Switching from sertraline(zoloft) to citalopram(celexa) Part 1 of 2 Closed

Hello,
I have been searching the net for ages for answers, so I am wondering if anyone on here can answer my questions. I used to be citalopram 60mg for 7 years and all ok. Then last december my shrink stopped me cold, and put me on escitalopram 10mg which made me sick, then I was given a sertraline 50mg. Which I did not take for 3 weeks. withdrawal was not too bad, aparts from mood swings, weird feelings in my legs and agitation. Then then took my sertraline it gave me horrible feelings in my stomach, lack of appetite, insomnia, tingling feelings in legs, wretching, anxiety etc. 2 weeks later they upped it to 100mg, then the twitching started. Then 6 weeks after starting it, my GP put me back on citalopram 40mg. 1st 2 weeks ok, then bang. I became very aggitated, withdrawn, stomach probs, wierd anxiety, weird feeling in my legs, low appetite, insomnia, cold nite sweats. Now 10 weeks on, im getting bettert, but still got weird feelings in my legs, weird anxiety, twitches, and sometimes stomach probs. Can anyone let me know if they have had this, and how long it might last. All my GP says is its anxiety. Any help would very much apprecitated.

3 months on and I am left with wierd anxiety in my legs and the small of my back, twitches of hands, arms and legs(not as bad as they were) and still have some concentration problems. If anyone has had the same problems with withdrawal, please let me know, as my doc and pdoc dont believe me. Thank you in advance for any help given.
Regards
Patrick

Post Edited By Moderator (stkitt) : 10/10/2013 10:43:51 AM (GMT-6)

Hello
My doc switched the med as the 60mg dose was linked to heart problems, what he should have done was lower the dose to 40mg gradually, then I would not be in the problem state I am in now.
Regards
Patrick

Thanks for your reply. I keep on going its hard when you are on your own, got CBT starting tomorrow.
Thanks again
Patrick

Hello,
Thanks for your reply.
Its been3 months, so far, but am a lot better, as in my 1st post only have a few probs now. My doc does not believe me and just says its anxiety.
Regrds
Patrick

Patrick,

Thanks for the input, as I'm searching for help

switching from Citlapram to Zoloft, and back again.

No sleep at all the last few nights. I switched straight

from C to Z with no weaning which is probably causing

my problems. Hope this doesn't last much longer.

Pappy

Hi all, I've just signed up too. I've had anxiety for around 7 years now. I originally had Citalopram when it first started and that really helped get my life back on track. I came off them a long time ago. When I got bad again I was on Amitriptyline for a couple of years as I had bad pressure headaches. Anyway 7 weeks ago I had a bad episode of panic attacks again at work. I've since been on sertraline but they've done nothing but make me worse. I've had terrible stomachs, constantly boiling up, bad nausea and twitching. Anyway today I had doctors and told them I've got to come off them. I've now been given Citalopram again as I know they helped me a lot and also a friend I work with has them and said she's feeling the best she's ever felt! In answer to ancient saint I'm now going to be slowly coming off sertraline so I've been told to take 1 50mg tablet a day and 1 10mg Citalopram a day for a week, then do 1 sertaline every other day for a week and 2 citaloprams. Then I'll go back to docs bu assume then I can completely come off sertraline. I've been having a real rough time and I know things will sort out again. I wish you all the best and say you're not alone!

Hi Renee and welcome!

I am sorry that you have run into some trouble with your anxiety lately. It is really hard to determine what could be withdrawl, what could be a s/e from the new medication, and what could actually just be organic, like hormones!

I think that the best course of action would be to give the new med some time. After eight years of being used to one thing, and then switching to a new Rx, your system is probably going to need some adjustment time.

It sounds as if you did a proper weaning from the Zoloft, and since the Citalopram is in the same drug classification, your side effects will hopefully be shorted lived, and you will feel better soon.

In the meantime, try really concentrating on coping tecniques like breathing and relaxation exercises. We have some instructions, along with other self-help methods in our Resouce Guide (main page 1st post)

Post with us anytime...you will hopefully find this a place of care and support.:)

Best of luck!

Scaredy Cat

I hope that this all works out for you and that you are feeling your best soon.

Have you ever considered or tried therapy? No medication is perfect, and since breakthrough anxiety can and does happen...therapy skills could help you to deal with those times when your medication is maybe not enough to completely cover you symptom-wise:)

Just something it think about...I am glad that you plan to continue to post with us!

