Update on withdrawal from citalopram.

[Skyp]

Well...I was down to 10mg every other day then 10mg every 3rd day.i sure hit rock bottom. Even thought about driving my car over a bridge at one point.bursting into tears.even in a supermarket! God knows what people thought.so told Dr I can't carry on like that.so tomorrow I start 5mg a day of vortioxetine....let's hope I pick up a bit.

[gajh]

I hope you feel better soon. I am glad you talked to your doctor.

[Skyp in reply to gajh]

Thankyou

[14566787]

I came off citalopram end of November and been having withdrawal symptoms since early Jan. I have decided to reinstate a small dose 1mg now at 2mg still struggling but having some glimpses of feeling "normal" it's the anxiety that is so challenging waking up feeling sick to the pit of my stomach for no reason

[Skyp in reply to 14566787]

Hi.yes withdrawal symptoms are awful.they now got me on vortioxetin. Was on 5mg but they now upped it to 10mg.have you told them how you feel.maybe they could try something else.x

[14566787 in reply to Skyp]

What is vortioxetin? Is it helping. I'm now on my 2nd week of taking 10mg of citalopram still no major improvements in withdrawal symptoms

[Skyp in reply to 14566787]

Hi.vortioxetin is another ssi. Antidepressant. Still on 10mg.will admit I have bad days.i was on 40mg citalopram for 20 + years.but they said now I'm 65 years old they can cause heart problems....bit of a joke I find seeing as u had a pacemaker 5 years ago. Stick with it 2 weeks is not long and hopefully you will to improve. If not see your doctor or nurse maybe they increase dosage a bit.keep me updated. X

[14566787 in reply to Skyp]

Yes 2 weeks isn't long but it feels like a lifetime when you feel so poorly with withdrawal symptoms. The anxiety on waking every single day is hard to bear. Will give it 3-4 weeks and hopefully will see an improvement

[Skyp in reply to 14566787]

I know. Each day sometimes seems so long when you feel anxious.i dread night time.go round and round bed.thump pillows loads of times.sometimes still awake at 4am.

[14566787 in reply to Skyp]

Mornings are the worst for me cos anxiety is so bad then. Is the vortietnix helping?

[Skyp in reply to 14566787]

I find first thing in morning is bad when I wake up. So after I've had 3 mugs of tea I try and keep busy.then night time is worse. I get in bed and can't switch my brain off.half the time I don't really know what I'm thinking about.sometimes it's even about a conversation I had years ago. I think meds are starting to help. I'm not bursting into tears so much ( really embarrassing when for no reason I stood in the aisle of a supermarket and cried ).I'm seeing nurse tomorrow morning....face to face which surprised me.rather then her just ringing me.

[14566787 in reply to Skyp]

How long have you been on the new antidepressant? I'm having a bad day with high anxiety I've taken a propranolol but I still feel so on edge I can't settle 😞 I just pray this citalopram kicks in soon

[Skyp in reply to 14566787]

I been on vortioxetine since December. I'm on 80mg propranolol 80mg.i always thought they were for high blood pressure didn't realise they were for anxiety to.yes bad day for me today.i feel same can't settle and feeling weepy. I seem to start a job like clearing out cupboards. Do a couple then have to sit down. Maybe you should have a word with dr/nurse if you don't improve after another week or so?perhaps they up the dose to 20 mg.x

[14566787 in reply to Skyp]

If after 4 weeks I don't see any improvement I will go up to 15mg as I was stable on 12mg before coming off citalopram. It may take a while for my brain to process what's happening. I take 10mg propranolol as and when I need it I had to take it twice today but it helps to keep my heart rate down too which is good. Is the new antidepressant helping you?

