Has anyone here used Celexa

[Rebecca2009]

My daughter was just started on a small dose of Celexa.  I am wondering if anyone here has been on this or ever had any of their children take it.  She is in counseling and her therapist and pediatrician both felt it would be beneficial to help her 'get her head above water' so to speak, so that she will feel better in order to be able to deal with issues that are bothering her.

Any input would be appreciated, thanks.

[kythe]

I haven't taken Celexa specifically, but I've taken 3 different anti-depressants over the years before finding one that really that works for me.  I don't believe any anti-depressant is inherently better than the others, but each works slightly differently and sometimes it takes some experimenting to find one that is right for you.  No one else can say ahead of time whether it will be beneficial.  However, side effects to anti-depressants tend to be mild.  If your daughter has any negative changes in behavior or her physical health after starting to take the medication, report it to her doctor.  Effects are temporary, so even if it doesn't work out, it will leave her system and she can try something different.

How old is your daughter?  There has been some concern over the years of negative effects of SSRI's in teens, and I don't know much about how they would be prescribed to younger kids.  This is something you would have to discuss with her pediatrician, though.

[Laur318]

I'm taking it and I don't know that it helps. I'm still very anxious.

[Auntie Sapphire]

I have been taking Celexa for about 9 months* and have had no noticeable side effects. At age 42 I'm much older than your daughter, though, so I don't know if our reactions would be at all comparable.

*Before that, I was on Lexapro for eight years - I switched to Celexa because I lost my health insurance and generic Celexa is much cheaper.

[iOliver]

I took 10 mg (I think?) of celexa when I was 14 for my depression/eating disorder and it made me so drowsy I could not function for quite a while until I got used to it. I was on it for about two months before my depression actually worsened and I downed the entire bottle in an attempt to end my life. That's just my experience with it, not a pleasant one.

I'd be curious to hear from others what there's was.

[kythe]

Originally Posted by iOliver 

I took 10 mg (I think?) of celexa when I was 14 for my depression/eating disorder and it made me so drowsy I could not function for quite a while until I got used to it. I was on it for about two months before my depression actually worsened and I downed the entire bottle in an attempt to end my life. That's just my experience with it, not a pleasant one.

I'd be curious to hear from others what there's was.

This was my experience with Prozac as a teen, though I took it for 2 years and was on a maximum dose.  It caused one of the worst depressive periods I've had, culminating in my only suicide attempt.  Yet Prozac is among the oldest SSRI's on the market, and has worked well for many people.  It is unfair to judge an antidepressant by anecdotes only, especially since most experiences are positive.

[iOliver]

Originally Posted by kythe 

This was my experience with Prozac as a teen, though I took it for 2 years and was on a maximum dose.  It caused one of the worst depressive periods I've had, culminating in my only suicide attempt.  Yet Prozac is among the oldest SSRI's on the market, and has worked well for many people.  It is unfair to judge an antidepressant by anecdotes only, especially since most experiences are positive.

I had two good years on prozac as a teen but it took a sudden turn and sent me into a manic episode. After that I stopped taking meds all together and never had a problem since.

Medications are such a touch and go thing, they are worth trying for they can help even if for short periods of time it just may be that time that gets you back on your feet. They just really need to be monitored closely, not be given out on a script without being checked up on regularly throughout that time.

[babygrant]

i take cipralex, which I believe is very similar to celexa.  I journal  my experiences in a thread here that you can peek at.  I'm having good experiences so far with it.  How is your daughter doing?

[Rebecca2009]

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

My daughter only took the celexa for 2 days.  It made her feel very irritable and angry, so we stopped it.  They have prescribed a small dose of prozac now, not sure if we will try that or not.  The precautions state that if the person is under the age of 25 it can make things worse instead of better!

I am pretty certain she has PMDD.  I will be talking with our pediatrician, our naturopath and also the therapist to see what they think.

[Rebecca2009]

I would like to read what you shared!  Will be back later, thank you.

 

Originally Posted by babygrant 

i take cipralex, which I believe is very similar to celexa.  I journal  my experiences in a thread here that you can peek at.  I'm having good experiences so far with it.  How is your daughter doing?

[Rebecca2009]

I forgot to mention here that my daughter is only 12, that's why we've been very hesitant to put her on a medication.  She hit puberty early and really gets slammed with her periods.

[babygrant]

Originally Posted by Rebecca2009 

I forgot to mention here that my daughter is only 12, that's why we've been very hesitant to put her on a medication.  She hit puberty early and really gets slammed with her periods.

Have you read the Life with PMDD thread???  lots of good info there.  Some are on meds, some are on supplements, but lots of good info!

[Rebecca2009]

Originally Posted by babygrant 

Have you read the Life with PMDD thread???  lots of good info there.  Some are on meds, some are on supplements, but lots of good info!

Oh thanks!  I was hoping to find something like that here.
 

[suddenlyamama]

Rebecca! Have you tried Evening Primrose Oil? Saved my life around 14. Helped me settle down, reduced my PMDD dramatically. Also, I was supplemented with BellaDonna. But, not sure dosage or anything else, was years ago.

[Rebecca2009]

Thank you!  I will definitely ask my naturopathic doctor about this.