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Celexa and Ativan

I started 5 mg Celexa 5 days ago and the doctor gave me .5 mg Ativan for just in case. My question is how long until the Celexa starts working? If I use the Ativan too often will it effect how the Celexa works? How hard are these to come off of?
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784558 tn?1276007829
Everyone's unique. Suggest you consult whoever prescribed your meds. Sometimes it can take many weeks before the benefits of medication are felt. The unwanted side-effects click in long before that. At least that's my experience. Coming off can be tough, but again, get a regime from the Doc. Try not to rush things. Good Luck
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1696489 tn?1370821974
I am not familiar with celexa, but my mom takes it,  and it seems to help her.  Ativan is a fast-acting benzodiazepine that will kick in about 20 min.  This will keep you calm for about four hours.  If you doc prescribed both, then its okay to take both as directed.  Ativan, like i said, is a bezo, and all benzos can be addictive.  Never, ever take more than doc says.  And if your doc wants to take you off of it, you MUST taper, less and less each week until none.  Quitting a benzo cold turkey will set you up for some nasty withdrawals.  I hope this is helpful! - Blu
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Avatar universal
First, it takes as long as it takes--for most it's about 4-6 weeks, but for some it's much sooner.  You don't want to take Ativan except as needed, because it's an addictive drug, so don't take it regularly, just when you absolutely need it, just as the doc said.  Taking the Ativan too often won't affect whether the Celexa works or not, but it will affect whether you know it's working since it could be the continued taking of Ativan, so again, don't continually take the Ativan, just as needed.  Both can be extremely hard to stop taking, but they can also be extremely easy, so we can't predict how it will go for you.
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