# Citalopram (Celexa) users!



## liquidwaltz (Nov 15, 2011)

Hi, I'm supposed to start taking Citalopram today for depression and anxiety. I'm to take 10 mg for 1 week. Then on the 2nd week move up to 20 mg.

Any information on your experience with this drug would be greatly appreciated.

Some questions:
How were the side effects? How long did they last?
Do you think it helped with your depression and anxiety? How long did it take?
What time do you prefer to take yours?
How long were you on them? Was it hard getting off of them?
Did you gain or lose weight? How much and how sudden?
Did you sleep well?
Did you lose your appetite in food and sex?
Do you think it's worth it?

Any information you can give me would be great!


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## Ace Face (Nov 13, 2011)

OMG... please don't take it.

I've watched the people I love take this. The side effects for the five people I know have been the same: worsens depression, suicidal thoughts, severe mood swings, irritibility, impulsivity, difficulty sleeping, and increased anxiety. 

Cymbalta is even worse O_O


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## Promethea (Aug 24, 2009)

It works differently for different people. I couldn't keep taking it because it turned me into a sociopath. 
Oh, and drinking on it will turn you into an insane person temporarily.. I thought planes were bombing my apt. Not fun.

I had the WORST panic attacks I have ever fucking had ON this drug.

Sex drive was completely suppressed. I would never put this thing back into my brain to vandalize it again.


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## Angelic Gardevoir (Oct 7, 2010)

I'm taking it right now, actually. I agree that it's probably different for different people. For me...


 I haven't had any noticeable side effects, but taking it on an empty stomach seems to creating a burning sensation in the stomach for me. :/
It has helped a little, but it has only made me _less _nervous rather than completely calm. I can be bad while on it, but I'm much worse without it.
I take mine in the morning, but if it makes you drowsy you might want to take it at night.
No weight changes.
I used to have some sleep problems, but I'm sleeping fine currently. I don't think the former sleep problems had anything to do with the medication itself.
Normal appetite. I can't say about sex drive since I don't think I had a very high one to begin with.
It might be worth it, and it might be not. If it's bothering you, tell your doctor/counselor/therapist. They'll put you on a schedule to wean you off it. Just don't quit cold turkey. I did that once for Prozac and it was not pleasant.


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## prplchknz (Nov 30, 2010)

I took this, and i didn't have really any side effects except it didn't really work for me it did nothing for me until they upped to 30mg and than i started looking like a junkie on it so than they tried something else and than i was on wellbutrin for 3 days that made me suicidal. than they tried lithium, as a shot in the dark as i'm not bipolar but go figure it works. except lithium has a tendency to make me angry randomly


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## Gab777 (Jan 13, 2012)

I have been prescribed this and I kept feeling like I wanted to sleep. I told my doctor, and he said that this is normal and to keep taking it and my body will adjust to it. I stopped taking it because it gave me headaches.


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## Nordom (Oct 12, 2011)

Currently 3 weeks off of this stuff, and I was probably never more irritable. On the one hand it was nice to be able to feel irritable, on the other hand, sleep deprivation blows. Anyone else feel those mini electric shocks or dizziness. It's nothing major and I've spoken to my doctor, but it is a really really weird sensation.
It helped a bit when combined with other therapy, but I would no longer recommend this to anyone else. The side effects are not worth it.


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## BlissfulDreams (Dec 25, 2009)

I was on Celexa last year along with Seroquel. I experienced several side effects while on it. The first was a burning sensation on my shoulders and upper arms. It felt like a moderate sunburn. It was tingly and I felt like I was burning from the inside. It was a little bit disturbing, but I could tolerate it. For several weeks, Celexa seemed to be helping me. I was ruminating and obsessing less and my mood was pretty level and high. I felt cheerful. I had hypomanic periods where I would stay up all night. I had a ton of energy. It also really messed up my sleep patterns. But the moods didn't last and eventually I crashed. My moods were extremely low and I was very depressed, anxious, and suicidal. I felt horrible.

This was my experience and this isn't to say that yours will be the same. In general, I have not had good experiences with SSRIs. I've always experienced some sort of side effect and they don't seem to get rid of my depression, which is the reason I was taking them in the first place.

