Depression Blog.com

The side effect I disliked was the sensation I got if I forgot to take a couple doses. It was as if there was a instantaneous short circuit in my brain. It felt simultaneously neurological and electrical. At the same moment I would feel like I would pass out. This whole sensation would last a fraction of a second and was wierd enough to be scary.

I had the hardest time getting off the drug. It took at least 3 months of reducing down to ridiculously tiny dosages just to avoid the sensation.

Before Celexa I had previously tried Wellbutrin, Prozac, Lithium and Depakote as well as occasional benzodiazapines. I actually liked the calming effects of Depakote and the benzos, but there were too many side effects and I know benzo are addictive and I wanted NOTHING to do with addictive meds. Wellbutrin and Lithium didn't seem to have much of an effect and Prozac made me even more anxious. My diagnosis is likely Bipolar 2 as my 'natural state' is mild mania (without any self destructiveness- it's more a pervasive feeling of hyperness and restlessness) but then I can quickly fluctuate into deep depressions. However I have always been able to function, work and go to school, though when in the depressed state sometimes only barely. Lots of 'mental health' days! My main pervasive symptoms were EXTREME and sudden mood changes, hyperactivity and restlessness, an inability to calm down and relax, a feeling of impending doom, not feeling I ever 'fit' into the world, black moods and existential crisis', extreme pessimism, rumination and worry in all areas of life, mild paranoia, outbursts of rage and anger, lifelong insomnia, feeling I was in a 'dark hole' I couldn't escape from and general anxiety. The worry was that antidepressants would make me more hyper and affect my poor sleep even more. That was the case with both Wellbutrin and Prozac. I was hesistant to start on Celexa, especially when I read the list of possible side effects. Becasue of this concern I was started on a dose of 5mg, which I highly recommend doing intially. From what I undertand starting on a very low dose decreses the side effects to a great extent. My only side effects were increased insomnia and loss of appetite (I lost 4 lbs. in the first week). But then something amazing happened. Within 1 WEEK I felt what can only be described as a 'lightening'- in mood and in thoughts in all arenas. All of a sudden instead of getting instantly affected by something externally negative and letting it disrupt my mood for days, I would 'bounce back' after intially venting and then let it go. That had NEVER happened before. The bottoming outs of my depression just never happened. I would react naturally to events but then quickly rebalance to a more neutral and calm position. I have been on 20mg now for 8 weeks and have not had any reoccurance of severe mood swings, rage, anxiety or black moods. I have NEVER gone this long without these negative emotions in my life. I have tried EVERYTHING- therapy, meditation, nutritional changes, natural herbs, yoga...they all helped in a variety of ways but never had much impact on my moods or depression. This medication has made life worth living again probably also saved my marriage. I have not had problems with any other side effects except insomnia and was recently put on a small dose of Trazadone at night which has helped this problem to a great extent. Anyone who shuns the idea of medication needs to realize that without the correct medication for many people the end result would be suicide. That's where I was headed. Instead, I now have another chance. THANK YOU CELEXA!

I just started taking Celexa about 2 weeks ago & although it may be too soon to tell, so far, Celexa has completely turned my life around! In the weeks before I began taking Celexa, I felt sooo empty & had no interest in my favorite things. I cried almost every day (for no apparent reason) & had no motivation--there were times I couldn't get off the couch to get ready for work. Now, I almost look forward to going to work!
I was leery of beginning treatment for my depression because of all the hype surrounding anti-depressant meds side effects, but I couldn't be happier with the results. I am still TERRIFIED about some of the side effects (i.e. painful menstruation--as mine is already unbearable--weight gain, sexual dysfunction, etc), but am aware that everyone handles it differently, and so far, it seems that I may lose weight. (My appetite has decreased--I eat less often & it takes less to fill me up.)

I know it sounds silly, but I actually have a whole new outlook on my life & the world around me.
THANK YOU CELEXA!!!!!

