celexa -- what's your experience?

[megincl]

I think I'm about to go on Celexa. I've been feeling flat emotionally for months and have just seen a therapist and psychiatrist and they think a combo of therapy and meds would help to boot me out of this mode.

I'm nervous. Most nervous about weight gain as I'm already overweight (ugh). But also about other side effects.

I'd love to hear folks experiences -- the good (especially!), the bad, the ugly.

TIA!
megin

[Shenjall]

I tried taking celexa about 5 years ago. I lasted 3 days! the side effects of nausea were killing me. But I'm a huge suck when it comes to being nauseaus.
Thats my short experience.

[faith21]

Hello There

I have been on Celexa for about 4 months now, I am at 30 mg. In october I started experiencing big time anxiety and ocd symptoms, that led to depression. No fun. Well, I tried 50 mg of Zoloft. No sexual side effects. It helped with OCD but left me fllllaaaaatttt.

So, my psych recommended Celexa. He said it's the least 'activating' SSRI. And, he has a lot of success for someone who is sensitive to side effects. I noticed the change right away and felt 'emotions' again, EXCEPT it doesn't help as much with my OCD. So, it's a trade off. I feel as though I am just at the border of full recovery, but not quite there, so I tried to increase to 40 mg a few weeks ago. My anxiety and OCD went through the roof again, which is a normal response when initially increasing, but i couldn't take it, so i brought it back down to 30 mg.

I had lost interest in the bedroom, and usually I am very easily able to reach that peak while being intimate, but this drug definitely delayed that. At first I thought I was doomed, and was ready to switch again, BUT i focused and stopped psyching myself out, and it takes a little longer, but I am able to function pretty normally in that area again now.

UNFORTUNATELY, as even in my short time of using SSRI's, I have already learned that you are not able to predict how you will react : ( . Some have immediate success, some know right away it's not the one, and some invest weeks or months before knowing it's not successful. But, don't let that discourage you....when it does work well, it's worth all of the trial and error and you may react very well to Celexa. I also heard it's the easiest to taper off if you were to do that in the future.

My number one tip is not to read into every 'symptom'. Not sure if it was my OCD but I thought every adverse feeling I had was due to SSRI, or when I was so hungry it meant I was going to gain weight from it...etc. So, just try to relax, monitor your overall reaction and good luck, I'm sure it has a better chance of helping you then not

[happyhippiemama]

I've been taking Celexa for 6 weeks now. I am no longer sobbing and crying for no reason and with no control, and I can function reasonably well now (making it to work, etc).

But I feel nothing. DD does something sweet and adorable and funny and I just look at her. The little running narrarator in my head says, "oh look, she's so sweet! .... what am i supposed to feel now? How am I supposed to react? Oh yeah, I should smile! Come on, smile at her!! Come on, you can do it!!"... [forced smile....]


it sucks. hope ymv's.

[faith21]

Oh my Megin , that's exactly how I felt on Zoloft !! My therapist said to go through the motions, to 'fake' the reactions. And, that was so devastating to hear! I was like 'woman, i can't live my life faking feelings!' but, she wasn't my psych, so i told my psych and switched to celexa. helped with depression greatly, ocd still running kind of strong.

[Tellera]

I did not have a good experience. I only was on it for a week. Awful side effects.
-I felt like I wanted to vomit every time I yawned
-My legs were restless and would not stop moving when i layed down
-I had no desire to speak and had to force myself to actually talk out loud
-It felt like I had to think about inhaling and exhaling, like it was no longer automatic.

Yeah, didn't last long.

I ended up with Wellbutrin. Which gave me a couple days of bizarre, scary dreams and some nausea. I had a decreased appetite the whole time I was on it (6 months) and lost about 15/20 pounds. I probably would have stayed on it a little longer, but it started giving me a racing heartbeat that wouldn't go away - it didn't start doing that until about 5 months. So I stopped.

The Wellbutrin helped quite a bit.

