Cold Turkey Citalopram
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Hiya - hope no one minds me sharing. Can we skip the advice re: cold turkey versus tapering? I needed more than I can express, to be back in control of my life and pronto. So I've been on prozac for 15 years and recently over the last four years, citalopram, 40 mg down to 20 mg within the past two years. I am no longer sure if my genuine, underlying emotional situation is causing my effects, or if it's down to citalopram. I have all the typical symptoms - no libido, weight gain, tearful, hopeless, etc. That's while I'm on it. So is it me or is it the medication? Well, I'm off it now so we'll see. But i know for sure I'd rather have a tough withdrawal with symptoms I can apportion to the withdrawal journey, than continue on a weird false fog. I have brain zaps (i have had these previously but never knew what they were). These are crazy sensations but not life-threatening or painful. Just weird. Nightmares every night but the insomnia is actually better than it was when on the citalopram. I have been able to get some personal hygiene underway, have shopped and cooked as normal but I feel I'm in a different world from the citalopram fog/emotional numbness/entrenched sadness. I played some music for the first time in years today. Danced with my doggie. Felt happy. I am bracing myself for a murderous few weeks as I know this easy start can blow up into being intolerable with no warning. But as long as nothing I go through is anything I haven't experienced before, I am going to stick it out. I never had panic attacks so would not expect to get them now, etc, etc. Am feeling a tad flu-ish this afternoon which I know can happen. I have armed myself and taken omega 3 fish oil, vit B6, vit C, and magnesium. If nothing else, I should be the healthiest loony on the block :) I was recently diagnosed with an underactive thyroid so once I am clear of the citalopram withdrawal, i will be able to properly analyze what is causing the conditions. I don't want to start thyroxine yet or it will confuse the source of symptoms and maybe make me draw the wrong conclusions. If i took thyroxine now, I would applaud it for solving some of my symptoms, even if they were resolved due to kicking the citalopram. Anyways, I'm going to hang on in there and if it's ok, it would help me to update this post - it would help me to do so and maybe someone else might find something of use in it? I guess if you're reading this, you have a journey of your own to manage, so best of luck. We're all different but sadly we do share a common enemy.

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Re: Fortune Favours (# 6)

Fortune congratulations, the information I posted is from my experience, pain and inappropriate decisions. I believe speaking for myself that what we share comes from compassion and concern and praying that our journey's answers can help another maybe save a life, peace and love.

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Re: Lori (# 3)

Thanks Lori. Have to say I am disappointed with the hysteria of other replies though. I did ask in my opening line if we could skip the cold turkey versus tapering issue but no, the scaremongerers have to disregard my request.Everyone's starting point and journey is different so by all means post your own experience but keep the patronising ' oh you must never ... ' comments to yourself and let individuals decide for themselves,based on what they read and how they see themselves. I took my last tablet on 15th February, researched the withdrawal effects, so I would understand them and not be scared by them. I was never going to be able to avoid them but recognising them as unpleasant took the fear away. I took the max doses of the supplements recommended to help ease the withdrawal - fish oil, vit c, b vits, magnesium and i firmly believe these helped me. My main effects were brain zaps, crying bouts for no reason, and wild irritability. Within days of stopping them the effects had kicked in but i was almost immediately sleeping well. I have also started on levo thyroxine so all in all, i feel like a totally different person.

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Re: Christine (# 4)

U are absolutely right,fortune never go cold turkeyoff a benzodiazepine,the proper tapering method is 2 to 5%every week from original dose.example if your 2mg twice a day5% drop would be 1.95every twelve hours for seven days, 1.90every twelve hours for seven days and so on breaking pills in halves or quarters will always give u a drop that is above an appropriate and safe taper .this way it takes months but it is better than going through the withdrawal starting again and never getting off these meds,fortune if had all the same physical and mental and emotional issues as I got lower on the taper theses symptoms began to fade god bless the sick and suffering stay the coarse

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Fortune favors "Cold Turkey?"
I been on the same meds as you and never go cold turkey ever on these meds! I went without mine and I'm on 20mg 4 per-day for my panic attacks. Only for 2 1/2 days and the reason I couldn't take mine for just a few days because I landed in the E.R and the day I landed in the E.R by ambulance? I had a blockage and the pain was horrible and the blockage was between my breast and it felt like a heart attack I was having! That was a Saturday and I was supposed to fill my prescription on that day for my "Citalopram." Well, you know how hospitals are and they kept me in the hospital for 18 hours. Until the antibiotic drip started to work for my blockage. I was going through semi-withdrawals already by missing just one full day of that medicine. The next day was Sunday? I'm Military and the Military was closed to get my medicine. This is when the fun really started! The withdrawals were so bad. And out of the 4, I'm supposed to take at 05mg?I was rocking back and forth and my vision was dimmed and darkened around me. I was hoping to be able to make it until 7:00 am when the pharmacy opens at the Military clinic. No way I could make it. I started going into a craze! I was starting to hallucinate! At 2:00 AM Middle of Sunday night? Landed up at the Military E.R. Thank God no one was there to be seen. They gave me a shot instantly and I went back to my old-self within minutes. I couldn't get over how powerful those withdrawals were. That was the first time I ever went without those pills. Now, whenever I want to wean myself off a medicine? I taper off very slowly each week. I bring it down from let's say something you should take 3 pills for. I'll bring it down to 21/2 for a few weeks then another 1/2 a pill I'll take away for the next two weeks and then another 1/2 pill the following few weeks and so on until I'm completely off the medicine. I do it this way since in the past? My Dr. had me wean off a medicine that gave strong withdrawals. TRUST ME! Never go ColD Turkey. You could land up into a coma, something horrible can happen to you physically! NO way ever take that chance, please! Talk with your Dr. about it and see what he/she says about your decision to want to be of a medicine and how to go about it. Good Luck! God Bless You!

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Yeah!!!!! Please continue to share. I have friends that are afraid of the withdrawal. I cold turkeys gabapentin and am so happy I endured!!! I'm free at last.

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Unbelievable description of the rebound syndrome from a SSRI (Celexa). Under any circumstance think or believe that these symptoms are due to underlying depression or anxiety. That is the lie that Pharmaceutical sold to physicians and in reality, these symptoms correlate with the damage that toxic levels of serotonin from Prozac and then Celexa did to your brain. Refractory depression, resistant depression are new "disorders" only described in people taking SSRI's chronically after studies done for 2-4 weeks recommended to take them for 9 months to years just to create the dependency that is keeping over 7 million in USA alone on these medications for the rest of their lives, no happily as promoted but in apathy, indifference, lacking motivation, becoming suicidal and homicidal at times. Embrace yourself in a normal and natural state of mind free from chemicals that your brain has to adapt to and fight with no hope of success. Become yourself again and enjoy life free from the illusion of happiness.

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Your journey touched me for many reasons. I truely wish you health and happiness. I am looking forward to reading your posts. Thank you

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