Could Citalopram have damage my nervous system?

[livingboy]

Turns out that I was having an adverse effect with this medication Citalopram (Anit-depressant) . I believe I was experiencing serotonin syndrome. So I stop taking it about 6 months ago and I don't feel the same anymore.
   The things I used to do when I was experiencing an extreme amount of anxiety dont seem to work anymore. I cant get to the gym because I have chest pains now. When ever I eat my healthy foods that I cook I have an panic attack.  So now I'm taking alot of ativan these day. I'm thinking that maybe this medication could have damage my
nervous system or something because things that would help before just make things worse.  

[Julie359]

well glad that your feeling great now.  It is hard to know 100% what has happened as a result of taking these drugs and the long term effects, esspecially seeing as the drug companys and doctors are very weiry to admit that you did indeed suffer from this.  The more reports they recive the more chance the drug will be withdrawn i guess.

If what you are doing is working for you now then stick to it and good-luck to you...all the best x

ohh and i will have a look at the movies you suggested, thanks!

[livingboy]

  I learned about serotonin syndrome shortly after quitting Citalopram. I think that I was experiencing serotonin syndrome because my symptoms seem to coincide with serotonin toxicity. Let me say that I will never take another antidepressant again because the problem was not me, the problem was what I ate.
   I was detoxifying my body with juiced, organic fruit and vegetables 6 times a day a week before I even started taking the medication. So I had a spill of depression as a temporary result to the detox because my body was going through changes. Now I'm off antidepressants and back on my detox and I feel great.

       Please. Please. Please watch these movies called "The Beautiful Truth" and "Food Inc."

[Julie359]

Can i ask what was happening when taking the Cit? And exactly how you felt......what drew you to the conclusion you suffered from serotion syndrome?

I'm asking because I had a very unpleasant experience while trying to go back on Paroxatine or Paxil, had been on it for 12yrs, took forever to ween myself off but relasped after a few months and tried to go back on. The first few days days i was ok, but on days 4 i had a massive panic attack that wouldn't calm down but i managed to deal with it, then on day 5 about an hour after taking it i went into the biggest panic episode i have ever had... i call it an episode because it went on for roughly 10 hours straight, no let up... it was the worse thing ever...Just couldn't sit still, each time i tried to sit down i would get the biggest burst of panic and so for 10 hours or so i was climbing the walls, pacing up and down, feeling so utterly exausted, couldn't do nothing but pray it would stop.... at one point towrds the end i can honestly say if i had of had a gun i would of blown my brains out, cause it was just far too much, too intense and noting i did was stopping it.......

Anyway eventually it did stop but i feel this has damaged my nervous system because after this happened first it took about a week for me to regain some strength back, i looked half dead, i was like a human eletric pylon.... all my body was just vibrating inside, plus i has weakness in the right hand side of my body, and after i recovered enough my doc tried to put my on a different anti-d and now my body just will not tolerate any one he has tried me on, i just get severe weakness in my legs and skin rashes etc.... ad my anxiety gets worse.  

I thougt i had suffered Serotion Syndrome but i think it's a condition called Akathisia..... which can range from mild to severe and is one of the causes for people to commit suicide when taking these anti-d's..... i know if it hadn't of stopped i would of.  Google it and you will see exactly what it is.

hoping you feel better now though...... God bless J xx  

[james852015]

could someone expand more on their symdoms as my mum went cold turkey after 23 years and she has been getting server pain in her feet and hands and finds it hard to close them ETC she belives she has done damage is their ways to fix this she has also been told her iron is low and she cants get her body inflammation under control. email address is ***@****

[Paxiled]

If you suffered serotonin syndrome, I think you'd know.  My understanding is that people who do end up in the hospital for treatment.  I'm assuming here since you take these medications that they were prescribed by a psychiatrist, who should know about such things.  On the other hand, many people suffer various side effects from all medications, including ssris.  One of those side effects with medications that affect the brain are difficulties quitting, called withdrawal in colloquial terms.  This is much worse if you quit cold turkey rather than slowly taper off the medication.  As to whether they can damage the nervous system, nobody really knows for sure, but many people do report long-term problems after taking them.  It happened to me.  I would google long-term ssri withdrawal and protracted withdrawal syndrome, so at least you'll know you aren't alone.  What I can't do is tell you how to fix it.  A very good psychiatrist or neurologist might be able to help you, but they are very hard to find on this issue.  Good luck.