I need some support :-( - Celexa (Citalopram)

11-29-2011, 06:46 AM

Dear All

So i've come to the end of my first week on Citalopram (aka Celexa, Cipramil) and i'm not having a good time. I'm only on 10mg (which i took at night first, but after some side effects switched to morning), but..

1. I'm getting really bad anxiety as soon as I wake up, which seems to last till well into the afternoon. This was extremely (like couldnt-cope) bad when i took tablet at night, so i moved to morning.

2. I'm feeling really low

3. I'm feeling really tired & exhausted.

4. I'm feeling very numb & disconnected.

5. I'm feeling sleepy and (for want of a better phrase) "stupid" (it's like my IQ has been halved).

6. I can't focus, can't get motivated about ANYTHING however small, it's like i have to fight a war just to get up and make a cup of tea for example!

7. My skin has got break-outs

8. Im getting social-anxiety (ive never had that before) and am very jumpy at the slightest sounds etc.

9. I've really withdrawn from life a bit.

I also have IBS and am taking Nexium (in the morning) - no other medication.

I've had a few 'hints' of feeling good (usually in late evenings) where I dont feel laden with anxiety and things, but in general it's really tough... I know it's supposed to 'get worse before it gets better' but really? is this normal?

Please help.....

11-29-2011, 06:58 AM

I have never taken Celexa, but I am currently taking Zoloft, and have also taken it 3 times in the past, oh and don't let me forget the paxil i took for a year. Unfortunately, these are common side effects of starting ANY ssri. Reason being is that the meds are working to correct the balance of seratonin in your brain. I just increased my dosage of Zoloft a little over a week ago and am feeling very much like you right now, plus I am sick on top of it.

If the side effects are that bothersome to you, ask your doc for something to help alleviate them, like xanax, ativan, or klonopin. I'm taking xanax with my zoloft until I get situated on the right dose. These side effects are a real pain in the butt! But when all is said and done, you'll feel much better after a few weeks. ((hugs)) Fox

11-29-2011, 07:01 AM

Thank you for the quick reply. I hope you're right, I'm finding it very hard to focus at work (and i neeed my brain to be engaged at work). I'm also getting VERY emotional at the stupidest things, and I know my constant complaining about how bad i feel is getting too much for my partner and friends....

I'm getting sick too, my appetite has gone.... I've tried to exercise a bit, but my whole body feels as weak as when I have the flu!

11-29-2011, 07:19 AM

No problem

If I can help in any kind of way, I try. I actually got pulled out of work, by my doctor, the whole month of October, and now from November 15 until December 15 because of having severe panic attacks at work. I drive a school bus, so that's not good at all! Imagine.. driving a bus full of kids and being "smacked in the face" with a panic attack.....YEP! That's me! LOL! I totally know how you feel about getting extremely emotional too, I would sit there and cry at the drop of a hat, or get "snappy" with people for no reason. It's like your emotions are all over the place. As far as the time I take my meds...I take them at night before bed because then I can basically not feel the side effects as much, they're happening when i'm sleeping, the Xanax really helps out here, I take one in the morning and one before bed! But I still wake up most mornings feeling a bit anxious. Anyway, havea great day! Hope you feel better soon! Fox

11-29-2011, 01:14 PM

Thanks for the messages. I'm starting to wonder whether I should stop taking them and (again) try homeopathy or other routes. For my job I really need to be creative and sharp, but these medications are making me feel emotionally numb. The ONLY respite I get is at night, by the time the medication has worn off, and I feel somewhat normal again, then I go to bed, and the whole cycle starts again in the morning.

I started with taking the tablets at night before bed but I found it gave me the WORST panic attacks in the morning, so I have now switched to taking them in the morning... which leaves me feeling exhausted all day.

It's really a no win, and to be honest, it's getting me REALLY down because I just don't want to feel like this anymore.

11-30-2011, 12:06 PM

I'm sorry to hear about all the horrible symptoms you are experiencing.

It sounds as if maybe that is just not the right rx for you. Have you called your doctor and told them how you feel? I finally broke down and saw a pdoc and she told me that it could take some time (a year or so!) to find the right dosage and combination of drugs. Call your doctor ASAP and see if you can switch to another drug. I have never taken Celexa (only Zoloft and Effexor XR), so I'm no help there. I can tell you that the Zoloft I took for 6 years didn't do anything for my issues (anxiety, ADHD, anger). I have been on Effexor XR, gapapentin, and Seroquel for a few months and still need to tweak my dosage. I apparently have a very high tolerance for drugs, whereas you may have a very low tolerance!! I also take klonopin as needed when I'm feeling super anxious or angry. It helps a little, but I still feel as if there is something else out there that might be better.

Stay strong and call that doctor!!!!

12-01-2011, 10:50 AM

My experience with Celexa is a horror story. It's really the only SSRI i've tried, but after it, i'm really really hesitant to try another. i won't go into the details because i do not want to undermine anyone's well being that is on the drug. It can be really helpful to ppl. i will say i know that certain drugs work really well for some ppl and others don't, so it's a very personal thing.

But i had alot of the same symptoms you're having and my anxiety exploded into an entirely different level that i had never experienced before. i'm sure you'll see the irony.

My advise is, if you're having that bad of a time on it... drop it. i wish i'd never had taken it, now. But i did manage to get my way out of the worst part of it in time. i stopped after a week. Took 6 more months to start feeling psychologically ok again, but it happened. So, yeah, i'd drop it but don't give up. There are a ton of other meds like it. From what i understand, you may take another and it does wonders for you.

Hope you feel better.

12-01-2011, 11:55 AM

Thanks Jagraal. It's so confusing... for every medication out there, there are people who've had HORROR stories, and people who swear by the same medication. It's very difficult to know how to really make sense of it.

12-01-2011, 12:49 PM

i agree. If it were just... you take pill A and B happens every single time, i'd say sign me up. i don't want this fear and depression, none of us do. But there's so many variables. Sometimes it makes it, for me at least, more frightening. But, you know, there's always other things besides pills, too. Always some options.

12-01-2011, 02:18 PM

I've been on Celexa for over a year now, and it seems to be working ok for me.
When I first started taking it, I had some symptoms similar to yours, and they went
away as my body adjusted to the medication.

I think you should give this med a couple of weeks to work for you before abandoning
it. Taking it has made a difference for me, and I hope it does for you also! I started off
on 10 mg now up to 15mg.

I need some support :-( - Celexa (Citalopram)

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