Celexa
The below information on Celexa has been taken from official FDA sources, but we cannot guarantee it's accuracy. Please use this site for educational purposes only. This site does not replace a proper discussion with your doctor.
| Brand Name: | Celexa |
| Generic: | Citalopram Hydrobromide |
| Availability: | Prescription |
| This drug was approved by the FDA in one form or another on: 1998-07-17 , | |
| This drug is made in one form or another by the following companies: Forest Laboratories | |
| This drug is available in the following forms: Tablets and Oral Solutions | |
| View the actual FDA approved label for this drug at the following links: PDF Label |
About Celexa
Celexa is in a class of medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Celexa tablets and oral solution are used to treat depression.
Side Effects of Celexa
- Possible life-threatening serotonin syndrome when used with triptan medicines.
- Infant persistent pulmonary hypertension.
- Suicidal thoughts or actions:Persons taking Celexa may be more likely to think about killing themselves or actually try to do so, especially when Celexa is first started or he dose is changed. People close to persons taking Celexa can help by paying attention to changes in user’s moods or actions. Contact your healthcare professional right away if someone using Celexa talks about or shows signs of killing him or herself. If you are taking Celexa yourself and you start thinking about killing yourself, tell your healthcare professional about this side effect right away.
- Stopping Celexa: Do not stop taking Celexa suddenly because you could get side effects. Your healthcare professional will slowly decrease your dose.
- Bleeding problems: Celexa may cause bleeding problems, especially if taken with aspirin, NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen), or other drugs that affect bleeding.
- Mania: You may become unusually hyperactive, excitable or elated.
- Seizures: You may experience a seizure (convulsion), even if you are not taking Celexa close in time with an MAOI.
- Pregnancy: Tell your healthcare professional if you are or may be pregnant . In addition to the issue described in the alert, babies delivered to mothers taking Celexa late in pregnancy have developed problems, such as difficulty breathing and feeding.
- Sexual problems: You may have problems with impotence (erectile dysfunction), abnormal ejaculation, difficulty reaching orgasm, or decreased libido (sexual desire).
- Other side effects include dry mouth, nausea, and sleepiness.
- Tell your healthcare professional about all your medical conditions, especially liver or kidney disease. Tell your healthcare professional if you are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed your baby.
Who Should Not Take Celexa
Never take Celexa if you are taking another drug used to treat depression, called a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI), or if you have stopped taking an MAOI in the last 14 days. Taking Celexa close in time to an MAOI can result in serious, sometimes fatal, reactions, including:
- High body temperature
- Coma
- Seizures (convulsions)
MAOI drugs include Nardil (phenelzine sulfate), Parnate (tranylcypromine sulfate), Marplan (isocarboxazid), and other brands.
Interactions with Celexa
- Do not take Celexa with Lexapro (escitalopram), another drug used to treat depression, because they are very similar and you could get an overdose.
- Celexa may interact with medicines other than the ones already mentioned in this information sheet. These interactions can cause serious side effects. Tell your healthcare professional about all medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements you take.
- If you plan to drink alcohol, talk to your healthcare professional.
User Comments and Reviews:
Tyler Celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: 10.0000 My psychiatrist started me on Celexa about a year ago, and I began to tell a suttle difference within two weeks. I have not experienced any of the side affects, and for that I am very fortunate. I began with 20 mg of the medecine a day, and my doctor increased my regimine to 30mg a day after about a month. Celexa has helped me deal with my depression to an astonishing degree, and I would recommend this medication to anyone dealing with mild to sever depression and/or anxiety. I tried to stop taking it once, and the withdrawl symptoms were HORRIBLE. Dizziness, irritability, and severe vertigo were some of the withdrawl symptoms I experienced. I started back on it following my doctor's recomendation. Overall, Celexa is an excellent drug. Trying to Stay Awake celexa and tiredness May 12th, 2008 Rating: 10.0000 i am 28 and have been taking celexa for 4 years. the drug kind of dampens my emotions, so that if i start to feel depressed, i usually recoup fairly quickly. the problem is that celexa works on my depression by replacing my emotional pain with a sense of sleepiness. at 40 mg i am so drowsy that i usually hit the pillow every day after work at about 4pm and stay zonked for 2-3 hours. i have no trouble sleeping at night, despite these daily snoozes. it took me 4 years to realise that the drowsiness was actually having adverse effects. i won't mention the sexual side effects and weight gain from being on celexa. those effects are well-known, but i find that the drowsiness is the worst effect of all. i may not cry uncontrollably and get irritable and overwhelmed like i used to when i was depressed, but i feel like there is no difference between "sleeping off" the depression, and other forms of escapism, like drinking. sleeping is slightly less self-sabotaging, but it still robs me of my memory, concentration, and ability to do the things i want to do, see my friends, and even function properly at work. it's very hard to be attached to these pills, not being able to get off them without feeling depressed, but not being able to tolerate the side effects either.
