Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 3323

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Re: Celexa side-effects

Posted by mary on May 24, 1999, at 20:23:52

In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects, posted by Jim on May 24, 1999, at 17:59:24

My dosage was reduced to 30mg. It made a big difference in sleepiness but I'm really worn out at the end of the day especially if I've had a therapy session. I'm not yawning as much but I still make stupid errors and lack motivation in most things including sexual relations. But I am not wishing I were dead.
Mary

> I've been taking celexa for three months, 40mg-in the AM. Sexual side effects went away real quick, certainly am less depressed, moods are stabilized. When I'm up and doing something, I feel great and have lots of energy, but as soon as I stop and sit, I am ready to fall asleep. Gaining weight, which I certainly don't need to do! Find myself going to bed earlier and earlier, and having a great deal of difficulty getting up in the morning. I've been considering stopping the med, as I hate feeling so tired all the time. Can someone give me a sense that even after three months these side effects wiil go away? Maybe a decrease in dosage?

 

Re: Celexa side-effects

Posted by Jenny on May 24, 1999, at 20:24:46

In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects, posted by Jim on May 24, 1999, at 17:59:24

Have you tried taking it in the evening around 6pm? This is what I started doing because I was running to Starbucks every day at 10am for a triple cuppucino.....so sleepy I thought I may need to stop. But since switching to evening things have been much better-don't even need as much caffeine as before Celexa!

Good luck!

 

Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain

Posted by Beager on May 25, 1999, at 21:56:22

In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects, posted by Jenny on May 24, 1999, at 20:24:46

Ten years ago I gained thirty pounds from Prozac (115 lbs to 145 lbs in a matter of months). All the doctors swore it was not the medication and I've had my thyroid tested many times (all negative). The problem is that I have never been able to lose the weight. I eat about 1200 a day, ride stationary bikes and lift weights three days a week, and hike for an hour on the weekends. I can't lose anything. I've been to Weight Watcher's twice and both times they said I should not be overweight and that they couldn't help me. Has anyone else gained weight from meds and not been able to take it off?

Thank god I found this message board! This entire time I've thought it was my fault I was overweight.

I just started Celexa four weeks ago. 20mg was making me too tired, I went down to 10 mg at night and I feel much better. But if I start gaining weight again I'm stopping the drug.

 

Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain

Posted by Jessi on May 26, 1999, at 16:14:11

In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain, posted by Beager on May 25, 1999, at 21:56:22

> Ten years ago I gained thirty pounds from Prozac (115 lbs to 145 lbs in a matter of months). All the doctors swore it was not the medication and I've had my thyroid tested many times (all negative). The problem is that I have never been able to lose the weight. I eat about 1200 a day, ride stationary bikes and lift weights three days a week, and hike for an hour on the weekends. I can't lose anything. I've been to Weight Watcher's twice and both times they said I should not be overweight and that they couldn't help me. Has anyone else gained weight from meds and not been able to take it off?
>
> Thank god I found this message board! This entire time I've thought it was my fault I was overweight.
>
> I just started Celexa four weeks ago. 20mg was making me too tired, I went down to 10 mg at night and I feel much better. But if I start gaining weight again I'm stopping the drug.

I was also thrilled to have found this web site. I had seen the doctor due to a huge weight gain
(40 lbs in about 4 - 6 months). I have had my thyroid as well as everything else tested. My doctor
also told me that it had nothing to do with the medication that I was on.

Each medication effects everyone differently, however, this weight gain I am dealing with was
the result of taking Celexa. There have been several success stories on this drug, it just had an
adverse effect on me. I have recently taken myself off of Celexa for this reason, as well as a few
others. I have been unable to loose the weight, but at least I have stopped gaining, for now.

As I said, each medication effects everyone differently, I wish you the best of luck and I hope
that Celexa turns out to be the answer you were looking for.

