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Mental Health  (Expert Forum)
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Withdrawal from Celexa
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
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MedHelp Member's Question

Withdrawal from Celexa

by Moksha180, Apr 25, 2002 12:00AM
I started taking Celexa (20mg) in October of 2000 for situational depression.  I tried to stop taking it before but could not because of the withdrawal symptons.  In December 2001 I started slowly going off of it.  I am down to taking 10mg every 5 days.  Once the 5th day comes I experience dizziness, I'm tired, vision is a little blurred and it feels wierd when I blink (like a head rush).  Right now I am pregnant and the withdrawal effects along with the pregnancy effects are just too much for me to handle.  My obgyn said it's okay for me to continue taking Celexa.  So I've continued to take 10mg every 5 days.  Once I stop all together how long do you think the side effects will last?



Many thanks.
Doctor's Answer

by Roger Gould, M.D., Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
My guess is that if you could go beyond the 5th day, the side effects would stop in two to three days after that. Its probably better to try that sooner if you don't need the medicaiton any longer.
Member Comments (27)

by all names taken, Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
I stopped taking paxil and then a few months later effexor, cold turkey, felt like death for about 3 to 4 weeks little by little you start to feel better.... just my experience.

by JustSayNo, Apr 26, 2002 12:00AM
To: Moksha
Please educate yourself on the effects of SSRI withdrawal at:



http://www.drugawareness.org



DiscloseTheTruth

by SallySunshine, Apr 28, 2002 12:00AM
I have been antidepressants over the past 2 years. I was started on Celexa in October of 2001. It took me 5 weeks to wean from large does ultimately to nothing. The process seemed quite innocent until about 3 days into non-medication. I have kept a journal documenting my experiences 'coming off' Celexa...

I Have experienced severe electric shocks, fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite and extreme headaches. The physical withdrawls are giving me great frustration, a sense of hopelessness, and a general crazed feeling.I attribute this solely to the physical withdrawls. Despite the physical side effects I feel OK emotionally. I will not let these withdrawls trap me in a lifetime of medication.

by Moksha180, Apr 29, 2002 12:00AM
Thank you for your answer.  I will try to make my 5th day a Thursday that way the weekend will be the worse!



Thanks.

by Peagee, May 01, 2002 12:00AM
To: Moshka § SallySunshine
All the best to both of you.  Moshka, hope everything goes well, you might need to wean off more slowly, but also understand the predicament you're in because of pregnancy.  Am in a hurry here, but there are SSRI support sites posted here (I've put some in one to John John further UP the board I think) in case you need them.



Sally, I'm glad you already recognise that its WITHDRAWAL effects, not YOU, that is giving you the zaps and other physio/neurological symptoms.  But be prepared, in case, for emotional episodes too.  Hopefully you won't get them, but if you do try to hold on to the fact that it is not YOU, its the drugs.  Maybe you can also find the message to John John with support sites on it.



OR could go to search engine and type in:

Celexa SSRI zaps (and Moshka could add 'pregnancy' too) and you may find a support board specifically to do with Celexa as there are for Paxil and Prozac.



Hope neither of you get it too badly.

All the best.

Paula

by wow, May 07, 2002 12:00AM
I have a 20 yr old daughter that seems to have a low level of chronic depression.  While living in an apartment with one other person her second year of school it escalated to a major depression.  She was on 20 mg of celexa..and I saw an increase in her connectedness and energy level...Apparantly she also has some obsessive compulsive behaviors (not apparant to me--but interfere with her ability to read and not match or sort letters)  At any rate, the doasge was increased to 40 mg a day...Now she seems rebellious and angry and wants to move out--although she does not have the money to do so (she is home only for the summer with plans that we are helping her with to live with a group of friends when she returns in the fall) I  am wondering if it is possible that that level of celexa could give her inappropriate feelings of confidence or make her rebellious?  She acts towards us as if we are keeping her from moving --but if she had teh money or it seemed like she had the potential to earn it I woudl be okay with the move...She is out late very night with firends and thinks next week she will get more work hours but.....

by Peagee, May 07, 2002 12:00AM
To: WOW
Yes, Celexa can do this - and it can cause lack of concentration etc in the first instance.  And the side effects are then read as deeper depression, etc....  and the medication is then increased or changed to another SSRI.



