# Celexa Journal



## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Hey guys, i've been posting here frequently for the past 2 months or so and I have come to the conclusion that I am going to try an SSRI. A little background on me first... I am 21 years old and live on my own in downtown Montreal. I have never been able to hold a job because of my SAD/GAD/OCD thoughts/Mild Depression. Depression runs in my family and both my mom and brother are on Paxil. I have tried therapy, meditation, natural things and beta blockers + benzos. So far Propranolol has been a life saver and it is what i'm going to go back to if the SSRIs don't help or if I cannot tolerate them. I have had lots of friends, popularity, I have a beautiful girlfriend and I am a competitive kickboxer who has won many medals, so pretty much I should feel great about things since I have a lot going for me, but ever since I was a kid the anxiety has been there.

I am leaving the house right now to pick up my 3 month prescription of Celexa. All I have seen on here and on the internet are people *****ing about SSRIs and how evil they are, however i'm at my lowest point now where I am almost starving because I have no money yet I am too petrified to go even hand a resume out, so I am getting on Celexa to overcome this hump so I can hopefully experience life how it is meant to be lived, without being afraid to leave your front door. My ultimate goal is to experience life that way, and then realize that I am my own worst enemy and begin working on my psychological issues that are burried in my brain somewhere. I will make my first review tonight of how I am feeling and will do a little review everyday of side effects etc.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading  and I wish you all a great life and road to recovery.

- Joshua


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Much succes with your trial man, il be following this.


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## Madison_Rose (Feb 27, 2009)

Hi there! I'm on the same drug, have been for five months now. It hasn't miraculously cured me, but it has helped a bit, and I haven't had any nasty side-effects. Good luck with it, I'll be following your story.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Hey guys thanks for the support. I have water in my hand right now and the pills in front of me, i'm not going to a lie i'm very very nervous/afraid as this is my first time with an SSRI, and messing with my brain seems like a scary thing to me. But desperate times calling for desperate measures. I'll post an up date in roughly 7 hours after it really is in my system and what not. Any tips on when to take the pills? my doc said to take them at night time to prevent dealing with some side effects... my only concern is he has STARTED me right on 20mg instead of building up so.. here we go lol.

edit: Since I may not be able to ejaculate properly due to the drugs, before I take them i'm going to go have one retirement wank bwuaha.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Everything is going to be fine man dont worry about it.


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## sda0 (Oct 16, 2009)

Good luck! I'm on Celexa as well; its done me wonders. And the sexual side effects thing doesnt happen to everyone


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Thanks for the support guys, i'm acting like a baby hah maybe i'll have zero side effects who knows *knock on wood* lol. Is 20mg too much to start taking? my doc wants me on 20mg right away.


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## GSH (Jul 16, 2009)

Jcq126 said:


> Hey guys, i've been posting here frequently for the past 2 months or so and I have come to the conclusion that I am going to try an SSRI. A little background on me first... I am 21 years old and live on my own in downtown Montreal. I have never been able to hold a job because of my SAD/GAD/OCD thoughts/Mild Depression. Depression runs in my family and both my mom and brother are on Paxil. I have tried therapy, meditation, natural things and beta blockers + benzos. So far Propranolol has been a life saver and it is what i'm going to go back to if the SSRIs don't help or if I cannot tolerate them. I have had lots of friends, popularity, I have a beautiful girlfriend and I am a competitive kickboxer who has won many medals, so pretty much I should feel great about things since I have a lot going for me, but ever since I was a kid the anxiety has been there.
> 
> I am leaving the house right now to pick up my 3 month prescription of Celexa. All I have seen on here and on the internet are people *****ing about SSRIs and how evil they are, however i'm at my lowest point now where I am almost starving because I have no money yet I am too petrified to go even hand a resume out, so I am getting on Celexa to overcome this hump so I can hopefully experience life how it is meant to be lived, without being afraid to leave your front door. My ultimate goal is to experience life that way, and then realize that I am my own worst enemy and begin working on my psychological issues that are burried in my brain somewhere. I will make my first review tonight of how I am feeling and will do a little review everyday of side effects etc.
> 
> ...


Whyd you choose celexa btw? I don't think its indicated for SA


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

GSH said:


> Whyd you choose celexa btw? I don't think its indicated for SA


The doc suggested it, he said I show signs of SAD/OCD/mild depression so he thinks Celexa will be best. He said that it is one of the more gentle SSRIs and has a lot of success with patients because they don't experience as harsh side effects. I just swallowed the pill like 10 seconds ago and i'm ****ting bricks, i'm going to have side effects now in my mind because i've psyched myself up so much lol fail. If the Celexa doesn't help or if my body really hates it, i'm going to try Paxil.