Jessi

 

Re: Celexa side-effects/Jessi

Posted by dina on May 27, 1999, at 0:03:01

In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain, posted by Jessi on May 26, 1999, at 16:14:11

hi jessi- this is dina. i had a post about going off celexa that you possibly responded to, and now i can't seem to find either of the posts (titled "decided to go off celexa") i had gained weight (in 3 months) from celexa, also i had begun to clench my jaw with such fierceness that i was having pretty regular jaw pain. and i had developed this itchy rash/hives that disappeared when i stopped taking the meds and reappeared when i tried them again. so now i am having some withdrawal effects, headache, that weird shocking feeling, and some dizziness. i have started taking 5-htp and it seems to alleviate/reduce the side effects. i am a little irritable also. i think you mentioned in your post that you are a little less tolerant now, but cognitively (memory-wise) you are doing better. i have noticed this too. (yeah!)
take care
dina

 

Re: Celexa side-effects/Dina

Posted by Jessi on May 27, 1999, at 15:51:25

In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects/Jessi, posted by dina on May 27, 1999, at 0:03:01

> hi jessi- this is dina. i had a post about going off celexa that you possibly responded to, and now i can't seem to find either of the posts (titled "decided to go off celexa") i had gained weight (in 3 months) from celexa, also i had begun to clench my jaw with such fierceness that i was having pretty regular jaw pain. and i had developed this itchy rash/hives that disappeared when i stopped taking the meds and reappeared when i tried them again. so now i am having some withdrawal effects, headache, that weird shocking feeling, and some dizziness. i have started taking 5-htp and it seems to alleviate/reduce the side effects. i am a little irritable also. i think you mentioned in your post that you are a little less tolerant now, but cognitively (memory-wise) you are doing better. i have noticed this too. (yeah!)
> take care
> dina

Hi Dina,

Although I know that all of this is difficult, you can't believe how much it helps to know that I am not the only one with these issues.
It sounds like we are going through the same withdrawal symptoms. It seemed to be a little easier in the beginning than it is now.
I've been extremely sick to my stomach for a few days and dizzy. My memory does keep improving and I haven't had half of the problems
getting up for work that I had in the past and I seem to have more energy when I get home. I have found myself getting more irritable
but I'm not sure if it's a result of coming off of the Celexa or if it is because now I actually care about things as opposed to just
feeling indifferent about everything. All and all I think it is one of better decisions that I have made.

Thank you for the advice on the 5-htp, I'm going to give it try and see what happens.

Best of luck,

Jessi

 

Re: Celexa after 6mos. off Zoloft

Posted by Tom on May 27, 1999, at 21:34:25

In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects/Dina, posted by Jessi on May 27, 1999, at 15:51:25

I am struck by the variety of responses and side effects of these medications. I went on zoloft five years ago and after a few months stabilized at 37.5 mg/day. It really helped me first with a depressing time in my life (major business project failure). I definitely began to feel better although the detached sense of unreality that may of us are familiar with was there. I had some anxiety with it but that passed after a few months. Tried to stop a couple of times and after a few days would get this anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach over something, and think "Oh, hello. I can do without THIS feeling, thank you. I'll stick with the zoloft." So you might say I went on for the anti-depressant effect and stayed on for the anxiety reduction--a sort of armoring from the vicissitudes of day to day emotional life. In four years, I note in retrospect, such armoring also allowed my natural defenses to atrophy. During that time I got into a great relationship, got married to a wonderful woman, and was happy, although increasingly bothered by missing the "top 10" (but not the "bottom 20%") that zoloft seemed to "clip" off of experience. I went to an Indian music concert and felt almost nothing (odd for me). On my first wedding anniversary I stopped zoloft. I felt fine at first, was a little more uptight at times, but basically OK until I ran up against a serious personality/territorial conflict with a neighbor and former (and perhaps future) friend. It flipped me back into serious depression and extreme anxiety. I tried going back on zoloft (I had stopped without consulting my shrink, which I DO NOT recommend) but couldn't deal with the anxiety it caused this time. Go figure. SO I switched to celexa in January, worked my way up to 30 mg by March. I have one serious side-effect which is different from most I have seen here: great anxiety and insomnia. Too much energy and often nowhere to go with it! I take 1 to 2.5 xanax a day (.25 mg) and benadryl and ambien on alternate nights to sleep. When I tried to go back on the zoloft I didn't try tranquilizers to offset it, and I'm considering switching back to Z. As I say, I went on originally for depression--which is real--but stayed on for the "armoring." I feel more with celexa, don't get that "clipping," which is important to me as I am an architect and paid to feel and interpret, in effect. Yet the side effects of celexa are for me--the anxiety--not receding, perhaps actually increasing, as is the (albeit small) dose of xanax I need creeping up. Weight gain--other than gaining back what I lost when I didn't have any appetite while depressed--hasn't been a problem, nor libido. But feeling like I'm in a horror movie and the monster is perpetually about to jump out from behind the door isn't fun. The xanax dumbs me down a bit, but generally is a relief. The yawning--YES--that does happen to me, although I usually chalk it up to not breathing. I guess I’d say in conclusion that I've always been a nervous, perhaps fearful person, and zoloft helped me to get to where that wasn't an issue. I was more assertive without being obnoxious, more confident, and, frankly, emotionally stable enough to commit to a marriage. On celexa thus far (do have a lot of gas and--uncharacteristically for me--stomach unease) I feel a lot of the old anxiety,. I am considering going back to zoloft. Anyone out there have any experiences similar to mine, thoughts on this long posting, etc? They would be most appreciated.

