Anyone here tried Celexa?

[sandusky]

I've been wanting to try this med....the last doctor I went to, before I lost my insurance, prescribed it for me and is still calling in refills. But I'm just stockpiling them in my bathroom. I haven't actually taken the meds yet. I know, that's awful....but I have this irrational fear of taking anti-depressants for some reason. I took Zoloft when I was a teenager and it was fine, but I don't know what my problem is now.

I am mildly depressed. I know it and everyone in my family has noticed it. What's worse than the depression is the anxiety. General anxiety during the day and it peaks at night. Every now and then I'll start to have a full-on real panic attack. I got them 10 years ago, and over the past year they've started coming back. They are hellish. I also have chronic insomnia pretty much every night.

I do take alprazolam for the anxiety, but I don't want to be as dependent on it as I am now, so that's why I've been considering the Celexa. Anyhow. Sorry for the novel! I'm mostly wondering if it's worked for you, how long it took to work, and what were your side effects, if any?

Thanks so much in advance.

[QVC1212]

@sandusky I've used celexa (citalopram) for about 5 months now, and it has worked like a charm. I take it and quetiapine for bipolar disorder type II, and after various combinations such as aripiprazole (abilify) and bupropion (wellbutrin) which had some pretty terrible side effects, this med has been pretty much side effect free so far. I have gained a bit of weight, but my doctor said he is absolutely sure that it was caused by the quetiapine, not celexa. Celexa is not hard to find on the net---I can think of a place that carries it now (medsadvocate.com) and emedoutlet used to carry it I think.

[Aliceinwonderland]

Hello @sandusky I tried citalopram last year and had an awful time with it, I had terrble headaches and most of my hair fell out. I am not a big fan, however, I have heard many success stories and alot of people call it a wonder drug.

If your doctor has prescribed them for you and they are sitting in your cupboard why not try them and see how you get on? Surely if there is a chance it will help with your anxiety, panic attacks and improve your quality of life it is worth a go?

[Sprite]

@sandusky
I think everybody reacts different to antidepressants, which makes it so hard for doctors to find the right one. One size doesn't fit all. Celexa is what my doctor prescribed when I got up the courage to tell him I was depressed. For some reason, I felt stupid telling him I was really anxious too. Celexa helped my anxiety too much and I felt "blunted". Like I had no feelings, so for me, it wasn't a good fit.

I forgot to say that I took Celexa for 3 or 4 months, and I seem to remember it took about a month for it to kick in. I don't know if it's really meant to help with panic attacks. I would think you'd need something immediate in those instances like clonazepam.

[Lethe]

I know (or at least think I know) that Celexa is off patent and Lexapro isn't, but if the cost is covered by insurance and you have the luxury of a choice, Lexapro should (pls note "should" is italicized) have fewer and less severe side effects. I was on Lexapro a long time ago and don't remember enough to offer anything useful in the way of personal experience.

[Bungalobill]

Add me to the Celexa crowd - actually I take the generic. I tae it in conjunction with phentermine. No ill effects, but everyone's mileage varies. SSRIs often poop out and people need to switch .. or .. some just do'nt work for a gievn indivifual in the first place.

Here is the part to consider and I say this as sensitively as I possibly can. SSRIs aren't magic .. they only help a certain percentage of people. It's not 100%. A lot of times people are depressed when they start an ssri .. and they're still depressed. Who/what does the media demonize? The SSRI. Maybe just maybe somebody is already depressed and its simply a matter of the ssri not helping or the person not being 100% compliant.

I know a number of people on anti depressants .. some of which are depressed and blame the pill. I aint so sure it's the pill's fault. I thnk SSRIs are over prescribed but they get a bad rap. A lot of people put on SSRIs have any number of issues BEFORE they start taking the pill.

[tonyfoxtrot]

@sandusky

First off, remember that the majority of Anti-Depressant medication like SSRIs always take some time to establish themselves in your system. My rule of thumb is 5-6 weeks.

I have been diagnosed with Depression and a severe Anxiety Disorder. (with a few, undiagnosed Bipolar features) My worst problem is definitely the anxiety and panic attacks.

I was diagnosed in 2001 and spent many years on Paxil, which did an okay job, but just seemed to be less effective after long-term dosage. (I also went off it twice to no meds, which was a huge mistake.)

When I decided to switch off Paxil, I went on Prozac, which was a complete disaster. You see, I didn't (and still don't) have insurance and was forced to try and pick and choose between the medications on the $4 Generic list. Prozac barely touched my depression and was horrible for anxiety, even at very high levels.

It was then, in 2008, that I found Celexa, and I could not be happier. Celexa seems to really be effective on my anxiety. I have been on the maximum dose for three years and I am completely satisfied. As for side effects, I have found that Celexa has the least amount of sexual issues attached. I have always had headaches, so I can't speak on that, and my hair is falling out anyway. LOL

One more thing for anxiety. Since I was diagnosed I have always had an Ativan PRN (take as needed) of 1mg. It works like a charm when I have an attack.

