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Old 12-08-2010, 08:33 PM
 
235 posts, read 354,770 times
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I'm on day 24 of Celexa withdrawal after spending a few weeks tapering.. and I am struggling. My head feels weird, I feel very restless and can't focus on anything for long (finals are coming up), my emotions still feel kind of blunted, and I am very anxious... and my body hurts... and life sucks right now.

Somebody know when this is going to get better?
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Old 12-09-2010, 07:49 AM
 
26,142 posts, read 31,108,683 times
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You need to call your doctor about this. Going off medications can cause more than just withdraw symptoms, it can cause siezures and the return of symptoms. Your body may very well NEED this medication to keep everything regulated. It's a physical thing not psychosymatic, especially if you are starting to feel depressed again. Usually, withdraw symptoms like you describe happen within the first 14 days and then you begin to feel better - since you are starting to feel worse -CALL YOUR DOCTOR. In addition, if it is simple withdraw there are things the doctor can give you to help you with that so the body does not go into siezure.
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Old 12-09-2010, 08:43 AM
 
Location: In a house
13,250 posts, read 42,659,665 times
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You should also not stress out over the previous poster's advice. Advising someone who is withdrawing from depression medicine that he's going to have a seizure is probably not the brightest idea, unless you're there to catch him when he has an anxiety attack and falls to the ground.

You are NOT destined to have a seizure. Not everyone has them and if you've been off Celexa for 24 days already, you might not even be at risk. No one here on the forum would know. Your physician would.

The rest of the previous poster's advice is sound: you really need to go to the prescribing physician. Supposedly you've been taking Celexa for some ongoing problem. Your physician should be monitoring you closely ANYWAY. If you feel you're not getting appropriate monitoring, ask your physician for an explanation of his care. If you're not satisfied with the explanation, find a new doctor.
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Old 12-09-2010, 09:12 AM
 
235 posts, read 354,770 times
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Thanks for the support, guys. The thing is, I should have never gone on ssri's in the first place.. both my doctor and I understand this. I had a terrible reaction to an acne med that has been pulled off the market for that very reason, accutane, and stupidly I went on an ssri at my doctors prompting. I always felt horrible on Lexapro and then Celexa.

With all of that said, I feel much better off of the antidepressants. I no longer feel like an alien living in my own body, and I no longer feel depressed, but the physical side effects of withdrawal which I never had before this, including exercise intolerance, organ pain, head symptoms, and akathisia with unexplained free floating anxiety are very difficult right now.

Going back on is not and never will be an option. I felt horrible on those 'meds'. But again, I will talk to my doctor... which I've been doing. Pdocs unfortunately have always rubbed me the wrong way, as they seem to try and deny that their drugs are ever the problem. Will try anyways.

Thanks.
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Old 12-09-2010, 09:25 AM
 
Location: Lompoc,CA
1,317 posts, read 5,260,088 times
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I know its too late,and I admire you for getting off.BUT, personally I think
you weaned a bit fast. So this may just be the results of that weaning.Hang in there,it will get better!!! might be hard since it was so fast.

Greenchili
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Old 12-09-2010, 09:51 AM
 
26,142 posts, read 31,108,683 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnonChick View Post
You should also not stress out over the previous poster's advice. Advising someone who is withdrawing from depression medicine that he's going to have a seizure is probably not the brightest idea, unless you're there to catch him when he has an anxiety attack and falls to the ground.

You are NOT destined to have a seizure. Not everyone has them and if you've been off Celexa for 24 days already, you might not even be at risk. No one here on the forum would know. Your physician would.

The rest of the previous poster's advice is sound: you really need to go to the prescribing physician. Supposedly you've been taking Celexa for some ongoing problem. Your physician should be monitoring you closely ANYWAY. If you feel you're not getting appropriate monitoring, ask your physician for an explanation of his care. If you're not satisfied with the explanation, find a new doctor.
Can you re-read what I wrote - I said the body COULD I NEVER said it WOULD. It was one of seveal examples of what going off medication, especially anti-depressants can do. I neve said it was inevitable and for sure he would. My strongest advice and the point I was trying to make is make a simple call to YOUR DOCTOR, as a precaution for this and other things, instead of a bunch of strangers. The doctor can also prescribe something to help cope with the withdraw symptoms which are not addicting and pretty effective for most people.

Last edited by Thursday007; 12-09-2010 at 10:04 AM..
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Old 12-09-2010, 10:16 AM
 
Location: In a house
13,250 posts, read 42,659,665 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ray34iyf View Post
Thanks for the support, guys. The thing is, I should have never gone on ssri's in the first place.. both my doctor and I understand this. I had a terrible reaction to an acne med that has been pulled off the market for that very reason, accutane, and stupidly I went on an ssri at my doctors prompting. I always felt horrible on Lexapro and then Celexa.

With all of that said, I feel much better off of the antidepressants. I no longer feel like an alien living in my own body, and I no longer feel depressed, but the physical side effects of withdrawal which I never had before this, including exercise intolerance, organ pain, head symptoms, and akathisia with unexplained free floating anxiety are very difficult right now.

Going back on is not and never will be an option. I felt horrible on those 'meds'. But again, I will talk to my doctor... which I've been doing. Pdocs unfortunately have always rubbed me the wrong way, as they seem to try and deny that their drugs are ever the problem. Will try anyways.