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## GSH (Jul 16, 2009)

Jcq126 said:


> The doc suggested it, he said I show signs of SAD/OCD/mild depression so he thinks Celexa will be best. He said that it is one of the more gentle SSRIs and has a lot of success with patients because they don't experience as harsh side effects. I just swallowed the pill like 10 seconds ago and i'm ****ting bricks, i'm going to have side effects now in my mind because i've psyched myself up so much lol fail. If the Celexa doesn't help or if my body really hates it, i'm going to try Paxil.


Man it sucks that you live alone and are trying this for the 1st time. The time I noticed it the most was in the mornings when I woke up. I think it was the 2nd or 3rd morning that the anxiety started. Everyone is different though


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

GSH said:


> Man it sucks that you live alone and are trying this for the 1st time. The time I noticed it the most was in the mornings when I woke up. I think it was the 2nd or 3rd morning that the anxiety started. Everyone is different though


Actually my girlfriend lives with me and she's being really supportive. I keep groaning to her about how nervous I am and she keeps telling me everything is going to be alright etc hah now she's making me some porkchops. I think everything is going to be just fine


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## TyrosineKinase (Jan 20, 2010)

You shouldn't be nervous.

Even though in the other thread we were discussing me just being on Celexa for the first time, it's not my first SSRI.

I was on Zoloft previously and the worst side effect I had on SSRI's are sexual in nature.

However, once you tell your doc this, he will most likely prescribe viagra and that took care of the sexual side effects I suffered from.

You won't notice any changes until about 4 weeks in, which I'm sure you knew already.


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## Madison_Rose (Feb 27, 2009)

Jcq126 said:


> Any tips on when to take the pills?


I take mine in the morning after breakfast. I don't think it makes that much difference tbh, as long as you take it at roughly the same time every day.



Jcq126 said:


> my only concern is he has STARTED me right on 20mg instead of building up so..


Because I was very nervous about taking an SSRI (much like you are) my doctor started me on 10mg, but warned that this dose was too low to have much of a therapeutic effect, so it would take longer for me to feel any benefit. 20mg is a low starting dose; starting you on 20mg is common practice. My Dr started me on a lower dose as a sop to my fears, I don't think it was strictly nessesary, but she's always very careful to listen to me and let me direct my own treatment. I like her.

One thing I will say is DON'T FORGET TO TAKE YOUR PILLS! I only get really bad effects when I miss more than one dose - I plunge headlong into deep, deep depression. It only lasts about 12 hours, but deeply unpleasant while it's going on. When you do come off, you'll taper off carefully and gradually. In the meantime, take them religiously!


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Madison_Rose said:


> I take mine in the morning after breakfast. I don't think it makes that much difference tbh, as long as you take it at roughly the same time every day.
> 
> Because I was very nervous about taking an SSRI (much like you are) my doctor started me on 10mg, but warned that this dose was too low to have much of a therapeutic effect, so it would take longer for me to feel any benefit. 20mg is a low starting dose; starting you on 20mg is common practice. My Dr started me on a lower dose as a sop to my fears, I don't think it was strictly nessesary, but she's always very careful to listen to me and let me direct my own treatment. I like her.
> 
> One thing I will say is DON'T FORGET TO TAKE YOUR PILLS! I only get really bad effects when I miss more than one dose - I plunge headlong into deep, deep depression. It only lasts about 12 hours, but deeply unpleasant while it's going on. When you do come off, you'll taper off carefully and gradually. In the meantime, take them religiously!


Thanks for the tips Madison. I'm going to write a review in 2 hours or so about how my first day went on them. I'm going to make sure when I do taper off that it is at a 10% dose reduction every 3-4 weeks.


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## sda0 (Oct 16, 2009)

Jcq126 said:


> STARTED me right on 20mg instead of building up so.. here we go lol..


I started with 20, now im up to 30. I believe 20 is the standard starter-dose


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

DAY 1 REVIEW:


Alright guys, so here is my first day on Celexa (20 mg). I took the pill early in the afternoon, and let me remind you that this is my FIRST time ever taking an SSRI. I've taken benzos and beta-blockers and never had any problems. I was terrified so I don't know if any of the symptoms were psychologically induced, but anyway i'll get on with it. I took the pill and felt fine and then calmed down because no turning back now since I had already taken it. About 1 hour in all of a sudden I felt super tired, like I was trying to do the dishes and kept going to lay down in my bed because I was exhausted. I had dilated pupils and was very tired, also was a little warm, not a fever but just warm and sleepy. I laid down for a bit and felt a little better. None of these symptoms bothered me since the pupils don't hurt and being tired is just well.. you're tired no big deal. 

about an hour ago or so I went to sit on the computer then realized my vision was a bit blurry, nothing crazy just I noticed reading became a little fuzzied, still didn't bother me as it went away fairly quickly. Now the ONLY symptom that has bugged me has been nausea, however the naseau only appeared roughly 20 minutes ago, it's pretty strong but I can handle it. Thanks for reading my first day journal on Celexa 20mg and I hope maybe people new to the medicine may be able to find some information through my experience.