I would appreciate feedback from Celexa users, especially concerning its side effects and effectiveness, as I am still a beginner!!! :)

I am yet to see the positives except for a massive reduction in my emotional outbursts. I have been on this for two weeks.

The negatives....

Blurred vision
(like when you first wake up) it's like I have fluid over my eyes. Not too bad that I can still function, but it is very hard to read standard size printed text except close up.

Male anatomical...
I have no erection problems, but ejaculation is just not happening. (frustating both me and my wife)

Dizzyness...
I feel light headed and while I've not done so, I feel like I might lose balance and fall over

Headaches...
very mild but quite frequent

Apetite...
I rarely ate during the depression prior to the medication. However, my lack of apetite is more so.

Sleep disorders...
My sleep patterns have become very sporadic. Previously, I used to only sleep for short periods. On this medication, sometimes I'll sleep for 15 hours, while on others, only maybe 2 - 4 hours.

Memory Problems....
I seem to have short term memory loss. Carrying a conversation is weird. I drift off onto other tangents and can't remember what I just said at times. Sometimes repeating same story to my wife, not able to remember that I already told her something.

Ive taken celexa for a couple of years and found it to be the best for me. The minor side effects mentioned here become second nature or you just adjust to them and they lessen as time goes by. The benefit has always been worth the small side effects.

I am just starting celexa and Im scared of all the things I hear about the side effects, I am 110 pounds, I am starting at 5mg, Does this drug realy work for anxiety and panic attacks, And stress of course.
Please respond.
Thanks , Andrea

Hi all, i started taking Celexa (Cipramil here in the UK) 6 months ago............ it is the best anti depressant i have ever been on. This is my second bout of depression, the first bout was difficult, as the drugs i was on didnt make any changes (Prozac,Seroxat[paxil]) until i went onto Zoloft, which helped me but the side efects where horrid. 4 years later and here i am again with depression, but im certain, THIS time it wont me back as i am so muh better and happier on this med. Tried others? Try Cipramil (Celexa). PS, only persistant side effect is difficulty reaching orgasm (im male).

I have been taking CELEXA since 9-11 for PTSS. It has really taken the edge off and I am not anxious but now my house is a total mess, I have no ENERGY and have gained weight! I love taking NAPS in the afternoon now and can hardly get out and do things anymore. I havent tried any other meds but don't even know where to begin looking. Now I find myself crying and getting upset over things but I am also 48 and think I am going through menopause too. I like not getting upset over little things like I used to but my house needs a good cleaning and I need some ENERGY BACK....any suggestions????
I also have a hellacious craving for CHOCOLATE!!!
DOH!

I have taken Celexa on and off for 3 years. I took Paxil before that. Paxil effected my memory- ability to hold a normal conversation. Celexa makes me function normally - not high, not low - just normal. I'm trying 10mg now again after being off for 5 mos. Mood swings, panic attacks got the better of me. 20-40mg worked well in the past. Why suffer when the medicines are so helpful?

I just started taking celexa about 2 weeks ago and I feel better than I have ever felt in my life. I've never taken anti-depressants before, but recently I considered going to a doctor to talk about how down I am all day.

Anyway it has worked for me and I've had absolutley no side effects.

