Have you experienced side effects going off citalopram (Celexa)?

Have you through about a new job? I make quilts for other people and love my Job..

I work with preschool Spec Ed children ages 3-5, it is an very challenging job,, emotionally, physically and mentally but so rewarding when you make a breakthru. But after what I went thru I have decided it is time to retire, I am of age, I will at the end of the school year. Thank you for your concern!

Hello, @mrt625, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I'm sorry for the troubles you experienced going off citalopram. I know from my own experience changing from citalopram to buproprion many years ago that it can be a very bumpy road. I came to a point in my taper where I knew that something was not right with my body - I just felt exceedingly weird inside - so I sat down in a corner of my kitchen (basically so I would not make another move or say another thing) and told my husband I needed to be taken to urgent care. We went there, and they prescribed an anti-anxiety med for me to take over that weekend to get me through the issues I was having with the taper. Then I believe my primary care physician made some adjustments in my tapering schedule the next week.

I am adding the word "Celexa" to the title of this discussion, just so other members who may know the medication by this brand name can find it.

@mrt625 - I believe your doctor restarted the citalopram you'd been taking, but that the goal is still to get off of it? Are you back on a tapering schedule now? How are you doing today?

@judymcd - I believe you are taking citalopram (Celexa)? Has it continued to go well for you?

I plan to stay on the citalopram (Celaxa}. I started back very slowly and am up to the 40MG that I had been on for 10 years since the end of November. I began to notice a gradual change in what I was feeling in the middle of November and by the second week of December I felt like myself again. I was so happy to feel so good again. I had been out of work since the middle of September and was going back January 22. I was taking the extra time to feel 100% better before I returned. I felt "normal" for about 5 weeks, then about 2 weeks before I was to return to work, the anxiety came back, no where near where it was but I was very disappointed. I am back at work, I have been able to get thru the days feeling pretty good and sometimes feeling great. I am taking Valium for the anxiety, I had to increase it even on the weekends but it gets me thru, I feel a difference in about 20 minutes. All days are different, today was a great day. I do plan to retire at the end of the school year thinking it must be school related, my job is stressful and I am of age I can retire. Thank you for caring!

Has anyone had long term withdrawal from Citalapram 20 mg? I have taken this for 10 years, now 6 weeks after reducing to 10 mg I’m still feeling the flu-like side effects. I know it can take awhile, but sure want to feel better.

@cactusgrammy After that long on a medication like Citalopram, it really can take a long time to titrate off of it. Is there a particular reason you are going to stop it? Your body may have become fairly independent on it.

Has your prescribing doctor given you a suggested schedule?

Here is what I did when I decided to go off of 10mg citalopram several years ago. It was a very slow progression down. First week, all days except one, that day was only a half pill. Next week, 5 days and two half-pills [day 3 and 6]. Then each week I did one half pill more until 7 days of half pills. Next, 6 days of half pills, with 1 day no pill for two weeks. Every two weeks I took another day out. So you can see, it was about 5 months to get off the 10mg pills.
Ginger

At your 20mg dosage, you may want to ask for a 10mg dose, and do the very slow titrate off after you decrease to 10mg over a long course. For me, that is what worked. I kept track on a calendar to be sure it was done safely, and with my doctor's agreement.

Thanks, reassuring that it happens to others. I’m using your advice and going very slow.

I cold turkied my Celexa after nearly 8yrs of use and I've developed debilitating symptoms. Complete genital numbness, lose of libido, loss of sexual attraction, and even worse anhedonia, horrible emotional blunting, devastating cognitive impairment, a blank mind and visual issues. I tried reinstating my Celexa to reverse the issue but it just made symptoms worse. The same when I tried taking Mitrazapine. I can barely function and I can't cope with any of it. It's like I've been trapped inside my own body. Like I'm a robot. All my humanity has been stripped away and I don't know how to keep on going like this. Scared and don't know what to do..

So, what does your doctor say about this? It's rarely a good thing to go off these powerful drugs cold turkey. But, what's done is done. The job now is to get you back to where you were (or, close to it). If your doc doesn't have any suggestions, get a second, third, or more opinions. Apparently, when you stop taking Celexa abruptly, the brain experiences rapid changes in the levels of serotonin, that "feel good" natural drug. I'm sure you likely know all this. I would consider a top flight neurologist to see if he/she can figure out how to get your serotonin levels back up. Possibly a serotonin type pill. The important thing is to start seeing some specialists and get out of this funk.

@dandeliongum Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. This is a rocky place to be in, and thankfully you are aware of how this is affecting you. Like @heisenberg34 mentioned, go back to your doctor to get some professional advice what to do now.

I have been on Celexa [this time] for 3 years. In the past I titrated off very slowly. I am curious what prompted you to stop cold-turkey, and was your doctor aware you were going to do that?
Ginger