Citalopram withdrawal

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Does anyone here have experience of controlled withdrawal from Citalopram?

I had been on 20 mg daily for several months, then dropped down to 10 mg for a further couple of months. The first reduction brought about a few brief but intense anxiety attacks.

Last week I cut down to 5 mg daily and am now on 5 mg every other day. I plan to finish entirely in about a month. My symptoms now include:

1. Digestive system disturbances.
2. Irritability.
3. Fatigue.
4. My body's thermostat is all over the place and I sweat more than normal.
5. Difficulty getting to sleep. When I do sleep, weird and trippy dreams.
6. As of today, strange sensations in my head and slight disorientation.

Is all of this normal? How long can I expect this to continue?

I've mentioned my own experience with this in a recent post on another topic. Link
Online forums are good for lots of other people's experiences - try depression.about.com for starters.

I found that my doctor's recommendation on withdrawal was way too rapid for my body, I needed to cut down a lot more gradually & to much more minute fractions...it took many months of cutting down to the min whole tablet, then halving, or every other day as you're on now, but then try half every other day, for 2 weeks, then 1/4 every other day for 1 or 2 weeks, then every 3 days & so-on.

It seemed an almost homeopathic quantity in the end, but my body reacted nastily if I didn't take even the tiny amounts. People mention a greater drug sensitivity being common for AS types so who knows.

Stay in tune with your feelings but until you've been off it for at least 3 months don't trust that any feeling isn't related to this neurochemical & it's after-effects. You are now a lab experiment for the next few months, take note of how you react to the next cut-down & if it's too severe, reign it back in for a week or two. Can't say how long as it depends on you, you may find it calms down in a week or two, that's a sign to move on to the next reduction.

The way this drug made me react, in extreme emotions that isn't my usual self, was quite an eye-opener. I'm glad i'm not prone to starting fights, as I was seriously on edge & aggressive. I read of how one guy did get into trouble whilst he was battling the side effects, so again don't be suprised at the list of symptoms. You'll get there, just take it easy on yourself in the meantime.

Thanks for the kind response. I feeling quite terrible today. I've never known anything quite like this withdrawal, and I thought nicotine was tough to come off.

I've just had a strange jolt to my brain, followed by a laughing fit.

If only I had known what I know now when this drug was proposed by my GP. Sadly, I had a serious incident just days before and was somewhat bullied by family into this course.

Don't worry, it passes.
I had that too. I saw a reference to it somewhere online as "battery brain" - like your brain has suddenly lit up and twitched.
It took me about 6 months from starting to reduce my daily dose (also 20mg) down to nothing at all, and feel certain that the weird effects had all gone.

Yes if i'd known it would be that hard to stop it i'd have asked for an alternative option, sertraline or mirtazapine or something i've been on before without so much drama.

Sounds difficult with your family involved too. I wouldn't have liked (or coped well) with that on top of wanting to laugh/cry/punch someone's lights out

Stick with it though, it'd be easier to stay on the meds rather than go through the withdrawal but it's worth it in the end. Like cornflake said, may take 6 months.

Post more if you need to vent. Times like this are when you need a bit of support.

I thought I would post an update, for anyone else who may go through this at some point.

My initial withdrawal symptoms settled down after a week or two of reducing to 5mg every other day. A couple of weeks ago I ceased taking Citalopram altogether, and the symptoms have returned with a vengeance:

1. Uncontrollable crying / sobbing episodes (most unlike me).
2. More frequent "brain jolts".
3. Difficulty getting to sleep.
4. A return to the vivid dreams I had when on my maximum dose of 20mg daily.
5. Frequent dizzy spells; when turning my head the world spins.
6. Nausea (perhaps brought on by the dizziness).
7. Feeling cold a lot.

I saved the worst for last. I have noticed a diminishing of my intellectual abilities; skills knowledge that I used to possess seems to be gone. I struggle to remember some facts and words. Rather like the latter part of "Flowers for Algernon".

Oh, how I rue the day I ever started on this drug!

Anyway, hopefully my body will readjust again soon.