Posted by mme_l on July 19, 1999, at 17:35:53
In reply to Re: Celexa Withdrawels--Victor, posted by JohnL on July 18, 1999, at 8:06:31
> > I AM in that big hole, and taking 20mg of Celexa, and experiencing the side effects. Is there and end to this??
> > My therapist wants to put me in a treatment center because I am a danger to myself. At one point I was taking 150mg Effexor twice a day, I felt "normal" but the side effects were too much for me.
> >
> > Thanks and be well.
>
> Hi Victor. It is encouraging that medicines have helped (Effexor). Through trial and error you can find a medicine that works but has more tolerable side effects. For example, I've been on Paxil, Zoloft, and Celexa at different times. They helped somewhat, though nowhere near what I needed, but they also killed my sex drive and/or ability almost instantly (within hours of dosing). I am now on Prozac, and though it is a notorious offender just like the others for destroying one's sex life, I'm not having any sexual side effects at all. Go figure. Just goes to show you how different we all are in chemistry. I am only in 3rd week of treatment with Prozac, so it's much too early to pass judgement on its effectiveness or longterm side effects.
>
> I am so sorry you are in that deep black hole. Been there many times myself. What a hellhole. Just have to dig deep and hold on, because there IS light at the end of the tunnel. Concentrate on functioning, getting by, and by all means get the best fastest treatment you can.
>
> If 20mg Celexa is too much with side effects, then you might well need a trial of a different med, because 40mg to 60mg is the usual therapeutic dose. Clinical trials have shown 20mg to be not much better than placebo. Another popular approach is to treat the side effects secondary to the depression. For example, if insomnia is the side effect bothering you, there are meds like Remeron, or small dose of a TCA, that can turbocharge your Celexa and provide good sleep simultaneously. Sexual side effects can be treated with various med approaches too. Whatever the side effect, there is likely another med to counter it and boost your primary med at the same time.
>
> We all know how hard it is, but please hang in there. Just getting by is a monsterous task. Focus on weathering the storm, it doesn't last forever, and know that many of us here are cheering for you. JohnL.
Hi All,I've been on the Celexa now for several months. I was on Effexor previous to that, and had a heck of a time getting off of it. I had a hard time adjusting to the Celexa and had side effects when I first started, but all of the side effects have dissapeared.
Since I an super-sensitive to medication, I asked the pdoc for the lowest dose. He started me on 20 mg, which drove me crazy anyway. I couldn't stay awake, I was irritable (an understatement), had headaches (but not as bad as on the effexor, which is why I quit that after 4 mo, even though I felt good I quit it), among other side-effects. I begged my doc to cut my medication in half. I got his permission to do so, then worked up to alternating 5 and 10 mg every other day, skipping a day if the headaches got bad, and am up to 10 mg. a day now. My doctor told me that this was not a theraputic dose, but I must admit it must be for me. I feel terrific nowadays, and all the side-effects are gone. My own un-professional opinion is that these drugs need to be tapered onto, and tapered off of.
I hope all of you are doing well. Please hang in there; there is a payoff in the end! It took me months to adjust, and even a car accident - please be careful! The best of luck to all of you!
L
poster:mme_l
thread:8027
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990829/msgs/8932.html