DISCLAIMER: iGuard is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. iGuard cannot and does not take into consideration every possible interaction or account for individual responses to medicine. Different individuals may respond to medication in different ways. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have before making any changes to your treatment. The use of the iGuard site and its content is at your own risk. The iGuard site and the information contained in it is intended for users in the United States and information in other countries may be different.
Global Patient Feedback for Celexa (Citalopram) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
my 10 yr. old daughter has add she is currently taking methylin er and celexa for approx. 6
months. there has been a significant weight gain which adds to her anxiety and self confidence. her behavior has become more aggressive lately. she's beginning to lose all her
friends that she's had since kindergarten she's become immature . this is a girl who always
had a smile on her face and put smiles on others faces and loved life would be upset when
school was closed and a social butterfly when i try to talk w/ her about this she says she
don't know & cant help it are these typical side effects is there something else that we could
try
38 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-18 23:42:08
Answer/Reply:
I'm 20 years old (female) and I have taken Celexa for a few years. I noticed myself starting to gain some weight when I am normally petite. I'm 5'3 and about 110lbs. One of side effects is increased appetite. Also, I was very active in high school and since I'm not cheering or dancing anymore, the weight has settled itself. With all these contributing factors, I don't think 10lbs is so bad.
Your daughter is at an age when a lot of growth spurts take place. A girl I used to babysit gained some weight at that age and now shot up to my height at 13. I was also very moody at that age and had issues at that age, hormones were to blame. Give her some time to get used to it and also let her hormones settle some, I'm sure it'll all work out.
I hope that hjelped.
20 year old Female
Posted: 2009-04-20 17:32:56
Question/Comment:
What does this mean? My doctor never discussed this issue with me. Using Celexa and Amitriptyline together may increase the risk of serotonin syndrome.
47 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-17 21:55:55
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Serotonin syndrome is a very rare but serious condition that may occur when there is too much serotonin present in your body. Since Celexa and amitriptyline both increase the level of serontonin in your body, taking both of them may raise your risk of serotonin syndrome. Some doctors may feel that the benefit of giving these medications together outweighs this potential side effect. In fact, about 2% of iGuard members taking Celexa are also taking amitriptyline. However, it is a good idea to review your treatment with Celexa and amitriptyline with your doctor – you may be able to reduce your risk of serotonin syndrome and other side effects by using the lowest dose of medication that provides you the most benefit. Please discuss this with your doctor before making any changes to your medications.
Serotonin syndrome is rare but it is a good idea to be familiar with its symptoms, which include irritability, confusion, increased heart rate, muscle rigidity, and muscle spasms. If you develop any of these symptoms please follow up with your doctor immediately.
Posted: 2009-03-19 18:28:40
Question/Comment:
I wake up in the middle of the night with hot flashes dry heaving about 4-5 times a month. I also have gained 35 pounds over the last 6 months. I have diarrhea EVERYDAY, no exaggerating. Im always tired and my boyfriend and I went from having sex 4-5 times a week to once a month. I dont know what to do because it helps with my anxiety and depression so much but its ruining so many things i need.
25 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-14 21:48:33
Answer/Reply:
I too, take celexa and have diarreah every day. I have also gained about 40 pounds over the last 18 months. I have asked my Dr. about it but she does not seem to think that there is a connection. I wonder. It is so similar that we have the same symptoms. I am down to 10mil per day, started at 40. It is the constant runs that really gets me, I have never had this problem before.
54 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-23 12:32:30
Question/Comment:
I am taking Lexapro 10mg and my Dr. switched me to citalopram 10mg. Will I notice any difference? I haven't filled the prescription yet.
48 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-14 12:45:56
Answer/Reply:
Lexapro is an isomer of Celexa...I have taken both. If you have had no side effects from lexapro, you probably not notice any difference with celexa. If you have any anxiety issues, celexa is considered to be as effective a lexapro in treatment efficacy. I am not a medical professional, but I research quite a bit. I am also a mental health professional, and I have seen clients change medications without incident. Fill you Rx. It is worse if you run out of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SSRI medications than to change molecular similar medications.
51 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-17 04:40:39
Question/Comment:
Hi i have really bad Ocd and depression. ive always been on different depression/ocd meds on and off. luvox/prozac lexapro. i had my worst episode cuz i was off my meds for about 5 months and then my girl friend of two years just randomly dumped me cold out of the blue. I was fine for about a week then my ocd kicked in really hard and got REALLY REALLY obessesive and depressed with anxiety out the wall. i was in a dark massive hole. i couldny breath at night i couldnt see i was a big shaking zombie. so i saw my psych and he prescribed celexa or i guess the generic cilitopram? telling me its just the mirror image of lexapro? well its been about 2 weeks since ive been on it. he has me up to 40mg, do u think that is to much? im kinda shaky on it, im wondering if that will go away. im feeling better, not 100% better but its only been 2 weeks since ive been on it. how long by any ones experience does it take for it take to take full effect? thanks guys. any input will help immensely.
