SSRI withdrawal and what to expect

[NuttyJoe]

So after much deliberation and discussion, I know now I have OCD and it comes with GAD and panic attacks.

My pdoc and I have decided to give Luvox CR a shot. So I'm going to be coming off the celexa over the next month (been on it for about 5 years) I think he wants to get to around 10mg celexa and then try the luvox there.

Just curious as to what I can expect to happen? I'm going to try not to think about it, however, I have OCD heh

[tryp]

i had nothing worse than dizziness for about two weeks. Nothing else really.

[NuttyJoe]

i had nothing worse than dizziness for about two weeks. Nothing else really.

Ya I remember dizziness coming off of paxil, I'd be so glad if that's all that happened. I'm setting myself up a bit thinking about it, but it's hard not to. I'm more afraid of the dark thoughts coming back.

[tryp]

Why don't you cross taper to luvox? There's no good reason you have to be down on celexa before starting it, and that'll help with the whole nasty brain cooties reemerging thing.

[NuttyJoe]

Why don't you cross taper to luvox? There's no good reason you have to be down on celexa before starting it, and that'll help with the whole nasty brain cooties reemerging thing.

He said luvox is pretty serotonin heavy. We are cross tapering, but he wants to get the celexa to a much lower dosage before doing it. I don't want to experience Serotonin syndrome, even if there's the slightest chance of it happening I don't want to risk it.

[celestia]

You're probably going to be just fine. From what I know (which ain't much), withdrawal symptoms are a serious problem when you stop cold turkey. That you are tapering over a month's time should be okay for you. Having said that, once when I was out of my mind I stopped Lexapro cold turkey and it wasn't uncomfortable. Of course I did get even crazier, but that's another thread....

Good luck!

[c-]

yeah, after some disasters tolerating celexa, i went cold turkey on 120 mg / day. yes i know, it's the cardinal sin w/o p-doc counsel. i just couldn't function. but from 120 mg to zero, yeah i knew it wasn't going to be easy, but did want the memory lapses to go away, which they did. the zaps, vertigo, nausea, disorientation, and short term memory recall are starting to stop and we're about 4 weeks w/o celexa. the rest of the coctail remained unaltered.

hope you have better luck than i did.

[Hotmess]

I had a hellish withdrawal experience and I did not stop CT.

I tapered slowly (or so I thought) but it was still pretty bad so My best suggestion is to do it over maybe 2 months or longer.

I was on 20mgs of Lexpro and then I was on 10mgs for a few weeks, then I got down to 5mgs and stayed there for months. Then I went off that and I got really sick. I also tapered of Wellbutrin from 150 to 75mg over about a month and then went of that and when I was finally "med free" It was about a month of just awful dizzy spells and fatigue etc.

It does go away (the physical symptoms) but being off meds sent me back into severe depression and anxiety which was equally hellish... so I had to go back on and HERE I AM!

Not saying this to scare you, I'm saying it more to warn you to do it as alowly as possible so you can avoid going through what I did.

Wishing you the best . GO SLOWLY!