Overall, good day and the side effects didn't bug me. Scale of 1/10 with 10 being the MOST side effects, i'd say I experienced a 3. I felt fine but just a little queezy at the end of the night. Some of these symptoms may have been created in my head because I was nervous, however I can't really fake dilated pupils and exhaustion. I'll see you guys all tomorrow night with another review.

- Josh


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## iuseings (Nov 11, 2009)

I took celexa for a short time when I was around 16-17 for depression, I was undiagnosed for SAD at the time. I don't know if you'll be drinking but it recommended not mixing it with alcohol when I was taking it... I, of course, still drank and found that there wasn't much sickness related to mixing but it seemed to enhance the effects of being drunk
oh and for some reason it made me have heart palpitations and shake... which is weird because I usually shake alot on my own.. but it was a different kinda shakiness (like from the inside)... maybe I needed to stay on it for longer. I stopped after one prescription. I think side-effects will wear away after awhile, I never really gave it enough of a chance.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

iuseings said:


> I took celexa for a short time when I was around 16-17 for depression, I was undiagnosed for SAD at the time. I don't know if you'll be drinking but it recommended not mixing it with alcohol when I was taking it... I, of course, still drank and found that there wasn't much sickness related to mixing but it seemed to enhance the effects of being drunk
> oh and for some reason it made me have heart palpitations and shake... which is weird because I usually shake alot on my own.. but it was a different kinda shakiness (like from the inside)... maybe I needed to stay on it for longer. I stopped after one prescription. I think side-effects will wear away after awhile, I never really gave it enough of a chance.


Ya i've heard that it takes anywhere from 2-3 weeks to start feeling it and then like 6-8 weeks to have the FULL effect. I don't mind it so far, only thing as I said that has bothered me on my first day was a little stomache nausea. I'll have another review tomorrow night to see if I experience the same effects. Also, I do plan on drinking on it as I like to get **** faced on the weekends to help self medicate lol, maybe the Celexa will get rid of some of that need to get drunk. I may have a few beers here and there, being "extra drunk" from the meds is fine by me.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Just a quick update... I took my pill at a horrible time yesterday because I wanted just to get it over with and try it, so I ended up taking it at around 4 in the afternoon which is a bad schedule to be on since usually at 4 pm you are busy with school, work, out and about whatever it may be, which means i'd have to carry my pills everywhere to stay on that schedule. So i'm going to delay my pill until later tonight around 8-9 so I can get on a night time schedule which is much easier. Say my day 2 review will be delayed until tomorrow morning to see how I feel, so from now on every review will be written in the morning. Thanks for reading along guys.


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## sadboy (Jan 29, 2010)

Hey Jcq126,

What do you use Propranolol for? My doctor prescribed it to me for blushing. I just wanna know if you use it for the same thing.

Good luck with Celexa.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

sadboy said:


> Hey Jcq126,
> 
> What do you use Propranolol for? My doctor prescribed it to me for blushing. I just wanna know if you use it for the same thing.
> 
> Good luck with Celexa.


Same thing bro. I used it to control panic attacks and blushing and it worked like a charm. Only problem is it didn't help the mental aspect, it was great not feeling physically anxious but the mental was still torturous trying to call strangers on the phone and just getting things done in life where I had to deal with people so I have caved after over a decade of suffering and am trying the celexa now. My goal is to be able to see what life is like without the SAD/OCD/mild depression and then be like hey it's not that bad etc and just figure out my mind is my own worse enemy, then I can start working on my problems. It's just i'm in a point where i'm so far down the hole that I need something to get me kick started into solving my issues and starting a new happy life.

Propranolol = a god send, if Celexa and SSRIs don't help me, i'm just going back to propranolol since it does help insanely.


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## sadboy (Jan 29, 2010)

Jcq126 said:


> Same thing bro. I used it to control panic attacks and blushing and it worked like a charm. Only problem is it didn't help the mental aspect, it was great not feeling physically anxious but the mental was still torturous trying to call strangers on the phone and just getting things done in life where I had to deal with people so I have caved after over a decade of suffering and am trying the celexa now. My goal is to be able to see what life is like without the SAD/OCD/mild depression and then be like hey it's not that bad etc and just figure out my mind is my own worse enemy, then I can start working on my problems. It's just i'm in a point where i'm so far down the hole that I need something to get me kick started into solving my issues and starting a new happy life.
> 
> Propranolol = a god send, if Celexa and SSRIs don't help me, i'm just going back to propranolol since it does help insanely.


:O That's interesting.

Does it eliminate blushing completely? How much mg do you take and how many times daily? Do you know if it's the short acting kind or the long acting? My doctor prescribed me 40 mg to take twice daily. I have not tested it yet though. Does it work for 24 hours or only for a short time?

