my daugter to stay, cant be bothered eating.when those dark clouds descend into my mind i just give up fighting it now, and just suffer in silence. i dont know what to do...............i just know if nothing changes for me shortly then disaster awaits, like its breathing down my neck. just need some ideas, a pointer, a guiding light out of this deep dark dungeon my mind is in........phil.............peace love wisdom

Anxiety
Dizziness
Fatigue
Headache
Insomnia
Tremors
Diarrhea
Nausea
Restlessness
Blurred vision
Muscle and joint pain
Jolting electric "zaps”
Tingling sensations
Abdominal discomfort
Sweating
Sleep disturbance
Confusion
Memory and concentration difficulties
Chills and hot flashes
Crying spells
Weakness


I have been going through all of these for the past few days and I stopped cold turkey. I don't have any Lexapro or Celexa. In a few days I will have a prescription but should I start taking it again at the same high dosage or would it be hazardous? What should I do?

Hi, I stopped taking 10mg of Citalopram 6 days ago having only taken it for 16 days, it wasn't for me, it made me suicidal and anxious beyond believe. Anyway I stopped cold turkey thinking I'd be ok having been on such a low dose for such a short amount of time, however I am experiencing such constant panic, extreme dizziness (I was already dizzy before I took the drug but now it's 10 times worse) and cold rushes through my body. Could this still be withdrawal symptoms despite not having been on them very long or am I going mad?!

Hi, I am mew to this site and thought I would but my little story out there. I started citalopram In May of 2007. It worked great in regulating my anxiety and panic disorder but it had me gain 27 pounds. I finally had to get off it. I work out four times and eat healthy, I have done this since I been on it and I still gained and gained. I had to get off. I can’t stand it. I am on Wellbutrin now. I know it is "said" to cause weight loss, but I am just hoping that without being on Citalopram that I will lose the weight I gained on it. I stopped taking citalopram like 6 days ago and started my Wellbutrin like 4 days ago. I am definitely hoping this weight will drop. So far so good with the Wellbutrin; I started at 150 per day, then on thee 4th day (today) I am doing 300 mg. If anyone else gained weight on Citalopram and made this switch, could you let me know if you lose your citalopram-weight, and maybe how long it took to see some results?

I have been off citalopram for about 8 weeks now. And I can tell you it has only been in the past week that the withdrawal probelms ahve finally subsided for me. I was taking Lexapro but my pharmacist asked if I would change to the generic since it was cheaper. I did not thing it was a big change and I agreed. That was the worst mistake I could have ever made. The citalopram was horrid. I constantly had migraines and vomited. I gained almost 20 pound in no time.

But the withdrawal symptoms were bad as well. Anxiety, irritability, and again weight gain. I really hope that this being out of my system will help me reset and get better.

I was originally on this for an over the phone diagnosis of post partum depression. I never did have adequate doctor oversight with now that I look back was a terrible thing on both sides.

Well, I can agree with the symptoms above. I went cold turkey in the way of forgetting to take the pills one day (Citalopram 20mg) and thought that i would start the process of cutting down and have now been a week with the above sysmptoms and am going back to the GP to get a lower dose to wean me off as I cant cope with the whooshinh and the flashing by moving my eyes.

I hopw that I will get off this quickly but guess that its best to do it under the doc as these symptoms are not good and can be scary (especially when your head is spinning for ages and wondering when it will stop)

I am finding the symptoms worse in the cold and in the heat I am fine.

Lets hope that we can get off these and get on with things... I am keeping a BIG smile on my face even though my emotions especially today have been all over the place and the slightest thing has got me in floods of tears.

I have been off Celexa/Citaprolam for 5 days now. My doc said I should stop taking it due to the fact that I may be pregnant. I won't clearly know the answer to that one yet until I am due for the wonderful friend us females get. I was surprised that she wanted me off of it completely and not to wean myself off of it... I put a call into her office to see her Monday to clarify and to ask her more questions. Today I am feeling pretty bad, I am getting all these weird ailments, I feel like I have a bad cold, post nasal drip and I feel at times like my throat is closing, which is making me very anxious. My stomach is not up to par either. I am just praying these feeling go away. I really don't think my husband and I are even ready for a baby right now either, so I am praying I am not preggo. We've been together 5 years and have never had an accident until last week. We're married two years now. Anyway, I just hope that my throat won't close up and I will stop breathing or something.. this all may be in my head though.. but I sure do feel like CRAP. It's probably the anxiety.. IDK.. I'll just hang in there I guess until Monday.

