biscuitcat Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 (edited) Hiya, So I'm starting the process of coming off citalopram. I have been cutting my tablets in half for the past two weeks and have experienced some very vivid dreams. I also find if I wake up in the night and I'm basically half awake half asleep I feel very confused and will misinterpret shapes - Then my eyes adjust and I can see properly. A couple of nights ago I was havin a dream about my dog and could feel my hand patting the covers (a little like when a dog' legs move when it's asleep like it' running) They aren't distressing dreams but I find it a bit weird. Has anyone here experence side effects coming off citalopram? Or any other medication? Apoloies for my typos, my phone likes to change my typing sometimes Edited November 21, 2017 by biscuitcat Link to comment
daja Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 (edited) Do it gradually. With help from your doctor. I came off an SSRI abruptly which is not recommended. Edited November 21, 2017 by daja Link to comment
taurean Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 (edited) I echo what daja is saying. I am thinking of reducing my 20mg dose down to 10mg in the New Year, but I will certainly be doing this gradually with help and supervision from the doctor. Why do I want to do this? Well the drug works well on my mood - which helps me with my therapy but doesn't have any identifiable effect on the OCD itself. I think the 10mg will still keep my mood good, but give me back some of what I lose in libido, and a little in stamina. Plus I need to start taking a drug in connection with my enlarged prostate, so reducing the SSRI dose will probably help me cope with that. Edited November 21, 2017 by taurean Link to comment
biscuitcat Posted November 21, 2017 Author Share Posted November 21, 2017 I have spoken to the doctor about this and we have a plan to have me reducing the amount over December and January. Just finding the side effects strange as I didn't really have any starting except for sweaty hands and twitching. Link to comment
taurean Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 I wouldn't read too much into it. These are powerful drugs so it's likely to show some effect, but it will no doubt settle. That's what happened with me acclimatising to it - it wasn't pleasant as the side effect was bad diarrhoea and the doctor had to prescribe something to treat that short term until my body got used to the drug. Link to comment
Caramoole Posted November 21, 2017 Share Posted November 21, 2017 Has the doctor recommended reducing the dose by 50%, it's quite a big reduction? This might help https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/medication-stopping-or-coming-off/planning-withdrawal/#.WhS9CIgW6Hs Link to comment
taurean Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 That's a really good article Caramoole - thanks for sharing it Link to comment
taurean Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 I think Citalopram comes in 10 20 and maybe 40 mg packs. But a brilliant little device available from the chemist called a "pillcutter" enables the dose to be safely cut up more. Link to comment
Caramoole Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 6 minutes ago, taurean said: But a brilliant little device available from the chemist called a "pillcutter" enables the dose to be safely cut up more. As long as they're not capsules Link to comment
taurean Posted November 22, 2017 Share Posted November 22, 2017 1 hour ago, Caramoole said: As long as they're not capsules Indeed But the Citalopram comes in tablet form Link to comment
biscuitcat Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 (edited) Thanks caramoole. Because I was originally only on 10mg the doctor didn' think halving it would cause any problems. Another option is to take them every other day. I've just woken up because my dreams are so vivid. I also found it really hard to wake up yesterday- it's like my sleep is so deep I can' make head nor tail of what time it is like normal. I might just be reading too much into this. Edited November 29, 2017 by biscuitcat Link to comment
taurean Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 1 hour ago, biscuitcat said: Thanks caramoole. Because I was originally only on 10mg the doctor didn' think halving it would cause any problems. Another option is to take them every other day. I reckon I would have agreed with the doctor. It's a low dose (half what I take). 1 hour ago, biscuitcat said: I 've just woken up because my dreams are so vivid. I also found it really hard to wake up yesterday- it's like my sleep is so deep I can' make head nor tail of what time it is like normal. I might just be reading too much into this. It seems that would be a very strong reaction to changing such a low dose of the medication. So maybe you just are reading a lot into it? I have had a few very powerful dreams recently, but we have a lot going on right now, so seems likely that is the cause. Link to comment
biscuitcat Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 So I did a bit of 'therapy' on myself when I woke up last night. The dreams last night were very vivid and unpleasant which is why I woke up, but they were only dreams and the problem was my reaction, not the dreams themselves. So I focused on my breathing and held Mr Biscuitcats hand - I find holding his hand if i am anxious or feeling unwell at night reminds me of where I am and takes me out of my own head a little bit. Then I focused on my breathing and fell back to sleep. I'll see how I go and if the sleep situation doesn't improve then I will go back to the GP and talk to her about different options. I think with me the tablets have always been more of a 'placebo' type effect. Knowing I'm taking them made me feel better, I don't know if anyone else will agree with that. But maybe I could look into replacing them with a vitamin or something and seeing if that helps. (eventually, i'm not going to go cold turkey) Again, thank you for your input and the link to Mind. I did see sleep disturbances was a side effect. Link to comment
Caramoole Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 Any medication that has the power to effect the brains working can clearly have an effect when reduced, even at a small dose. Just as the brain has to get used to tolerating the changes made by a drug, it stands to reason the same is true when reducing it. You sound to be doing the right things Biscuitcat .....see how it goes over the next week or so. Hopefully things will settle, if not, back to the GP. Hopefully things will settle down Link to comment
biscuitcat Posted December 2, 2017 Author Share Posted December 2, 2017 Hi Caramoole, Thanks for your responses. I have found things seem to be settling down. To help me relax when I go to sleep I have been taking a hot water bottle to bed, I think this has helped ease my mind about the side effects I've had in regards to my sleep, plus it's absolutely freezing, so it's helping me keep warm Since doing this I've found I've slept all through the night and haven't had as many vivid/anxious dreams. I'm going to take the process of stopping the medication slowly. So in a couple of weeks I may start taking a tablet every other day, so I can draw a line in the sand at the end of January or Feb. The GP was happy with me taking my time and I won't ever feel ashamed if I need to go back to taking the medication. Link to comment
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