[Aliceinwonderland]

I agree with @Bungalobill, I do not think SSRIs are magic pills either, I think they are 'helpful' pills. I also know alot of people who are on SSRIs and still suffer from depression, to a lesser degree but nevertheless are still depressed.

I think the majority of people's expectations are just too high when taking SSRIs, they believe that their depression will disappear completely but of course this rarely happens. I would never consider SSRls as 'happy' or 'miracle' pills. For me, like i said above it is very much a 'helpful pill' and I am much better on them than off. If asked what effect SSRI'S have on me, I would simply say that the 'take the edge off things'. It is the only way I can describe it.

I also realise this is a sensitive subject and I am aware for some people SSRIs are indeed considered miracle pills. I just wanted to share my experience.

@sandusky, hope things are ok with you.

[Jeanne]

Sandusky, I take Celexa (generic) and it does help a lot. It does make you feel numb to a certain degree. I went off it for a while and when I wanted to start back on it, my mother and sister begged me not to. They said that my personality changed on Celexa and not for the better. They said I was "zombie-like." Apparently, they like me better when I'm hysterical and crying all the time.

So I'm taking a lower dose now (just 20mg instead of 40mg) and I like it. My doctor says you can break Celexa in half, so depending on the strength of your pills, you may want to experiment with a lower dose to start and work your way up if you see some benefits.

[Blockhead]

I've been on 40mg each night for over 3.5 months now and was unaware of the hair issue. A year ago Depakote really took a hit on my hair which is shoulder length albeit grey. And I cannot afford to go bald as my head is not round. (Celexa appears to be helping me though)

[heya]

I was on Celexa for a week and was still having really bad anxiety and depression. These meds can take weeks to work though, I changed dr's and he put me on a different medication but I know a couple people who take Celexa and stuck with it and it worked wonders for them. It is also supposed to have lower side effects. Good luck!

[Aliceinwonderland]

Fortunately the risk of hair loss whilst taking celexa is quite rare. I would not want to scare anyone off from taking this drug but I do think that people should be more aware of this side effect.

@Blockhead I too have a very odd shaped head, it looks like an egg and i have a flat bit at the top so going bald was also not an option for me! Glad Celexa is working for you though.

[act0004]

When I first started seeing my pdoc for anxiety and panic disorder, he put me on the whole host of SSRI list, trying one after another. All of the SSRI's caused me horrible side effects that did NOT go away with contiued use as is described in the medication pamphlet etc, and made my anxiety symptoms 10x worse. This includes Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro, and Effexor XR (which is actually an SNRI-I only took this for 2 days before I couldn't take the insomnia and diarrhea and panic attacks anymore).

Eventually he prescribed me a different type of antidepressant, Remeron (generic name Mirtazapine). This is an atypical antidepressant (tetracyclic but pharmacologically quite different from the tricyclics). The only side effects I have from it are lucid dreams which can sometimes be fun and interesting and nocturnal emmissions every once in a while depending on what I'm dreaming about haha.

Anyway, I've been on Remeron for about a year and it works great for my insomnia but does nothing for my anxiety. Luckily I was eventually prescribed Klonopin, a benzodiazepine that's not as addictive as, say, xanax, or others with shorter half-lifes. This medication works synergistically with the Remeron to produce almot total annihilation of my generalized anxiety, insomnia, and social anxiety. I also do not have panic attacks anymore.

Some people just can't take SSRIs, according to the lead pdoc at my clinic, and I'm definitely one of them. But honestly, despite the side effects I experienced, the biggest reason I do not want to take SSRIs is the possible sexual side effects. Erectile dysfunction, not being able to orgasm, loss of libido being among those possible (although rare, less than 10% of patients experience serious sexual side effects) side effects put me off them forever. Celexa supposedly has the lowest side effect profile of all SSRIs along with Lexapro though.

SSRIs can completely change a person's life for the better, eliminating anxiety and depression and allowing one to lead a happy life. Like all drugs, everyone reacts differently; my sister has been taking Lexapro for 6 years and it works wonderfully for her with no side effects. For me, a tetracyclic antidepressant in combination with a longer-lasting benzodiazepine was necessary. According to multiple doctors and personal research, this is not an uncommon situation and combination of medications (I also take Adderall for ADHD-college student) that can turn a depressed, anxious, panic attack-ridden person's life around. It sure did for me!

So in conclusion (sorry for the long post-anxiety, depression, and panic attacks are something I'm passionate about-I struggled for 2 years to find the right med), Celexa may work great for you, it may make your symptoms worse, or it may not do anything at all! One thing I always warn people about SSRIs is the possible sexual side effects; though rare, these can last PERMANENTLY even after you stop the medication! This small risk was enough for me to say no. I'd take a benzodiazepine addiction over that anyday if I'm happy. You may want to try other SSRIs if Celexa doesn't work, or even Effexor (usually used for people who don't respond well to other S/N/ERIs). However, Effexor has THE worst withdrawal symptom of all antidepressants; much worse than any SSRI. You may want to try Trycyclics (though effective, mostly out of use now due to newer antidepressants) or Remeron.