Anonymous Celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: 10.0000 Huge Weight Gain --> 40 lbs. in 2 years.
Dry Mouth
Hot Flashes and excessive sweating
Upset Stomach Tiredness
Started off on 10 mgs. and had a lot of stomach problems but felt better. Kept taking it and gradually went up to 20 mgs. I started feeling very depressed again so my DR. increased my dosage to 40 mgs. Same thing happened and now I'm on 60 mgs. I want to switch meds because of the weight gain and because the good effects seem to wear off after a short period of time.
Tim A. Hidden agendas May 12th, 2008 Rating: 10.0000 I want to remind everyone that many of the highly negative comments about anti-depressants are posted by Scientologists. These people have a religious agenda to discredit all psychopharmaceuticals. They are very active and very motivated, and will never own up to their hidden agenda. Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 10.0000 I feel bad that so many people are saying negative things. It does nothing for the person that has to be on something except instill more fear. I had been on Celexa briefly due to some anxiety and when I started to come off of it I felt cranky and very sleepy. I was surprised, but it was manageable. Just take it all in stride, you can do it. Worrying about every little twinge and thought will not make it any easier, so don't worry about it...it doesn't last :) Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 9.6667 Celexa worked for my 15 yr old to help brighten her mood, she suffers from moderate depression, ocd & possible borderline personality disorder. Did not help her enough though & 15 mg of Abilify added. This has made a tremendous improvement & she is almost completely back to her normal self (as normal as a 15 yr old can be!!) She is motivated & functional once again & we are so glad to have her back with us. Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 9.0000 Before I stated taking Celexa, you could just look at me wrong and my temper would go off. I could tell a difference within 2 weeks. It worked wonders for me; HOWEVER, it also put 30 pounds on me in a year and a half. While getting Celexa in my system, I had a bad case of tremors along with other side effects. Which is worse, your problem or the side effects it takes to cover up the problem? Anonymous celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: 9.0000 I have been on celexa for 8 years. I noticed that it was not working as well as it had been and spoke to my physician who suggested switching medication. Before switching I have to come off the drug entirely. I stepped down from 3 pills to 2 pills for 3 nights to one pill. It has been a week and I hate the side effects. The doctor prescribed sleeping pills to help with the withdrawal and they made me so dizzy I couldn't function. The doctor said that might be due to the withdrawal of celexa. The fear of the dizziness has caused me not to take the sleeping pill and now two days later I can't sleep because as soon as I doze off I feel I am having a panic attack. I am very irritable, lots of sweats, heartburn and just feeling lousy. The more I think about how I feel, I start feeling panic attacks coming on. Kristi side effects May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.6667 If I had known when I was considering starting Celexa what I know now, I promise I will never recommend Psych drugs. I felt very depressed and had axiety maybe two days out of the month and I was ready to try to avoid those feelings. Now that I have been taking Celexa for 8 months, I still have days where I feel depressed and have anxiety but now it is more frequently and more intense. Now, I want to discontinue this drug and my doctor says no. I decided to do a little experimenting of my own, I mean, I could handle any funny side effects if I am expecting them. I lower the dose by at least half per day and waited 5 days...I felt nervous, my thought process was very slow, my vision seemed effected, I was angry then fine periodically through the day and for some reason my jaws were clinched shut. Today I took the normal dose again because I was so "off" that it was effecting my work. Now, I feel trapped...so to speak. I wish I had never started because now I have a whole new set of concerns.
A Sincere Christian,
KristiAnonymous Celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.3750 I have been on Celexa for 1 year for anziety. I have never has a problem with depression. Before I started Celexa my anxiety has gotten to the point the only time I had a releif from it was for the first 30 minutes after I woke in the morning. It was horrible. I am happy to say that Celexa has done wonders for me. I feel normal again. I felt so awful before I went on Celexa that I am afried to go off for fear of feeling that way again. However, I know Celexa has not been around for a long time and I wonder what the long term effects are. To a degree I think I have accepted that I may need to be on it forever. I don't like that idea because I am not one to even take asperin for a headache. In addition, I do not have any side effects. Best of all, no sexual side effects. Kat celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: 8.2500 I have taken celexa for two years. I will say that it did help for a time. I am ready to go off the medication and have stopped cold turkey. It has been about a week now. The "brain-slosh" feeling is pretty bad and sometimes makes me feel sick to my stomach. I am hoping this will go away soon. I probably should have gone off gradually but I am this far now so I will continue.
The reasons I chose to stop taking the medicine are:
1. I am only 38 and would like to have some sex drive.
2. I have gained about 20 lbs. and find it difficult to lose or to
even motivate myself to lose it.