My advice is to* let your doctor know if you are experiencing ANY side effects so that they can put you on something else.* This may be anything from brain fog to suicidal thoughts. They should be listening to you and your concerns and not argue with you. Don't listen to the "but it takes 4-6 weeks to feel the full effects" line that they give you. *If you feel like shit, let them know!*

As for my experience, I think the reason why Celexa didn't work was because I have either bipolar II or cyclothemia. Celexa raised my mood but raised it too much. So much so that the Seroquel was not enough to prevent me from crashing. The Seroquel was fun though. It made me hallucinate and see a cartoon dog in my blanket when I woke up, a pink fish flopping on the end of my bed, and moving shadows in my bookshelf.

Right now I am on Wellbutrin XL, Valproic Acid, Olanzapine, and Clonazepam. They seem to be working well. I haven't had any really bad episodes this year. (But it isn't fall or winter yet and that is when I usually get the most depressed.) Sometimes I also take Lorazepam if I'm anxious and need something to calm me down immediately. I'm finding that my body tolerates anti-depressants that are non-SSRIs better than SSRIs.


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## cheyenna (Jan 23, 2011)

I was prescribed this for my asthma! My attacks have been brought on more and more by anxiety (even by extreme violence in a movie.. that was embarrassing..) but I didn't want to try it, so it's just been sitting in a drawer for a few months. I have been close to trying it a few times, but I don't know how much different it would make me. I've been on medication before (not for mental health reasons) that changed my behavior and my mood so much that my mom took the pills away from me. Even my antibiotics I took once made me suicidal, so I'm just not sure I trust something that can actually change my thinking that much. I was pretty shocked when they gave that to me in the first place. I do take a Valium sometimes when I'm feeling overly stressed or angry, but it usually only just takes the edge off. 
If you've started taking it, you should let us know how it's working for you.


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## QueCueYew (Aug 20, 2010)

Just today as a matter of fact I had my celexa prescription changed. However, when I were taking it the only thing I noticed is that I actually had dreams when I slept, for however amount of time, rather than a black sleep if you will. As far as mood wise it only took the edge out of life. Though it didn't help as much as I had hoped it would.


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## mushr00m (May 23, 2011)

*How were the side effects? How long did they last?*
Nausea within an hour of me taking it the first time inc head rush. They eventually died but I acquired others like jaw tenseness, itchyness, over-sweating, headaches.
*Do you think it helped with your depression and anxiety? How long did it take?*
Yes, after it kicked in after 2 weeks. The effects I became immune to after say a year. It is proving very difficult to come off of.
*What time do you prefer to take yours?*
Before bed.
*How long were you on them? Was it hard getting off of them?*
Im still taking them. Yes, extremely difficult for myself, my partner also takes them and has said the same thing. Whenever I have tried to come off them, I have become extremely sui not to scare you, this is just my experience. They gave my partner intense dark moods when he tried to come off them. I think it comes down to being extremely gradual about withdrawal, when you decide to come off them, don't knock it down by say half the amount, I would go smaller than that, even if you feel immune to them, they have a strong effect on the mind and body.
*Did you gain or lose weight? How much and how sudden?*
Up and down. Not a huge difference.
*Did you sleep well?*
Not during the early stages.
*Did you lose your appetite in food and sex?*
I did lose my appetite early on a bit but that came back and then it went down again so hard to say.
*Do you think it's worth it?*
Not for a long period of time, it depends on what exactly you are taking them for. They are ideally better when used whilst undergoing therapy rather than supplement for therapy.


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## mjmd9 (Feb 4, 2013)

I am very sensitive to all drugs. Dr. gave me 10 mg of celexa. For the first three days I was a total zombie. No more depression, similar to a Stepford wife. I couldn't remember driving home one day decreased the dose to 1/2.The headaches and nausea were a killer. Started waking up every two hours at night. Started taking Ambien CR to sleep all night. I only lasted 10 days and stopped. I have never had a problem falling asleep. I still fall asleep easily, but this waking up every two hours bites. I feel totally ruined. Been taking Ambien CR to get a full nights rest. Can't live on this stuff... My depression is better. Listening to Subliminal Systems on Amazon. Best 99 cents I have spent. Anything to keep up. Seems to be working, just my sleeping pattern seems wrecked...


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