Talk to you soon,

S.C.

Well, I'm giving up on the Celexa (citalopram). Severe side effects from it, and today had a total freak out at work. I can't be feeling like this and functioning in a normal environment.

I've spoken to my doctor and believe the 20 mg of citalopram (and the drug itself) is just not a good fit for me. So, it's back to the Zoloft. I'm going to give the generic a try again since its been years since I tried it and different manufacturers do not use the same fillers. If that doesn't work, I may just go to a compounding pharmacy and see what my options are.

I'll report back when I'm doing better.

Hi SC:

The reason I made a switch away from the Zoloft in the first place was because I had to take the name brand of it. When Zoloft first came out in generic form (sertraline) I had received a prescription for it (since if a generic is available this is the preferred prescribing by most insurance companies). I had an allergic reaction to the generic form. I broke out in severe hives. I was able to still take the brand Zoloft (by Pfizer), so it was obviously no problem with the main ingredient since that has to be the same whether brand or generic. However, manufacturers can use different fillers, and it was with a filler in the generic form that I must have had a reaction to. Therefore I stayed with the brand name, just always paid the higher copay for it. It wasn't really all that much difference in price back then, but since then it has continually gone up in price, and I now have to pay 50% of the cost rather than a copay for it. It has gotten to be almost 70.00 a month now, and that is a great deal more than say just $35 or even $50 a month. I thought if I switched to a different SSRI that also came in generic I could lower my out of pocket expense. I was the one who chose Celexa thinking it would fit my purposes. But, since experiencing all these side effects, I discovered it is probably too much for me since I basically just deal with anxiety that is more than likely caused by hormonal imbalance. I never had a problem with anxiety until I hit my 40's. Right around the time a woman usually begins experiencing fluctuations in hormones due to perimenopause. I am unable to take any type of HRT due to a blood clotting disorder, so Zoloft is what they prescribe to woman in place of that for problems with hot flashes, night sweats, and anxiety. Phew...that was kind of lengthy huh :)

In any case, after speaking with my boss (the psychologist) he was like "I don't know why they continue to prescribe that stuff (Celexa). It is not a good medication." Well, I thought, NOW he tells me this! He said a better switch would have been to Lexapro.

I did get another prescription for generic Zoloft and am willing to give it a try again. This was 6 years ago when I had a reaction to the first generic, and the manufacturer of that one doesn't even make the generic Zoloft anymore. I checked with my local pharmacy to see which manufacturer they have for the generic and it is a different one, so I'm praying it will work. The cost per month for generic Zoloft is under $5.00 a month.

I'm starting back to Zoloft tonight. I'm feeling better than I did earlier today, and hopefully the citalopram will not have built up in my system enough to cause any residual affects.

Thanks for asking. I do not mind answering any questions, as long as they are not too too personal; and this definitely was not! I'm a pretty open book. And, I definitely don't mind sharing so others who might encounter a situation like the one(s) I have had can hopefully find some solace or comfort that they are not alone.

Hugs!

This is my first post. Started having anxiety/panic attacks in March 2012 which appears to be from hormone fluctuations.  I see several people have switched from Sertraline (Zoloft) to Citalopram(Celexa).  I just made the switch today.  I was up to 100mg Sertraline but it still needed to be raised one more time, but it was already making me so nauseated almost daily.  I had been taking 100mg for almost 3 months and it wasn't getting any better even cutting them in half; taking 50mg in am and 50mg in pm. It was definately improving the frequency and intensity of the anxiety, though.    Effexor was the doc's next choice, but I have no insurance coverage for mental health drugs and the generic was $130 a month.  Way too exoensive for generic.  The next choice was Celexa.  I was prescribed Citalopram 40mg to switch directly over to.  I'm cutting them in half for now because I had a bad reaction to Lexapro.  I took that for three days and every day I got worse.  Went from anxious to spontaneous crying.  Much worse with each dose.  Got off that quickly.  I know Celexa has some of the same ingredients, so I'm not jumping into the full 40mg yet.  Has anyone else switched to Citalopram from Sertraline due to GI problems and been successful? 

Hi G.G.

I am glad to hear that you are having good results with your switch. May it continue to be so!

Post with us anytime.:)

S.C.