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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Rebecca on April 16, 2000, at 11:17:44
I've been on celexa since December and it's done great things for my mood, but for the past few weeks at least, I've felt like a complete slug when I'm not at work. Yesterday I spent much of the day lying down, and I spent almost 14 hours in bed last night, most of it asleep. I don't have much interest in doing anything, and when I do get myself to do things, I don't find them particularly pleasurable. I used to enjoy cooking and eating and baking, but now I have less of an appetite, and am not particularly interested in cooking or eating.
Last week my doctor reduced the celexa dose to 40 mg (from 60), saying that the dose was probably too high.
Now I'm starting to wonder how much the celexa is really helping. I was in a good mood on it, but now I feel pretty blah. I don't know. I tend to consider myself ok if I'm not suicidal, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm back to feeling how I felt when I first decided to be responsible and get help; I wasn't suicidal then, either (since the nature of my suicidal thoughts makes me less likely to get help), but I wasn't enjoying things that I would normally find pleasurable.
It'd be really nice if I were interested in cleaning my apartment, but I'd rather at least be interested in doing things for fun. I used to make pottery in my free time, but I haven't been to the arts center this year.
I don't know what to do--how long should it take for the celexa dose adjustment to have an effect? Am I still depressed if I feel blah?
thanks for any advice,
Rebecca
Posted by Renee N on April 16, 2000, at 12:20:59
In reply to I am a slug, posted by Rebecca on April 16, 2000, at 11:17:44
You do sound depressed. I felt very lethargic and uninterested in life for a couple of months with Effexor. Maybe your body is still adjusting. Talk to you pdoc. Good luck. Renee N
Posted by Joy on April 17, 2000, at 3:24:37
In reply to Re: I am a slug, posted by Renee N on April 16, 2000, at 12:20:59
My Dr. called that "hitting the wall" for me. That my Zoloft was no longer working. He wants me to try Celexa. That's another story.
Posted by Rebecca on April 17, 2000, at 17:12:35
In reply to Re: I am a slug, posted by Joy on April 17, 2000, at 3:24:37
> My Dr. called that "hitting the wall" for me. That my Zoloft was no longer working. He wants me to try Celexa. That's another story.
igh. I don't want to even think about that. the celexa has only been working for a few months....
The fact that I have a cold that keeps hitting me with new symptoms doesn't help my energy or motivation, I'm sure. so maybe I'll end up at my doctor's before the psychiatrist's.
good luck with the celexa!
Posted by bob on April 17, 2000, at 20:54:08
In reply to I am a slug, posted by Rebecca on April 16, 2000, at 11:17:44
Hi, my name's bob, and I'm a slug.
It's so hard to tell what's the disease and what's the drug, isn't it? And having side effects that just spiral into the disease really sucks rotten eggs.
Anyway, I'm finding a slow, gradual rise out of slugdom with the meds I've been on for the last 6 months or so. For me, that meant getting SSRIs out of my life. Nortriptyline brought me to the point where I decided I didn't really want to be a slug. Ritalin added in is actually getting me to start thinking about doing some very non-sluglike things -- like calling up friends and going out to see a movie or a ballgame. Doing it, however, is yet another step away from slugdom. I'll be switching to desiprimine tomorrow, and since its supposed to be less sedating than nortrip is ... who knows? Maybe I'll take that next step.
Hmmm ... slugs don't have legs, so I'm not sure that "step" is the right word.
Anyway, meds aside, I think this is one good place for that "Oh, just quit whining and get off yer arse and DO something" advice. I remember when I was just three weeks into taking meds -- on 100 mgs of zoloft -- and hitting the bottom of the rollercoaster it took me on for the first six weeks. I was practically begging my GP to up my dosage to 150mg. He said I should (1) start seeing my therapist twice a week instead of once a week, (2) go out and get some exercise, and (3) if there were things that were making me anxious, then go DO something about them.
And, damn him, he was right.
I did all three of those things and regardless of the drug-induced rebound I had from that lowpoint, doing those other three things did help a lot as well.
Pardon me for saying so, since I'm really saying this because I need to take my own advice very much right now, thank you, but sometimes we just have to forget about where the meds have us and do a little "manual labor".
Now, pardon me while I go make a to-do list of things I keep making excuses for not doing....
cheers,
bob
Posted by forthfore on April 17, 2000, at 21:14:36
In reply to I am a slug, posted by Rebecca on April 16, 2000, at 11:17:44
Hard to say, it could be depression, but SSRIs CAN cause fatigue and apathy after long term use. If that's the case there are a few ways you can handle it, but you should talk to your psychiatrist about it.
> I've been on celexa since December and it's done great things for my mood, but for the past few weeks at least, I've felt like a complete slug when I'm not at work. Yesterday I spent much of the day lying down, and I spent almost 14 hours in bed last night, most of it asleep. I don't have much interest in doing anything, and when I do get myself to do things, I don't find them particularly pleasurable. I used to enjoy cooking and eating and baking, but now I have less of an appetite, and am not particularly interested in cooking or eating.
>
> Last week my doctor reduced the celexa dose to 40 mg (from 60), saying that the dose was probably too high.
>
> Now I'm starting to wonder how much the celexa is really helping. I was in a good mood on it, but now I feel pretty blah. I don't know. I tend to consider myself ok if I'm not suicidal, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm back to feeling how I felt when I first decided to be responsible and get help; I wasn't suicidal then, either (since the nature of my suicidal thoughts makes me less likely to get help), but I wasn't enjoying things that I would normally find pleasurable.