3. I am tired of being tired. I want to sleep a lot.
4. I don't always want to just feel even. The medication takes the
edge off the bad stuff and also the good stuff. I want to be able
to feel things as they are again.
The medication did serve a purpose for a while and it did work.Anonymous celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.7500 Bonjour ,Je prend présentement ce médicament suis a l annonce d un cancer .......le médicament semble bien fonctionné dans mon cas , aucun symptome ne semble apparaitre je prend 30 mg... chaque jours merci pour votre site et bravo p.s , continuez Katy No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.2000 I have withdrawal so bad that I cannot quit this medication. I tried to quit once and did not take any Celexa for one month. For that entire month I could hardly rise out of bed because the nausea, dizziness, etc were so bad. I would NEVER reccomend this to anyone. I cannot go a single day without a pill now and not feel side effects. Please think carefully before you go on anti-depressants, I may be on mine for the rest of my life. Tracey Celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: 7.0000 I have been on celexa for a year and a half now and it has done wonders for me. I have suffered depression and anxiety all of my life and celexa 40 has really calmed me down and allowed me to cope with my fears and difficulties with patience and calm. Perhaps some of the folks going through anxiety and panic are not meant to come off the medication. This is something important to talk with a psychiatrist about. He has informed me that due to my upbringing and my history of depression I will always need an anti-depressant. I am okay with this as I am a better person on the medication. It os okay to be on medication if it helps. Stud Withdrawal May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.7500 I just spoke with my dad who also quit taking his Celexa. He is complaining of dizziness/vertigo. I told him it is probably from withdrawal of stopping his Celexa. I had similar difficulty trying to stop Paxil. So far All I have done is to get off Paxil and onto Celexa. Now I am wanting to get off Celexa so I can feel normal again. If withdrawal is as bad as when I was trying to get off Paxil I think I will do better just realizing what the problem is. These drugs are dangerous. They do help some. I would suggest you consult your doctor (phsychiatrist)after doing your own research. They may suggest you wheen yourself off instead of going cold turkey. Others have stated thet Benadryl can help with the withdrawals, but check that out with your doctor.
SexlessAnonymous Celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.6667 My 11 year old daughter started having panic attacks and anxiety at the beginning of the school year, last year. She has been taking only 10 mg. of celexa and had improvement within 2 weeks. I don't know what we would have done. Celxa has been wonderful without any side effects except occasionaly dry mouth. I would recommend anyone to give it a try. Anonymous VERTIGO May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.5714 I have just stopped taking Celexa for the 2nd time, and I have major vertigo. I did the last time too. It is horrible. It makes me extremely anxious and uncomfortable, and almost like I want to go back on the drug, but I know it's just the vertigo. Usually it only lasts for a week or two. I'm a little put off by the fact that this drug that I've been taking for a couple of years can cause such a harsh sid-effect from going off of it. Betty No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.5000 I got celexa prescribed for mild to moderate depression and I am also on methadone maintenance for 4 and a half years now. THAT has worked wonders, have never used an illicit drug again, anyway, the Celexa contraindicted the Methadone and it put me into withdrawal. WARNING: DO NOT TAKE CELEXA WITH METHADONE/DOLOPHINE MAINTENANCE. Anonymous Post Celexa side effects May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.3333 I started on Celexa 20 mg. about a yr. ago. I felt that it did help me through a difficult time. I felt that it helped me cope with issues realistically. I have been off Celexa for approx. 2 weeks now, since I felt like I did not want to be on it for any more length of time. I am experiencing very very frequent periods of dizziness, and night time I wake up feeling extremely anxious. I am wondering how long this will last. I would appreciate any input if these are normal symptoms to be experiencing? Lauren withdrawals May 12th, 2008 Rating: 6.3333 Under my doctor's supervision I have been attempting to ween myself off of celexa since it's given me a general feeling of emotional numbness. She suggested I go from 40mg to 20mg a day for one week then stop taking them altogether. Today is my 8th day off of celexa and this has been the worst week of my life. The only reason I feel depressed is cause I've felt like such crap. I have constant dizziness and vertigo, headaches, exhaustions, "electric zaps", etc. I feel cheated that my doctor didn't warn me that this might be the side effects of stopping and I'm pissed at the entire medical profession. I finally couldn't take it anymore and took a pill this morning. I worked so hard to get off of heroin when I was younger and now I'm stuck addicted to another drug thanks to the professionals? What's up with that???? Anonymous Celexa works for me May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.6667 I am 39 years old. I started taking Celexa 2 and a half years ago. It started working within a month. I first noticed that I didn't have PMS at my next period cycle. My husband noticed that I was in a generally better mood. My children noticed that I was no longer yelling at them when, for example, they wouldn't put their shoes on fast enough. Celexa has made me more even-tempered and less of a perfectionnist. After a year, I needed to increase from 20 mg to 40 mg because I started PMSing again and it has been great again for the last year and a half. Good luck to you. Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.6667 i tried celexa and i absolutely hated it. if anything, it made me more hostile than ever before. it works for some, but definitely not for me and a few others that i know. beware. Lauren Celexa is killing me! May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.5000 Ok here is my story....