22 year old Male
Posted: 2009-03-13 12:40:21
Answer/Reply:
Hi, I was reading your questions and I take the same thing and no 40mg is not to much.. I take 80mg a day.. 1 in morning and 1 before bed.. Try eating something with it and drink plenty of fluids. The shakes will go away not to worry and you will be feeling alot better once its in your system longer trust me .. hope everything goes well for you
melissa
38 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-25 16:17:01
Answer/Reply:
I've been on Celexa for 8 years. It works great for me I take 40MG daily. It should take about 30 days to get a good amount in your system.
57 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-25 20:17:46
Answer/Reply:
That med takes 3 to 4 weeks for your body to get used to it, however that is the best med for your symptoms. Good Luck :) things will get better!!
34 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-30 11:30:54
Question/Comment:
I've been taking Xanax for 6 month for nausea caused by anxiety. It worked well until last week when the nausea returned. My doctor prescribed Citalopram HBR- 5MG the first two days now 10MG- I still have the nausea. How long does it take for Citalopram HBR to work?
Also, since I started taking Citalopram HBR my hands are shaky, will that go away?
Thank you.
73 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-03 10:55:29
Answer/Reply:
I have been on citalopram HBR for about 6 months now and I still have very shaky hands I am not sure if it will stop or not I go to the doc in a few weeks this is something I will be discussing with him.
30 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-29 16:18:47
Answer/Reply:
the shakes went away after 3 months for me
23 year old Male
Posted: 2009-04-04 17:02:43
Question/Comment:
Is there any possible way Celexa could show a positive urine test for Benzos? I went through a treatment program for drub abuse and for 30 days showed a positive test for Benzos. I am just trying to figure out why I never showed clean.
47 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-27 12:18:21
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Some urine drug tests may produce false positives. There are many manufacturers of urine drug tests and each of these manufacturers provides documentation about the accuracy of their tests and which medications have shown to produce false positives. Laboratories who conduct urine drug screenings are aware of these issues and review the documentation on a regular basis. If you are concerned about your prescription medication affecting your urine drug tests, you can talk to the lab technician about your concern and ask for more information about the screening test they use.
Posted: 2009-03-09 00:39:28
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Yep, I was taking Zoloft for years and found out that it caused a false positive to drug testing. A good screener will be aware of this as long as they are aware of all your prescribed meds.
Mr. Mike
Posted: 2009-03-13 05:08:29
Question/Comment:
Is Recital addictive?
28 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-20 06:17:26
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Citalopram is not a U.S. controlled substance and does not have addictive properties. However, suddenly stopping this medication may cause withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, confusion, and mood changes. These withdrawal symptoms are typically avoided by a gradual reduction in dose over time. You should not adjust any of your medication without first speaking with your doctor.
Posted: 2009-02-23 14:36:42
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Citalopram is not labeled as a U.S. DEA controlled substance and does not have addictive properties. However, suddenly stopping this medication may cause withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, confusion, and mood changes. These withdrawal symptoms are typically avoided by a gradual reduction in dose over time. You should not adjust any of your medication without first speaking with your doctor.
