coming off my citalopram.........update!

[AlwaysPraying]

I talked to my doctor and wanted to share. She said that there are never any good research studies done on pregnant woman for any drugs / medications or treatments. That is why there is no verdict and why it seems people have such different opinions. Every drug needs to be tested in a certain way, every group of people gets tested, age, sex, etc. The only one they don't test is pregnant women. SO, they never get a good reading of how any drugs affect pregnancy. For me that helped understand the confusion anyways. Like what JLT said, it's more emotional than factual, which makes sense, because the results are from women with experience, and the medical studies don't include pregnant women, so that's the only way the info would get out.

I wish it was different as I've just started on it and shortly going to ttc. For me, we lost our boy due to a severe and extremely rare genetic condition half way through the pregnancy. So in my life pregnancy = panic and anxiety. I hope I'm doing the right thing and will be followed closely, as I hope we all will be. Good luck everyone.

 

[Minstermind]

I wish the very best for you with your choices in this. I can imagine it must be difficult to weigh the pros and cons of it. I really found that, for me, a serious phase of soul searching and getting to the heart of what caused the depression in the first place, was extremely helpful in me working through it. For me it also took the form of spiritual evolution and growth (not be confused with religion, which I am not into at all). I think it's different for everyone, but I really hope for those of you suffering depression and anxiety and panic (which I have too, pretty severely at one point), that you are able to one day discover the source of it and it can then be free of meds altogether and more importantly, be genuinely happy and healed within yourselves. Bless.

 

[vixta]

I am getting so seriously anxious and having mini panic attacks now and i havent even come off them completely yet! i am still on 10mg every other day and i have to stop soon. I have told myself that if i can get through the first trimester i will take every trimester as it comes, because obviouslyy the first is the worst and its bad enough feeling sick and so exhausted all of the time......... i will see how it goes.
i know one thing for sure is that i dont know how much longer a i can cope with this hungover feeling any more!!

 

[Minstermind]

There's a lot of coping techniques for panic attacks out there, and I'm sure someone else with more authority has written a book or two on it, but just wanted to throw out an idea if you feel one coming on. It may or may not work for you though...I breathed in a brown paper bag scrunched around my mouth. I forget the chemistry but there's something about it that was suppose to help.

Ultimately for me, though, it was a mind over matter thing, and I had to learn to take control of the panic before it got out of hand. Breathing deeply helped too, and realizing (I mean *really* realizing, on a deeper level) that there's nothing to be panicking about, and it's going to be ok. Distraction also helped too, like tuning on some of my favorite (uplifting) tunes and dancing it away.

 

[kirski]

hi all i am taking escitalopram (ciperlalex) i am 6 weeks pregnant tomorrow and have no idea what to do, when im taking the meds im fine and normal when im not takin then im so ill, suffering from panic attacks, worrying over every little thing and feeling dreadful. I have takin then for 5 years and have tried to stop them on a few occasions but cant, my doctors says to keep takin them cos without all the stress is bad for the baby but i dont want to harm my baby. I stopped as soon as i found out i was pregnant, about 2 weeks ago and now my symptoms are returning arhhhhh. Anyone takin anything like my meds? was everything ok?

 

[vixta]

hi all i am taking escitalopram (ciperlalex) i am 6 weeks pregnant tomorrow and have no idea what to do, when im taking the meds im fine and normal when im not takin then im so ill, suffering from panic attacks, worrying over every little thing and feeling dreadful. I have takin then for 5 years and have tried to stop them on a few occasions but cant, my doctors says to keep takin them cos without all the stress is bad for the baby but i dont want to harm my baby. I stopped as soon as i found out i was pregnant, about 2 weeks ago and now my symptoms are returning arhhhhh. Anyone takin anything like my meds? was everything ok?

Yes hunni, it sounds like the same meds i am on now, i am on citalopram because of my panic attacks anxiety and depression. i have been on them for around 5 years too and before then i was on fluoxetine for 3 years.
I have been weened off my pills but it was mainly my choice to be honest, the way i am feeling right now i think i may be going back on them because i feel that if i dont take them i will end up in the mental hospital, things will just escalate to that point! i find it very hard coping without the pills, at the moment i am on half the dose every other day and in a few days i have to stop, but i am going to see my gp soon and discuss me staying on them, i cannot cope!!!

 

[vixta]

i came across this site i thought it was quite informative
https://www.peacehealth.org/kbase/dp/topic/zx1763/dp.htm

 

[vixta]

I am seeing my doctor next week, i need to talk to her about me staying on citalopram or being put on something else that may be safer to take. i cannot carry on anymore feeling like this... i am totally void of all emotion!!!!!