I went to the doctors two weeks ago after suffering my first panic attack. When I look back at it now I realise that it was a pretty mild one but as I was in the house on my own with my daughter my fear was heightened as I had no idea what was going on. We are currently in the process of emigrating and so I have been under quite a lot of stress. After the attack I realised I needed to take a back seat with all the prepartations and relax a bit - which I did. I was absolutely fine - suffered no anxiety and was sleeping well. Two days later I visited the doctor and explained what had happened. I told her that I had been quite stressed lately and that it was feasible that it could have all been linked to this coupled with previous miscarriages. I was not depressed though and the doctor concurred with that. I just needed to calm down a bit. She then prescribed me with 20mg per day Citalopram! I was extremely cautious about taking it (I'm not keen on prescription drugs) but after speaking to a few people I agreed that the doctor wouldn't have prescribed it unless she believed I needed it. I took one on the Friday morning and was extremely sleepy for the rest of the day. I then had a very restless night. I decided the following day that it would probably be better to take it at night time (if at all!). On the Saturday night I started to get some hot flushes and thought I'd better take one as I obviously need it. Well the night that followed was absolutely hideous. My heart was thumping like mad, I had tremors and my anxiety was through the roof! This went on for pretty much 24 hours. On the Sunday lunch time I went to see the emergency doctor who prescribed 2mg Diazapem to calm me down (which I only took one of). The following day I seemed a lot calmer but come the evening I started to get extremely anxious. I hadn't really slept or eaten since taking the second tablet on Saturday night and was by now extremely anxious. By the Tuesday I was again in a very anxious state and very, very tearful (still no appetite and no sleep). I felt weak and absolutely exhausted. I visited my GP and explained that this was a reaction to the tablets and it was clear that she did not agree with me. She was immediately on the phone to the assessment unit at the hospital trying to get me assessed that day!! She again had to prescribe me Diazapem (this time 5mg which I took two of that day!) and also asked if I wanted to try Citalopram again?!!!! She wasn't able to get me assessed that day (thankfully now looking back) and so I went home to try and relax. One thing I was extremely anxious about though was the night time because I couldn't sleep and the anxiety grew during that time. She then prescribed me with sleeping tablets. Thankfully I managed to sleep that night without the tablets and I haven't taken any prescription drugs since. I am still a little anxious during the night and seem to be constantly thinking about what happened to me. What made it worse I think was that the GP was on the phone to the hospital while I was in the room and was hi-lighting how 'acute' my symptoms were!

It is now 11 days since I took the 2nd (and last!) Citalopram and I still feel not quite right - slightly anxious and a bit jittery.

Has this ever happened to anybody else. I am constantly thinking about it but need to get on with my life. When I'm not thinking about it then I'm not anxious - this is my only cause of anxiety and it seems like a viscious flamin circle!!

Sorry for going on and on but I'm sure you'll understand my frustration!

I have been taking celexa for 2 years plus. I have been very happy with the results. The only complaint that I have that is very bothersome to me is my complete lack of motivation to initiate or complete any projects at all. I used to experience extreme highs and lows in levels of energy . Now, all I have is one mode. Medium. I have no drive to take any tasks on at all. I seem to drag myself through everything that is required of me and I really want to nap all the time. I guess I miss the manic energy I would experience from time to time that would enable me to paint and clean my house all day and then go to work and run around as a waitress all night! Right now and for the last couple of years really , my house looks like crap! haha.
Anyway, I have discovered energy drinks like red bull and others are helpful when I need to get something done. And lots of coffee and tea.
Things certainly are better than they were. I am the same person every day, now. I mean some days I would work with people and be so happy and on top of things and then the next day I might barely be able to form a sentence or look anyone in the eye. It was really weird to be so high and crash so hard all the time. I reccommend celexa to friends quite often. It has changed my life for the better. I just wish I could get the motivation thing under control!

I've been taking Celexa in a high dosage (60mg daily) for four years. I had a heat stroke, was hospitalized for 3 days. Every test showed negative (heart/neurological, etc). I immediately began to develop severe panic attacks (i.e. - - like "waves" of emotion coming over me that was only solved by the immediate putting of ice cold water on face and neck, and drinking cold fluids). Initially I tried Paxil, then effexor. Side effects were too much (having to nap three hours every afternoon). Started on 20mg Celexa, then 40mg, now 60mg. Seem to have no side effects - - unless I lower dosage or miss two days. Then I feel lighting fast sensations best described as "electrical shocks" and a feeling of "coming apart" emotionally. I'm content to stay on Celexa forever if need be. No side effects for four years; that's a pretty good track record!!