I hope Celexa helps you like Effexor XR helped me. The 2 months I was on it were the best of my life in a long long time.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

sadboy said:


> :O That's interesting.
> 
> Does it eliminate blushing completely? How much mg do you take and how many times daily? Do you know if it's the short acting kind or the long acting? My doctor prescribed me 40 mg to take twice daily. I have not tested it yet though. Does it work for 24 hours or only for a short time?
> 
> I hope Celexa helps you like Effexor XR helped me. The 2 months I was on it were the best of my life in a long long time.


I started with 10 mg but found it a little weak (even though it did help). What I would do is before I would go hand out resumes or something I would take 2 10mg pills at the same time to equal 20mgs and that was perfect for me. One time to hand out a resume I took 3 tequila shots and 20mg or propranolol and that felt nice. After reading that last sentence, I realize how much I really do need help lmao.

Propranolol will work wonders for you man I promise, it's not like an SSRI where it may or may not work, it will work. Especially taking 80 mgs. I took 20 mg (once a day) and it lasted pretty much all day. Only thing is it feels kinda weird because your heart is so relaxed and beating so slow that you can't feel or hear your heart so you feel dead lol it's cool though.


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## sadboy (Jan 29, 2010)

Jcq126 said:


> I started with 10 mg but found it a little weak (even though it did help). What I would do is before I would go hand out resumes or something I would take 2 10mg pills at the same time to equal 20mgs and that was perfect for me. One time to hand out a resume I took 3 tequila shots and 20mg or propranolol and that felt nice. After reading that last sentence, I realize how much I really do need help lmao.
> 
> Propranolol will work wonders for you man I promise, it's not like an SSRI where it may or may not work, it will work. Especially taking 80 mgs. I took 20 mg (once a day) and it lasted pretty much all day. Only thing is it feels kinda weird because your heart is so relaxed and beating so slow that you can't feel or hear your heart so you feel dead lol it's cool though.


Loll

Thanks man! I can't wait to test it now. I will probably go to the movie theater where I blush all the time.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

sadboy said:


> Loll
> 
> Thanks man! I can't wait to test it now. I will probably go to the movie theater where I blush all the time.


Do it, just do a test run so you know what to expect for when you take it in a situation where you really need it. You will feel good at the theatre, at first you will be nervous to blush etc but then when you get into a situation like say.. ordering food, you will expect a blush but it just won't come and man is it a liberating feeling. At 80mg I dunno how you will feel, maybe some dry mouth? I'm not sure. All I know is on 20mg I felt a little tired at night time when it started wearing off and had a bit of dry mouth but thats it. Take it for a test run, you will be very, very happy with it. Good luck dude!


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## sadboy (Jan 29, 2010)

Jcq126 said:


> Do it, just do a test run so you know what to expect for when you take it in a situation where you really need it. You will feel good at the theatre, at first you will be nervous to blush etc but then when you get into a situation like say.. ordering food, you will expect a blush but it just won't come and man is it a liberating feeling. At 80mg I dunno how you will feel, maybe some dry mouth? I'm not sure. All I know is on 20mg I felt a little tired at night time when it started wearing off and had a bit of dry mouth but thats it. Take it for a test run, you will be very, very happy with it. Good luck dude!


Thanks, good luck to you too! Hope you have more luck with Celexa than me.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

sadboy said:


> Thanks, good luck to you too! Hope you have more luck with Celexa than me.


Care to explain what negative experience you had with it? My main concern is the sexual problems which I haven't experienced... yet *knock on wood*.


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## sadboy (Jan 29, 2010)

Jcq126 said:


> Care to explain what negative experience you had with it? My main concern is the sexual problems which I haven't experienced... yet *knock on wood*.


Hmm it just didn't work for me but I only tried it for 2 weeks. Maybe I should have given it more time.

I don't remember exactly but I think the side effects I experienced were loss of appetite, which got better after 1 week and the delayed ejaculation that I get with every SSRI/SNRI I try. The delayed ejaculation didn't bother me too much though. I kind of liked it lol. :blush


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

sadboy said:


> Hmm it just didn't work for me but I only tried it for 2 weeks. Maybe I should have given it more time.
> 
> I don't remember exactly but I think the side effects I experienced were loss of appetite, which got better after 1 week and the delayed ejaculation that I get with every SSRI/SNRI I try. The delayed ejaculation didn't bother me too much though. I kind of liked it lol. :blush


It's 3pm my time and I haven't eaten today and i'm not even hungry, that is something i'm going to have to watch out for. The ejaculation thing is fine with me, as long as I can still get it out if I want to i'm fine.. I was just afraid that ejaculation would become impossible. 2 weeks isn't long enough, apparently it can take up to 8 weeks to get the full effects.


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## sadboy (Jan 29, 2010)

Jcq126 said:


> It's 3pm my time and I haven't eaten today and i'm not even hungry, that is something i'm going to have to watch out for. The ejaculation thing is fine with me, as long as I can still get it out if I want to i'm fine.. I was just afraid that ejaculation would become impossible. 2 weeks isn't long enough, apparently it can take up to 8 weeks to get the full effects.


