Posted by Phoenix on April 13, 2000, at 8:28:13
In reply to Re: CELEXA or Not to CELEXA...???, posted by Alex on March 28, 2000, at 14:14:49
> Kathy, I found Celexa really good. 40mg made the world look good to live in again. It was okay to get up in the morning and face the day.Little things no longer sent me over the top. I was also able to make use of some cognitive behavioural therapy which also helped, especially thought stopping and reframing negative thoughts ie looking at the glass as though it is half full, not half empty.
> Pills can take away the responsibility for making changes to ones own life, it is important to find the right coach to help with this.I really like what Alex said about Celexa's helping "little things no longer make him go over the top." The more I read on this bullletin board, the more I wonder if Celexa ought to be classed as a special treatment for agitated depression, which is the type I suffer (along with a neuromuscular disease). When I'm in "that state", forget the glass. There IS no glass. Everything is a crisis, everything must be solved right then, and worry and anxiety become the order of the day. Yet, two medications so far have helped that.
I woke up one morning when I was taking Paxil, several years ago, and realized I no longer had the "clatter" in my head. Not voices, mind you.....I'm not psychotic. Just daily "you must do this or that" type or clatter. Things that really could have waited while I went out for a walk or a swim. It was the most astounding feeling. The only problem was, I slept---very nearly around the clock. Not necessarily because it made me sleepy, but because I *could* (part of taking responsibility again). I hadn't slept in soooo long and it felt so good. I also have a sleeping disorder.
Finally had to go off Paxil for that reason. I have been on Celexa 20 mg for three months, and have noticed a distinct decrease in crying spells, and an ability to get started and organized. Nothing amazing, like the Paxil quiet. Yet. I just went up to 40 mgs three days ago, and slept from 0930 yesterday morning to 1515, and 1800 to just now. So I cut back to 30 mg for a week or two, and we'll see how that goes. I've notice a definite drop in anxiety level since starting on 40 mg, a drop in internal "barmometric pressure". :-)
As one who has had to be on one antidepressant or another since 1988 for unipolar, endogenous (biological) agitated and occasionally fearful depression, I'd like to pass on that it takes times for antidepressants to work. Some longer than others. Only Paxil worked quickly. I was on Zoloft the longest, but, like someone said, it just stopped working, and that happens. So just give it time---I can almost guarantee you'll have side effects at first, but they almost always pass. If they don't after a few months, or are a danger to driving, etc., call your doctor immediately.I hope I've helped someone. Just the voice of experience.
poster:Phoenix
thread:20862
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000411/msgs/29823.html