 

Re: Celexa side-effects

Posted by Kay on May 28, 1999, at 14:52:33

In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects, posted by Melissa on May 20, 1999, at 14:06:02

> I am so pleased that people on this thread are having such positive effects with Celexa. Frankly I am jealous. People reading this thread should look at an earlier thread listed above about the nightmares some people are having with Celexa- me being one of them. Extreme case of tiredness leading to 14-16 hours of sleep a day, fuzzy headedness, absentmindedness, massive and quick weight gain that does not leave once off the drug (10-15 pounds in three weeks or so), extreme sexual dysfuntion, and in some cases massive insomnia. So if you are looking to see what are the possible efects, besure to check out that thread of messages. But hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones as those listed here.
> Melissa.

I just started taking Celexa and have not previously been on AD's. From the first day I am experiencing intense nauseau and dizziness. I am taking 20 mg a day. Has anyone else experienced this side effect? Any suggestions? It's difficult to concentrate on work with continuous nauseau. I admit to being a little frightened by reading all of the comments above. But I'm frightened by my depression also. Anyone else feel between a rock and a hard place? Kay

 

Re: Celexa side-effects

Posted by Beager on May 28, 1999, at 17:20:27

In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects, posted by Kay on May 28, 1999, at 14:52:33

Cut back to 10 mg. It seems like 20 mg to start is a heavy dose for most people. It certainly was for me.


> > I am so pleased that people on this thread are having such positive effects with Celexa. Frankly I am jealous. People reading this thread should look at an earlier thread listed above about the nightmares some people are having with Celexa- me being one of them. Extreme case of tiredness leading to 14-16 hours of sleep a day, fuzzy headedness, absentmindedness, massive and quick weight gain that does not leave once off the drug (10-15 pounds in three weeks or so), extreme sexual dysfuntion, and in some cases massive insomnia. So if you are looking to see what are the possible efects, besure to check out that thread of messages. But hopefully you will be one of the lucky ones as those listed here.
> > Melissa.
>
> I just started taking Celexa and have not previously been on AD's. From the first day I am experiencing intense nauseau and dizziness. I am taking 20 mg a day. Has anyone else experienced this side effect? Any suggestions? It's difficult to concentrate on work with continuous nauseau. I admit to being a little frightened by reading all of the comments above. But I'm frightened by my depression also. Anyone else feel between a rock and a hard place? Kay

 

Re: Celexa--Dawn

Posted by Sky on May 28, 1999, at 20:19:29

In reply to Re: Celexa--Dawn, posted by Terry Hew on May 19, 1999, at 18:02:14

> > > How long before the sexual side effects go away? I've been on it six weeks and am also experiencing terrible bloating and constipation. I have a prescription of Zoloft ready to start but don't know if I should give celexa more time.
>
> The sexual dysfunction only lasted about three weeks for me, I am happy to report. I started getting constipated when I went from 20 to 30mg. Additional water in diet helps a little. My depression and anxiety have improved dramatically. If there is any side effect that would make me stop taking Celexa, its the constipation. So far, no weight gain. I won't tolerate that either. I've had some forgetfulness, but not too bad.
>
> Keep the reports coming in! We can't rely on doctors to give us the straight talk about drugs. After all, who knows better than the people taking the drug?