[Skyp]

I saw the mental health nurse this morning. Keeping me on 10 mg of vortioxitine. She did mention the propranolol but decided to keep me on 80mg ( I sometimes wonder if they know what they doing ).I have heart problems got a pacemaker. Oh and she suggested I have cbt....never suggested that in all the years I've had depression and anxiety. Have you ever been referred for it ? Yes give it 4 weeks and maybe up the dosage. Will your go allow you to do that or will you have to consult him first ?as for vortioxitine. I have good and bad days.yet on the citalopram I seemed to be on the same level all the time.

[14566787 in reply to Skyp]

I increased my dose to 15mg now nearly 2 weeks in that dose having good and bad days still. Following advice on a ssri withdrawal group I need to stay at this dose to stabilise and wait for symptoms to reduce .How are you getting on

[Skyp in reply to 14566787]

Hi I was wondering how you were doing. I'm same as you good days and bad.not helped by the fact I'm in agony with my back.😯so limited to what I can do at the moment. Seems one thing after another sometimes doesn't it.wednesday I'm getting a cbt telephone consultation. So will see what comes of that.i prefer face to face but Seems lack of that these day's. Have you ever had cbt ? X

[14566787 in reply to Skyp]

No I haven't but I did a self referral for talking therapies so I will call them to have a telephone consultation and see what help they can offer me

[Springvale23]

Are you still on Vortioxetine ? I am about to start on 5 mg. Previously on mirtazapine and can’t tolerate side effects of muscle pain, prior to that, sertraline, venlafaxine and many others.

It’s 7.42am. And I still haven’t slept. Past few years I have been like this. What a horrible illness.

[Skyp in reply to Springvale23]

Hi.no they took me off vortioxetine .I didn't have any side effects but felt they were not helping.so now on sertraline.im with you regarding not sleeping. For many years I was on zopiclone but you only supposed to be on them short term.they put me on phenergen but that didn't work. It's awful.i dread nightimes it's seems so long.lay on left.lay on right.lay on back.beat pillows up.usually I give up and get up x

[Springvale23 in reply to Skyp]

Sorry to hear that. Only a fellow sufferer knows how you feel. I tried zopiclone and my mood plummeted , psychiatrist said I was never to be prescribed this again. Starting Vortioxetine at weekend will post how it goes. Sertraline didn’t work for me.

[Skyp in reply to Springvale23]

Yes please keep updated. As you know when starting a new med it takes awhile to kick in.nearly 1am.lets hope we get couple of hours shut eye 👌

[Springvale23 in reply to Skyp]

No improvement with Vortioxetine . Day 6 now. I know it’s early days and there will be a kick back from stopping mirtazapine . My mind very busy. Sleep pattern dreadful this past week. Dr has given me a script for temazepam to help me sleep. Still to pick up from chemist. Was in bed all day as I didn’t sleep til 8am this morning.

[Skyp in reply to Springvale23]

Yes it's early days still they take awhile for vortioxetine to get into our system so stick with it 👍.pick up your script for temazepam and hopefully they help you sleep.oh I know how you feel I was still awake 7am this morning. It's horrible!maybe we should set up a club called " wide awake club" x

[Springvale23 in reply to Skyp]

Wide awake club sounds good. Still irregular fragmented sleep.

Taking Vortioxetine in morning now. Felt too alert at night with it.

Got my Temazepam . Had a delayed sleep reaction to it. Slept deeply in afternoon. Not sure if that’s me or the tablet. I have cyclothymia on the lesser bi polar spectrum , so not sure if that’s part of the problem.

Have slept most of today. Getting up at 9pm. It’s crazy. Maybe wait a while before taking sleeping tablet. I just don’t know what to do.

[Skyp in reply to Springvale23]

I always take antidepressant and blood pressure pills in morning.when I was on sleep pill I took it about a hour before bed.Definitely "wide awake club " I was still awake 6am.managed to nod off for couple hours.gets like that I dread night time 😮

[RS1974]

Great for you that your taking care of your addiction. Good luck sweetie

[Springvale23]

another ground hog day. Sleeping when I should be awake and awake when I should be sleeping.

Feeling very on edge. No appetite.

Hoping this will ease off as I get used to Vortioxetine . What a life.