celexa question

recover told me this would be the right place to start this topic. i have read that it helps tons with withdrawal from benzos. my dr scripted a month supply of it. i havent touched it. just wanted to ask your guys opinion about it. is it harsh? is getting off of celexa easy? is there withdrawal involved too? what are the symptoms of withdrawal? are they similiar to benzos?

 

-thanks

dave

recover told me this would be the right place to start this topic. i have read that it helps tons with withdrawal from benzos. my dr scripted a month supply of it. i havent touched it. just wanted to ask your guys opinion about it. is it harsh? is getting off of celexa easy? is there withdrawal involved too? what are the symptoms of withdrawal? are they similiar to benzos?

 

-thanks

dave

 

Don't forget to do your research. Do a forum search and see if there are any threads or comments about Celexa and make sure you do a google search. Hopefully, if others have used it, they will be by with their experiences. 

t2 wow you are extremely prompt. if i could id give u a hug. anywho. i googled alot and keeep coming up with the same advertisement of what a miracle drug it can be. and i have come across some people using ssri's to avoid wd from benzos however im having a bit of a bind looking for the disadvantages.. thanks tho

 

-greatfully

dave

 

ps the titration is going pretty well. i might have confused you before but i took a big cut recently and the last few days ive responded well. just depression but im holding and now going slow

I just did a quick forum search and saw that Petey and Lori Lee both tried Celexa for 3 days and could not take it. Just know that there is no magic pill out there to help with w/d symptoms. If there were, we'd be shouting it from the roof tops.

I just did a quick forum search and saw that Petey and Lori Lee both tried Celexa for 3 days and could not take it. Just know that there is no magic pill out there to help with w/d symptoms. If there were, we'd be shouting it from the roof tops.

 

wouldnt that be god sent

Hi LIB,

 

I was on celexa 10mg and did fine. I have been on a couple of other ssri's too. I"ve never had problems with them, but some do. I hear so many people say they were horrible and went off after a few days. Initially, they do have some side effects, but these go away after a week or two. An AD should be given at least 3 or 4 weeks to see if it's going to work for you or not.

 

That said, we try not to suggest an AD for the purposes of tapering. Why add another drug to the mix? The only time I feel comfortable suggesting it is either if someone is already on it, or when there is severe depression involved. Even then, if it is wd related depression, this will lift as your dose gets low.

 

WD of an SSRI isn't a picnic. But it's not as rough as benzo, IMO. It does need to be tapered though. 

 

thanks eljay. my depression has been severe lately. i mean there are some days ill get 10+ hour of crying spells. and think everything is falling apart. ive been strongly considering jumping on celexa and im reading more good about it than bad. however im tapering off of klon now so i dunno what to do wether to start or not. have you heard any instances of withdrawal of benzos being easier when starting an ad like celexa?

 

thanks for your time and input

dave

Hi Dave,

 

If you do decide to start on it. Start small. 5mg, or 10mg at most. Starting higher is old school. Personally, lower doses always worked better for me.

 

IF the depression is benzo related, it will lift when you are done. But in the meantime, if you are that depressed, something needs to be done. I'm not sure if it will help with the more physical sx of wd, but it should help with the depression/anxiety. 

Dave,

 

This is just my own experience and not trying to tell you what to do.  I was on Celexa, 20mgs for about 2 years.  It made me gain weight, that I can tell ya.  But my real concern for you is that it was a living nightmare to get off of, not like benzo withdrawal, but it was so hard, a whole different kind of withdrawal. 

 

I spent many months weaning off of it and had horrible brain zaps and feelings when I turned my head that my brain would turn a few seconds afterwards, it was horrible.    I swore I would never take another anti-d again, and I have not.    I am not saying  you would have a hard time, just would hate to see you get on yet another med that is horrible to get off of!  It poops out on you and you will either have to up your dose or get off of it too eventually.

 

Best wishes,

Karen

I was just reading a post in a fluoroquinone forum and one of the members stated that it is well known in the pharma community that SSRI's can cause potential suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, long-term erectile dysfunction to name a few.  Of course it is your decision to take an SSRI or not.  IMO I wouldn't go near it......wanted my body to heal naturally.  Please do some research first.

 

Patty xo

I hear ya Dave, and I know what you're going through.  There have been many times since I began my taper that I've considered an antidepressant.  But the thing is, is that I've tried them all, and none improved depression during taper (they all worsened it, more crying spells), except Lexapro.  But lexapro was/is so stimulating it made me manic, gave me mixed mood episodes, made me re-instate benzos much higher, and couldn't sleep w/ at least 20mgs ambien, and got me a bioplar diagnosis.

 

If I even try 5htp (as little as 20mgs), or Tryptophan, both precursors to serotonin, they make me much more depressed ( a weird physical sensation in my head).

 

Have you tried any 5htp to see how your brain and body might even react to serotonin?

 

In my horrible times, I always think about other meds that could relieve this.  Then I weight the pros and the cons of taking that med.  Although I might think about them, I will not act on them.  I've realized that when I have these thoughts, just that it's a bad withdrawal day, and these are just ideas.