I was a young Mommy with two babies 18 months apart. I had never had
never felt so stressed and overwhelmed. I talked to my Doctor about what
I was going through and he suggested I start taking a daily medication that
would do wonders for my life! It would take "the edge off" and help me stay relaxed and ease the worries of everyday living. WOW... a pill is
going to help me be a happier calmer MOM!!!
Well 8 years later....
I have gained 70 pounds..See I have tried to go off this wonder drug 3 times and have had to start right back up only to have the weight gain again... sexy huh???
The first time I tried to come off Celexa I had the worst withdrawl!! I was soooo dizzy, I stayed locked up in my bedroom for 4 days...great Mommy huh??? I could not form a thought, I felt like I was walking in a fog. When I called the Doctor to explain to him what was going on with me..I could not get the thought out..great feeling huh???
The second time I went off, I lasted 1 month.. Then the panic attacks hit!! WOW I have never had a panic attack in my life! This is new great experience. At the first panic attack I just tried to relax and BREATH!! The second panic attack that week I called the Doc.. The third ..I popped the pill. After the world stoped spining at 10000000 miles per hour I vowed to NEVER go off the meds again. Oh and then I started to gain weight
all over agian when I restarted the prescription.. which led me to having to add wellbutrin to my daily pill popping... the wellbutrin counter acts the weight gain.. so now I am not GAINING weight....but I can not LOSE the weight either!! Yea,,,now I can be mentally stable as well as have my ass stay at a stable HUGHNESS!!!
So the THIRD time I tried to go off.... OMG..Talk about a fun Mommy!!! I was in a daze..I made it 5 weeks.. I battled the vertigo that made me sick to my stomach, painful achy joints, headaches, MOOD SWINGS..WEEEE, shakes, and there went my childhood dreams of never having to suffer DETOX!!!!!!!!!
I hear people talk about overcoming herion, crack etc....and while I admire there courgae and applaude their strength a part of me thinks... Yeah??? try coming off celexa!!
Well five weeks into my "recovery".. I can not take another minute!
Let me set the scene..
Here we are the kids and myself coming back from a family vacation in TN. The kids are giggling in the car and there is Mommy with a blank emotionless stare. That was the extent of the trip for Mommy.. BLANK.. NO EMOTION and no desire to speak, smile, laugh...which is CRAZY for me. I am such a ball of fun.. I am always the one with the most energy and the one that will get down and act like a crazy kid myself on trips. Then the PANIC attack hits like a fricking brick wall...I call my Doctor at 9:00pm on a Sunday and I am frantic,,can I take the pill??? Can I take it right now????
So Here I am... medicated for the rest of my life just to "take the edge off"
I started taking it for that little nudge to get through those first few months of being a new Mommy and suffering from MILD Post OMG I had a KID.... Now I am a slave to this little white pill that controlls my life. I can not lose the weight.. I am the ONLY person I know of that never lost even an OUNCE on the Atkins diet! I suffer from the most horrific panic attacks if I try and ween off,,which panic attacks were NEVER an issue before the drug. I have vertigo so bad that I can not turn my head without my whole world spinning! I itch alll over.. I have hot flashes that makes me look into moving to a cold climate, I get hives for NO reason, the sun causes me to break out in small weird bumps that itch like mad... I can not function as a normal human being without this medicine!
I feel victimized and LIED to. I feel that If I had known what this was going to do to my life that I WOULD HAVE NEVER TAKEN THIS to begin with.
I am overweight, hot, itchy, hived up and I have NO sex drive.. but hey ....I AM STABLE!!!!Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 5.0000 I have been on celexa for about 2 months, I thought I might be pregnant and so I stopped taking it cold turkey but only for two days until I went to the dr. By the second day I started feeling dizzy, more tired, and lightheaded. I started retaking my pills by the the third day I was off, and have been taking them for a week now but im still feeling dizzy and tired, are these normal side effects? How long do they usually take to go away?
