Posted by Ritch on March 30, 2002, at 10:08:59
In reply to Re: stimulant and antidepressant combination-Ritch, posted by Bekka H. on March 29, 2002, at 0:49:11
> Hi Mitch,
>
> So, you cut the Celexa into eight tiny pieces or does it come in a liquid form? I tried cutting it with a pill cutter, but I usually ended up with crumbs.
>
> You've probably told me this already, but could you remind me what other meds you're on?
>
Well, crumbs just about sums up what I take! I use a carpet razor blade to chop pills not pill cutters (they are very thin, large, and flexible-you use both hands). Chopping the 10mg half-tabs into 5mg chunks isn't too tough-it is the 2nd operation which is a little tricky due to the shape of the tabs. There is a Celexa liquid available, but I have a big handful of free samples which will last months. You can also crush the tabs and mix them with a small, carefully measured amount of juice+ethanol (citalopram is freely soluble in ethanol). Pdoc told me how to do that one!Oh, I stopped taking Celexa about 10 days ago. My current meds are:
Neurontin 100mg 3x daily
Depakote 125mg bedtime
Klonopin .5mg bedtime
Dexedrine 2.5-5.0mg early-afternoon..early evening
Supplements: SAMe 200mg AM,FlaxOil 1G midday + vitamins.
> The anxiety reaction you described from Celexa plus Dex is similar to the rxn. I got from every other SSRI plus stimulant combo. Celexa + Dex was the only such combo that didn't give me a terrible reaction. I didn't do well on Celexa + Dex, but at least I didn't end up in the ER. I'm convinced I've had mild serotonin syndrome on a number of occasions from the other ssri+stim combos. For me, Celexa + Dex seemed to negate eachtother. Whatever is good about each one individually seems to be counteracted by the other. Celexa and other ssris are supposed to lower dopamine levels, and amphetamines can deplete serotonin and dopamine, so over the long haul, it just doesn't work for me -- unfortunately. Whenever I've been off of Celexa for a long time (at least 4-5 months or so) and then I resume it at very low dose plus Dex, I feel excellent for about 10 days to two weeks, and then I poop out. I've also found that Celexa makes me have to increase the Dex dose just to counteract the Celexa-induced fatigue, etc., so I end up developing tolerance to Dex much faster. Then I end up having to stop Dex for several months just to lose the tolerance. As you can see, this is a most unsatisfactory combination for me, but someone else might do very well on it. I have a tough time on nearly all med combinations.
>
> Bekka
I tried my small dose of Dex+Celexa just for a few days. All SSRI's make me buzzy and I feel like I just smoked grass. I am tempted to restart the Celexa again, not because I am depressed, I just miss the mild hypomania it caused. Also, the reduction of SP symptoms was kinda nice. It was just like a warm and fuzzy blanket I hauled around with me. But, I don't miss all of the side effects that's for sure! I mood chart very vigorously and I have noticed a trend of improved sleep patterns since I have quit the SSRI. I am still taking a stimulant at the same dosages though, nothing else has changed and my sleep is improving. I know the stuff triggers cycling, but I miss that "buzz".Mitch
poster:Ritch
thread:100774
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020327/msgs/100967.html