I threw out all meds, shredded docs card, deleted his number, i just pretend that im taking what he prescribes (bipolar meds), and just get valium refills from him.

 

Take a look here at what I wrote only 4 days ago, when I was considering the same as you (celexa).  Had I acted on it, things would probably be worse, and I wouldn't have felt the improvement that I have over the past 4 days.

 

"I just don't feel like I can go on like this anymore.  I have too much stress and too much pressure going on.

 

Pros/cons if I take the antidepressant Celexa

 

Pros:

1) Good refreshing sleep.  Won't be up at 2am, won't wake to the slightest sound of a bird, or a tiny shade of light coming in the window at 6am, I could probably actually sleep in.

2)  It makes tapering easier for me, less interdose withdrawal, less withdrawal symptoms (i know this from experience)

3) I will get naturally tired

4) I can hold a job

5) it will make me social, at least at work, other than that I won't be social, but not like i am now

6) it will give me some continuity of the day (circadian rythems?), minutes won't feel like hours, i won't be watching the clock for my next dose, i won't be waiting for the day to be over

7) I would be able to sit through a movie and my dui classes, and training for a potential job.  I couldn't even fathom going to one right now.  I can't even fathom the anxiety of having to go to court

cool it will give me some cognition

9) I won't be paralyzed with fear

 

Cons;

 

1) it will give me derealization; probably the most annoying symptom I can think of

2) it will make me feel depressed (although not at work), a physical feeling in my head, if i go into public eg stores, feelings of depression will come over me

3) I won't leave the house,not like i am anymore (too uncomfortable with derealization)

4) i will probably be more irritable towards loved ones (not at work)

5) I probably won't begin to feel the normal sensations of life while tapering, like experiencing things again and remembering what real life was like (eg looking at pictures that make you cry and remember, cause you can feel again)

6)  I remember being on it, saying to mom that this depression is going to be the end of me.

7) coming home from work depressed and irritable, going straight to bed.

Racing thoughts increase a little

9) will have bouts of crying

10) seems to make compulsions worse

11) probably make me be less appreciative and thoughtful of others

12) would have to stop chatting with friends online cause I'm feeling depressed, and turn off phone

 

So that was my list.  Now while it did make it easier for me to taper, it's simply not worth it, to me, personally.  For me personally, antidepressants aren't difficult to come off of, but that varies from person to person.  Usually felt like a bad 2 week cold for me.

But it just seems to me that during benzo WD, most of us will have paradoxical effects from most meds.

 

This is totally your choice and decision.  I wouldn't blame you for taking it, nor would I judge you. 

 

Keep us up to date on what you decide to do, and I'll support you no matter what your decision is.

 

Regards,

 

Brian

 

Also Dave, from my experience w/ all the benzos, and all the years I've been on them, klonopin by far induced the most depression/irritability.  Being on valium, i don't get 1/4 the anxiety relief that i do from klonopin (plus sleep was better on klono, except waking up with bad anxiety), but I don't get depression/irritability.  But klonopin is much more potent, this is my 5-6th attempt at tapering, and klono was the most difficult for me.  Probably just cause it's so strong.  And I always had a nasty "wet blanket" feeling from it.  I remember tapering off of klono, driving in my car, balling my eyes out, screaming at the top of my lungs for the racing thoughts in my head to shut the fuck up!  there would even be times during my taper when my girlfriend would show up at my work, and i wouldn't even recognize her, it'd take a minute to register.  I couldn't sleep one minute, and i would run around the streets of portland, oregon like a mad man.  I could barely tell you my name at times.

 

I'm not trying to freak you out, and saying this will happen to you. I'm sure it's easier for some to taper klonopin than valium.  It's all personal, we're all different.  I'm not even saying that you should quit your titration and crossover to valium.

 

That was just my experience with klonopin, the benzo that i was on the majority of my benzo years, gave me bad depression as well.  So I feel ya brotha!

 

Regards,

 

Brian

just wanted to ask your guys opinion about it. is it harsh? is getting off of celexa easy

 

I can give you my experience with Celexa. I took it for about 5 years. It was great for about 4 years then it turned on me big time. I didn't want to do anything. Wasn't depressed just didn't care if the world went away. Told the doctor and he said I would have to wean off it. Then he would change it to something else. I was so bummed on it I went home and never took another one. I had a couple night of waking up with brain zaps but nothing more. My head cleared up so fast I became a different person. People were asking me what are you taking because I was just feeling wonderful off the stuff. Then when my anxiety hit when I moved later, I still had some of them left. I took one just to see if it would help and boy did I regret it. Anxiety hit so hard it was awful. Thought I was going to be in big trouble from taking the one. To this day I don't know why it changed like that but it did and then after trying the one and living the reaction to just the one, I won't touch that again. It was a Godsend in the beginning but it was horrible when it turned one me. I would go slow if I were you. From what I have read some people with anxiety problems just don't do well on anti depressents. Guess it depends on the type your taking to.

 

M