Posted: 2009-03-08 23:34:53
Question/Comment:
prior history..prozac 15 yrs, wellbutrin, zoloft, paxil, buspar, xanax, seroquel, nuerontin, trazadone, ambilify, topomax, amitriptilin, effexor, cymbalta, and some i forgot. present history....1mg clonopin 4 x's day, 100 mg lamictal 2 pills @bed, and now i am 3 months into taking celexa and no more prozac. I have taken everything under the sun, suicidal since age 5, depression and anger, and anxiety since age 8.and BI Polar. in and out of mental hospitals four times. series of ECT treamtments, slice my left wrist during ECT. it messed me up soooooooobad, now the celexa...I have my life back!!!! im on 20 mg every morning. normally i would be the first to say i need to up my dosage. always thought i had to be on the highest amount. no way, 20 mg has been great so far. I rarely have any suicidal ideations, i have more clarity to actually be more effective in my therapy, and have an awareness that I can control and not feed into my BI Polar and depression state of minds. I did have the intial headaches the first month, major messed up vivid dreams for first month and now here and there. The biggest side effect I have now is that I can feel it when I haven't taken it that morning, I feel really down and less motivated and irritable. I have always been a little flaky missing a dose here and there in my past. But no way, I am a true believer and I am so good about taking this medication, I have only missed one day in the three months i have been taking it. I feel so good for the first time and i know there are set backs, but i can now physically and mentally know what's reality and whats not and be even level. I mean i was always so up and down, fight or flight, suicidal daily, anti-social, anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia. Now, I feel happy, strong, secure, self confident, here in the now, less suicidal thoughts, no more spikes of high and low, finally even keel. I know every body is different. But when you have hit the bottom of the barrell and your doctor has no more ideas on what to prescribe for you because he's put you on everything possible, and one last chance you take a new pill for the hundreth time, and oh my......it has saved your life, my life. I hope this helps just even one person. But any antidepressant will only work for so long. You have to follow through with therapy and having a good therapist is the most important solution of all, no matter what drugs you are on. all these comments about how good or how bad celexa is, not one person talks about if they are therapy on a regular basis. without the combination, nothing works.
35 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-17 00:39:50
Question/Comment:
Celexa has been a blessing. Before Celexa, I felt like I was at the bottom of a very deep, dark hole. After about 3 weeks of taking Celexa, 20mg, I felt like I had made it all the way out of the hole. It has only had 1 side effect, which my husband is very happy with. It has increased my desire for sexual intimacy 100fold.
39 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-14 18:25:43
Question/Comment:
I take Celexa and Lyrica. I need the Lyrica for spinal nerve damage and Clexa for Depression and I wish I could get off both of them. I cant sleep at night, when I sleep I dont sleep well and then like others I have read ... sleep all day. What is up with that? And the weight gain has been horrible. I was on Steroids for a while and a combination of all this has turned me into a marshmellow! I dont recognize myself anymore!
------- I have tried to cut back on the doses but then I hurt and I am reallly in deep depression.
I am in a real catch 22 and I have just had to readjust my whole life. I have about 4 good hours out of the day and the rest I am asleep or fuzzed in the brain. I am just thankful I found this sight to see other have the same reactions.
62 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-11 05:53:30
Question/Comment:
I started taking celexa a week ago at only 10 mg to start since I'm sensitive to meds. I'm supposed to increase to 20 mg today but I feel apprehensive about it and think I'll stick with 10 mg for a little longer. I've been feeling more anxious and depressed, and I've lost my appetite. I often lose my appetite when I get emotional or stressed so this may subside. My acupuncture therapists says sometimes psychiatric drugs will stir up with feelings you need to get rid of before it actually gets rid of them. I didn't think I was feeling too badly before, but I chose to separate with my husband because he wasn't a good step father. I love him so it's difficult and I felt I needed something to help through this transition so I won't take him back. My son is really happy that he's gone. Has anyone else found that there symptoms got worse before better? I really don't want to keep taking this if anxiety and depression will be the result for me. Thanks.
31 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-08 12:00:03
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
One week is not long enough for it to work. Hang in there. After abour three to four weeks, you should feel way better. Follow your doctor''s orders about increasing the dose. Sometimes you have to slowly increase for your system to adjust. It sounds like you may need more than the 10, so don't second guess the doctor.
Posted: 2009-02-20 17:15:11
Answer/Reply:
Please dont give up on the Celexa. I started on it 8 years ago. I too, am very drug sensitive and suffered from horible anxiety & panic attacks and low level depression. The first on this Medicine is the worse while your body adjusts. I started feeling the same way when I started it, then on about the 2nd week i was driving down the road and heard someone humming a song. To my disbelief...it was me. I had relaxed & didnt even realize it. I started on the 10mg 8 years ago and finally went to 3/4 of a 20mg tablet about 3 months ago. If you ever have a questions about this med, I will be more than happy to talk. By the way, Celexa is the only anxiety/depression med I have been able to tolerate without all the weird side effects and has worked for me at a very low dose long term. Hope this helps! Hang in there.
42 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-04 09:36:57
Answer/Reply:
Hi,
Scared to start Celexa after bad side effects from Lexapro......Can you please email so I can ask a few ???
