Question:
I've been on Citalopram (Celexa?) 20mg a day for about 6 months. Why is it
important to ween off them rather than stop abruptly. What symptoms would I
expect if thats what I did? When would they begin and how long would they
last?
Answer:
I came
off of 40mg of Celexa after being on it for 5 years. The ONLY withdrawal
that I got was the brain zaps. It is like a feeling in your head that
your brain is having a shock or is skiping a beat, this is acompnies by a
sound that is like "swwwft" quickly. i only had this when I moved my head
or eyes quickly - it was as if my brain was playing catch up. It lasted
for about 2 weeks after stoping and started about 2-3 days after stopping
the medication. It was rather troublesome but did not hinder me in anyway
of carying out everyday activities. You may have this symptom, you may
not, I would guess you would not have it as bad as I did coz I was on a
higher dose for a longer period of time. I think the discontinuation syndrome is a very individual thing.
personally, I quit Celexa with no symptoms whatsoever. but I know folks who
have had months long withdrawal. I'd err on the side of caution and follow
your pdoc's advice.
