Anxiety Meds: Celexa Citalopram

[Alicia2009]

Has anyone used this medication before? What are the pros and cons? Any good reviews?
Also, I have never really taken medication ever before. Most likely will I suffer from the side effects more than anyone else? I know different people react differently but I am very anxious to know.
Thanks

[db0255]

Originally Posted by Alicia2009

Has anyone used this medication before? What are the pros and cons? Any good reviews?
Also, I have never really taken medication ever before. Most likely will I suffer from the side effects more than anyone else? I know different people react differently but I am very anxious to know.
Thanks

I'm currently on Celexa, and have taken Lexapro before two separate times. This isn't the normal way to take these meds I think because Lexapro is just the more potent stereoisomer of racemic Celexa.

Celexa/Lexapro are usually well tolerated and don't have that many side effects compared to the other SSRIs. So I think you're in good hands. That being said there are withdrawal effects with the SSRIs, and everyone is different.

[Alicia2009]

Originally Posted by db0255

I'm currently on Celexa, and have taken Lexapro before two separate times. This isn't the normal way to take these meds I think because Lexapro is just the more potent stereoisomer of racemic Celexa.

Celexa/Lexapro are usually well tolerated and don't have that many side effects compared to the other SSRIs. So I think you're in good hands. That being said there are withdrawal effects with the SSRIs, and everyone is different.

Thanks so much. I am so nervous about taking these meds, plus my psychiatric doctor made it seem like it was going to be so bad saying that I will get very sick at the beginning and if I start having suicidal thoughts to contact her. I just want all of this to go away. I want my life back

[Sloppy Joe]

Originally Posted by db0255

Celexa/Lexapro are usually well tolerated and don't have that many side effects compared to the other SSRIs. So I think you're in good hands. That being said there are withdrawal effects with the SSRIs, and everyone is different.

I had the same side effects I did with Zoloft. It's just another ssri, far as I can tell.

[db0255]

Originally Posted by Alicia2009

Thanks so much. I am so nervous about taking these meds, plus my psychiatric doctor made it seem like it was going to be so bad saying that I will get very sick at the beginning and if I start having suicidal thoughts to contact her. I just want all of this to go away. I want my life back

Sometimes the severity of the side effects mirror the severity of the disorder, but that's not always the case. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't because the SSRIs are different medications that work on different serotonin receptors. Case in point: I had a great response to Prozac, horrible weight gain on Paxil and no response, little response on Cymbalta, and a pretty good response on Celexa. But others have total different responses on all these drugs. Some are wonder drugs for them, some do nothing, some make things worse, and others relieve things a little. It's all trial and error, so don't be averse to thinking that your response to Celexa will doom you in anyway.
good luck!

[Sabu]

I've been on Celexa for four months. Seems to have helped with my depression and SA related worries / ruminating but I don't feel any more comfortable in social situations really. Side effects for me weren't too bad to start with and are pretty much non existent now.

Good luck with it!

[pboy]

All I can say is to be SURE that you want to use Lexapro on a longterm basis. After I realized it wasn't doing much for me, I decided to come off it - the withdrawal side effects are AWFUL, much worse than when you first start taking it. I've had to start taking it again in order to reduce my dosage mega-slowly.

Anyway not to worry you about it, like I say just be sure that you want to stay on it longterm because withdrawal from it is horrible.

[euphoria]

Originally Posted by pboy

All I can say is to be SURE that you want to use Lexapro on a longterm basis. After I realized it wasn't doing much for me, I decided to come off it - the withdrawal side effects are AWFUL, much worse than when you first start taking it. I've had to start taking it again in order to reduce my dosage mega-slowly.

Anyway not to worry you about it, like I say just be sure that you want to stay on it longterm because withdrawal from it is horrible.

You might want to ask your doctor about using fluoxetine (Prozac) to withdraw slowly. It has a much longer duration of effects, meaning dose can be reduced so gradually you'll barely even notice it.

[db0255]

Originally Posted by pboy

All I can say is to be SURE that you want to use Lexapro on a longterm basis. After I realized it wasn't doing much for me, I decided to come off it - the withdrawal side effects are AWFUL, much worse than when you first start taking it. I've had to start taking it again in order to reduce my dosage mega-slowly.

Anyway not to worry you about it, like I say just be sure that you want to stay on it longterm because withdrawal from it is horrible.

Well that wasn't my experience withdrawing from it. Paxil had the worst withdrawal for me, and even that didn't live up to expectations (I had no "zaps")

I find that different people have harder withdrawal from ALL SSRIs than others. I have yet to find an SSRI that has given me awful withdrawal symptoms so much that I had to keep using them, and you can't say for sure that you will suffer from the same things on Lexapro/Celexa. Be open, and if you do have bad withdrawal, consider other options.