Thanks,
Stacie - sunnstarsm@aol.com
36 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-05 22:44:43
Answer/Reply:
My add is actually: sunnstarzsm@aol.com
36 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-05 23:48:57
Answer/Reply:
Hi, I have been taking the Celexa for almost 4 years now. It does take at least a month before you will actually start to feel a change. I myself felt more anxious in the beginning, but I think it was just because I was expecting the medication to work overnight magic. I did find when I started on the 10mg that it was not helping and did go onto a 20mg dose and that actually seemed to make the anxious feeling go away. It could be that you dosage is not strong enough and you will need to go up before you start to feel better. I started taking them because of a stressful job and relationship issues. My teenage children noticed a change in me and our relationship grew. They would often tease me if I started getting grumpy asking me if I had taken my medication. Give it some time and you soon start to feel good. It also might help with your current situation if you find a professional that you can confide in to also get you through this.
42 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-05 16:07:14
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Don't be afraid to increase the Celexa. I don't know about the side effects of Lyrica, and although I have fibromyalgia, I don't think I'm going to try it. The feelings of anxiousness and depression should be gone after you've increased the Celexa; be patient, it can take up to six weeks (although most see results sooner). I'm to take 40mgs/day, however I've backed down to 20mgs, and doing fine.
Posted: 2009-03-05 16:11:02
Answer/Reply:
I switched from Cymbalta to Celexa a few months ago due to losing insurance and Celexa being cheaper. I definitely had more side effects during the first 3 weeks after starting Celexa than I did when starting Cymbalta, but they have subsided now and I am doing just fine as far as depression and anxiety. Lots of mood altering meds initially cause some irritating side affects, but usually they become almost unnoticeable. However, if the symptoms are still bothering you after 3 weeks, the med. may not be right for you or may be too strong.
53 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-05 16:29:40
Answer/Reply:
I have recently started taking celexa again. I was off because I do not have insurance and the cost of doctor appointments and medication adds up quickly. Last time I started at 10mg a day and increased to 20mg a day. At 10mg a day I was better so my doctor and me increased it to 20mg a day. At 20mg a day my vision dept perception was off. Things looked further away then they were. So we decreased it back to 10mg and I am doing great there.
41 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-08 11:35:51
Question/Comment:
HI,I'VE SWITCHED FROM CELEXA TO LEXAPRO- BUT HAVEN'T TAKEN THE LEXAPRO YET. THE DOCTOR SAID TO TAKE THE CELEXA ONE DAY THEN START THE LEXAPRO THE NEXT DAY. I'M ANXIOUS TO SEE IF LEXAPRO WILL HELP MY DEPRESSION BETTER THAN CELEXA DID. CELEXA MADE ME HAVE ABDOMINAL CRAMPS.VERY SEVERE BUT LASTED ABOUT A HALF MINUTE. IT WAS VERY SEVERE PAIN. IT ONLY HAPPENED 7 OR 8 TIMES IN LAST MONTH. I CAN'T SLEEP AT NIGHT AND THEN SLEEP ABOUT 10 HRS. A DAY. GOOD THING I DON'T WORK AT A JOB, I WOULD REALLY BE MESSED UP. I HAVE HEADACHES ALL THE TIME. DOES ANYONE OUT THERE HAVE SIDE EFFECTS FOR LEXAPRO? SEND A COMMENT IF YOU HAVE ANY SIDE EFFECTS FOR MY FUTURE ANTI- DEPRESSION MEDICATION....
72 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-30 00:47:44
Answer/Reply:
You are being ripped off. Celexa is the same make up as Lexapro, but just like a molecular point off. They do this to make it seem like two different drugs. Lexapro is like four times than Celexa, again, they are the same drug. If you are on medicare I would suggest talking with a real pharmacist in regards of pricing, because you may be getting ripped off by your doctor. Doctors have special spiffs and contracts with pharmacutical reps and push one pill over another.
35 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-17 00:00:26
Answer/Reply:
Yes, Celexa and Lexapro are almost exactly the same. Go back to your doctor and tell him to consider putting you back on the Celexa if you'd like. I've never experienced stomach cramps with Celexa. I have been taking it since late summer, and it has done wonders for my severe depression. I started out on 20MG daily, and I had bad nausea for about a week. A month after taking the Celexa for the first time, I seriously felt like I could walk on water. I am now taking 40MG of Celexa with 50MG of trazodone, and am being closely monitored for any signs of serotonin syndrome.
If you are having trouble sleeping, there are medications to help with that you can take with the Celexa. Good luck!
31 year old Male
Posted: 2009-03-07 11:57:34
Question/Comment:
I have taken Celexa for about 8 years now. I also take Xanax for my Anxiety, and Zomig for Migraines. I take 20MG a day. When my doctor first prescribed it, I was having some side effects that my doctor had not heard of. My arms would tingle, it was a strange feeling, but tingling is the best I can describe.