RE:Constipation- this is real common and it can be treated. For me,I took magnesium and calcium supp. plus psyillium seed and mucho water. No problem Also noticed more bloating with excess sugar in diet. Stay off soda pop and anything with nutra sweet. Hope this helps.

 

Re: Celexa--Dawn

Posted by Robyn on May 30, 1999, at 15:58:21

In reply to Re: Celexa--Dawn, posted by Sky on May 28, 1999, at 20:19:29

> > > > How long before the sexual side effects go away? I've been on it six weeks and am also experiencing terrible bloating and constipation. I have a prescription of Zoloft ready to start but don't know if I should give celexa more time.
> >
> > The sexual dysfunction only lasted about three weeks for me, I am happy to report. I started getting constipated when I went from 20 to 30mg. Additional water in diet helps a little. My depression and anxiety have improved dramatically. If there is any side effect that would make me stop taking Celexa, its the constipation. So far, no weight gain. I won't tolerate that either. I've had some forgetfulness, but not too bad.
> >
> > Keep the reports coming in! We can't rely on doctors to give us the straight talk about drugs. After all, who knows better than the people taking the drug?
>
> RE:Constipation- this is real common and it can be treated. For me,I took magnesium and calcium supp. plus psyillium seed and mucho water. No problem Also noticed more bloating with excess sugar in diet. Stay off soda pop and anything with nutra sweet. Hope this helps.

What exactly can rememdy the constipation? It has really been a problem. I take a cleansing type natural herb, but on 40MG of celexa I need more. Will calcium and Mag. work?

 

Celexa/side-effects

Posted by dina on June 1, 1999, at 9:32:57

In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects/Dina, posted by Jessi on May 27, 1999, at 15:51:25

jessie- the dose for 5-htp (from what i've read)
100mg 3x a day on an empty stomach. and to take it
with a carbo like juice or a piece of fruit. anyway,
i can relate to what you are going through, i seem
to have a lot of dizziness, and am a little achy
and irritable. i am somewhat forgetful, but not
completely absentminded as i was while on the drug.
i am also losing weight that i had gained while on
celexa. sorry about my prattle, good luck and stay
safe.
dina

 

Re: Celexa/side-effects

Posted by Cindy on June 2, 1999, at 7:24:36

In reply to Celexa/side-effects, posted by dina on June 1, 1999, at 9:32:57

Once I lowered my dose of Celexa from 30 to 20 mgs., the constipation cleared up but I still feel bloated most of the time. The other side affect I have not seen mentioned much is dryness. My mouth and nose is so dry that the lining of my nose actually cracks and bleeds. I use saline spray constantly, drink lost of water, and have coated the inside of my nose with a variety of things. I still feel like I am constantly on antihistamines. I finally decided to lower the dose from 20 to 10 mgs. I hope I don't crash.

 