Thanks for your post, and it wasn't too long at all. The more information the better!! Extremely helpful : )

Just to throw this in...stopped celexa about 2 weeks ago after 18 months on (OCD). Got a good handle on my symptoms. Didn't mind the meds, weren't making me feel terrible emotionally, in fact I was fine with them. They did sap my energy big time. I got to needing a nap daily (over Christmas it was 3-4 naps a day.) It got to the point where I even did a sleep study last fall. No sleep disorder. 1800 bucks down the can. Oh well. I also dealt with a 20 lb weight gain. Nothing terrible (I am a runner, so that helped a lot...but going from 235 down to 165 and then back to 185...it was a heavy load ...imagine carrying 20 extra pounds on your back and running 6 or 7 miles!)
So after reading so many helpful posts, i decided to quit the Celexa and see if it helped. I do know and understand my unwelcome visitor OCD much better than ever before, so i thought it would be safe to stop.
This is not medical advice, but it helped me: I went from 20 mg a day to 10 for a week. Then I went from 10 to 5 for another week. At this point i was splitting pills in 1/4's! After a week or so of this, I went to 5 mg every other day, then every third day.
Felt a little woozy and dizzy especially each step down. I am on about ten days of no pills at all and feel great. Dizziness is less each day. Mood is great. Energy is up and I even get through most days with NO NAP. Carb cravings have diminished significantly, especially the sugary ones. Back to 170 pounds and weight is dropping fast. No ocd symptoms have returned yet, but when they do, they get dismissed as the unwelcome visitor and i now know enough about them to deal with out the medication!
Good luck to all of you who are working toward getting off medicine. Make sure your doc knows your plan, make sure you are able to get off. In my situation, it was fine...no serious depression symptoms right now, and I have the tools to deal with my ocd...Meds are great, they bought me a year to figure myself out. Some people function best with the meds, and this isn't a post to say "get off the meds." But if that is your path, it can be done!
frozen up north...

I'd been on citalopram about 4 or 5 months, upped the dosage about once a monht because it stopped working after hte first few weeks nad stayed not working. Then I just stopped about halfway trhough february, but didn't have much trouble with it, felt a bit sick. I wouldn't suggest anyone do it, though, it was probably dumb of me to stop like that.

I was on lexapro for a year and a half and weaned myself off the 10mg. I would only take a half pill every day for 2 weeks, then a half pill every other day a week, then none. I had virtually NO side effects whatsoever. I was bracing for the worse but yea nothing. lex is a wussy :) And I can actually feel feelings now.

So just wanted to throw in that you may not have any side effects too, cause it seems all you hear about is how bad w/d is.

It is great to find this site.

When I went on Citalopram for severe anxiety and depression and insomnia in April last year (due to a really difficult work situation...a bullying boss, and me being used as the 'scapegoat' for his own issues with women), it really helped me.

I had very little side effects going on it, and tolerated the meds well. 10mg daily didn't help much, so it was upped to 20mg daily, and that worked a treat. I was able to laugh again, the little things that used to blow me out of the water with anxiety became manageable. Yeah, I gained some weight, but I was so much better in my mind that I didn't (and still don't) care.

I have since changed my job, and am happy with it! Hurrah! A boss who is human and cares about the people she manages. Makes a nice change. So I went to the doc and he took me off the meds gradually, and I stopped completely a couple of weeks ago. No problems until...

Three days ago, I started getting the 'head zaps', and feeling a little dizzy. My tinnitus is screaming. I also could sleep for the Olympics. The head zaps scared me, as I thought I was having some kind of mini-strokes or something. No advice from the doc as to the potential of 'coming off side-effects', he never even mentioned it. I will be sure to let him know!

I am so glad to hear from others that these feelings are pretty much normal, and even though it may take some time, they will go away eventually.

Thanks again for a terrific web-site.

