Coming off Citalopram

[Grinch]

Anyone else have experience of this as I'm getting some nasty side affects, would be nice to talk to someone about it and maybe get some advise.

[Grinch]

Just so you know, I have gone through a reduction, 20 mg to 10mg then alternating days. Part of me is thinking I might need to extend the period of the 10mg, which I'm going to see my doc about. Was just looking for some personal experience into it, to help me get rid of the stuff.

[Alpinestarhero]

Hey grinch,

I remember from my a-level that diet can play a part in medication-controlled treatment of depression; I recall that eating high carb foods (pasta etc, the stuff that gives you energy) can help you to maintain a balanced mood; I'm wondering if a diet change may then also help get you off the medicine?

I'm not a total advocate of using drugs to treat mental ailments...have you had any other treatment thats non-medical?

Might not be a bad thing to go down to 5mg tablets, then 2, then nothing...see how that works?

Matt

[Grinch]

I am thinking that I might have to rethink my plan for coming off them, but then I will need to dicuss this with my doctor. The diet bit is a good bit of advise that might help me get through it better, as sleepyness is another side affect that I am seeing.

Cheers.

[Alpinestarhero]

Yea, talk to a pharmacist; I dont know an awfull lot about dosage (although I could probably tell you how to make your own citalopram) and how to come of medicine safely.

Do you have a regular sleep-wake cycle? I.e. ago to bed at the same time, wake up at the same time?

Matt

[Grinch]

Well its faily regular... What with having a nipper.

[Alpinestarhero]

Maria was wondering how long you've been on it, what the prescribed dosage was and are you trying to wean yourself off or did the doctor ask you?

She deals with medicines and dosages on one study she is working on, so has some (limited) experiance with this sort of thing...

I read some info about the drug, it deals with your brains serotonin and how readily your brain absorbs it...serotonin has implications with your sleeping aswell as your moods, hence your sleepiness

What do you mean by alternating days? one day on, one day off? That might be messing you about a bit, since your not keeping the amount of medicine in your body constant, if you get me?

Maybe you can think about taking a few power naps during the day?

Do you do alot of excersise?

Matt

[K]

I would also advocate the steady reduction in dosage whilst maintaining your original regularity...

... less but as often. Like ASH says, keeping the drug on a regular but reduced tickover in your system seems more sensible than a stop start approach.

Advice not based on Citalopram, but on a number of other pain-killers and various anti-depressants and other brain chemistry drugs used for control of neuropathic pain. Things like Gabapentin, Pregabalin and Amyltriptiline.
I've run the gamute of these and more in trying to find a balance that leaves me as a semi-functioning person ;)...

... some have been worse than others. Pregabalin left me unable to go on the Nurburgring trip last year - so I hate that one on principle. ;)

[Grinch]

Well I was on 20mg bought down to 10mg over 6 weeks, then 10 mg every other day for 4 weeks till I stopped. Was probably on them for about 6 months before that.

[mattSV]

Have a look on this forum:-

http://www.uncommonforum.com/

Lots of advice from both professionals and users.

As well as diet I have also found exercise can play a big part......