Re: Celexa/side effects

Posted by rayna on June 2, 1999, at 21:50:41

In reply to Re: Celexa/side effects, posted by Pam on May 14, 1999, at 11:01:04

> > > i am just starting celexa, without much info on the side effects. mainly, i am concerned with sexual
> > > dyfunction, sleepiness, and memory loss. i have
> > > been on various other meds (prozac, zoloft,
> > > wellbutrin, serzone, luvox). one thing that i have
> > > noticed is an absentmindedness or memory loss when
> > > i increased the dosage (10 to 20). i haven't noticed
> > > any fatigue or sleepiness problems. but about the
> > > sexual dysfunction... from reading your notes, my
> > > sex drive might actually return?
>
> >> I have been taking Celexa for 7 months. I have gained no weight and have actually experienced a decreased appetite the entire 7 months. No problems at all with sexual dysfunction but I am female and don't know if men are affected. One of the main initial selling points of Celexa when it was introduced was that problems with sexual dysfunction were virtually eliminated. I did have some initial trouble with forgetfulness. It went away. ALso, I had trouble with mania when I went up to 40 mgs/day of Celexa. Now I am back to 20 mgs/day and feeling great. Best Antidepressant I have ever taken. One thing I do when I get a new med is to get the "package insert" from the pharmacist. It contains the exact same info as the PDR. Pam

I have only been taking celexa for a month. I was wondering if anyone noticed that it stopped working after about two. weeks. I only had side effects at the beginning. They were hard-core. Then I started feeling great. Now I don't think It is working anymore. I have increased to 30mg now and I wonder if it will work better if I take more. Any feedback will be welcome.

 

Re: Celexa - Dosage Increases

Posted by Ken on June 3, 1999, at 12:01:02

In reply to Re: Celexa/side effects, posted by rayna on June 2, 1999, at 21:50:41

I have recently began taking celexa (20 mg). Never taken an AD before but my Dr. says it may help with occasional depression. I have experienced some of the side effects (sexual dysf. / dry mouth / sleepiness) but I'm encouraged that some have experienced an improvement in these over time.

My big concern is the dosage increases. It appears that many have to increase later on in order to continue to receive consistent benefits. Am I interpreting this correctly?

 

Re: Celexa -

Posted by Ruth on June 3, 1999, at 20:53:24

In reply to Re: Celexa - Dosage Increases, posted by Ken on June 3, 1999, at 12:01:02

Constipation has been a real problem for me too. I'm now taking 4 glasses of citrucil a day which seems to do the trick


> I have recently began taking celexa (20 mg). Never taken an AD before but my Dr. says it may help with occasional depression. I have experienced some of the side effects (sexual dysf. / dry mouth / sleepiness) but I'm encouraged that some have experienced an improvement in these over time.
>
>
>
> My big concern is the dosage increases. It appears that many have to increase later on in order to continue to receive consistent benefits. Am I interpreting this correctly?

 

Re: Celexa/constipation

Posted by dina on June 3, 1999, at 21:26:25

In reply to Re: Celexa - , posted by Ruth on June 3, 1999, at 20:53:24

i take 1000mg of vitamin c and/or 200mg of magnesium and it seems to do the trick, better
than metamucil.

 

New to Celexa

Posted by Eve on June 3, 1999, at 22:25:51

In reply to Re: Celexa/constipation, posted by dina on June 3, 1999, at 21:26:25

I'm rather confused by this medication. I went to the doctor for fatigue and muscle pain. They tell me it's either depression or fibra myalgia(sp?). I've been getting extra sleep at night (up to ten hours) because they told me to. I was told that I was being given Celexa to "help you sleep at night". I've yet to see anything saying it does that. Besides, why sleep MORE? Then... I hear it can cause you to be sleepy. How do I know I'm getting better? Should I take it when they aren't even sure that it's what is wrong with me? As soon as they learned my family had a history of depression, they assumed that's what was wrong. Am I just being a scardy cat? I'm only 18, and I don't want to think about being depressed (I was a mutilator at fifteen).. Blah.>I guess I'm just overreacting.
Evelyn.

 

Re: Celexa - Constipation/Diarrhea

Posted by Leanne on June 4, 1999, at 11:41:25

In reply to Re: Celexa - , posted by Ruth on June 3, 1999, at 20:53:24

I have been on Celexa (only 20 mg.) for about 5
weeks now and have been experiencing diarrhea for
about 2 weeks now. I have no other side effects.
Actually, with regard to sexual disfunction - I have
more desire now than when I was on 40 mg. of Paxil
for over two years!

Anyone else have diarrhea? I went to the dr. and he
advised me to eat more fiber! - I am a vegetarian,
so fiber for me is not the problem! I eat lots
of grains, beans, fresh and steamed vegies etc.