Statistically, Remeron actually outperforms all SSRIs except Lexapro in terms of antidepressant activity and side effect profile. I would avoid MAOIs at all costs, unless you are the most depresed person in the world. These can be lethal or at least lead to a hypertensive crisis if combined with many drugs (mostly serotonergic ones, ie. antidepressants), OTC meds, and even some foods. Just weigh the risks and benefits of any medications carefully, and always check for interactions; this is geneal advice to anyone considering psychoactive drug therapy. Also, start with a lower dose for about a week with any antidepressant and then increase from there or you may experience very unpleasant side effects (same thing for quitting them-taper the dose, like any psychoactive drug).

If the side effects of Celexa are too much for you in the first couple of weeks, you may want to carefully consider combining it with a benzodiazepine for 2, 3 weeks max. Be careful with these, as they can be very addictive if not used as prescribed. Best of luck to you and anyone else fighting depression, anxiety, panic, and similar disorders-I know the pain, and there's hope out there somewhere!

Edit: Forgot to add, I know almost if not all of these antidepressants are available online in generic form and the prices aren't bad if you have the right source(s). Benzodiazepines are a different story (though still available online) and should, in both my and the medical world's opinion, only be used long-term (more than 4-6 weeks depending on which one) be used as a last resort for moderate to severe anxiety/panic that an antidepressant may not help with. Abilify (an antipsychotic) can also be combined with antidepressants if response is poor after 5-6 weeks, but I can't speak much of its efficacy. I do know that antipsychotics can have some nasty side effects though, especially if used long-term. One step at a time...

[sandusky]

Thank you all so, so very much for the thoughtful replies. I'm going to start taking the Celexa next week. I have this page bookmarked for reference now. I get the 20 mg pills, so I'll start with half a pill a day, and go from there. I'll try to remember to keep this thread updated on how things are going with it. And I won't be expecting any miracles.

Still needing something separate for sleep and/or possibly something PRN for my panic attacks. For almost a year I've been getting xanax and klonopin for the panic attacks from an IOP, but for various reasons I'd like to find a doctor here in my area to get a legit script. I don't need a whole bunch of them....just PRN, for the times when I do have one of those horrible black-hole panic attacks. I know from the first time I went through a period of getting these attacks, (10 years ago), that simply having the medicine around helped me a lot. Sometimes that kept me calm enough that I wouldn't even have to take anything lol. Talk about mind over matter. For panic attacks I prefer ativan, but have been getting xanax because it's been cheaper at the place I was going to. Don't ask me why. And I really, really, REALLY don't want to become dependent on benzos (BTDT). That's why I'm hoping the celexa will help with the anxiety.

As far as the side effects, weight gain is the one I'm most concerned about. It's not that I'm super-vain....it's just that I only recently have started losing the weight I gained when I was pregnant last year, adn it's been slow going. I don't want to back-pedal. And I think my weight is making me uncomfortable enough that it's absolutely contributing to my anxiety and depression. So, I'll have to work on that....focus on my diet and exercise more and whatnot while I'm on the celexa.

Anyhow, thanks again guys.

[disasterwhisperer]

Hey Sandusky. Good luck when you start the Celexa - I truly hope it works well for you.

My experience with it was not so great. However, my experience with any SSRI after the age of 21 has been bad - they all seem to exacerbate my anxiety. I now take a tricyclic antidepressant called Amitriptyline which also works for sleep. It has worked wonders for me when nothing else really has. Tricyclics are kind of old as far as antidepressants go, but hey - I feel like I've tried everything else already. Anyway, my point is, you may want to try something like that (maybe in addition if your doctor says it's alright) if you're going to go off the Xanax and need help sleeping. Just a friendly suggestion.

(Actually read a thread last night saying that Amitriptyline does not mix well with SSRIs. Not 100% sure if it's accurate, but just in case MAKE SURE it is safe if you are ever in a position where you would need to mix them. Phew.)

So yeah, hope all goes well, like I said.

[Binky]

Hi @sandusky.I was on Celexa a few years ago for depression & anxiety.I also take Xanax for the panic attacks/anxiety.The Celexa worked well for me for awhile but I did have to change to Paxil because the Celexa seemed to stop working for me.I do know that it kicked in faster than most of the anti-depressants I've tried & I've been on a lot of different ones.I remember that it started working by the 4th week rather than the usual 6-8 weeks.I also didn't get any side effects & I didn't gain any weight with it.Good luck for when you start it.

[nelladeandill]

My doctor told me Celexa was his first choice to prescribe. I think it is not supposed to interfere with other medication, but don't trust me on that, you want to look that up yourself and be safe. It worked for me after about 2 and a half weeks. Really though, all anti-depressants now make me very sleepy.

[novalentinehere]

I tried Celexa. All it did was remove my sex drive completely. I could be right in the middle of doing the business and just go limp out of nowhere. New girl or not.

[crucibelle]

Celexa didn't work for me, but neither have other SSRI's.... and this after taking each one for months at a time. I don't think serotonin or lack thereof is my problem, but try telling a doc that.

[alexdotmp3]

What is the difference between celexa and lexapro?