Citalopram

I wasn't sure whether to post about this, but I decided that there is a slim chance that someone in a panic, or needing to make an informed choice may stumble across this post, in which case I may be of some help.

** I am in no way medically qualified to advise other people about their medication, this is an account of my experience**

My Story

When I became pregnant with Oscar I was quite concerned about developing PND (post natal depression). I had suffered very badly from PND when I had my first 2 children and it changed me.  All of the health professionals I came in contact during my pregnancy were very reassuring that although a woman who has had it before is more likely to have it again, its not a foregone conclusion. They also made a note of it so that everyone would be a bit more observant for the signs.

My mental health during my pregnancy was perfectly normal and I was mostly just grumpy when I was tired.

Oscar was due on 26th January and I was looking forward to a family Christmas an easy slide into New Year, then some serious baby nesting in first weeks of 2009. In October my Dad was told he had a hernia and went into hospital to have it removed. In November they told him it was cancer, in December he contacted a wound infection and on 9th January he died suddenly in hospital, from a hospital acquired infection which on top of the cancer and the low resistance due to 1 round of chemo overpowered him (he was 62). I may post up more about my Dad another time, its something all hospital patients should be aware of.

Needless to say, by the time Oscar was born a few weeks later I was in no fit state to deal with the overwhelming rush of feeling surrounding childbirth. As a result, when Oscar was 3 weeks old I found myself crying ALL the time. My health visitor was very supportive and sent me to my GP. Its quite common to be prescribed Prozac for PND (also known as fluoxitine), but because I was feeling some anxiety and my GP suspected it was a combination of bereavement and PND, I was prescribed Citalopram.

General information about Citalopram and other SSRI's can be found on this site HERE.

I don't know if they have done me any good or not, and I mean that objectively. I did not magically feel better, but more sleep and settling into a routine with my new baby and the taking of the tablets all ran parallel and I did slowly feel a bit better.

Jump forward 2 1/2 years. I have been reducing my dose since last November and finally last Wednesday I stopped all-together.

I want to quote what some other people have said about stopping Citalopram, and tell you I agree with every single thing said.

• Has anyone else had a bad experience with coming off Citalopram

I am constantly lightheaded, in fact the experience feels like wooshes through my head.

Sunday I was really bad I was out with my friend then all of a sudden without any other signs of warning my head felt as though it was juddering from side to side I was completely unstable I began to panic because it last for quite a few mins and I was scared I was going to pass out, my friend had to drive me home straight away, it eased off after about 5 mins (felt like an hour) I then went to the toilet and was sick I felt awful.

• Dito......! with a big fat capital D !! i had my last tablet about 8 or 9 days ago and still feel whooshy and light headed! i haven't a clue how long it last for, wish i could help u there but i cant.nothing is forever tho and i know it sounds easy but try to forget about it or ride with it and in time our bodies will adjust to its absence.

• Hi there, I have been told to come off the dreaded 'C' and to try something else. I was on 40mgs a day and now down to 5mgs. I have done it very slowly, but still feel awful. I mean seriously, I thought I was going to die.

• I am continually drowsy, lightheaded and off balance, I feel so disorientated and as though I am not with it, this is totally not me at all, I am very scared that I will never be 100% right again.

• I don't think I'd drive in this state. The wooshes aren't really impairing my functioning-- each woosh is only a couple of seconds and I'm not fainting or anything, but it's better safe than sorry.

• I've found an article on SSRI discontinuation. I couldn't see anywhere a specific indication of how long withdrawal will last, but the good news is, the half-life of citalopram is relatively short compared to fluoxetine for example. The head twitches and wooshing (they call it 'brain zaps') are common and apparently there is no evidence that they are dangerous to the patient.

• You're definitely not alone, I'm having a really bad time withdrawing too, although I didn't feel much better on the stuff. I'm going to tough it out no matter what because I want this stuff out of my system so I can be me again. Eventually this stuff will be gone and we will feel 'normal' again!!

• It takes many months for the brain and body to re-adjust after being on these drugs for a long time. A fast tapaer usually means more problems.

• SSRI withdrawal/discontinuation is very real but there are no studies on it.

Doctors usually provide very fast tapering schedules that will have some patients in agony. You really want to be tapering by 10% a month. Anything faster is risky.
I got really messed up from Citalopram. I mean it was hellish. The current wisdom, that is only anecdotal evidence from people who have gone through this, is that we are looking at 3-18 months to recover after an SSRI. Everyone is different. These drugs are so random unfortunately. It's one of the biggest lies in medicine. For a lot of people they work ok and I'm not entirely anti-med, but for people like me the effects of the drug can make their original problems look like nothing.

And it goes on and on and on. I am kind of wishing I hadn't stopped last week because I have an important event at the weekend, but when I saw the post saying 3 to 18 MONTHS recovery I was just so glad to be off them.

I seem to mostly be tearful, snappy, tired, nauseous and the worst of all, the 'brain Zapps' are awful.

I would never tell anyone not to take these, if its what their GP has prescribed, but I would urge anyone reading this who are considering taking them to make an informed choice and do more research. I was in an emotional ditch when I started these pills, little did I know I would have to climb a mountain to get free of them.

I will put a day count and quick upate at the end of my posts, so anyone interested can see how long it takes me to feel 'normal'

Valerie

xxx

 

* Day 8, nausea, brain zapps, altered mood - scale 1-10 = 8*