 

[vixta]

I cannot cope anymore, i am going to see my gp on wednesday i need to go back on my citalopram but i am scared about the babies health! If i donttake the medication though i am going to end up slashing my wrists!!!!

 

[hopeforamirac]

I cannot cope anymore, i am going to see my gp on wednesday i need to go back on my citalopram but i am scared about the babies health! If i donttake the medication though i am going to end up slashing my wrists!!!!

Please go back and see your doctor hunny,
Going back on even a low dose is better than nothing,

I really understand what your going through and hope you find a way through it

 

[hopeforamirac]

feel free to pm me anytime if you need to talk, your NOT alone hunny

 

[laurenviolet]

hey i was on 60mg of citalopram a day and my doctor made me stop them compleatly when i found out i was pregnant due to the effect it can have on the developing baby i find it so hard and the side effects like dizzyness are really annoyong iv also had a few panick attacks too i worry the stress of these cant be good either tho!, my doctor told me in the second trimester he can put me on a low dose on an antidepresant like fluxotine which will help keep pnd at bay too x

 

[JLT]

I cannot cope anymore, i am going to see my gp on wednesday i need to go back on my citalopram but i am scared about the babies health! If i donttake the medication though i am going to end up slashing my wrists!!!!

Have you got any citalopram tablets left? If so take 10mg a day until you see your doctor. Its got to be better than feeling like harming yourself.

 

[squidge87]

I stopped taking it last week as soon as i found out I was pregnant, had only been on it 2 or 3 weeks so probably hadn't had much affect on me anyway. But I saw the doctor the next day and he said I did the right thing. x

 

[vixta]

I cannot cope anymore, i am going to see my gp on wednesday i need to go back on my citalopram but i am scared about the babies health! If i donttake the medication though i am going to end up slashing my wrists!!!!

Have you got any citalopram tablets left? If so take 10mg a day until you see your doctor. Its got to be better than feeling like harming yourself.

Yes i have some left, i have been taking 10mgevery day again till i see the doc, she will probably moan at me but i need to take them!

 

[JLT]

I cannot cope anymore, i am going to see my gp on wednesday i need to go back on my citalopram but i am scared about the babies health! If i donttake the medication though i am going to end up slashing my wrists!!!!

Have you got any citalopram tablets left? If so take 10mg a day until you see your doctor. Its got to be better than feeling like harming yourself.

Yes i have some left, i have been taking 10mgevery day again till i see the doc, she will probably moan at me but i need to take them!

Your doctor should understand, surely its better to have a low dose of antidepressant than none at all and feel like harming yourself. Don't feel bad for taking antidepressants when you need them. Anyone who makes you feel guilty for taking them has not experienced what you have. You can't understand anxiety and depression unless you have been there yourself. And whilst counselling and relaxation techniques have their place, they are not effective for everyone. Sometimes the only thing that keeps you on a level playing field is the medication. If that what works for you then why stop taking them altogether?

 

[timbawundakin]

I am being weened off my citalopram because of my pregnancy and i am finding things hard!
I used to take 20 mg per day now i have been slowly reduced down to 10mg every other day. I feel so dizzy all of the time but i dont know whether its my pregnancy makin me dizzy or the withdrawal symptoms from the tablets.
I am so snappy towards my kids and my bf and he said i am doing his head in!!! i just cant help it though.... are there any other pregnant moms out there in the same situation as me ... i would like to hear the way you cope with coming off the tablets aswell as being pregnant x x x x x x x

Have sent you a PM.
k

 

[vixta]

Thank you for all your kind words of support, i will let you all know what my gp says when i see her tommorrow x x

 

[bexxie]

I went today and was told to go cold turkey lovely!

So from today no more whatsoever.

Am dreading the withdrawal but have two weeks off to have it in.

is citralopram actually harmful to a baby then?
x

 

[vixta]

I went today and was told to go cold turkey lovely!

So from today no more whatsoever.

Am dreading the withdrawal but have two weeks off to have it in.

is citralopram actually harmful to a baby then?
x

There is no evidence to suggest that it is harmful, only that when the baby is born he/she will have withdrawal symptoms for up to 2 weeks, crying and irritability, so usually the mother is weened off 2 weeks before due date so this doesnt happen to the baby.
You shouldnt be going cold turkey no way! I cannot believe that the doc is suggesting this. The symptoms are terrible! mainly dizziness i fell over a few times!
If my gp wont let me go back on them i am going to change my gp. I have been through some major "shit" these past 4 years and it has stuck with me mentally and i will be no good as a parent to my 2 kids nor the one thats coming if i cannot take the citalopram.
All the best on your cold turkey bexxie it is gonna be well tough!!!