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.
after almost 4 years on citalophram i have to stop abruptly with it i am feeling dizzy i have crying spells lack of balance my doctor do not want to refill my prescription and my insurance do not pay for psychological treatment anymore i would like to know how long will the symptoms will last
Hi. Can somebody please tell me what is going on? The information on Citalopram is practically non-existent on the information I am seeking. My partner has been taking the drug to combat depression for at least 8 months and has chosen to stop. She has of course reduced the amounts taken gradually but has suffered the usual symptoms of withdrawal, at times quite severely. However, the symptoms appear to be increasing over time. The symptoms include:-dizziness, head pangs, flashes of white light, unable to concentrate, severe mood swings, short-term memory loss and strangely enough depression, fatigue and irritability… again. During the time of taking her prescription she felt that the drug was working and believed that the time was right to stop taking them. On approaching the doctor on the subject, she was advised that the drug could be stopped within 1 week. My partner reduced the amount gradually over 3 weeks. The doctor has dismissed the symptoms as anything linked to stopping Citalopram despite the similarities we have found on the internet. I am getting concerned as these symptoms appear to be getting worse with no sign of ceasing and I am getting frustrated with not finding the information I need. Can you or ANYONE please advise? Many thanks, Aj.
Hi, I stopped Citalopram about twelve days ago. I too have had all of those symptoms and yes they have become worse over the days. I am taking comfort that people are sharing their experience and I can see it is not just me or something more sinister. I came down from 40mg to zero over two months as per my GPs advice. I think over six months may have been wiser. The dizziness, poor balance and crying are troubling but I am sure they will pass so look forward to that. I have also experienced fleeting numbing of the lips as I move which I see others have too. I guess we all want a drug that cures the depression we have then we just stop taking it and all is well! I think on reflection GPs should monitor their patients more closely, everyone has different tolerances, and reduce the dose over a long period, at least six months. It's a shame as the withdrawal symptoms seem to me to be able to push one back over the edge into the depression they have helped you get out of! Back to square one… Oh and the irritability!!!! Grr. Good luck and stick with it 🙂
I took citalopram for 6 months and felt well enough (and over the extreme fatigue i felt) to stop. i was on 20mg and reduced that to 10 for about a week and a half and then 5 for four days. the day after i completely stopped i started to exprience all the symptoms shared by everyone here and they are getting worse. which is making me very anxious. its hard to go on with my daily routine because i just feel so awful. when will this go away?? 🙁
Hi! Sorry to hear that….personally I came off very slowly…over a period of months, with very few side effects. Maybe you just did it too quickly? Anyway, the withdrawal effects should go pretty quickly now but why not speak to your doctor and see if they have any advice?
my mum suffered real bad crying mood swings suicidal on edge irritable body zaps and thats after weaning herself off them real slowly it was very serious cold turkey and she was really low it affected me a lot to see my mum suffer like that it was a nightmare
Hi, I had been takeing Citalopram at 40 mg for 14 years, just over 2 weeks ago, I went cold turkey. After the 1st 3 days the withdrawals came in. I have a dizzy head, a noise in my ears, constipation, feelings of panic and very teerful. My GP tells me this could go on for some time, possibley months. I feel so sicky all the time. Is there anyone, who has been on the Citalopram for as long as I was and has been off them long enough for the withdrawals to go compeletl? These withdrawals are really getting me down. and I so much don’t want to have to return to anti-depresseiants.
Hi,
I have been taking 40 mg Citalopram for anxiety for 3 years. On a recent trip away I did not take enough medication so I stopped taking these tablets for 8 days. I feel Ok but am getting headaches and the Brain Zaps. At the moment they are tolerable but not sure if I can hold out. How long can I expect to have these withdrawal symptoms.
Thanks for any advice.
