withdraw from celexa

[kjtz]

I went on Celexa about 2 years ago for anxiety and decided to go off last week as my life situation has calmed down and also because I really didn't think I could afford it anymore.  I didn't realize, however, the side effects of going off this drug....if you look at the list of possible side effects I think I've had all of them except thoughts of suicide (although through the puking and pain death didn't sound so bad!) Anyways, I think I'm nearing the end of this hell but then read these posts about this lasting a lot longer....could I really be this sick for much longer??  And if so, would the natural drug seretonin help?
Would appreciate your help !

[Paxiled]

By serotonin, do you mean 5htp, a natural precursor to serotonin?  I've heard of people taking St. John's Wort for depression while withdrawing, but I don't know about 5htp, if it were to work and increase your serotonin, it might throw you into an earlier period of your withdrawal.  It's a tough question.  What's happening is that the serotonin receptors in your body that weren't needed anymore while the Celexa was reusing serotonin are waking up and causing these symptoms.  You might try fish oil, it is said to help with the brain zaps, but I would ask an expert about 5htp.  You might try contacting Hyla Cass, a psychiatrist at UCLA, who uses natural remedies, but she might not answer without you paying a huge fee.  Try typing Celexa withdrawal into google, and there will be chat rooms devoted to withdrawal from it. Maybe there's an answer to your question there.  And it's not too late to go back on it and withdraw slower, though you might not want to do that for your own reasons, and that's fine.

[Jaquta]

I've read posts here where people, like yourself, have stopped taking medication and have been advised to go back on the medication to taper.

I can't imagine how difficult the withdrawal symptoms have been for you to tolerate.  When I first started taking that medication I felt physically sick a lot of the time and I felt that alone was bad enough.  It is understandable that you would feel anxious about taking the drug again and tapering.

I have read posts from the doctor saying that going back on the medication and tapering helps what people call 'brain zaps'.

I personally would probably not take anything but I would recommend going back on the Celexa and doing a taper.
I would not introduce a new drug into the mix and complicate things.

The doctor usually suggests a three week taper.  This should be done under medical supervision.

J

[kjtz]

Actually, and no offense to your answers but I do think it's too late for me to go back on to wean off slower....the past week, as I said, was hell....physically almost more than emotionally.  I was really wondering about taking the natural form of Seretonin and if that would help.  I still have the "zaps" in my head, and my joints ache but I would NOT want to start again and have to go through what I did last week....I'm very nervous about taking anything else but I read that seretonin could help....your thoughts?

[Paxiled]

I personally think a six week weaning is more reasonable for these meds, just in case, and slower if that's what you need.  But if you're not going nuts emotionally, you'll probably ride it out.  If there's a lot of emotional stuff, it could become conditioned in your thinking, so that would be a reason to go back on it at the lowest dose at which you had no symptoms, and taper more slowly.  

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

If you sense you are getting over with it, you probably are..but if you stopped precipitously instead of weaning over a three week period, you have the option of going back on a small dose for a short interval to get rid of the withdrawal symptoms, then withdraw gradually, and under a doctor's supervision.