Thanks
Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 4.6667 Celexa has helped me tremendously. I'm on 40 mg/day. Many say they experience dizziness and vertigo and other side effects when they stop taking it. Read the warning label on the bottle. It says NOT to stop taking it, you have to be weened off gradually. If you want to stop taking it, tell your doctor and your dosage will be decreased gradually until you go off. Those warnings should be taken seriously and they're there for a reason. Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 4.0000 belive me when i tell you that you could not be no further down
than i was,from no work for 5 months,to worring about looking after a
family off 5. first when i started taking CELXA my system was shot,but
now i am strong and confident after about 7 weeks.
i have 1 little bit of advice,take it in the morning/not at night
because it may keep you awake.Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 4.0000 I'm sorry to hear about the withdrawl symptoms that some people are experiencing. I've been taking celexa 40mg for 4 yrs for social phobia. I've gone off it for weeks at a time with the only effect being increased dreaming/bizarre dreams and of course the anxiety comes back. On the other hand my mother took paxil for 1 yr, ran out of meds while visiting me and went through severe withdrawls after missing 2 doses. After a trip to the ER, she had to get back on it and slowly wean off. She is now on celexa and doing fine. I do wonder about long term effects of celexa. Anonymous Celexa stopped working May 12th, 2008 Rating: 3.0000 I've been taking Celexa since January 2002. It seemed to really help my depression and PMS. Over the past month it seems to have stopped working. I'm feeling blue and really irritable again. I take a low dose(10 mg.) due to the sexual side effects I had during a short time on Paxil 5 years ago. Anyway, the Celexa was working fine until now. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Thanks G in Wyoming I feel like me again May 12th, 2008 Rating: 2.0000 I have been taking Celexa since Oct 2003 after a week long anxiety/panic attack. I didn't know what was wrong with me and now that I am on this I am so much better. I take 20mg in the morning and it lasts all day for me. My kids and husband like being around me because I am not as cranky as I used to be as well as the panic/anxiety. I did try to go off of it but I felt like I did before taking Celexa and I can live with taking the meds every morning. By the way that is the key to having these work you need to take it on a regimented schedule. Never waiver on when you take them. I take mine at 7am everyday weekend or not. Anonymous panic attacks May 12th, 2008 Rating: 2.0000 The dr. has recently given me celexa for my panic attacks,
He would like me to start at 10mg a day, I am so afraid to deal with the side effects, Are they really bad?????Jackie No Sex Drive May 12th, 2008 Rating: 2.0000 I am a 24 year old female. I went on Celexa about a year ago because I was going through some major changes in my life and felt very anxious, irritable, angry, etc. Now, I am lethargic, lazy, sleep all the time, and have no use for sex. My boyfriend and I are fighting more than ever, and I am starting to realize that it is because I am not interested in him because of the drugs!! I need to take myself off of them....slowly! I am currently taking 30 mg....can I just drop to 20 mg for a week, then 10 mg for another, then zero? Anonymous celexa withdrawal May 12th, 2008 Rating: 1.7273 I decreased my dose of celexa from 20mg to 10 mg 7 months ago. It took almost six months to get over the side effects from this decrease. Those side effects were feeling more down and increased physical pain. A month ago, I decreased my celexa from 10mg to 5mg a day. Six days ago, I simply stopped the celexa. I have had SEVERE, room spinning, body literally falling to the side, DIZZINESS. I have had increasing nausea. Today, five days after discontinuation, I feel so nauseated that I wonder if I am having a heart attack. This morning it feels like a knife is sticking into my throat, it is all I can do not to vomit, my chest feels tight and I am still DIZZY, DIZZY, DIZZY. I am so frustrated that I am being totally disabled by these symptoms and can not go on about my life in any normal fashion. I have taken zoloft and deseryl in the past and did not experience anything like these withdrawal symptoms. I am grateful to find other people's comments on the internet to assure me that perhaps I am feeling "universal" withdrawal symptoms from celexa and maybe I do not need to go the emergency room after all. After a week of TERRIBLE and UNEXPECTED withdrawal symptoms, I hope that these side effects do not last for months as I have read in other people's descriptions. Good luck to anyone else out there who is facing the discontinuation of celexa. Anonymous depression and worry May 12th, 2008 Rating: 1.0000 I have been on a dozen of medications since I was first diagnosed with depression about 12 years ago. Out of all of the drugs that ever had a profound impact on my depressive mood and worry like temprament was Celexa. It not only helped the depression but had a property of calming my obsessive thinking that had plagued me for years. 20 mg Raci Celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: 0.0000 I have been on Celexa for 2 yrs now and have in the first year lost 125 pounds...in the second year I have kept the weight off...Celexa was prescribed for me to treat fibromyalgia...I can not say enough wonderful things about the drug...IT SAVED MY LIFE....I feel great, look great and am a happier person...I also take Klonipin for sleep at nite...the two drugs together have helped with my chronic pain...moodiness and now of all things helping me cope with peri-menopause...thank you for listening Anonymous Celexa and vertigo May 12th, 2008 Rating: 0.0000 I am so happy to see that I'm not the only one!
I too have weaned myself off Celexa as it had helped me in a bad time of my life but I felt I no longer needed it. Suspecting a connection, I had to go to the Dr. within 1 week of completely getting off of it, due to extreme Virtigo.