Steve
I, too, have been on Citalopram for 6 years and recenty discontinued taking it. I was tired of feeling no emotions! I started the drug shortly after losing my mom and it just seemed appropriate to continue taking it. I did quite cold turkey but was only taking 5mg a day. I feel great, am losing weight and feel emotions I haven’t felt for years. HOWEVER, these brais zaps are driving me crazy!!! They’re really bad first thing in the morning and they show up off and o during the day. Just want to get some kind of idea how long this will go on. My FP says it’s so different with everyone that it’s hard to say for sure. As Amanda said above, anyone gone through the time period of the ‘zaps’ finally stopping.
Glad to be finally off the medication!!!!
hi ive been on citalopram 10mg for 10 days now i been takin one tablet of a morning but now afta 10th day i feel ok and i have completelty stopped taking them will i be ok
I’m totally with y’all. I’ve been experiencing the symptoms for several days since tapering off citalopram, and this is what I’ve found/experienced:
The term for what we are experiencing is SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome. The drug folks prefer that term to “withdrawal,” because withdrawal implies dependence, which is not supposed to be an issue with these drugs. Sadly, many doctors are not aware of the severity of SSRI DS symptoms and do not give their patients sufficient warning about what will come.
I was on 10mg for about a month, and 20mg for about 9 months after that. I had experienced a full-blown panic attack, followed by ongoing physical manifestations of anxiety, all of which was in response to some external stressful situations that just became overwhelming for me. The drug was very helpful in shaking the effects of anxiety and helping me get back to my normal self. Because I’m a teacher, my doc and I agreed that I should try to come off the drug when summer break rolled around. So, I cut down to 10mg for two weeks, then came off. (In retrospect, I should have done another two weeks at 5mgs.)
Within three days, I began to get the brain zaps and dizziness, as well as mild, ongoing upset stomach. There are some tingles, too, but those don’t bother me. I don’t feel well enough to do anything but be a couch potato. My mood is okay…just frustrated by being unable to go out with friends or be productive around the house. Praise the Lord for funny DVDs and the internet!
I’ve read that Omega 3 fish oil can help the brain compensate for the messed-up seratonin levels that cause these symptoms, so I’m going to start taking those today. Also, I’m going to talk to a trusted nutritionist to see if she has any other suggestions.
If I learn of an effective treatment, I’ll pass along the info. In the meantime, I will keep everyone in my prayers, cuddle with my cats, and be thankful for total justification for watching excess amounts of television.
Sam
Hi all. I have taken citalopram for a total of 11/12 weeks, firstly 10mg and then 20mg. I decided to come off them cold turkey, the withdrawal symptoms have been tiredness, sweating, funny feeling in head, ringing in ears, stomach upset, tingling all over – like cold shivers. I have been off them 18 days, i do think it is getting slightly better, but i wish it would hurry up and go, has anyone else had these symptoms after taken these for such a short period of time and not a very big dose. thanks
I too have stopped taking citalopram and went cold turkey after taking it every other day. I am so dizzy and lighted headed its hard to do my daily activitys. I was wondering if and when did these symptoms stop for anyone.
I’ve had a tendency toward depression most of my adult life. About 12 years ago a doctor put me on Paxil after my father died. Another physician switched met to Celexa/citalopram about two years later. No problems. I decided to see if I could wean myself off it. I went from 40mg daily to 20 for two weeks; then to 20 every other day for about a month; then quit. No problems except: severe constipation. Anyone else? How long does this go on?
I started taking Citalopram for less than a year now. My zappy symptoms started right after I started the drug. Seems like it matched my pulse but it really doesn’t. It’s also in my head and sometimes runs down my body a bit. Always took it on time but still would get the zapping feeling a few days a week. I also finally decided to just get off the stuff. I slept the entire day and night of the first day of being off it. Second day is just full of zaps and headaches. It does get relieved some if I put a nice heating pad on the back of my neck and I lay back on a recliner.
Had my hearing checked and looked for fluid in the ears. All clear. I’ve been taking betwenn 1000 and 2000 mg of fish oil a day for quite a few weeks now. No change.
If I get upset about something then the zaps get a bit harder and more frequently. I haven’t found any type of help or helpful answers with all the hundreds of questions I’m coming across.