If you get side effects initially, remember that they get better with time and some even disappear completely. For me when I first try a SSRI the delayed ejaculation is really bad. It takes a long long time to ejaculate but after 2 weeks it gets better.

Yes 2 weeks isn't long enough. I tried Paxil for more than 8 weeks though and it didn't work. I guess I'm just one of those people that are unlucky when it comes to SSRIs.


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## GSH (Jul 16, 2009)

Guys be careful with the propranolol doses. I saw a while back where a Dr in Iran was killed by a salad that was laced with propranolol. Probably much higher than 80 mgs but still, it will slow your heart down. My doctor started me off with 10mg and he said that you could take up to 40mg.

article if interested....
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2009/12/02/2009-12-02_iraniani_whistleblower_.html


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

I agree about high dosages. 20 mgs and I could barely feel or hear my heart and felt 100% fine. I would say no more than 40mg and you will be set, 20 was perfect for me.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Hey guys, quick update. This isn't going to count as "Day 2" in my journal, I will be writing my day 2 tomorrow morning. So, short update.. so far i've had a mild headache all night but the most random thing that happened was all of a sudden I felt SUPER down, like I even called my mom lol and I just began sobbing. I bawled my eyes out for about 15 minutes and then boom I feel 100% fine again.. i'm pretty sure it's the drug ****ing with my brain lol. Anyway day 2 update will be tomorrow, I wonder if it's a good sign that i'm getting these effects? maybe it means my body actually needs the SSRI/is putting it to use? I dunno, either way see you guys tomorrow morning with my review.

- Josh


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Hey guys I need some help. I still am feeling super depressed and I can't stop thinking about getting off the Celexa. I don't like the thought of being on drugs everyday, it's really ****ing with my mind and I don't even feel like me I just feel really depressed.. I need some advice, has anyone been here before? I really want to stop taking them.


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## Madison_Rose (Feb 27, 2009)

What were your reasons for taking Celexa in the first place? What's brought on the sudden doubt?


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Madison_Rose said:


> What were your reasons for taking Celexa in the first place? What's brought on the sudden doubt?


I have SAD.. can't hold a job, blush all the time, too afraid to hand out a resume or to answer my phone if I don't know the # etc... my doc put me on Celexa for my SAD/GAD. This is my 3rd day with it in my system and last night I just broke down randomly and started bawling my eyes out and I still feel super depressed. I never wanted to be on them really but I figured I should try it since I really need some help.. now though I feel so ****ty about myself for being on these and I feel really depressed and stuff (I was never really depressed before, only a LITTLE bit from the SAD), I feel worse since taking the pill now. I'm also really afraid that the longer i'm on it, the harder it will be to get off it. Either way i'm thinking about quitting it, I can't handle it if it keeps going like this. I'd rather just take propranolol.


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## Madison_Rose (Feb 27, 2009)

Well, it sounds like you made a considered decision to try it, in spite of your reservations. If I were you I would stick with it, but of course it's ultimately your decision, no-one else's. I've heard others say they got worse before they got better on SSRIs, though I was lucky enough to avoid that. Can you get your doctor on the phone to discuss your fears?

I was very worried about coming off the drug too, but my doc reassured me that I would be in charge of tapering off, if I felt bad I could just raise my dose again and taper off at a speed I felt comfortable with, and she told me some people prefer to stay on a low dose all the time.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

I just don't like being on a drug that messes with my mind so much. Propranolol atleast I can just take as a "on need basis", I still am mentally in control. I have control issues if you can't tell so being on an SSRI really makes me feel out of control and like i'm not in the driver seat. Atleast Propranolol just kills my physical anxiety (blushing is one of my biggest fear), and mentally I can work on my issues. I dunno i'm rambling, either way I dunno what's going on or what i'm going to do.


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## sda0 (Oct 16, 2009)

Jcq126 said:


> I just don't like being on a drug that messes with my mind so much. Propranolol atleast I can just take as a "on need basis", I still am mentally in control. I have control issues if you can't tell so being on an SSRI really makes me feel out of control and like i'm not in the driver seat. Atleast Propranolol just kills my physical anxiety (blushing is one of my biggest fear), and mentally I can work on my issues. I dunno i'm rambling, either way I dunno what's going on or what i'm going to do.


Stick with it a few weeks. Your mind is going to be a little off for the first week or so, after that its like the fog is lifted and things get good. SSRIs arent that bad, trust me...they just have adjustment periods


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

sda0 said:


> Stick with it a few weeks. Your mind is going to be a little off for the first week or so, after that its like the fog is lifted and things get good. SSRIs arent that bad, trust me...they just have adjustment periods


Thanks man for the advice, I don't even know how I feel.. all I know is I didn't feel this bad before like I didn't have depression like this, I was just anxious.. I just feel like with propranolol I can work on my mental stuff without feeling like complete ****, but the SSRI just hides my issues and makes me feel crappy.. I'm being kind of irrational but still I dunno.

edit: One of my main concerns is the longer I stay on it, the harder it will be to get off of it.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

SSRI's increase serotonin wich leads to agonism of the 5HT2C receptors wich in turn makes the symptons worse (could even cause depression). After a few weeks the brain adapts and the benefits show up.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

crayzyMed said:


> SSRI's increase serotonin wich leads to agonism of the 5HT2C receptors wich in turn makes the symptons worse (could even cause depression). After a few weeks the brain adapts and the benefits show up.


