Anyone familiar with Celexa?

[MickeysMommy]

Since my Dad passed away, my doctor had me on Buspar which I am told is "bottom of the barrel". I recently asked her to put me on something a little stronger as his birthday is the end of the month and then we will be going into the holidays.

Anyone on this or familiar with it? Side effects? How long did it take to "work"?

TIA!

 

[Christine]

Celexa is an SSRI like Prozac and Paxil. It's "sister" drug is Lexapro which is touted to have less side effects than Celexa.

As with most SSRIs, it takes a few weeks to kick in, but some people feel better in a few days. The side effects, if you are prone to them, can last for 6 weeks. I took Celexa for a few days but had untolerable side effects from it--I felt REALLY drugged up. I couldn't continue it.

I took Buspar also. I'm not sure why they would give that to you for situational depression. Buspar is an anti-anxiety med and it doesn't even work well for that. It did stop me from obsessively dwelling on things but did nothing for my anxiety.

 

[DisneyBrat]

Funny you should ask My best friend whom I talked with last night is on Celexa. She absolutely LOVES it!!!! She has gone from major mood issues to being able to handle everything. There is one little effect she is having and it only happens every couple of weeks. She said it feels like a little electrical shock in her head. It isn't painful just like a zap. She had me call my brother in law whom is a Doctor to see if this was a bad thing. He said that it was a side effect and if it wasn't often and painful then stick with Celexa. Donna has had very good results from this drug.


Hope this helps
Lew

 

[dcentity2000]

Briefly;

Citalopram (Nitalapram)

Brand names: Celexa®, Cipramil®
Formula: C20H22FN2O
Half life: ~ 35 hours
Single unit dose: 20mg per day
Recommended outpatient dose: 20mg per day
Maximum outpatient dose: 40mg per day

Generally regarded as a "safe" medication (meaning that it is less likely than average to cause unwanted side effects), citalopram is primarily indicated for the treatment of depressive affective disorders but is also used to treat anxiety related disorders (including panic disorders) and body dysmorphic disorder. The medication is also thought to be beneficial in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy, post-stroke pathological crying and premature ejaculation.

Main side effects associated with this drug include drowsiness, fatigue, tremor, headaches, dizziness, arrythma, changes in blood pressure, hyperhidrosis, sleep disturbances, a dry mouth and/or ejaculatory problems. Rarer side effects include confusion, convulsions, anxiety, significant mood changes and/or allergic reactions.

Personal experience: Although this drug didn't make much of an impact on my mood, it didn't present any unwanted side effects whatsoever - personally, I feel that citalopram is a fairly safe drug to take.

Sourced from Seratis [/plug ]

Note additionally that whilst they can have an immediate impact, antidepressants almost always take several weeks to take full effect.



Rich::

 

[MickeysMommy]

Thanks, you guys!

Lew - I am glad it is working for Donna

 

[lsyorke]

http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/advisory/SSRI200507.htm

 

[MickeysMommy]

Anyone else?

 

[my3kids]

Do a search. About a month ago there was a very informative thread on SSRI's and various people's reactions. Lots of very helpful information.

 

[my3kids]

I found it:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1202735

 

[minkydog]

I took Celexa for about 2yrs with only a few, managable side effects. It did make me feel sleepy for awhile and withdrawing from it took some time. I switched eventually to Lexapro because anxiety was getting worse(Lexapro addresses both depression and anxiety.) I wouldn't think of going off it. I turn into a werewolf without my meds

 

[ClaraBug]

Right after the birth of my second child, I had post partum BAD...I was crying while I was still in the hospital (C-Section) My OB-Gyn put me on Celexa because he said it was safe, I was also nursing. It would not pass into my milk. It was wonderful. I had not felt that good in a LONG time. I had NO side effects at all, even when I stopped taking it.

If you do not like the medicine, talk to your MD.

 

[disneymom3]

I am currently taking the lowest dose of Celexa available. I started it about 6 weeks ago. The only side effect I have had is that if I get really hungry it makes me feel nautious. Kind of like mild morning sickness. As long as I eat regularly or eat when I feel icky, I am okay.

 

[goofinoff]

Right after the birth of my second child, I had post partum BAD...I was crying while I was still in the hospital (C-Section) My OB-Gyn put me on Celexa because he said it was safe, I was also nursing. It would not pass into my milk. It was wonderful. I had not felt that good in a LONG time. I had NO side effects at all, even when I stopped taking it.

If you do not like the medicine, talk to your MD.

Same thing happened to me. I went on Celexa about 6 months after my first child was born. 6 months later I found out I was pregnant so I stopped taking it. When I had my second baby my grandfather was very ill and I knew he would die within the next couple of weeks. I knew how my hormones changed after my first (something I didn't know was going to happen the first time around!) and how depressed I got so I called my doctor right away and they put me back on it. I didn't find any side effects at all aside from a low sex drive....wait that could be from having a 20 month old and an infant!
Good luck!

 

[dcentity2000]

Celexa is a damn fine medicine, effective but with a relatively low side effects profile.

Of course, if it doesn't work, there are zillions of alternatives, from the obvious (eg. Prozac) to the unusual (eg. Abifly). It's unlikely to the point of ridiculous that there isn't something to suit you out there.



Rich::

 

[NikiM20]

Ok i will be the odd person out....I HATED celexa, I was tired, irritable, i was a worse person to be around than before...Also it killed all relations with DH (he was not a happy camper ) But some meds work great for some and horrible for others

 

[MushyMushy]

Celexa worked wonders for me, except it did kill my sex drive.

I've got to wonder why you're on buspar for depression though! It made me more depressed and it made me feel like a wet noodle all the time, with no energy whatsoever.

 

[dcentity2000]

It may sound funny, but Buspar can be used as an antidepressant. In theory, anxiety, mood and rationality are all interlinked and tweaking one can have an impact on another. It's just a matter of which string to pull...



Rich::

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

I've used it, and had great results. The only side-effect I had was that if I was taking it for the first time after not taking it in a while, it would *really* upset my stomach for the first day or two. After that was fine, though- and a small price to pay to feel normal!

 

[MickeysMommy]

Thank you all for your candid replies. This is my second day of being on celexa and it has made me neasus (sp) so I am going to switch to taking it at night.

She had me on Buspar to start...I don't think it really did anything but who knows. I am an only child and very close to my parents so when my Dad passed I was having a lot of problems with my stomach and feeling sick, not to mention being traumatized at his loss. Now with his birthday coming up and the holidays and worrying about my mom I thought I could use something stronger.

Again, thank you all!

 

[Shugardrawers]

I took it for 3 weeks. It really had very little effect on me but I didn't have any negative side effects so I don't have anything bad to say about it. Give it whirl, it might be just what you need.