Thanks

 

Re: Celexa - Weight Gain!

Posted by sharona on June 4, 1999, at 15:22:00

In reply to Re: Celexa - , posted by Ruth on June 3, 1999, at 20:53:24

I have just started on Celexa 3 days ago and have side effects like blurred vision, dizziness, tired, and when it wears off I am extremely anxious, also I have already noticed constipation.
BUT What most concerns me is that I have read where people may gain weight. I have already increased weight over the last two years and the thought of gaining any more panics me greatly. Can anyone tell if this is a problem too.
sharona

 

Re: Celexa - Weight Gain!

Posted by Leanne on June 5, 1999, at 17:17:01

In reply to Re: Celexa - Weight Gain!, posted by sharona on June 4, 1999, at 15:22:00

As my previous post, regarding diarrhea, I have been on Celexa now for
5 weeks and have experienced some weight loss. It may be due to the
diarrhea, but I am eating just as well (vegetarian) as I always have,
I just have extremely loose stools - but I have lost about 10 lbs. in
the last few weeks. I really packed on the weight (about 40 lbs.) while
I was on Paxil for over 2 years.

The only side effects I am experiencing with Celexa is diarrhea.

Anyone else?

 

Celexa dosage increase

Posted by Sean on June 7, 1999, at 9:39:08

In reply to Re: Celexa, help!, posted by John on May 8, 1999, at 11:06:42

Hi all. I was prescribed Celexa for mild depression
and I started with 10mg a day for the first four days
just to ease the drug into the system. After that
I upped the dosage to 20mg a day. My MD said that eventually
I might need to increase the dosage to 30mg once it
felt as if the drug was plateauing.

Anyway, I went to 30mg after about 3 weeks and noticed
less control of my emotions and ironically a general
reverse effect. I went back to 20 and have felt better.
Has anyone else had adverse reactions with increased
dosages? Perhaps I upped the dosage too soon?

Any thoughts would be great, thanks!

 

Re: Celexa dosage increase

Posted by Tom on June 7, 1999, at 11:41:34

In reply to Celexa dosage increase, posted by Sean on June 7, 1999, at 9:39:08

> Hi all. I was prescribed Celexa for mild depression
> and I started with 10mg a day for the first four days
> just to ease the drug into the system. After that
> I upped the dosage to 20mg a day. My MD said that eventually
> I might need to increase the dosage to 30mg once it
> felt as if the drug was plateauing.
>
> Anyway, I went to 30mg after about 3 weeks and noticed
> less control of my emotions and ironically a general
> reverse effect. I went back to 20 and have felt better.
> Has anyone else had adverse reactions with increased
> dosages? Perhaps I upped the dosage too soon?
>
> Any thoughts would be great, thanks!

The general rule for Meds is GO LOW AND SLOW. Some people are seriously depressed and may feel that
they need immediate relief but they may go right past their therapeutic dosage and onto a higher dose
that gives them intolerable side effects. My advice would be to start at 5mg and wait one week , then 10mg
at another week , and so on. We're all individuals with different reactions when dealing with meds.

 

Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain

Posted by Susie on June 9, 1999, at 0:33:21

In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain, posted by Beager on May 25, 1999, at 21:56:22

I have been on Prozac for over a year. Inspite of the past five months training to walk a marathon which I will do next week, I have not lost one pound. I walked 93 miles this month. My new doctor told me yesterday numerous patients have gained on Prozac. He switched me to Celexa so we'll see what happens. What is it? Do we have to be thin and miserable or fat and happy??

 

Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain

Posted by Mary on June 9, 1999, at 17:30:05

In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain, posted by Susie on June 9, 1999, at 0:33:21

YEP!!!!

> I have been on Prozac for over a year. Inspite of the past five months training to walk a marathon which I will do next week, I have not lost one pound. I walked 93 miles this month. My new doctor told me yesterday numerous patients have gained on Prozac. He switched me to Celexa so we'll see what happens. What is it? Do we have to be thin and miserable or fat and happy??


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