Can I stop taking citalopram suddenly?
Most people who are taking citalopram 20mg a day can just stop without any problems. However, we suggest that the safest and gentlest way to stop citalopram is by dropping the dose gradually to 10mg a day, then stopping. You can do it quicker if you haven't been on it for long.
As a general guide, we would suggest the following:
If you have been taking citalopram for up to two months:
If you are taking citalopram 50-60mg a day or more:
- Drop to 40mg a day for about 3-4 weeks
- Then drop to 20mg a day for about 3-4 weeks, then stop.
If you are taking citalopram 30-40mg a day:
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Drop to 20mg a day for about 3-4 weeks then stop
If you are taking citalopram 20mg a day:
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You might just be able to stop, although if you had lots of side effects when you started or anxiety symptoms it might be an idea to drop to 10mg a day (e.g. half a 20mg tablet) for a week or so, just to be on the safe side.
If you have been taking citalopram for up to 2-9 months:
If you are taking citalopram 50-60mg a day or more:
- Drop to 40mg a day for about 3-4 weeks
- Then drop to 20mg a day for about 3-4 weeks
- Then drop to 10mg a day for about 3-4 weeks then stop
If you are taking citalopram 30-40mg a day:
- Drop to 20mg a day for about 3-4 weeks
- Then drop to 10mg a day for about 3-4 weeks then stop
If you are taking citalopram 20mg a day:
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Drop to 10mg a day for about 3-4 weeks then stop.
If you have been taking citalopram for over about 9 months:
If you are taking citalopram 60mg a day or more:
- Drop to 50mg a day for about 3-4 weeks
- Then drop to 40mg a day for about 3-4 weeks
- Then drop to 30mg a day for about 3-4 weeks
- Then drop to 20mg a day for about 3-4 weeks
- Then drop to 10mg a day for about 3-4 weeks,
- Then drop to 5mg a day (half a 10mg tablet) for 3-4 weeks, then stop.
If you are taking citalopram 50mg a day:
- Drop to 40mg a day for about 3-4 weeks
- Then drop to 30mg a day for about 3-4 weeks
- Then drop to 20mg a day for about 3-4 weeks
- Then drop to 10mg a day for about 3-4 weeks then stop
If you are taking citalopram 30-40mg a day:
- Drop to 30mg a day for about 3-4 weeks
- Then drop to 20mg a day for about 3-4 weeks
- Then drop to 10mg a day for about 3-4 weeks then stop
If you are taking citalopram 20mg a day:
-
Drop to 10mg a day for about 3-4 weeks then stop
If you are just taking citalopram 10mg a day, just stop.
These are just our suggestions based on our experience, reading studies and talking to people. But they are nothing more than that. They are not rules, just ideas and suggestions. What you choose to do may also depend on why you are taking citalopram. If you have been taking citalopram for anxiety, or had lots of side effects when you started, you might want to stop a bit slower.
If you stop and you think you are getting discontinuation symptoms, then the best thing to do is to have another dose of citalopram, at the last dose you took. If the symptoms go away, it was citalopram that is causing them. If they don't go away, then there is another cause.
If citalopram is causing problems when you stop, go back on the lowest dose you were on before you had problems, then come off a bit slower. This is best probably over at least 12 weeks. Some people seem more sensitive than others, especially people who had lots of side effects when they started citalopram (Himei 2006).
Updated 7.12