Recently, I've started to have this sensation again from time to time, and it just comes up out of the blue. My doctor said not to worry about it, and when I feel it coming on to do relaxation techniques. Deep breathing does seem to help. And when I concentrate on it too much, it seems to get worse. So I don't know if its something related to Anxiety, or something else going on. My doctor doesn't seem to concerned.
I read some of the comments here and didn't see anyone post about having this type of side affect with taking the Celexa. I actually take the generic Citalopram HBR. So I guess I will ask if anyone else out there has experienced this.
43 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-24 03:09:57
Question/Comment:
TEST
43 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-24 03:03:42
Question/Comment:
I've been on 40 mg. of Citalopram HBR for at leat 2 years now. Before that, I was on 20 mg. Lexapro. My insurance company suggested to my doctor that they switch me to the generic, so that's why I'm on Citalopram. It seemed to work for awhile, but for the last few months, I just feel over-medicated. I'm taking it for anxiety and chronic depression. It does keep the anxiety it check, but the depression still comes and goes. I'm thinking of asking my doctor to take me back to the 20 mg. of Lexapro because the side effects weren't as bad for me on that. I have the vivid dreams, and I tend to sleep way to much. I could sleep 12-14 hours a day if I didn't have to work full-time. I take mine around supper time because I have found that about an hour or two after I take it, I get that real hazy "stoned" feeling and can't think or drive when I feel that way, and I start yawning a lot too. I had some of those side effects with Lexapro, but they weren't nearly as pronounced as with the Citalopram.
52 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-22 14:14:11
Question/Comment:
to 35 year old female Did you ever try cutting back on the Celexa? I'm taking Citalopram, which is the best of Celexa and Lexapro. It's mellower than than others, and I feel good on it. I took everything else, and this is the only one that I could handle. I started at a very low dose, since I'm so sensitive to drugs. You can definitely keep trying til you hit the right one. Good luck. susieq
56 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-19 23:00:03
Answer/Reply:
Hi, I orginally started on 20, then 40, then 60. All helped a bit but only to a point so she upped me to 60 and that really did work. I just couldn't handle the side effects anymore. So now I'm starting on 20 of prozac so we'll see how this works. Thanks for asking, take care :)
36 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-22 12:46:19
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
i have been on 40 mg citalopram for approx 1.5 years 7 days ago been increased to 60 mg what were the side affects you could not handle? Thanks again
Posted: 2009-02-15 17:33:48
Answer/Reply:
I started on the generic form of Prozac. After about 2 weeks of taking that I started to feel extremely angry. It got to the point where I felt like running everyone off the road . I immediately stopped it. Then my doctor prescribed Citalopran and I have not felt so happy in ages. I feel like a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders. I no longer wish I would just die.
Just be careful on Prozac.
62 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-08 00:42:30
Answer/Reply:
Citalopram is merely is generic of Celexa.
64 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-04 01:37:32
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
citalopram is generic for celexa. i have been taking this for about a year and a half for depression. i haven't had any of the side effects that i have read about the others having. my dr upped mine to 40 mgs for seasonal depression and i had NO sex drive at all. i went back down to 20 mgs and had a little problem with depression but am fine now.
Posted: 2009-02-18 18:03:26
Question/Comment:
I started on 40mg of Celexa 7 months ago and 1 month ago I was upped to 60mg a day along with upping my Klonopin to 3 mg a day instead of 2. For the past 2 weeks I have been living a nightmare. I have had a weight gain of 15+ pounds since going to 60 mg. I was thinking about suicide on a daily basis. I was not clear headed. I had been in and out of the hospital with severe abdominable pain. I was vomiting everyday. I finally figured out it was the Celexa so 72 hours ago I stopped taking it. I am beginning to go thru the nasty withdrawals today.
44 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-17 15:19:30
Answer/Reply:
I have taken Celexa for about 8 years now. I also take Xanax for my Anxiety, and Zomig for Migraines. I take 20MG a day. When my doctor first prescribed it, I was having some side effects that my doctor had not heard of. My arms would tingle, it was a strange feeling, but tingling is the best I can describe.
Recently, I've started to have this sensation again from time to time, and it just comes up out of the blue. My doctor said not to worry about it, and when I feel it coming on to do relaxation techniques. Deep breathing does seem to help. And when I concentrate on it too much, it seems to get worse. So I don't know if its something related to Anxiety, or something else going on. My doctor doesn't seem to concerned.
I read some of the comments here and didn't see anyone post about having this type of side affect with taking the Celexa. I actually take the generic Citalopram HBR. So I guess I will ask if anyone else out there has experienced this.
