Celexa

[yasmine]

Its been a rough few months for me and my family. (My mom was dx'd with brain cancer) Anyways I have been feeling real bad such as: mind racing thoughts, cant sleep at all, tired lack of energy, moody, very high strung emotionaly - the best way to describe it is: torn inside out!

I finally broke down and went to the doctor and he walked in and i couldnt even talk i just started crying so hard. Sooo, We are going to try 10mg of Celexa for one month. I'll take it at bedtime because it has a sedative in it so it'll help me sleep. He told me that i had "situational depression" - wow i think thats putting it well considering how i've been feeling!

I took my first pill last night and WHEW i actually slept last night. This is the first time that i have actually slept since November. Before, I just couldnt get my mind off my mom long enough to sleep and when i did fall asleep i'd have terrible nightmares of my mom dying so i'd wake up scared or crying. I have had enough, its not something i wanted to do but i decided to call the doctor. I woke this morning and felt so refreshed so i'm really hoping this will help. I realize this wont fix it, but it'll help me become more stable-- or at least i hope.

My whole point is, anyone on here take celexa or have taken it? And if so, what are your experiences with it?

Thanks in advance to everyone.

 

[rosehawke]

This is second hand, so you can make of it what you will. Hubby was on Celexa for a couple of years, it helped immensely with his anxiety and various other issues he has/had. His main problem with it was that he said it made him "feel like a zombie." Also, whereas used to he always got into work at 6:00 am, these days he rarely goes in before 7:30, and at times wanders in at 9:30 (they have flex-time.) I can trace this back almost exactly to when he started taking anti-depressants. He is currently taking Cymbalta, and likes it much better as he says he's not so zombie like. Of course, he's always taken his meds in the morning, and since you're taking yours at night you may not run into this problem. On the other hand he is much calmer and his temperament is more even than it used to be.

 

[carolpetunia]

Yes ma'am, I've been taking Celexa for several years now, and I think your doctor chose just the right thing for you. I have chronic depression (as opposed to situational), and of all the antidepressants I've tried over the years, Celexa is the only one that seems to help without causing unwanted side effects.

For example: The "zombie-like" feeling that RoseHawke's husband referred to is something I've experienced, too, though never on Celexa -- I felt that way on Prozac, though, and that's why I stopped using it. One doctor had me try Effexor, but the first dose made me feel so sick all over that I never took it again. I also tried Desyrel many years ago, and although it did seem to help, it also made me groggy and tired.

Celexa, though, has never caused me any trouble except a bit of drymouth. For me, it does not mute my emotions, but only makes me better able to cope with them. It also seems to help a lot with anxiety, which is a major component of depression for me... and it sounds like it may be for you, too.

One reason I am so devoted to Celexa is that, from the age of 16 right up until my mid-40s, I was subject to the most ungodly headaches at least three or four times a month -- not migraines, not anything a doctor could diagnose, but completely debilitating. My neck would lock in position, my shoulders would refuse to unhunch... I couldn't even lie down sometimes, because it hurt so much to rest my head on a pillow. I tried all kinds of narcotic painkillers, even tried combining pills and wine, which was stupid... but nothing worked, and these unbelievable headaches made it impossible for me to function for days at a time.

Since I started taking Celexa, I haven't had a single one of 'em. So I guess they were "just" tension headaches, elevated to an incredible extreme. And Celexa has relieved me of all that!

So please be reassured... Celexa is, in my experience, a very good medicine that can really help you handle whatever life throws at you. Just make sure you don't stop taking it abruptly -- when you feel the time is right to ease out of it, talk to your doctor and work out a schedule for weaning yourself away. Otherwise, you could start to feel achy, nervous, and distracted. (For me, those feelings appear if I miss two doses in a row... so I'm very careful to take my Celexa right on time.)

You've done exactly the right thing, asking for help from your doctor, and I believe this drug will be a great benefit to you. My thoughts are with you and your mom, and I dearly hope that all will be well. All good wishes to your family...

 

[kaleetha]

I was on it for a time and it worked find for me. I don't really like prescription drugs, but I was, um, spiralling and really needed to be on something. It broke the cycle enough to allow me to take control of my own life.

DO make sure you take your dose when you are supposed... esp. at such a low dosage. (It doesn't have a very long half-life and will disappear from your body.)

Talk to your doctor if you don't like how it makes you feel. There are LOTS of options out there.

Also... although this is a bit off topic... please make sure you make some time for yourself!!!! I realize you must be going through a really tough time... so make sure you take hot baths, eat some chocolate, go shopping (even just window shopping), work out... take a class doing something you always wanted to do...

It sounds crazy but it is SO important.

Good luck and my thoughts will be with you.

 

[beckiboo]

What good news for you! I am actually a psych nurse at an outpatient clinic, and am familiar with Celexa. It is a great medication, IMO. Very effective, with a low side effect profile. Of course, as with Hope's dh, everyone is different, and what works for one may cause problems for another.

10 mg is a very low dose. The standard adult dose is 20-40mg daily. So if your doc ends up increasing the dose over time, don't be alarmed. As for not wanting to go on meds, I don't think anyone prefers meds. But just like I need glasses to see well, sometimes people need medication to function at a higher level.

The medicine can't take away the stressful situation with your Mom. But if it can help you sleep, and take away the depression, you will be able to deal with it easier.

Hugs to you and your Mom as you go through this together. I'm glad you are feeling a little better!

 

[rachelh1018]

I have depression and anxiety and I take Effexor and Buspirone. I also have really bad insomnia and cannot sleep at all without medication. I take Trazadone. I have tried Ambien but it made me feel like a zombie.