This post has been edited by Pitou: Mar 29 2009, 04:18 AM

Wow, folks! I can't tell you how great it is to discover this site and learn I'm not losing my mind/control of my body.

In order to start taking another medication - non-depression related, mu doc told me to take half of my Celexa for a week or so. Since I had already dropped down to just 10mg, I didn't think I really COULD split them, so just took every other day for about a week and then stopped. About 3 days later I became really dizzy, sort of flu-like, etc. It never even occurred to me it might be a side effect of stopping the meds. - See, I had abruptly stopped taking other AD's several times over the last 8-10 years, and never really noticed any side effects, although my Pharmacist friends always gave me a crazy look when I told them that.

So, after a couple of days of what I describe as feeling "wonky". I bought a pill-splitter and took 5mg/day for about a week or two. Ran out of those about 5 days ago. Two days ago, the "wonkies" came back. At least I know what it is. My concern is, how long will it last? I don't feel depression coming on, and I haven't gotten irrationally mad about non-important things, so I (at least right now) think this may be the right decision for me. But when can I expect to feel "normal" again?

And again, thanks so much to all of you for sharing!

This post has been edited by DaisyMae: Mar 30 2009, 12:33 PM

well i haven't taken cipramil for three weeks now and i still feel awful, my hands and feet are freezing then all of a sudden I break out in a sweat, my head is still spinning, i feel dizzy and ache all over, I really wish these would all end.
if we all new this is how bad it gets to withdraw it I wonder if we would have taken it it in the first place.
has any one on here ever managed to stop taking cipramil and stayed off all meds?

Hi there,

I have to say that my story is almost the same as many posted above. I started celexa due to depressions and anxiety attacks - which, i am happy to say have not been around for a long long time!

I am in the process of weaning - and have sucessfully gotten down from 40mg to 10mg without incident. now i am trying to go from 10mg to nothing - at the suggestion of my psych and am experiencing some dizziness and general "weird" feelings (just not feeling quite right, not sure how to describe this...). I realize that this is normal for withdrawal symptoms and will happily ride it out...just wondering what other people's experiences are for the duration of these feelings? i'm wondering if it could be days, weeks, months? so far they are mild...but definitely not something i want to deal with forever.

Two weeks later now, and I am still getting the brain zaps, although they are lessening somewhat now. I notice that if I have coffee, they definitely get worse... anyone else have experience of caffeine aggravating the withdrawal symptoms?

Still could sleep for the Olympics, though, and need the coffee in the morning to get out the door to work!

And the tinnitus is still screaming...

This post has been edited by Pitou: Apr 13 2009, 01:17 PM

Ive been on citalopram since just before xmas for my anxiety following a bout of serious panic attacks which saw me on Diazapam over the xmas period.....Not fun try going cold turkey off that! Which i did

I started on 10mg and for a few weeks i felt as though i was back on track. But then the symptoms started to slowly creep back.
The doctor then upped my dose to 20mg once a day. This seemed to do the trick although i did still seem to have underlying anxiety but nothing that i couldnt handle using breating techniques and relaxation methods.

I kind of stopped taking Citalopram accidentally because i forgot to take my tablets on a trip with me and if felt on top of the world for a few days. So i thought maybe i could live without them. WRONG!

But now the withdrawl has kicked in about a week later with serious dizzyness, nausea and just feeling like im on a different planet to everyone else also it feels like my chest, arms and fingertips are buzzing.
I also agree that tea and coffee doesnt seem to help while weening off or whilst on the tablets.
Fortunatly no "Head Zaps" though.

Definately going to start taking the tablets again as from tonight but im going to see the doctor to get him to ween me off the tablets as i think im ready.

I am glad i found this forum because i thought i had something wrong with me, but i feel alot better knowing these symptoms are par for the course.

Well, it's been 7 weeks since I stopped my 20mg of Citalopram (having tapered off with the help of the doctor).

The 'brain zaps' have much reduced, and are almost gone now, although if I have coffee or alcohol, they can come back a little bit, or if I am tired.

Definitely miss the support of the tablets though. I am not feeling as well in myself as I was, and notice much more all those little things that used to bother me. But hey, that's life! And I am still happy in my job, so I guess I am doing OK, compared to some.

Hang in there guys, it does get better.