My Dr. did'nt think it was related to my getting off of Celexa, and even suggested I may need to go back on it and stay on Celexa forever!?? I don't think so!
I decided to check the Web and when I saw all of the comments from other Clexa users regarding the association of virtigo and getting off of Celexa, once I'm over this period of Vertigo, I'll never go back on it.
Good luck to all who need to be on it, it does work. But you'll need a few weeks to recover from it when you decide to quit taking it so beware of the downside.Stephen Celexa/withdrawals May 12th, 2008 Rating: 0.0000 I stopped taking my Celexa when I ran out about a week and a half ago. Within a few days, I was so dizzy I couldn't stand up straight, climb a flight of stairs, or sit in front of my computer without the screen shaking as if there was an earthquake. I had no idea the withdrawals would be this bad. The evenings are the worst, often itching all over and being totally paranoid about just about everything. Anonymous Withdrawal Effects of Celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: 0.0000 I have been on Celexa for about 1 year now, honestly I am not sure how much it has really helped me. I am also trying to get off of it. I have been experiencing headaches, vertigo, I feel anxious alot. I think it has also hurt my appetite and my smelling seems to be even more off than it was before I quit. My Doctor did not tell me of any side effects that I would encounter. I thought I was going crazy. It is nice to know that I am not. Sherry Celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: 0.0000 Celexa cause me to gain 50 lbs! I had memory loss and still don't have memory back. It was a mess. Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: 0.0000 I was on celexa for a little over a year for anxiety and it really helped. I went through therapy as well. The combination worked well for me. I decided to go off and see how I feel. I am extremely dizzy and confused. My Psychiatrist said that since I went from 40 for 2 weeks to 20 for 2 and then 10 for 2 the symptoms I am feeling are not likely due to the celexa at all. Now I am even more worried. I have no idea how long I am going to feel like this and I am very scared. No one seems to know what this feels like. I am very out of it unable to focus on things, sporadic about my actions. Wash dishes, stop, sit on couch, stop, cry, stop. Trinka No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated Thank you everyone for your insights about being on and off Celexa. I have been on it for about 2 years. As a single mother of a learning disabled teenager, Celexa has helped me stay on an even keel and deal with life's suprises. It's kept me able to focus at work. However, it makes me sleepier (1-2 weekends of the month I spend mostly sleeping) and I gained weight. I have started dieting, losing 17 pounds with an least another 25 to go. My doctor has told me I will be on Celexa (20)long term. After hearing of the dizzy spells, I am afraid to go off it. T Celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated I have been on Celexa for several years. I had beed diagnosed with anxiety and slight OCD. I was started on 40mg but have been weened down to 20mg. Celexa has worked tremendously for me in improving my life as well as helping me to focus. The anxiety that has at one time practically crippled me has all but gone or I can rationally deal with it. the only negative is my low sex drive. Now this could very well be attributed to some emotional issues but all in all I have very little sex drive. I am about to turn 41 and I would like to get this drive back. does anyone know of any real libido enhancers that they have had some actual success?
Thank you.Susan withdrawal May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated I have been on Celexa about three years. I have tried weening myself off this drug and I have tried cold turkey. Both made me so sick I couldn't function. I went back on just to keep my sanity. I have gained so much weight I feel like a blimp. I sleep my free time away. I am just as depressed on it as I am off. I AM ADDICTED AND I BLAME THE DRS. AND DRUG COMPANIES. If I could sue them I would. I don't want to be on this for the rest of my life. It helped some but not enough to counter the side effects. Don't take this drug if you can help it. Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated Also, if you're trying to get off the medication and having a problem with panic during the weening period..I suggest asking your doctor for a perscription of Xanax. I believe it is non habit forming, and while it will KNOCK YOU OUT...it will relieve your panic like nothing else. You won't have to worry about waking up with anxiety, etc. I have found that I wake up very calm and well rested after taking it for weening purposes.
