Depression Blog.com

i am using celexa for post-partum depression, and i have improved in leaps and bounds because of it. my biggest worry was the effect it would have on my breastfed son, and the fact that it has severely diminished my sex drive. however, i was interested to see this site as i was given absolutely no alternatives to the celexa. i think depression is something serious that everyone needs to talk about, and solutions other than drugs also should be suggested. the more the information gets out there the better.

I've suffered from Clinical Depression all my life. It was mild and not apparent when I was young, but when I reach my teens I started having bouts of depression off and on. It progressively got worse as I got older.

My symptoms were like Social Anxiety Disorder, and I was always in a foul mood and quick to anger. It progressed to the point where I would blow up (lose it) when under stress. I would get into shouting matches and be argumentative all the time. I also had the common symptons of being tired all the time, weak and no energy. Spent most of my free time sleeping.

I was finally diagnosed about 5 years ago. Just in time too, before I hurt somebody.

I first tried Prozac but had a siezure on it.
Then I tried Paxil which didn't agree with me.

Finally I went on Celexa. Now I can function 95% of the time. It mellowed me out, I don't get upset at things I used to, and my social anxiety greatly reduced. My thought process was faster than ever. I felt confident and wasn't sleeping all the time.

Some of the side effects, were dry mouth, excessive sweating, hot flashes, constipation, and the big one, loss of Libido. Totally Gone. I have no sexual interest or feelings. But I have my life back which is more important. I take 80 MG a day.

After 18 months I started going backwards a bit.
Since I was taking the maximum dose of Celexa, my doctor decided to give me a supplemental drug Wellbutren. I take 300 MG of that a day also.

It worked and I perked back up again. So that's where I'm at now. I have gained a lot of weight which from talking to some people can be a side effect too. I still have occasional bouts of fatigue, and have days when I lose it when in stressful situations.

The one thing that still hasn't recover is motivation. I have no motivation to clean the house, shower, travel or engage in group activities. I'm on the computer most of the time and satified with that.

I still go to work everyday but it's alot easier now with my improvement. I got disciplined a couple times for blowing up, yelling and arguing.

But 95% of the time I'm functional. So I'm living a limited life but I'm not in any emotional or physical pain. I wish I could get everything back that would make my life normal, but I'll take what I get get. It's better than where I was at before.

I think that celexa makes you lose initive - makes you lethargic (sp?)
However, it is presently saving my life, and I add a bit of caffeine to help the sluggishness
great luck to all

I have major depressive order. I cannot live a day without an antidepressant, so through the side effects and trying so many, I have had to keep taking them. Antidepressants really bother my stomach and I gained almost 60 pounds on Zoloft (almost all the weight if off, thank goodness), so I have tried everything to have a normal life while simultaneously taking these medications. I now take celexa every other day. I do not get as much benefit that I would get from taking it everyday, but can at least work and function, and do not cry every day!!!. Also, every other day helps avoid the ravenous appetite I get on these medicines. I was told by a Harvard doctor that these medicines cause the area of your brain, that tells you are full, to numb out so, though you are full, you do not experience full or satisfaction easily (antidepressants do this to me anyway, not all people). If I can help, the administrator has my e-mail. I have been on about all of the antidepressants.
One thing I learned from a doctor is that some people have the depressive disorder in a way that causes them to feel tired, while other people have the depression-type that makes them feel nervous and antsy and that different antidepressants are better for tired OR nervous feelings. Celexa happens to be one that causes you to become more sedate and is better for the anxious individual (like me). I took Welbutrin and I loved the energy I had, however before long, my anxiety was so bad I was forced to revert again to a more relaxing one. Great luck!

i'm too drowsy and also my heart rate is abnormal

i am know taking celaxa. i do not know how i feel yet, but i do feel a little bit more relaxed but in some ways i can not tell yet. i need some more info. i have always struggled with depression. i need to understand celaxa a little a bit better.