[mamakima]

hi megan,
my experience with celexa is that my partner took it for 5 years. He recently stopped taking it...over a 3 month tapering off. I have mixed feelings about it. I think when he started taking it he was really in a place that meds were needed. But now that he's off it we both notice a change...for the better. He is able to be much more empathetic (and patient) with willa. When he decided to stop he commited to getting therapy atleast once a week and I know that has been helpful. While he took celexa he was sorta...subdued. Now he has enough energy to run everyday and has lost 15 pounds. Again though, I really believed it did help him through a rough spot. The only other thing I have to say is that his withdrawl sypmtoms were HORRIBLE! We have since learned that he took it for way too long and that was probably why but he was in serious discomfort....physically and emotionally.
Be well and I'll be in touch when we move
kim

[kthoelen]

I was on celexa for awhile, if you take it before bed the nauseousness isn't too bad. After about a week it goes away. It is also very easy to come off of. I didn't have any sexual side effects with it either. That is why I went on it to begin with. I was on Paxil(I in no way what so ever recommend getting on paxil, it is the most terrible med to come off of) and had no desire to be with my hubby so the dr gave me celexa and it was much better.

I hope you find something that helps. Celexa worked well for me.

[UrbanSimplicity]

Well, just goes to show you how everyone reacts so differently! I call celexa my "happy pill". It helped me come out of a chronic depression that I'd suffered from my whole life (?) it seems. I had no side effects, but did go slowly from 130 to 140lbs over the course of a year.

I also did a year of therepy and made major life changes. I only took 20mgs, for a year, then halved my dose for a few months, then came off completely. Did OK for the next 2 years, but now I'm back in this forum cuz I'm feeling crappy again....

Good luck.

[VisionQuest]

I've been on Celexa for a few years now, prescribed by my OB/GYN for PMS issues. It has been a lifesaver for me because I also suffer from depression and it helps me to feel like what I would imagine a "normal" person would feel like.

I'm one that may have to stay on it my entire life, and that's okay, as long as it works.

I had side effects for the first three days on it, mostly feeling like I was on speed and had trouble sleeping, but on day 4 I felt like I started to get my life back. I've gained weight since I've been on it but I don't know if it's from the meds or from my bad eating habits.

Celexa also helped me "in the bedroom" somewhat. It did take longer to "achieve satisfaction", but now I no longer have that problem.

[UrbanSimplicity]

Originally Posted by VisionQuest

I've been on Celexa for a few years now, prescribed by my OB/GYN for PMS issues. It has been a lifesaver for me because I also suffer from depression and it helps me to feel like what I would imagine a "normal" person would feel like.

Visionquest---after a few weeks on celexa a lightbulb went off in my head and i had the thought : "WOW----this is how you are supposed to feel!" It was the first time in my life that I didn't feel "different".

[VisionQuest]

brooklynlisa - I know exactly what you mean! If I would have known how I would feel, I would have started it years ago!

[jeliphish]

Celexa was wonderful...the first time in a long time my mind was at ease from all of my obsessive worrying. It was very easy to come off of as well.

[Tishie]

I love celexa. My only complaint is that after a long time on it, I need more sleep than I did before. But I've had no other side effects whatsoever, and the treatment effect is fabulous. You know... happiness?

[queenbean]

I was on Celexa back in college. The only real side effect I noticed was decreased libido, but I've never been a sex fiend anyway. However, it didn't seem to help me that much depression-wise, and I stopped taking it after a year because I couldn't afford the money for a prescription that wasn't working. I've heard from a lot of people though that it's wonderful. It never hurts to try it and see what happens.

[stickywicket67]

my experience not with Celexa but i went on Wellbutrin to kick some depression issues after 9/11- i lived in NYC at the time. i'd never taken anti-depressants before.
i'm pretty sensitive esp. to meds. i took half the dosage- one tablet a day instead of two.
no flat feeling at all. i had the "scary dream" thing but it was more just really deep sleep and vivid dreams- not scary per se. i had insomnia really bad prior so it was nice to actually dream again.
sexual side effects- none. except it was more fun! my dh took it too at he same time and we thought it was pretty dang funny how touchy- feely we got on it and enjoyed it!
i took it for about 6 months and it helped tremendously. it shut up the mean negative thoughts and gave me a chance to get my head screwed on straight. my husband had a similar experience. it enabled us to not be so panicky and to feel good about life again. to feel "normal". i also lost weight and had no interest in eating junky food/using food for comfort. it gave me energy but not in a bad way. i get really wigged out on like sudafed so i was worried about that creepy crawly jittery feeling. didn't have it.
just my experience i'm sure it's diff. for everyone. and i wasn't interested in long term use so i'm not sure how that would have worked out. i knew it was to be a tool to get me back on track not a lifetime therapy.