I'm no doctor, but just a suggestion. Be sure to find out what your doctor thinks! I am conservative about medication and my personal opinion is that Xanax is harmless enough (dont mix with alcohola)and reasonable for someone going through the difficult time of quitting an anti depressant-to ask their doctor for.Anonymous Celexa side effects May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated I was on Celexa and experienced numerous rare side effects. Among them were bruxism (teeth clenching or grinding), vivid nightmares, nose bleeds, and light sensitivity. Some of the 'more normal' side effects that I experienced were no sex drive at all (I'm 47 and have been married 28 years), uncontrolled yawning, skin crawling itching, fatigue, and severe nausea. It took a lot of research to find some of these side effects were from the Celexa but once I found proof, my doctor and I weaned me off. Fortunately, I didn't have any withdrawal problems. Within 1 month of stopping the Celexa, 97% of the side effects were gone. Kristine Celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated I'm a 24 year old female who has been on Celexa for about a year now and have noticed a difference in my moods and emotions (in a great way). Though within the past month i have noticed that it's also been affecting my periods. I get them more often then i used to. I have an appointment to see a doctor about it. Other than that, everything is good. Anonymous Be Careful May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated I was put on Celexa about 7 months ago and it worked GREAT! The first few months I even lost about 15 lbs. However, after about 5 months, I started to feel extremely tired all the time. I also gained about 20 lbs in about 3 months (NOT common for me as a fit person). My doctor decided to take me off of Celexa and double my Wellbutrin dosage. For 1 week I took 1/2 of a pill (20 mg) and my regular dose of Wellburtin (150 mg) after that week he told me to stop taking the Celexa completely and double the Wellbutrin which I have done. It has been over a week now and I can't tell you how awful I feel. I am EXTREMELY dizzy! It makes me nauseous. I can barely walk straight. I also feel like I have a constant migrain or tightening of the head. Hard to explain. I don't know if I should have weaned off of it a bit longer but I feel just awful and hope this goes away soon. I wouldn't wish this upon anyone. I feel worse now than I did when I needed to go on it for anxiety. I can't imagine anyone going cold turkey. I hope this dizziness stops. i can't live like this. Thanks for everyones postings..it helps that I am not going through this alone! Anonymous No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated I have been on SSRIs for severe panic attacks since I was in seventh grade (I am now 20). I have been on Paxil, Lexapro, and now Celexa (changed because of insurance coverage) and I have never experienced any side effects (although I still remember having panic attacks alot) But now that I am older and in a serious relationship I realize that Celexa has made me unable to achieve orgasm. Since I had moved in with my boyfriend and stopped having panic attacks altogether (for the first time in my life since i was 12!) (maybe the support system? or the doctors said that one day i could possible "grow out of it") I decided to slowly (emphasize SLOWLY) wean myseld from 60mg to 20mg. But now I am at a stand still because the several times I have tried to stop I get very scared. Is 20mg to high to stop taking? I have been so healthy and panic free on 20mg that I could just continue it but it is very had to to be able to feel anything sexually. kelly celexa withdrawal May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated hello,
I was on celexa for about a year when I ran out of the prescription a week ago. I do not have I initially started taking it to relieve anxiety/panic attacks. Then the other night I was in bed, trying to get to sleep when it hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt dizzy, confused, out of body, all sorts of thoughts were going through my head. Was I having a heart attack? I was sure that I was dying, but again, with no insurance I was not going to the ER unless I absolutely had to. I called a friend and she came right over. I couldn't stop pacing back and forth, and nothing I was saying was making sense. I took a xanax and was able to calm down and get to sleep. But I am still feeling VERY weak and just want to sleep. I literally slept all day yesterday, and was still able to go to bed early and sleep late. I just wanted to post this for anyone who is thinking about going off of this medication cold turkey. If you have insurance, GO TO YOUR DOCTOR!!! And do not self-medicate. I'm also posting this to let people know that what they're feeling is normal, and that they are not dying. I will have to stick it out for a little longer, but a friend of mine who is a nurse told me that it could take a couple weeks for the drug to completely be out of the system. If there is nothing you can do to get back on the drug like me, she said to take xanax or something similar to alleviate the symptoms and help you get through the withdrawal. If anyone needs to talk, please let me know. I know how comforting it is to know you're not the only one going through these feelings.Anonymous another sufferer May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated After 6 days of going off of celexa - cold turkey, which everyone told me was NUTS - I feel worse than ever, but I am hopeful this will soon pass. I have no focus, the crazy WHOOSHING or electric shock feeling in my head, dizziness, gagging, etc. Any ideas about how long this should last? I'm willing to do a couple of weeks, but no longer. I'm ready to go back on just to feel somewhat normal. Jessica No Subject May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated I am totally disgusted with the medical profession. I was not smart like some of you all and cold turkey quit taking my medication. I have been taking 40mg for 3 months only and thought that there was no way withdrawals would be so bad. Atleast I see that weening off of it causes withdrawal too. I was prescribed this medication for mild anxiety. I wanted to stop because of the sexual side effects and I became concerned that I was feeling quite robotic and not feeling the good things with the intensity that I desired. After a week and a half of not taking the medicine I have been sick to my stomach, dizzy, extremely sleepy and cranky. At first I attributed these symptoms to my period, even though this was not normal to me and I began to search the web. Why would they allow a drug to be on the market that caused such side effects of withdrawal even if you taper off as suggested. I hope and pray that sine I was only on the medication for a short while that my symtpoms will subside and I can return to my normal life. I will never turn to medicaiton again for my anxiety problems. Anonymous Celexa/vertigo May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated I have been on Celexa 40mg for about a year for mild/acute anxiety/depression and my doctor said to wean about 8-9 months after my symptoms were alleviated. I went to 1/2 pill for 7 days, 1/4 a pill for 7 days, then skipped a day, took a 1/4 pill and stopped. I have had no anxiety or emotional problems from weaning at all (except some irritability but it's also PMS time so who knows!) However, like some of you, I have been experiencing some really awful dizzines/vertigo. It makes me a feel a little bit drunk, like if I take a corner too quickly, I will fall over. I am also having some sinus pressure and wonder if that might be a factor. I called my psychiatrist's office and they said it is a common withdrawal symptom and should go away on it's own in a couple of weeks.
