Posted by devon00 on May 20, 2004, at 3:42:45
I recently went without insurance and therefore had to wean myself off Lexapro. Now I have coverage but my insurance only covers Celexa, so I've started taking that. Since a few weeks after starting Celexa, my appetite had DOUBLED. I mean, I'm hungry all of the time. I snack between meals, eat peanut butter out of the jar and fantasize about chocolate. This is not normal for me. In the past, I have gained A LOT of weight (60+ lbs!) on various antidepressants, including Celexa, so I am very hesitant to continue on this medication. I am a short girl with a naturally small appetite, so it's very upsetting to be hungry all of the time and pack on the pounds even though I work out and am usually naturally thin (under 120).
Also, I have concerns about other side effects. On Celexa I tend to experience a complete lack of motivation. My sleep is sometimes disrupted (usually at 4AM on the dot, go figure!) and I have a very hard time rousing myself in the morning.
My depression tends to be an irritable, paranoid/anxious sort of thing. Sometimes I feel that without an antidepressant I am more antisocial and tend to more argumentative with others. I also am somewhat anxious. I should mention that my dad was bipolar, so I might have a "bipolar type depression." For these reasons, I'm scared to go without the help of an antidepressant. But frankly, gaining weight is VERY depressing and I have my doubts about how much the medication is helping. I just don't know what to do. Does my symptom profile suggest any other medications that might have fewer side effects? Is Lexapro really better as far as weight gain & other side effects?
Please help. I am currently shopping for a therapist so it might be a while before I can discuss these issues with him/her. In the meantime, I want to decide whether I should go off Celexa. I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
poster:devon00
thread:348792
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040515/msgs/348792.html