>
> It'd be really nice if I were interested in cleaning my apartment, but I'd rather at least be interested in doing things for fun. I used to make pottery in my free time, but I haven't been to the arts center this year.
>
> I don't know what to do--how long should it take for the celexa dose adjustment to have an effect? Am I still depressed if I feel blah?
>
> thanks for any advice,
> Rebecca
Posted by Phil on April 18, 2000, at 8:01:11
In reply to slugs anonymous, posted by bob on April 17, 2000, at 20:54:08
bob, We seem to be on the same merry-go-round on meds and seem to have similar reactions.
When Desip didn't do the trick, after trying Nortrip, my doc gave her blessings for Reboxetine.
At half the rec dose, I thought my heart would blow out of my chest so I stopped it about 5-6 weeks ago.
Since then...Klonopin and Ritalin, I've discovered after 15 years on AD's, are doing the trick. Something to think about.Phil
Posted by bob on April 18, 2000, at 12:56:24
In reply to Re: slugs anonymous-bob, posted by Phil on April 18, 2000, at 8:01:11
Hi Phil,
I think its close, but no cigar ... the nortrip *is* doing well for me -- we just think desip is going to do even better. But it's kind of like sailing on a catamaran ... the klonopin and ritalin are the two opposing hulls, and now I just need to find the right sail.
cheers,
bob
Posted by Rebecca on April 18, 2000, at 17:04:48
In reply to Re: slugs anonymous-bob, posted by bob on April 18, 2000, at 12:56:24
heh. I was waiting for someone to tell me to exercise. I really know I should. and now that winter might actually be over, getting outside is more appealing.
as for the SSRI's vs. other things, what do effexor and wellbutrin affect? I've been both and neither one did anything for me, other than give me side effects. Zoloft was good, but it left me completely zonked and kinda dizzy, which made me not feel comfortable driving. (to complete the list, prozac gave me horrible anxiety -- which I never have had otherwise -- and insomnia).
I guess the plan for now is to wait for this pesky cold to go away and re-evaluate then. Right now I'm exhausted and hoping not to screw up too much at community band rehearsal tonight.
Posted by Rebecca on April 19, 2000, at 17:23:24
In reply to Re: slugs anonymous-bob, posted by Rebecca on April 18, 2000, at 17:04:48
I realized that I should add my other med experiences before someone suggests zyprexa...
I'm allergic to zyprexa and had side effect problems with risperdal, so those are out. A small dose of trazodone zonked me a lot.
I'm currently on 40 mg celexa in the morning and 25 mg seroquel at night (did I already say that?)
Posted by bob on April 20, 2000, at 0:14:59
In reply to Re: slugs anonymous-bob-p.s., posted by Rebecca on April 19, 2000, at 17:23:24
Oops! Sorry, wrong meeting ... I'm not in a community band ....
> I'm currently on 40 mg celexa in the morning and 25 mg seroquel at night (did I already say that?)
No, I don't think you mentioned the seroquel.
How did the rehearsal go?
How's the cold? Hell -- colds make "normal" people depressed ... why should we expect any less? Are you taking anything for the cold, and does your pdoc know if you are? Maybe it's not just the cold, but a drug interaction?hope you're doing better!
bob
Posted by Rebecca on April 20, 2000, at 17:19:50
In reply to Re: community band members anonymous, posted by bob on April 20, 2000, at 0:14:59
> How did the rehearsal go?
It was the first rehearsal of the year, so it was all sight-reading--and my sight-reading is usually abysmal, so being very zonked didn't really hurt. (Whoever came up with the idea that math people are good at counting out rhythms never studied me!)> How's the cold? Hell -- colds make "normal" people depressed ... why should we expect any less? Are you taking anything for the cold, and does your pdoc know if you are? Maybe it's not just the cold, but a drug interaction?
My ears are still plugged up, and I'm still really, really tired (and a total grouch in the morning).... I'll occasionally take sudafed in the morning and dimetapp at night, though I don't think they do anything for me (other than the dimetapp making me sleepy).I'll wait for the cold to go away and then re-evaluate my mood. I don't have an appointment scheduled until May anyway, though if I don't feel better in a couple weeks I'll give my pdoc a call.
Rebecca
Posted by Rebecca on April 24, 2000, at 20:33:32
In reply to Re: community band members anonymous, posted by Rebecca on April 20, 2000, at 17:19:50
well, the weekend went rather poorly. I thought I was truly losing my mind on saturday--things didn't seem real, my bathroom was far too much visual stimulation.... it was very distressing. I ended up lying in bed, shutting my eyes, and ignoring the existence of anything outside my head. the experience left me pretty scared until this afternoon.
so now I'm afraid that I'm losing touch with reality in a bad way. I'm ok with questioning the nature of reality, but only in the detached, academic sense. not when I'm wondering about my immediate surroundings.
I tried to call my pdoc today, but he's on vacation all week, and there's no way I'd trust the doofus nurse to make medical judgments. so I'm hanging out for another week and trying not to question what's real.
on the plus side, I've felt pretty decent this evening and got some stuff done around home.
so am I really going crazy now? the same sort of thing happened in December, but to a significantly lesser degree.
This is the end of the thread.
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