As a a side note to some of you who think you may need to be on medication forever, please don't resign yourself yet! Any medication regimen for depression/anxiety should be accompanied by therapy with a licensed counselor. That is the only real way to be able to move past your issues and learn to cope so that you don't need the medication. I can honestly say that the medication was a very helpful tool during the most intense portion of my therapy and for that I am grateful. However, the therapy is what really got to the root of my problem and I am feeling more whole and healthy emotionally all the time. Good luck!kittykat withdrawl sucks May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated So I went to the pharmacy to pick up my celexa and there was a mixup. So since I go through the local health dept no way to get into contact with the doctor.Its been 2 days now without it and Ive had to do it like this before.I hate the feeling in my head like a weird Im here but Im out of it.I am on other meds and I have been on so many and celexa has one of the worst withdrawls. Most meds take a few days to feel anything, but this is only 2 days and I feel confused.I stopped taking lamictal and I was on 900mg and I didnt feel at all as bad as the 20 mg of celexa I missed 2 days.I hate having to take this stuff and it sucks cause since i am bipolor its hard not to be on anything. I would say to parents, dont throw your kids on meds just cause there a little down , its part of growing up. Also , people are misdiagnoised to much get a second or third opinion from someone else first before going with a diagnois. Well, yeah, thats it. Anonymous Celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated I was on celexa fo a little over a month 10 mg. My Dr. took me off about a week ago I feel so tired and week,was also on Risperdal 1/2 mg. since May 07 she had me stop that too,, how long will the yucky week tired feelings last. she said since they were low doses I should be fine. Im stressing over not taking them,,I hate meds like this.Feel free to email me with comments if thats allowed henry getting off celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated I too have gone off celexa cold turkey 20 days ago. It has been quit a trip to say the least. The first two days I experienced stomach aches and dizzyness. The next five days I experienced electrical shocks going from my left temple to the middle of my forehead. The next four days I experienced cluster shocks in the back of my head. The next four days I experienced high blood pressure and headaches.
Today I am experiencing dizzyness and a headach on the left side of my head while at work. I am glad that I do not have much work today, for I am having a difficult time concentratinga and I feel really tired and dizzy. I have also felt panicky and have thought about calling a doctor, but I have done this before and all they do is put you back on celexa or something else. I well stick with the plan of going off of celexa. It has been 20 days now.
Does anyone know how many days that it will take me to completly get off of celexa. I was taking the medicine for the past 5 years with 20 mg per cay?
thanks
Peace
henry getting off celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated I too have gone off celexa cold turkey 20 days ago. It has been quit a trip to say the least. The first two days I experienced stomach aches and dizzyness. The next five days I experienced electrical shocks going from my left temple to the middle of my forehead. The next four days I experienced cluster shocks in the back of my head. The next four days I experienced high blood pressure and headaches.
Today I am experiencing dizzyness and a headach on the left side of my head while at work. I am glad that I do not have much work today, for I am having a difficult time concentratinga and I feel really tired and dizzy. I have also felt panicky and have thought about calling a doctor, but I have done this before and all they do is put you back on celexa or something else. I well stick with the plan of going off of celexa. It has been 20 days now.
Does anyone know how many days that it will take me to completly get off of celexa. I was taking the medicine for the past 5 years with 20 mg per cay?
thanks
Peace
Robert Bleeker Dramamine to reduce withdrawal brain spurts & Vertigo May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated I had a very tough time comming off Celexa just like the people here described, I suffered brain spurts and experienced a bout of severe Vertigo. I never had Vertigo before and it scared me and made me nausious for days.
I called the advice nurse (Kaiser) right away when I experienced Virtago and she recommended Dramamine, the OTC travel sickness drug. I took a pill a day for a week and I have experienced no more brain spurts and I am off the drug now!
Hope this helps for some, I am done with this drug forever.
RobertJoanie Positive Plug for Celexa May 12th, 2008 Rating: Not Rated I have been on Celexa for eight years. I had acute social anxiety after staying home for eight years with my two young children. I was on 20 mgs. It helped me so much. I cannot recommend it too highly! I guess I have a difficult time with change. I like routine in every aspect of my life. I changed jobs a year ago and I found