Ya i've heard this can be a side effect, I just need some support while I feel this way since i'm debating staying on it or getting off. My MAIN fear is never being the same when I get off them, cuz I can live without them, I have my whole life.. it's just I want some relief. I'm just afraid of feeling like a different person etc.. I know you have tried a lot of meds crazy, did you find it hard to get off SSRIs and did you feel like a different person after?

edit: and also if the depression side effect does happen like i'm feeling, does it go away after a few weeks?


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Jcq126 said:


> Ya i've heard this can be a side effect, I just need some support while I feel this way since i'm debating staying on it or getting off. My MAIN fear is never being the same when I get off them, cuz I can live without them, I have my whole life.. it's just I want some relief. I'm just afraid of feeling like a different person etc.. I know you have tried a lot of meds crazy, did you find it hard to get off SSRIs and did you feel like a different person after?
> 
> edit: and also if the depression side effect does happen like i'm feeling, does it go away after a few weeks?


You do NOT have to be afraid of becoming anther person or getting permanent side effects, you dont have to worry.

Keep on taking it, the depression will reduce alot in a matter of days, try to hold one, all side effects pass in a matter of time. The depression can pharmacologically be explained dont worry about it too much.

Ive only tried cymbalta for a few days, but i stopped taking it as i'm more up to trying other interesting things (like memantine or other stuff) so i never really got into SSRI's.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

crayzyMed said:


> You do NOT have to be afraid of becoming anther person or getting permanent side effects, you dont have to worry.
> 
> Keep on taking it, the depression will reduce alot in a matter of days, try to hold one, all side effects pass in a matter of time. The depression can pharmacologically be explained dont worry about it too much.
> 
> Ive only tried cymbalta for a few days, but i stopped taking it as i'm more up to trying other interesting things (like memantine or other stuff) so i never really got into SSRI's.


Ah okay man thanks for the support, it's my first time trying something like this so i'm not use to feeling all weird and having depression and what not. My main problem is anxiety, so it scared me when I started getting bad depression since i've never had that before. As long as I won't change and the side effects won't be permanent that is alright, i'll just taper off when ready and be back to "normal" I suppose? lol.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Jcq126 said:


> Ah okay man thanks for the support, it's my first time trying something like this so i'm not use to feeling all weird and having depression and what not. My main problem is anxiety, so it scared me when I started getting bad depression since i've never had that before. As long as I won't change and the side effects won't be permanent that is alright,* i'll just taper off when ready and be back to "normal" I suppose? lol.*


Yes


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

alright cool man, i'm being such a drama queen haha. Hopefully I see improvements in anxiety, otherwise this **** was all for nothing. I'm going back to propranolol after the Celexa if it doesn't help. Thanks again.


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## sda0 (Oct 16, 2009)

Jcq126 said:


> alright cool man, i'm being such a drama queen haha. Hopefully I see improvements in anxiety, otherwise this **** was all for nothing. I'm going back to propranolol after the Celexa if it doesn't help. Thanks again.


If you dont see the depression easing up in a few weeks, call your doctor and let him know.

If you have *ANY* suicidal thoughts, call your doctor IMMEDIATELY!!!!


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

sda0 said:


> If you dont see the depression easing up in a few weeks, call your doctor and let him know.
> 
> If you have *ANY* suicidal thoughts, call your doctor IMMEDIATELY!!!!


ya I will do, i'm just going to get off the meds if I have ANY suicidal thoughts. I'm not a depressed or suicidal guy, so if that **** starts happening, count me out.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

gilt said:


> A few years back I took Celexa at the 20mg dose for several months before deciding to quit it due to easing personal circumstances. I had no ill effects whatsoever. I recently started taking it again (a resurgence of life's troubles:roll) since I had such an agreeable experience earlier. Just my own personal observations.


Thanks for your input, everyone reacts differently, it's very interesting. I actually feel great right now. I'm not depressed right now, I have no sick feelings and I feel clear minded. I felt really effin' depressed earlier and was bawling my eyes out last night but i'm totally fine right now. Guess my body just has to keep adjusting, i'm thinking i'm gonna stick it out.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Awesome news! i hope it stays that way.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

I've got some friends coming to my apartment tonight, is having a few drinks a bad idea since I just started the meds? I'll remind you that I can drink VERY heavily and handle it well, but I dunno if the Celexa will mess me up if I had a few beers.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Not sure about that, i think its safe and would probably drink huge ammounts on a SSRI, but some ppl report alcohol to be potentiated.