Thanks.
First, never say never. I know I'll never take prozac again, but if I ever experience a clinical depression where medication is strongly indicated, I won't reject all of them outright, just because I had a bad reaction with one type. I -would- instead, warn the doctor that I react badly to them, and make sure he monitors me more closely than someone who has shown no history of adverse reactions. Also, sometimes you do need to go back to the drug that's causing the withdrawals on a short term, low-dose basis, in order to prevent your body from damage. It depends on the symptoms you're having now. Or he might prescribe something like a low dose of Xanax or Valium to help with the jitters during the day, until your body is *properly* weaned off the Celexa. These would all be -short-term- treatments. That would be, a couple of weeks, maybe as long as a month. Just long enough for your body to get back on track.

I don't take anything for depression because I'm not depressed. I wasn't depressed when the prozac was prescribed. I was misdiagnosed. But I won't hold the pharmaceutical companies responsible for a misdiagnosis. It's easy enough to find another doctor if I ever need one.

Also to Thursday007: I should have bolded the part I was responding to:
Quote:
In addition, if it is simple withdraw there are things the doctor can give you to help you with that so the body does not go into siezure.
That part there. The wording of this part of your post, *assumes* that the body WILL go into seizure, UNLESS a doctor helps the patient with a simple withdrawal. And that is misleading and innacurate.
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Old 12-09-2010, 12:15 PM
 
26,142 posts, read 31,108,683 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnonChick View Post
Also to Thursday007: I should have bolded the part I was responding to:

That part there. The wording of this part of your post, *assumes* that the body WILL go into seizure, UNLESS a doctor helps the patient with a simple withdrawal. And that is misleading and innacurate.
Yes, and if you unbolded it and read it in the context of the sentence it still does not mean inevitable. Having a doctor involved in the current symptoms is crucial. Yes, the doctor CAN help you so that the body doesn't go into siezure (if he deems it an issue, if the symptoms are condusive to that). No one said ULESS a doctor helps the patient the body WILL go into siezure. That is not what is stated. Your twisting it is what makes it inaccurate and misleading - YOU are assuming not me. Read what was written as it is written in the context it's written.

It's sort of like insurance. Just because you have it doesn't mean you are inevitably going to get in an accident - it is a precaution in the event you do.

I am also familiar with Celexa and going off of the medication with the assistance of a doctor and a vey good one at that and am repeating what I learned about the medication and many others in general because he's fantastic at explaning how things work and why. Whereas you do not have any experience with it. I did not experience the symptoms the OP is experiencing - going to the doctor for assistance is better safe than sorry.

Going off ANY medication abruptly CAN cause the body to go into siezure. A doctor can help to make sure that doesn't happen. Siimple as that. Whether it be an alternate medication or a different dosing regimine over a specific period of time.

In addition many people, when they go off anti depressents, feel real good when they aren't taking them - to begin with, it's why so many people dose themselves or go off medication without consulting a doctor and many times that feeling does not last. Stating a few thing that CAN or MAY happen in worse case scenerio will hopefully get someone to act on this immediately and pick up the telephone today instead of saying - "Oh, I can just tough it out or I don't need to talk to the doctor."

It's apparent the OP's body is not responding well to the disruption in taking this medication and needs a doctor's guidance.

Last edited by Thursday007; 12-09-2010 at 12:28 PM..
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Old 12-09-2010, 12:27 PM
 
Location: In a house
13,250 posts, read 42,659,665 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thursday007 View Post
Going off ANY medication abruptly CAN cause the body to go into siezure. A doctor can help to make sure that doesn't happen. Siimple as that.
Again, patently untrue. If I take Nyquil to combat a winter virus, and then stop taking it abruptly, I'm in no danger of having a seizure. None, zero, zilch, nada. If I have a migraine 3 days in a row and have to take an alieve each day to keep the pain manageable, I will have -zero- risk of the cessation on the 4th day resulting in a seizure. Zero, zilch, nada.

If I take a Tums every day to combat indigestion, and suddenly stop taking it after a month, I will have zero, zilch, nada risk of having a seizure as a result of the cessation.

Speaking in absolutes does nothing to support your opinion.

Also, you have no idea of my experience. How did you come up with the conclusion that I have none? How do I know you have any? This is an internet forum. You know nothing about me, and I know nothing about you. Again, you're making assumptions. Except this time it's based on absolutely no data whatsoever.
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Old 12-09-2010, 12:33 PM
 
26,142 posts, read 31,108,683 times
Reputation: 27235
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnonChick View Post
Again, patently untrue. If I take Nyquil to combat a winter virus, and then stop taking it abruptly, I'm in no danger of having a seizure. None, zero, zilch, nada. If I have a migraine 3 days in a row and have to take an alieve each day to keep the pain manageable, I will have -zero- risk of the cessation on the 4th day resulting in a seizure. Zero, zilch, nada.

If I take a Tums every day to combat indigestion, and suddenly stop taking it after a month, I will have zero, zilch, nada risk of having a seizure as a result of the cessation.

Speaking in absolutes does nothing to support your opinion.

Also, you have no idea of my experience. How did you come up with the conclusion that I have none? How do I know you have any? This is an internet forum. You know nothing about me, and I know nothing about you. Again, you're making assumptions. Except this time it's based on absolutely no data whatsoever.
You stated you had no experience with the medication at all in an earlier post.

Yes, I should be clear on the fact that we are discussing prescription medications taken over a longer period of time than OTC cough medicine for 3 days. Now you are just being arguementative for the sake of it - that's a stretch.

I made the mistake of thinking we were discussing prescription medications related to depression and long term care required by a doctor and the specific issue by one op in one thread. He/She needs a doctor's input NOW not yours or mine as an absolute.

But just an FYI, the body can react badly to simple caffine withdraw or aspirin if taken long enough over a period of time.
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