43 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-24 03:08:54
Answer/Reply:
I have been on Celexa now for about 10 years. I have had no side effects from it what so ever. I also take Tazempam. I still do not sleep well with that so they are contacting my ins. to convience them to let me have my abien cr back again. The sleeping pill you are on will cause you to gain weight. I did, and I know of a few other people that had. PLEASE do not stop the medication without first letting your Dr. know. You could go through all kinds of withdrawal problems.
57 year old female
58 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-18 18:21:08
Question/Comment:
I have now been on celexa for a month now. I have gone and read alot of people's comments. I myself experienced headaches at first. And boy, major vivid, messed up dreams. I take 20mg in the morning. I do notice a difference when I do not take it. I have more umph in the day if I take it, if I forget, I am pretty lazy and cannot force myself to do anything. I did notice weight gain, but since being on it now for a month, I mentally am feeling better and am able to exercise at the gym for once. I am looking forward to upping my script to 20 mg twice a day. so that the energy lasts longer. By 3pm I am pooped out and need a nap, which i never needed before. so i plan to take one in morning and one in afternoon. I am also on clonopin 1mg 4 times daily, lamictal 200mg at night, and melatonine 5mg at night for insomnia. I had previously been on prozac for 15 years, was great, would try others, but kept going back to prozac. helped with my anger. but my body was pooping out on it for being on it for so long.
35 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-15 02:22:19
Answer/Reply:
I have been on Citalopram for almost 3 years now and my dosage is 60mg per day. I also would get very tired during the day and my doctor suggest I take the full dose about an hour before going to bed. I do this now and donot get any tired feelings during the day or into the evening for that matter. I do agree that dreams sometimes come right out of a Rod Serling Twilight Zone story. It works reasonably well but I do find myself sometimes slipping back a little.
70 year old Male
Posted: 2009-01-15 12:35:08
Answer/Reply:
i have been on the generic for about 6 months now, significant weight gain and hunger. Also the dreams you talked about, i have those type too. but it's the opposite of what i would do in real life, very disturbing.
30 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-20 23:02:11
Question/Comment:
I have been taking Prisdal on a one daily basis for more than three years. It has helped me a lot in my attitude towards life and situations and, best of all, I've stopped crying! However, during a spell in hospital, I stopped taking it and for almost a month I had no side effects but one day I just woke up and found myself 'back in the black hole' and crying buckets of tears. I'm now back on Prisdal and I would warn aybody who is thinking of weaning off this product, to do it gradually. Even though you don't physically feel depressed, that's mostly due to the medication.
66 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-12 12:46:23
Question/Comment:
Hi. I've been on Celexa for about 8 months or so give or take. In the beginning I started out w/ the usual 20 mg dose and am now on 60 mg daily. I had some small side effects at first, jittery, couldn't sleep, headaches, vivid dreams but that all went away. I had notcied right off that I also had a big lack of sexual desire but at the time it outwayed the problems. Now I have noticed that I also have weight gain. From 130 to almost 150 and my diet has not changed. I'm not big on exercise but I did some before and throughout and was losing weight. I just can't take those 2 side effects any longer so my Dr. decided to wean me off Celexa and start with 20 mg of Prozac in about 4 wks. Anybody been on Prozac? If so how are those side effects?? I tried looking things up and it says it's better on the weight gain but most people still have the missing desire. I've always been a sexual person, and frankly don't feel like much of a woman if I have no desire. I also don't want my moodiness, anger, anxiety, depression to come back. Anybody know of a med that works without those side effects?
36 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-07 11:23:27
Answer/Reply:
I've never tried Celexa, but have tried Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Well Butrin, Effexor & every herb under the sun that treats depression, anxiety and moods. Zoloft is the only one that did NOT make me gain 30+ pounds and make it immpossible to lose. I was on Prozac for a very short time b/c it wasn't controlling my depression and I was gaining about 2 pounds per week like clockwork. So I didn't have a good experience with it I'm sorry to tell you. And they've all effected my libido, but I'd say Paxil effected it the least. But, Paxil was even worse in the weight gain department. Paxil made me feel the best, in fact I've never felt so good in my life. But, that only lasts so long when you put on 30 pounds in 2 months without changing your diet. Well Butrin is almost guarenteed to make you lose weight and it does work OK, but it can make you very hyper and jittery at first. I wish I had a better answer for you AND for myself. These drugs all require you to weight the good with the bad I've found.