Please look into the messages where the links and support sites are given (on this board) and get more information.  Too many people have started on this road and are now stuck in the system due to side effects and withdrawals being misunderstood by the professionals.



Thoughts are with you.

Paula

by down dog down, May 07, 2002 12:00AM
I am noe up to 60 mg's of celexa and am more deppressed than ever(even though I am quite giddy). It makes no sense at all! It does seem to have increased my mood somehow, and at the same time, I feel just as hopeless as ever. Maybe even a little more because at age 43, and new to the world of mental health, I had somehow thought it would help me! And yes the withdrawells are hellish! They make me feel comepletely insane after 2-3 days.Call me crazy, but I swear I had better results while using street drugs to self medicate! At least I got things done then!

by down dog down, May 07, 2002 12:00AM
No I am not promoting the use of street drugs!

by Peagee, May 07, 2002 12:00AM
To: DownDogDown
Hi - as far as I can remember, Eli Lilley concocted Prozac from LSD 'technology' and all the SSRIs are clones of Prozac.  In which case street drugs aren't so far away from SSRIs :}  



Can't remember which info site I first got that from, but vaguely remember something about Eli Lilley having had a patent to LSD or something years ago?   If I remember I'll try looking for it another time and post it here for you if I can find it. Might be on my own Information Site somewhere (but there's an awful lot of links and stuff to trawl through to find it) so I'll put that here too:



http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/182310



Paula  

by cassidylub, May 08, 2002 12:00AM
I've been on Celexa for almost 2 years and I relate to everything your all saying.  I decided that I wanted to get off because I didn't want to be taking a daily drug anymore.  Its been hell ever since.  I went from 40 mgs to 30 to 20 to 10 and now i'm starting to not take any.  I have tingling in my feet and all the way to my head.  If I turn my head I have a headrush and its very scary.  I really think the Celexa added to my depression because I had no sex drive whats so ever and I gained weight which made me feel even worse about myself.

by Peagee, May 08, 2002 12:00AM
To: Cassidy Club
WEAN OFF FAR MORE SLOWLY.  Tapering off, shaving off a little extra from the tablet for a while.  Try then saving off a little more and see if you have the symptoms come back.  Brings a new meaning to the Art of a Good Shave LOL...  It's VERY important to wean almost painfully slowly. Not by cutting down in jumps.

Hope that helps?  Check out a support site where people explain the weaning thing in more detail.  Cos I went cold turkey (from Paxil) and am still suffering 5 months later.

Peas

by down dog down, May 17, 2002 12:00AM
I am now beginning my taper from celexa.The loss of motivation has become too much. I truly am worse off than when I started! The main problem is,through all of the research that I've done,The alternative's dont seem to offer anything better. Is marijuana the better medicine? Why aren't there any studies being done on the medicinal (mental health) benefit's of this drug? Aren't different properties of chemical make up's singled out through genetic or chemical structuring? Perhaps those quality's that seemed to help me could be identified and isolated for more effective, natural alternative's.   I will be tapering from 60 mg's. I'll keep everyone informed on my progress.

                good luck to those who try!

by Tilda, May 19, 2002 12:00AM
Thats funny.  My doctor had me on Klonopin and Celexa.  I dont think he realized I was on Klonopin.  I have a upcoming surgery and he told me to discontinue all meds.  I didnt even realize I was having withdrawals until I asked a LCSW at work.  

I havent taken anything in a week.  I still fell dizzy but otherwise I am over it.

by writepooh7, May 26, 2002 12:00AM
Hi I have been on klonopin for 11 yrs and clexa for yrs  I want to come off all but afraid of the terr withdraw i get .. please committ thanks

by seekup, May 27, 2002 12:00AM
I feel your pain!!!! Celexa has ruined my life and the withdrawl symptoms are hell.  I started taking celexa about a year sgo for anxiety at work....i din't really need it but my doctor convinced me it would ease my tension.  I was on 20 mg for a year...but then changed jobs and really had no reason to stress...also i had no sex