celexa and severe side-effects

hello. 30male, anxiety disorder, a-fib (psvt-not currently) and take 50mg attenelol. my doctor has prescribed me 20mg of celexa to help my anxiety disorder. i have been taking this medication for tonly hree days and having severe side-effects. on the evenying of 5-25-03(the third day), while driving i started to have severe hot-flashes, light-headedness, tinglig in my hands and feet, weekness all around, an alkaline taste in my mout, and heart rate went up(not a-fib). i immediately pulled off the road and called 911. the hospital did all test and everything is normal. i was relased within 6-hours from the ER with the order to discontinue celexa and the DX was anxiety. i know anxiety, and this was not IT.

the next day(this morning 5-26-03) i called my doc and notified him about this event and he told me to continue celexa(i refused!) and deal with the side effects since it will go away within a week. he stated the benifits are better then not taking it.  it is the second day now and having some minor side-effects from celexa i listed above, but not as severe.  

please advise me what to do. i am terrified from taking celexa and need a second opinion. i respect my doc for his decision, but i do not want to go thru the reaction again.

i have also been taking psychiatry help for my anxiety for the last month now. it has helped.

thanks!

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Although it is not  common, there may be an interaction betweent eh atenolol and the Celexa.  This is because the atenolol has an antagonistic effect on one of the serotonin receptors.

I would ask your doctor about a difference balance between the two medications until you get used to it, then raise the dosage levels...You might ask him re temporarily reducing the atenolol if that is medically approrpiate for your a-fib.

[greendot]

then what anti depresent will work with atenelol without the severe side effects?

[Squims]

The same thing happened to me on about day 4 on Celexa.  My GP cut me back to 10mg and increased slowly back up to 20mg after about two weeks, and my system tolerated this much better.

Simon