29 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-08 17:09:53
Answer/Reply:
I just started Citalopram today for anxiety and subsequent depression. I am taking 20 MG. I am VERY jittery this morning, but I am also mentally crystal clear. I did not feel this way yesterday when I took my fluoxetine. I also have some nausea and a tiny bit of dizziness. How long before the jitteriness subsides?
34 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-28 11:28:25
Question/Comment:
I'm 41 yrs.old with the early stages of Parkinsons. Is there a support group that I can go to or someone that I can talk to about this? I don't know where to go or who to talk to.
42 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-29 12:02:15
Question/Comment:
could plavix cause abdominal cramping? i have had severe cramps in my lower part of my intestines about 5 times in last 6 months. they last a short time-think goodness. could it be caused from celexa? i take a lot more meds but only plavix and celexa lately. if anyone has this problem with side effects let me know. i'm 70 years old and have a lot of medical problems.
72 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-25 00:58:52
Question/Comment:
I'm 20 years old and I've been self-medicating my anxiety for about 4 years now with oxycontin/oxycodine because my parents had never taken my condition seriously and looked at my issues as teen angst that would just fade away. Now that I'm over 18 and have no health insurance it's been hard for me to kick the painkillers and find a better and most importantly safer alternative to treat my anxiety. It may be expensive now but I'm on the Suboxone treatment with my withdrawls and I've also begun taking Abilify and Citalopram. At first it sounded like some crazy superhero drug and was a bit worried about side effects after seeing it's also used to treat severe bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The anxiety is my biggest issue and I'm wondering if there's any drug interactions anyone knows about between Suboxone and these sort of Anxiety/Bi-polar meds that should concern me? I'm wondering if Klonopin would be more effective for my 'moderately severe' anxiety. It's also been difficult for me to figure out which side effects I'm experiencing comes from which drugs. I still have hot flashes and restlessness at night, which I think is caused by the withdrawls/suboxone, but the Abilify seems to numb out my emotions so much I can hardly decide what to do with myself. When I take the Citalopram as directed with the Abilify my vision goes completely haywire and I get so diroriented I'm lucky if I can walk straight. But even being this drowsy it's impossible to sleep because I get such restless legs. I just want to be anxiety free and on the road to recovery from my addiction with as few noticable uncomfortable side effects as possible. Any insight would be great :)
21 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-11 02:52:26
Answer/Reply:
you are so young to be experiencing such in your life.the thing that i would do is find a counselor and support groups to help. the one thing that has helped me through lifes trials was finding something that i never had done before.that was receiving JESUS as my lord and savior.
58 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-20 10:36:39
Answer/Reply:
I'd strongly recommend talking this out with your doctor or a qualified professional. It seems you'll need to experiment (under the doctor's supervision) to find which drug or combo of drugs works for you. Good luck.
43 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-20 11:51:10
Answer/Reply:
I have found citralopram works well for me in controling anger. While your response to the social stimulus is anxiety, mine is anger. With citralopram in my brain, I am better able to not care as much. It also controls my obsessive compulsive traits.
I feel that it is addictive however, though not as much as your opiates. I do not feel depressed any more, but when I try to quit, my anger is great.
The christian dude needs to find another outlet for his prostilization.
41 year old Male
Posted: 2008-12-26 22:24:58
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
DON'T KNOCK THE JESUS THING UNTIL YOU TRY IT.
Posted: 2009-01-07 15:44:20
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I took Celexa, the generic, for several years. Every time I stopped taking it and a week went by, I started having real bad moods, like increased anger and irritability. I found out when I took it, it seemed to stabilize my bad moods and depression more, so I will keep taking it.
Posted: 2009-01-30 17:17:32
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I'm 20 years old and I've been self-medicating my anxiety for about 4 years now with oxycontin/oxycodine because my parents had never taken my condition seriously and looked at my issues as teen angst that would just fade away. Now that I'm over 18 and have no health insurance it's been hard for me to kick the painkillers and find a better and most importantly safer alternative to treat my anxiety. It may be expensive now but I'm on the Suboxone treatment with my withdrawls and I've also begun taking Abilify and Citalopram. At first it sounded like some crazy superhero drug and was a bit worried about side effects after seeing it's also used to treat severe bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The anxiety is my biggest issue and I'm wondering if there's any drug interactions anyone knows about between Suboxone and these sort of Anxiety/Bi-polar meds that should concern me? I'm wondering if Klonopin would be more effective for my 'moderately severe' anxiety. It's also been difficult for me to figure out which side effects I'm experiencing comes from which drugs. I still have hot flashes and restlessness at night, which I think is caused by the withdrawls/suboxone, but the Abilify seems to numb out my emotions so much I can hardly decide what to do with myself. When I take the Citalopram as directed with the Abilify my vision goes completely haywire and I get so diroriented I'm lucky if I can walk straight. But even being this drowsy it's impossible to sleep because I get such restless legs. I just want to be anxiety free and on the road to recovery from my addiction with as few noticable uncomfortable side effects as possible. Any insight would be great :)
im 19 im male and i have all the same problems you said im on soxone now and Citalopram(w as off it be fore pain killer adiction)now its my firt day taking it with sub i was on percs and dros
Posted: 2008-12-27 02:53:57
Answer/Reply:
Listen... I have been YOU! I have been on every med in the world for depression, anxiety, ADHD, and so on.. perscribed and not. Get off of everything and get to either a re-hab or a support group. Without getting off of all the "self-medication" you can not know what exactly is wrong with you. The lifestyle of adiction is a huge ANXIETY in itself. You might not even have any problems except for that one. God help you in your search and there is health insurance out there for you but you really need to get help and STOP SELF MEDICATING. None of it works unless you can figure out if it is you or your lifestyle that is effecting your health.