Take it slowly.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Will do thanks again man you really made me feel better about everything I was concerned about. Alright guys i'm going to do my day 3 review now, it's suppose to be day 2 but yesterday I switched my pill schedule up so I can have it on a night time schedule. So what I do now is I take it right before bed and then write the review the night of the next day, so my last pill I took was last night at 11pm.

DAY 3:

Alright so today and last night have been interesting and the worst symptoms. Just to remind you guys, my first day on the pill was just physical symptoms like dry mouth, dilated pupils, the runs and a mild headache, all of which was fine. The last 24 hours though I experienced a huge drop in my emotions, I became severely depressed last night and began bawling my eyes out on the phone with my mom lol, I felt better after I cried and took an advil for the headache. I took my pill before bed and ended up waking up at 5 am and laid in bed until 6 am not being able to fall asleep, but after that I fell asleep till 8:30, so overall it was a pretty good sleep besides an hour or so of insomnia. In the morning I still felt depressed as you can see from my previous posts from today, I was very irrational and was debating quitting Celexa all together, however I am 100% fine right now and feel great. I have no physical symptoms and my emotional state is 100% in tact, no side effects. I will take another pill tonight before bed and write another review tomorrow night.

Overall rating for the day: 7/10 (10 being the most side effects), I had a rough time in the last 24 hours with crying and physical symptoms, but at the end of the day everything is fine and I feel great.


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## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

Hey, I thought I would respond to your thread because I'm on Celexa as well. I've been 20 mg for about.. 2 1/2 to 3 months now. I never really experienced any bad side effects from it though, like you said you have been. The only thing I had was insomnia for the first two days and lately I've been clenching my jaw but thats about it. Also, I'd advise you to try to calm yourself and distract yourself from trying to notice side effects. Since you are obviously worried about taking a drug, you could be subconsciously searching for side effects, which could be coming up because of the placebo effect. So, try to take your mind off of it. 

I, on the other hand, really wanted to try an SSRI, I didn't really have any discomfort taking a drug, so that may have contributed to me not really feeling any side effects. Not saying you don't actually have side effects, people do, I'm just saying the possibility because you're obviously uncomfortable with it. 

Anyway... like others have said, I'd advise staying on it for awhile. The side effects will fade away and it will start having a therapeutic effect a few weeks in. Don't worry about not being able to get off of it just yet. You've only been on it a few days and its pretty much the lowest dose they give.  

And I'd suggest being cautious with the amount of alcohol you drink. On my prescription bottle it says 'do not ingest alchohol' haha, so it wouldn't be there for no reason. So just be cautious. 

If you want to know my 'therapeutic' reaction to the drug. I'd say it helps a little bit but nothing special. I think I need a higher dose. Its basically just made me exhausted. Its helped with depression a little bit, I don't get wickedly strong feelings of hopelessness anymore, its more of a subdued depression. Concerning anxiety.. thats a little more complicated. I feel more comfortable in school, it kind of blunts the 'shock' of interacting with people. On the other hand, I noticed a return of severe paranoia that I had a few years back. I'm not sure if thats connected or not. But its no magic cure, for sure. I still have no friends and am too horrified to get a job. 

But stay positive and give it a shot! I swear to you, you will still have your personality and be in control of your thoughts and emotions. 

Edit: You're also supposed to stay away from Advils/ibuprofens on Celexa, go get a bottle of Tylenol instead.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Thanks a lot for the response Homer, i'm drinking right now but only a giant can of beer so i'm not getting wasted. I just need anxiety help, not depression so as long as it can help with anxiety i'm up for taking it. I know what you mean about the subconscious effects because i'm worried, but my crying spell wasn't brought on from myself I believe. Eitherway i'll stick it out, I also experience jaw clenching btw, it's really weird.


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## GSH (Jul 16, 2009)

Drinking...lord this should be an interesting journal today


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

GSH said:


> Drinking...lord this should be an interesting journal today


haha, I only drank the equivalent of 3-4 beers, I wasn't even feeling it. So I took my pill right before bed and woke up at 4am again but fell asleep 20 mins later which was fine. I've felt fine all morning, no side effects besides I can't stop yawning. I have a weird tingling sensation in my brain but it feels kinda nice lol it's like my whole brain is tingling very subtly, but ya everything feels good no side effects really. Only thing is, i'm not feeling any negative effects but i'm also not feeling any positive effects either.. but that is prob cuz i'm only on day 4 and it takes a few weeks to kick in? Can anyone explain what it feels like when they work? like do you just open your eyes one morning and hear birds tweeting and the sun seems brighter lmao.


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## flyinsoup (Feb 6, 2010)

Jcq126 said:


> Thanks for the support guys, i'm acting like a baby hah maybe i'll have zero side effects who knows *knock on wood* lol. Is 20mg too much to start taking? my doc wants me on 20mg right away.


