Posted by Melissa on June 8, 1999, at 9:17:09
In reply to Celexa-Can't Get Back to Where I Was!, posted by Jim on June 7, 1999, at 13:36:42
> I have had depression since 1/99. 3/99 I started taking Celexa and by 4/15 I was feeling great.
> No worries with great future outlook. Having never taken an antidepressant before,and since I was feeling so good,I slowly began to
> wain off the Celexa (I know this was stupid!) When I got to 10mg per day, the depression began to
> return. Now I'm trying to get back. I slowly went from 10,20 to 40 mg over three weeks, but have now
> been on 40mg for a month and am still depressed although it does seem to be getting better.
> My Doc. says you always can get back where you were once something has worked well.
>
> Anybody have any experience like this?Not me, but I have several friends for whom this has happened for a number of anti-depressants. THey felt so good, it has been effective for a long time. THey decide they don't need it any more. They go off. The symptoms come back. They go back on and the anti-depressant doesn work any more. One of my friend's doctor says this is not uncommon. My friend did this three times over several years with three different anti-depressants. The doctor warned her they were going to run out of different anti-depressants if she did this again. The only solution was to start her on a different one. I fully understand not wanting to feel like one has to take a pill for mental issues for the rest of one's life. But for many people that is true. And really that is not so bad. I am on Hormone replacement therapy and I have to take an antiinflammatory that I will have to take the rest of my life. I am on klonopin which I cannot get off of even thoough it is not effective for me anymore (I get very dark and despairful with even the minutest drop in dosage, something I never even felt before I got on it.) Given that you've lost the Celexa effect and you are lucky not to have the negativ side-effects, I would try one of the earlier SSRI's like Zoloft or Prozac. If you have no negative side-effects (watch out for feeling very tired and having to sleep a lot and losing motivation--these are side effects some people --including myself--have had on all the SSRI's). If it goes well--stay on it!!! Don't risk going off and then not having any benefit when the symptoms return when you go back. Be grateful you are one of the lucky ones. THere is not shame in taking an antidepressant the rest of your life. I just heard a broadcast of the conference on Mental health with Tipper Gore and the Clintons. On it was Mike Wallace of "60 minutes." He told his story with antidepressants. And his efforts to try to get off it only to have to get back on. He's says he has finally accepted that he has to be on it the rest of his life. He also says that he has never felt as well and happy and content with his life ever before and he is extremely grateful for the existance of anti-depressants. He has joind the compaign on mental health awareness because he feels that he can be an excellant role model for it. So try a new one, if it works stay on it and count your blessings. I would give anything to find one I can stay on the rest of my life. But in addition to the wonderful benefits, I have had horrible side effects that were intolerable. Be grateful.
poster:Melissa
thread:348
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990601/msgs/7174.html