I have been taking Celexa for about 6 weeks now. It's sort of been off and on, feeling like my body is trying over and over to re-adjust. Just when I think the side effects have lessoned, I wake up in the morning with blurred vision, severe dizziness, upset stomach etc ... I notice that I also have a few little tremors in my muscles, mainly when I go to bed. It's pretty trippy. I have had many nights of insomnia as well, feeling like I've just drank a triple shot Starbucks coffee at 3am. That's a bummer. So far, I am not to the point of giving up only because I started taking this medication for serious IBS - ( Irritable Bowel Syndrome ) and it has changed my life! I've had the condition since I was young but didn't know what was causing it. Apparently, I read that when a child ( myself ) goes through years of trauma in his or her life, the brains chemistry changes and is unable to accept the seretonin that the body produces. Most of the seretonin that our body's create is in the small intestine, which aids in digestion and keep the tract moving at a normal rate. In my case, nothing was going anywhere! Left me incredibly miserable ALL of the time, and I didn't look forward to eating at all. So, with my problem it has worked wonders! The side effects are worth it as long as I can enjoy a piece of pizza once and a while ... :) BUT - a warning to those Celexa users out there! I was feeling so great that I decided to add a half of a grapefruit to my meals each day. I did that for about 9 days or so - big no no on these meds. The small intestine will not absorb the Celexa and it all builds up in the blood stream - not fun at all. I felt like I had drank a fifth of JD the night before, and it took two days to feel better - ewww. I lost about 8 pounds and have had NOOOO appetite whatsoever - I didn't need to lose weight really, but I'm not going to complain. I just have to make myself eat when I feel like my gut is empty - sort of catch 22, ya think? Bottom line, I like it so far ... we'll see how it goes.

I have been taking Celexa 20 mgs. just upped it to 40 mgs. I take the pill in the am and I am so sleepy all day long. Is this common?

I was on Celexa for 1 1/2 years, went off for 6 months and am now back on. I missed the emotional stability and spiralled into depression again.

Now, I am back to my normal self. The only side effects seem to be minor blurry vision first thing in the morning and tiredness sometimes during the day.

Celexa certainly changed my life. Thanks guys!

Hey there

just started celexa today because i've been battling depression for a few years now. this is the first drug i've been on so far so i'm a little nervous taking it... i'll leave some feedback on how it works, but for those of you thinking about taking it or going on an anti-depressant, my symptoms were pretty random. I went away to college and would come up with any reason not to go to school because the thought of sitting in class scared me to no end. after freaking out before every class and being up all night stressing about not wanting to go to school the next day i dropped out and came home to mom and dad. My moms side of the family area ALL on anti-depressants but at first i was just perscribed something for sleep at night... i took it twice and handed the percription to a friend who needed it more because i was sleeping fine without it and didnt like the idea of it. Then i had the same feeling before i quit my job, again not wanting to go to work, and stressing about going. Then i was fine... for about a year and a half until i started working for a local call centre. Not wanting to go in wasnt a big deal... i would get there and sit down and be fine for the rest of the day until that night when i left and would stress about getting in to work the next day because i knew i wouldnt want to. So, in the end one day before work i pulled into my parking spot and started crying uncontrollably, shaking, feeling like an idiot because all i had to do was walk in the doors to go to work. So i raced home and hid in bed for the next three or four days until i got up the courage to go in and quit. This has been my pattern. I come home and crawl into bed and draw and listen to music, watch stupid movies. So, i'm actively looking for a counsellor in the area and starting on Celexa.---- here goes nothing! Good luck to all with a safe and successful recovery.

This will be my second day on this drug. With the way I have been feeling the last 6 months i will take it for 60 days and see how I feel. I think the side effects of depression are just as bad as what is listed for celexa. Has anyone tried herbs for your condition?

When is the best time to take this drug? Is it better after 8pm or in the morning? This is only my third day but I'm very sleepy. Devon

can someone tell me about mixing cipramil and alcohol? is it safe?

is it safe to drink alcohol while on celexa?

After two weeks I have lost the need for sex. Could this be from this drug or happen this fast? If any one has any information i would like to hear from you.

