Weaning of citalapram

Anyone else done this and have any advice? I have talked to my GP and they are pretty useless, have just said to do it slowly.

I was on one tablet and in the last week have cut down to 3/4 of a tablet. Am thinking I will do it SUPER slowly, so probably quarter of a tablet every few weeks or so.

I feel like I am ready, but am if we get a bad patch of sleeping and I get sleep deprived, I will feel the anxiety come back again?

Thanks girlygirl. Yes am doing it extremely slowly. I thought maybe 1/4 of a tablet every few weeks. I am in no hurry.

I am scared that I will get anxious if things take a turn for the worse (with sickness etc) and I get sleep deprived again. Not sure what to do about that though? Is it a sign I should stay on the meds?

For me, it's the opposite just now. I'm monitoring my medication by myself (with some input from MMH) with the view of increasing dosage instead of reducing, and know that if I have a really bad week or 2 then it might be time to raise the dose again a tiny bit, and to wait another few weeks and see how things are going then.

It's the same as coming off it really. If you notice things get worse maybe stay at that dose for a week or so more, if things don't improve maybe you need to go back up for a wee bit longer. Pretty much what girlygirl said! Don't expect them to work quickly, and they take a while to wear off fully. Don't get too disheartened if you can't come off them the first time you try either, sometimes it's just a matter of another few months

Hi there,

I'm coming off citalopram at the moment too :)

The advice for withdrawing from my physcologist was this:
First 2 weeks: 1 tablet, 1/2, 1, 1/2, ...
Next 2 weeks: 1, 1/2, 1/2, 1, 1/2, 1/2, ...
Next 2 weeks: 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, ....
Final 2 weeks: 1/2 every 2nd day.

I start my final two weeks on Friday and it's been going really well. I was afraid that it was going to be terrible but I'm actually feeling better. I think that one of my side effects must have been fatigue / drowseyness or something cause I'm not feeling that tired at all.

She told me that if you start feeling not great when you cut down to the next level then to just stay at the previous dose for a bit longer.

I'm also a bit sleep deprived at the moment .... grrr to teething, but I think my anxiety is alot less now that I'm not a new Mum etc, I have a lot less to worry about then back in the newborn days :()

Good luck