Started Celexa 4 days ago, after switching from small dose of liquid prozac. Had prozac for 3 years after panic attack. Recently I fainted at a restaurant and had major panic attack comeback since that.

My doc prescribed 10 mg. Celexa, but decided to start taking 5 mg. Good decision! But still at 5 mg. I feel stoned, zombie, and my anxiety is worst than it was. I am suppose to start a new job in some days, and I am worried I could not perform well because of this drug.

I decided to change solid Celexa to liquid Celexa and now I am down to 4.4 mg. and will stabilize first and then maybe go up a little.

After reading all the bad reviews everywhere about this drug, I will use it only for some months and then will slowly take that back when/if everything goes well at my job.

Right now my life is hell: I feel like I will faint everywhere. Just hate this feeling.

I like to know if their are any
alternative medicines for depression and
why then is these drugs are covered by medicare
and medicaid,both are the cartels of health ca-
re.

Does anyone notice that their pupils are very small when taking celexa? I am doing well on it it has been a month now. I have a sideffects but they dont seem to last.I sometimes feel like people can tell because the pupils look small.

Has anyone experienced new, or excessive, sweating while taking Celexa? I have been on the drug for about 2 years. However, over the past 6 months I have been miserable with nightsweats, and excessive sweating with most any activity. This all became much worse over the summer.
Thanks.

generic form of celexa saved my daughter life, totally different kid, no longer suffering from anxiety and depression, is dealing with life normally now, been using it for @6 months. It's a wonder for us!

Priviously used Zololt, which made me very tired. Asked my doctor to switch to Cylexa. After a month,up to 60 mg., suddenly my fatigue lifted, better than Zoloft. My energy is very good, though seems to prevent me from sleeping well. No effect on libido, well maybe a little, certainly not drive. The only thing that has me concerned is while laying in bed, trying to go to sleep, I will hear music, the same music playing over and over again. After using earplugs, I could still hear the music, even swithing songs at will. This must be a side effect. An audio hallucination. Anybody experience this with Cylexa?

I have been taking Celexa for about 2 1/2 months. I have tried everthing from prozac to wellbutrin. Celexa is the only one that has worked. Bad side effects are-but okay to deal with: sweating, feeling hot, insomnia, can't orgasim as easily but enjoy the happiness of being close with my husband, and feeling tired at weird times of the day...coffee works great for this! It's weird, Celexa makes you feel full of energy at times and then sleepy. Positive effects are: feelings of happiness and love, smiling more-not artificial, no crying but still can feel sad when it's appropriate. I really like Celexa and will stay on it until something new and improved..and generic comes along.

well i have been a depressed person for 13 years i have been on several different antidepressants the last one was remron i went from 98lbs to 145 it made me feel very bloated every morning when i woke up. the doctor put me on celexa. i can't wait to see how its going to work i will let ya'll know

hi i just started taking celexa and i feel great!!! its is the best antidepressant i've ever been on. i was on paxil for 11 years and it made me feel like a zombie, and like i had no emotions or sex drive. i feel so much better on celexa and would reccommend it to anyone whose body didn't agree with paxil :)

In response to terryb, I too have experienced music playing over and over in my head. There are times when I would wake up and have a tune in my head an 45 minutes later when I arrived at work, I realized it would still be playing in my head. Weird eh. I suppose the worst part has been fatigue and dizziness but I feel a lot better, thank god. Give it a try!

i've been on celexa since september after being diagnosed with a severe depressive episode. six or so months into it now, i have no side effects except for lack of libido and weight loss--but i was experiencing both of these things while i was depressed anyways. i feel pretty good, though i did have a set back at christmas and after consulting with my docs, have now up my dosage from 20mg to 30mg. I just upped yesterday and feel a little weird--spacey, nauseus, tired---i know that this is just my body adjusting as i felt these same things when i first started on celexa. for me, the side effects were (aside from the 2 i mentioned previously) were short lived. good luck everyone.