I have been taking celexa for my depression and about three years ago I was diaganosed with bipolar disease. I guess I have not been acting right as everyone states around me especially my wife so I seeing my therapist and seeing my pychiatrist this week. My question is, can Celexa be taken while I am taking Depakote? Have you heard of negative side effects while mixing them?

I have been on celexa for a month and starting to feel better every day.I suffered depression since I was a teenager and I am finally feeling like the old me is emerging as Ia am 38 years old. The side effects don't

I have been on celexa for one month and seem to feel better every day. I suffered from anxiety and depression since I was a teenager and am now 38 years old and tried everything I could before going on meds. Had some side effects but they seem to have gone away. They included irregular menstual cycle. dry mouth lack of appetite andclenching teeth. this was better than what I used to suffer.

I've been taking Celexa for a few months. There are many changes. I still have side effects at times but they are mild. I have a different life now. Things don't seem to get to me as much and I feel better about myself. I used to go home from work and sleep till I had to go to work. I wasn't taking care of myself---This happend for YEARS!!! I was nervous about taking the drug because I have never been on any type of medication before. I think people create drugs just to get money...Example (Take this drug to get rid of headaches but the side effect to the drug...Headaches??) However I just went to the Doctor today to talk to him about it. He asked me what I thought and I said I loved it. A friend ask me a few weeks ago if I was still taking Celexa. I told her yes, her response was that she could tell. If you are sad....Try it. We only have one life to live, and I'm now making the most of mine.

Lynn-- I have been on Celexa now for almost a month and I am also experiencing those same symptoms. I wasn't sleeping before I was prescribed these pills (so I think my problem is psychological) and my doctor has since prescribed me Temazepam (30mg) to help me sleep and it has worked.
I have studied some other anti-depressants and in my opinion Celexa seems to be the safest. I am also seeing a psychologist who has recommended things like Yoga and any type of breathing exercises to help me relax/sleep and that too is working. If you ever need to talk I would like too compare what symptoms we are experiencing-- mercat@rogers.com = )

i have been taking celexa for 3 weeks(10mg for first week and then 20mg). so far, so good i think. i have a little insomnia and am a little forgetful, but my mood has improved a lot, i feel stronger and i'm not crying anymore or feeling hopeless or despondent. i did experience a few tremors and some jaw clenching in the first week, but not since then. i do yawn alot and feel tired in the afternoon, but i think most people (even undepressed people) feel a little tired in the afternoon. all in all, i think celexa is working for me and i am hopeful that it will continue to do so. i am not a religious person, but i do ask the god and/or the universe everynight to help get me through this and for the celexa to do it's job....i guess you could call it praying.

my depression was the result of a very stressful year that included severe work dissatisfaction, coupled with stress and exhaustion, an illness that required surgery followed by a long recovery, and then a very bad break-up, not to mention the chronic illness of a parent. i self medicated with pot, which helped for a long time and then resisted taking meds when things got really bad bcz I was afraid of the side effects, but it got to the point where I wasn't able to stop crying. i started seeing a therapist but also felt that i wanted to fight this depression with everything i could. first i tried more vit b, vit d, omega-3's and 5-htp, but no luck. at the same time, i did a lot of research about depression and anti-d's before committing to celexa. it takes time, wait at least a month if you can when trying anything, but don't wait too long, bcz you should know within 4 to 6 weeks if it's working or not...both my dr's said this.

i felt like i had collapsed into a heap of rubble on the floor. i was broken, and still am but i do feel much better and i do actually still "feel"...alot of people complain about not feeling. this has not happened to me yet and obviously i hope it doesn't.

