I have been taking citalopram for 20 years, and have successfully weaned myself from 80 mg to 40 mg. I am scared of completely going off of it because of horror stories I have seen on the internet. Can anyone offer any advice?
Weaning myself from citalopram?
Question posted by Connie9178 on 22 Sep 2021
Last updated on 23 September 2021
Answers
Hi, Connie!
Although discontinuation should always be done with a doctor's supervision it sounds like you're doing okay with it.
If you're not having symptoms so far you probably won't if you take it very, very slowly. Most people attempt to go cold turkey or they don't allow enough time between dosage reductions... that's where the horror stories usually come from.
If I may ask, why are you stopping the medication?
Best regards and remember to take it slowly.
Thank you for your support, Wildcat. I don't want to treat the symptoms of my depression and anxiety through medication anymore. I want to get to the root of the problems. I don't want to cause more damage to my brain. I would also like for my body to be able to absorb more nutrition from the foods that I eat. I am 59, and I have started to become extremely anxious for a couple of months. I cry almost every day, and I feel like my body is begging me to nurture it in a different way that is free of chemicals. I also take clonazepam and ambien cr. I have a sleep disorder that no doctors have seen before. It started when I was 19. Until I started taking medications to help with it, I would be awake for 3 to 4 days (not wide awake like a manic episode), then I would get 3-4 hours of sleep after being awake for several days, and the cycle continued. It was the worst hell I have ever been through, and it gook me years to get over the trauma. I"m a nervous wreck right now, but I feel like this is something that I need to do.
I wish you the best of luck with this. It's not uncommon for an antidepressant/anxiolytic to "poop out " after long term use leaving you with a recurrence of your original symptoms.
If I could stop taking my medications I would certainly do so, however the roots of my disorders are chemical imbalances in my brain's neurotransmitters. If I were to stop them the result will not be pretty. I would rather take safe and effective medications than suffer the consequences.
If you haven't already get referred to a qualified therapist. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be invaluable for many people in identifying triggers and stressors and learning ways to better cope with them.
Again, good luck and I hope you're feeling better soon.
Thank you, Wildcat. I'm so confused and scared right now. I have two therapists telling me that I need to gradually come off of all of them, but I am feeling very weary about it today. I read to many horror stories, and my brain is fixating on those. Best of luck to you for a happy and fulfilling life!
Not to make light of people who have had problems... thus the horror stories... but there are tens of thousands of people out there who are happy and healthy and don't have time to sit and write reviews about their good experiences.
Take care and take one day at a time.
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Further information
- Citalopram uses and safety info
- Citalopram prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Citalopram (detailed)
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