Any doctors here? Stopped taking citalopram for 5 days and now having scary effe!


Question: I was on 40mg for several months, but after getting really hyper on them I am stopping them, I have got the reduced dose of 20mg.
Because I was feeling so good for a few weeks, I stopped taking them for 5 days, the first few days were great, then I started having crazy mood swings from being really hyper to being really angry and tense. For the last few months I haven't been depressed at all because of the pills, but after stopping them because I was so high, over night I got really low, in fact I was down the street and I found my self sitting in the middle of the street because I felt like I was shutting down, it was like someone had switched me off, but a few hours later I was rushing round the house cleaning and cooking etc.

I can't get to the doctor til monday, but I am really worried because I am so all over the place, sometimes it feels good but it can get really tense and horrible. I know I shouldn't have stopped taking them but this is freaky. Whats going on?


Answers: I was on 40mg for several months, but after getting really hyper on them I am stopping them, I have got the reduced dose of 20mg.
Because I was feeling so good for a few weeks, I stopped taking them for 5 days, the first few days were great, then I started having crazy mood swings from being really hyper to being really angry and tense. For the last few months I haven't been depressed at all because of the pills, but after stopping them because I was so high, over night I got really low, in fact I was down the street and I found my self sitting in the middle of the street because I felt like I was shutting down, it was like someone had switched me off, but a few hours later I was rushing round the house cleaning and cooking etc.

I can't get to the doctor til monday, but I am really worried because I am so all over the place, sometimes it feels good but it can get really tense and horrible. I know I shouldn't have stopped taking them but this is freaky. Whats going on?

I've stopped taking it suddenly a couple of times (when my prescription ran out) and both times I felt AWFUL. You have to come off them gradually. My more noticeable symptoms were feelings like flu, nausea, dizziness, headaches, almost felt like I had a sinus infection the last time. Call the Dr's office and get them to tell you how much you have to take until you can go see the doctor on Monday. Personally I'd take the 20mg/day until then. It usually takes me a couple of days to feel all better again. Good luck to you!!

Its because you stopped taking them completely, you needed to keep to the lower dose and be weened off them simple as that!!

With citalopram and other SSRI's, you have to wean yourself off of them. Ask your doctor, but they'll probably tell you to take it for a few days, halve the dose, take that dose for a few days, halve it again, etc, until you get down to 5 or 2.5mg or so and you can stop taking it altogether.

you are withdrawing and its not good, 4n NHS direct if you cant get into see your GP and explain to them what is happening to you. They get a Doctor to 4n you back and he/she will advise you on what to do. Its just a side affect from coming off the drug so try not to panick.

citalopram can cause side effects if you come off them straight away, they need to be weaned off.
but i love that you said you hadent felt depressed at all due to them! gives me hope (ive only been on them for 6 weeks and theyre not doing alot)
good luck and rmemeber not to make rash decisions without a doctor about medication

yh u needed to go to a lower and lower dose, like if you are on patches for smoking, you dont just go to the lowest dose straight away.

NEVER completely STOP any prescribed medication. You need to be slowly "weaned" off the medication. It is very dangerous, and some people have died from withdrawal symptoms. Also, if you ask your doctor to wean you off the medication, he/she knows exactly what doses are neccessary for YOU AND YOUR BODY, as well asCURRENT HEALTH CONDITIONS, along with OTHER MEDICATIONS YOU ARE TAKING, to put you on in order to wean you off the medication. Doing it the way you did it is not only dangerous, but it takes the liability off the doctor if YOU are not taking consulting him/her of any changes or wishes to eventually be off of the medication. The choice he/she makes is his/her liability from there, and if you have problems, they (the doctor and the hospital/office) cannot blame you for not adhering to instructions, and they have to pay for any bad decisions that they make; if that should happen, you have the right to sue them for malpractice, whereas doing it yourself, you can't. I hope this helped.

u shouldnt stop taking them suddenly as it can make u worse, u need to come off it gradually. i know someone who cut down too quick and had same problem, so they are back on it and reducing very slowly. u need to go back to taking what u were taking when u stopped and consult yr doc for advice asap on monday.

Hi Awol,
I am unable to add to the sound advice given by these good people. They are all spot on.





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