Since i started feeling better, i have been trying to appreciate this whole experience as an opportunity to rebuild and reinvent myself. almost literally rebuilding myself from that heap of rubble on the floor, and that actually helps alot. Not that i get up everyday and grab the bull by the horns and make leaps and bounds in my progess, i most certainly don't, but i do take small steps everyday and in a way, think the reinventing and rebuilding is a little exciting...albiet scary as well. that's just me and one of the ways i cope. i also read alot, have been speaking to a counsellour weekly, go to yoga, walk alot and try to express gratitude for the things that i am grateful for like the fact that I am blessed with amazing support from friends and family and that the celexa seems to be working so far (i am very, very, very grateful for both these things). i still smoke pot on occassion bcz i like it, but over the last few years have gone from smoking everyday, to every weekend all weekend long, to a couple times a month...which my therapist says is no biggie....a far as pot goes, less is more if you ask me. anyway, that's just me and some of the ways i have been trying to cope. i hope this helps somewhat. i have enjoyed sharing.

i wish you all good luck and good health.

i'm that person that is scared of medication and need some support i feel so alone in this world i feel ok and than the next min i feel hopless if someone can relate to me please write me at sonyahdoor@yahoo.com

I have just started taking celexa 40mg two days ago in the morning and 75mg of seroquel at night for sleep which also is a mood stabalizer. Is this a good combination?

I'm a 35 year old male who's started on 10 mg Celexa fifteen days ago for depression. The doctor started me on 20 mg but I knew that was too much so I just take half a pill a day. For 10 months between '94 & '95 I was on Prozac and it helped me tremendously. I stopped taking it because of the sexual dysfunction (would get hard but never orgasm and it felt like my buddy wasn't even attached to my body) and the awful dreams it gave me. Celexa is the first anti-depressant I've been on since then. So far I feel good. After the third day I realized that I wasn't so angry all the time. The anger hasn't returned and I can't remember the last time I got really upset about something. Though I still feel impatient with other people while walking on the street during rush hour, this is NYC. I notice that I laugh much more genuinely, deeply and effortlessly. My orgasms are off the charts with very deep, long feelings of warmth and contentment. My side effects were constant yawning, feeling tired, a little confusion at times, nausea, almost no appetite and waking up very early and being wide awake. All of these symptoms have passed so far except the waking early and the no appetite. I've lost six pounds. That's not really good for me because I'm naturally lean already and I try to keep my weight up by working out. This drug is making that impossible. Also I really haven't had the motivation to go to the gym and it was something I'd always done religiously for about 10 years now. I think the Celexa is helping me to feel more accepting of myself so I don't really feel the need to have my body look so perfect anymore. All in all I'm pretty damn content with it. I just hope the orgasms keep coming because I keep reading that people have the same sexual side effect on Celexa as I had on Prozac.

I wrote the above post about Celexa. I stopped taking it 7 days after writing that post. The reason was that I got this awful pain in my right knee that I'd never had before. Also my appetite never returned and that really concerned me. Since being off of it my appetite has returned (Yay!) and my knee is almost back to normal. I don't regret going off of it. The only thing I regret is not having the type of orgasms that I had while on it. They're gone. I'd never felt anything like that before. The warmth was incredible. DAMN!!!

I get this dry eye symptom in my left eye. I had it from cymbalta and now have it from celexa. Any advice.

My wife and I just found out we were prenant and she was told to no longer take celexa and boy talk about taking two steps back. When she began taking celexa our marriage started turning around for the better and now all of a sudden she back to her rages and out of controll tempers. She is stressing over everything and terrible upset with me for everthing I Do. I don't know what to do for her and how to go about suggesting that she contact her doctor to find out if she can take something else to help fight this. Any suggestions would be great.

I've been on Celexa for about a month. I feel a lot less depressed than before, and much less irritible. Life's about the same as it was, only I don't feel awful or suicidal anymore. So far, it's a good thing for me.

I have spent the past 2-3 yrs in a minor state of depression. Many factors have made this happen. About 2 Months ago I went into a very major state of depression, and end in up going to a Mental Healh Crisis Center; Thank GOD!!! Through Psycotherepy and Celexa..... Started on 20 mg for 4 weeks then to 40mg. There was a lot of side effects at first, dry mouth, jertiness, and werid dreams. These passed with time. I have been on Celexa now for about 9 weeks. I finally feel "normal" again. I can deal with my daily routines more evenly. I almost lost myself, but I am really glad to feel like me again.