PS -- I now take Serequel and Citalopram because I am a know addict and they will not perscribe me the Alprazolam I know I need.. if it is just anxiety, that works better than all of this stuff but you do live in a "clouded" mind. You will know that difference when you get off of it and it is highly addictive. D-T's do hurt from street drugs but they will go away and you will then know what reality is.. Its not that bad either..
signed, another addict
38 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-28 14:06:10
Answer/Reply:
BUT YOU ARE THINKING - AND REACHING OUT. GOOD FOR YOU. yOU DID A LOT OF SECOND GUESSING BEFORE YOU TOOK THE STEPS TO MANAGE YOUR ADDICTION SO, PLEASE, DON'T START UP THAT ROAD AGAIN! (sorry for the caps - it was an accident.) ADDICTIONS SPECIALISTS MEDICAL PERSONNEL HAVE THE BEST ABiLITY TO GIVE YOU GOOD ADVICE> Keep in close contact and you will not have to second guess your symptoms. Certainly closely collaborate on the meds you take - and have patience, my friend!
90 year old Male
Posted: 2009-02-19 15:08:26
Answer/Reply:
Been there, sweetie. I was on tranquilizers when I was 11 years old because I had "a nervous stomach" according to the family doc. After a few suicide attempts I finally sought therapy (I was also an adult by then and therefore no longer under the thumb of my mother) and learned more healthy ways of dealing with my issues. There are free or low-cost places you can go to get help. The first thing you MUST do is SEE A DOCTOR and GET HELP! Show your doctor what you wrote here. There IS hope. (And before someone starts thumpin' a bible again, KNOW THIS: I AM a Christian and have been ever since I can remember. Sometimes God's answer is to seek professional help. That's why He created doctors.
And try eating a banana or some other potassium-rich food an hour or so before bedtime. Makes all the difference for me!
54 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-06 20:00:42
Question/Comment:
I have been on celexa twice in the past year and i dont know how well it works for my anxiety,I seem to notice it works well at first then sort of tapers off after a while wich is why i stopped taking it the first time.I didn't have any sort of withdrawel from them but I do know when on them I get horrible headaches,anyone else have this problem?
31 year old Female
Posted: 2008-11-23 14:27:24
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I also get terrible headaches
Posted: 2008-11-26 01:17:46
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Yes, the headaches are the worst. I've been off of celexa for two weeks now and the headaches are gone.
Posted: 2008-12-02 22:25:23
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I have been on celexa and evail for over 2 1/2 years. I was on prozac and Klonpin. Doc said he
prefer me on celexa which has nerve medicine mixed in it. I take it night. So if I get sleepy than
bedtime here I come. Some nights I find myself up late into the early morning hours. That only happens if I'm worring about something or have to go somewhere early in the morning. Go figure!
40yrs old female
Posted: 2008-12-08 22:04:26
Answer/Reply:
My anger is three times as worse when i do not take it (miss a dose) then it was before I started taking it.
I have notice that if the drug store changes the maker of the pill (walgreens going to riteaid) it makes a big difference in the effects of my pills. Sounds weird but true.
The drug makes you feel numb as though you do not care about anything. I have not cried in almost 2 years. crazy.
35 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-29 14:02:19
Answer/Reply:
headaches i get. also i take this pill at night and i am happy in the morning till around 12 noon then like you said it tapers off. doc wants me to take at night - maybe i should take in the morning.
Has anyone noticed a signifigant weight gain? i feel like i have gaines 20 lbs.
35 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-29 14:03:54
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