Anxiety 2 Calm: Citalopram withdrawal question

I just received a comment on one of my blog posts entitled Coming Off Citalopram. It raises a very pertinent question that I shall endeavour to answer.

I just read your blog. I came off Citalopram about 10 days ago after having been taking them for about6 years. Mood wise things have been good. I have addressed the original root of the problem and had positive help via hypnosis. The only side effects I am experiencing is what I can only describe as a sudden "fizzy" feeling in the head and lips which comes and goes. This feels odd but is manageable. I am curious to know if this is something that you have experienced?

Firstly I am glad the reader says they have used their time on Citalopram to deal with the background causes of the problems they had been experiencing. Too many people see SSRI's as a solution in themselves, which is unwise especially given the recent claims about the true efficacy (or lack of efficacy!) of SSRI medications.

As for the strange sensations that you are feeling in your head and lips I would say this is quite normal. I must add that I am saying that only on the basis of what you have told me, on my own experiences and a "straw poll" of other users or ex-users of Citalopram. In my own case I felt a tingle running up my arms and legs and sometimes in my head. This seemed to coincide with actions like walking or other movements. It was irritating but didn't bother me too much and passed quickly. It was greatly helped by reducing my dose very very slowly. In fact if I didn't make big jumps and took time to scrape off fractions of a pill then I didn't feel any withdrawal effects at all. Many people that have had similar experiences to yours have called their funny sensations brain zaps, or tingling, or fuzziness, or indeed fizzing!

My understanding is that Cold Turkey withdrawal can be harsh, and I don't recommend it! It is quite a good idea to follow your doctor's advice for withdrawal, although I must admit that I did it much slower than mine suggested.

For more info on Citalopram and other SSRI's follow this link.