Hey!

I'm surprised your psychiatrist suggested you start right away at that dose, being your first time trying an SSRI. I've tried several SSRIs and always quit before noticing any benefit b/c of the side effects. Before going to something like an MAOI, I wanted to try one more so I requested Celexa as well. Given the side effects I've always experienced (dilated pupils, insomnia, delayed orgasm) my psychiatrist suggested I start by taking only 5 mg and slowly step it up.

Like you I use propranolol as well, but my physical symptoms are pretty severe and even at 40 mg I still become short of breath with a pounding heart. I have yet to start the Celexa because I want to explore using different beta blockers and different strengths. Perhaps the Celexa in concert with a beta blocker will work best for me...

Anyway, I just wanted to say if you keep experiencing really bad side effects (the depression you mentioned, etc.) I would taper back the dose and slowly increase it. Your doctor will understand.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

flyinsoup said:


> Hey!
> 
> I'm surprised your psychiatrist suggested you start right away at that dose, being your first time trying an SSRI. I've tried several SSRIs and always quit before noticing any benefit b/c of the side effects. Before going to something like an MAOI, I wanted to try one more so I requested Celexa as well. Given the side effects I've always experienced (dilated pupils, insomnia, delayed orgasm) my psychiatrist suggested I start by taking only 5 mg and slowly step it up.
> 
> ...


Ya, I figured 20mg was kinda much since it's my first time and the first 2 days were fairly hellish for me, but now things feel alright right now, side effects are minimal. I'm hoping the ejaculation thing improves though lol cuz i'm not impressed.


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## sadboy (Jan 29, 2010)

Jcq126 said:


> haha, I only drank the equivalent of 3-4 beers, I wasn't even feeling it. So I took my pill right before bed and woke up at 4am again but fell asleep 20 mins later which was fine. I've felt fine all morning, no side effects besides I can't stop yawning. I have a weird tingling sensation in my brain but it feels kinda nice lol it's like my whole brain is tingling very subtly, but ya everything feels good no side effects really. Only thing is, i'm not feeling any negative effects but i'm also not feeling any positive effects either.. but that is prob cuz i'm only on day 4 and it takes a few weeks to kick in? *Can anyone explain what it feels like when they work? like do you just open your eyes one morning and hear birds tweeting and the sun seems brighter lmao.*


If you have GAD like me and have sweaty hands because of it you will know the Celexa started working when your sweaty hands get dry. That's how I knew when Effexor XR started working for me.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

DAY 4: 

Short journal, I felt fine all day. No depression, no side effects besides a bit of a dry mouth, pupils are normal everything was good. I actually felt a bit less anxious today in a situation where I normally am really anxious. Just took my pill and am going to bed.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

DAY 5:

Hey guys, this journal is becoming dull since I haven't been having any dramatic side effects anymore , i'll continue to update it, but if nothing positive or negative happens over the next few days i'll just stop updating it until I hit major marks in my treatment, like once it really "kicks in" i'll explain how I feel different etc anxiety wise blah blah.

Anyway, day 5 I feel great still. Minimal dry mouth, besides that no side effects. When I wake up I feel a little spacy, but who doesn't lol. Side effects 1/10 (with 10 being the most side effects). Just took another pill so i'll get back to it this tomorrow night. Good night!


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Good news!


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

I missed my day 6 review last night because I was so tired I passed out on the couch. Still going strong with the Celexa, every night I take 20mg at 11pm right before bed, only problem I am finding with this is I wake up really early, like around 6-7 am. I can't stop rolling around at 6 am because even though my eyes are on fire from being exhausted since it's so early, when I close them I just can't fall back asleep. Besides that though everything is good, no side effects that are bothering me but no positive effect necessarily yet (today is the 1 week mark). I'll write later tonight with an update, pretend I wrote this last night lol.

- Josh


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## steelpenguin79 (Feb 13, 2010)

Jcq126 said:


> Hey guys, i've been posting here frequently for the past 2 months or so and I have come to the conclusion that I am going to try an SSRI. A little background on me first... I am 21 years old and live on my own in downtown Montreal. I have never been able to hold a job because of my SAD/GAD/OCD thoughts/Mild Depression. Depression runs in my family and both my mom and brother are on Paxil. I have tried therapy, meditation, natural things and beta blockers + benzos. So far Propranolol has been a life saver and it is what i'm going to go back to if the SSRIs don't help or if I cannot tolerate them. I have had lots of friends, popularity, I have a beautiful girlfriend and I am a competitive kickboxer who has won many medals, so pretty much I should feel great about things since I have a lot going for me, but ever since I was a kid the anxiety has been there.
> 
> I am leaving the house right now to pick up my 3 month prescription of Celexa. All I have seen on here and on the internet are people *****ing about SSRIs and how evil they are, however i'm at my lowest point now where I am almost starving because I have no money yet I am too petrified to go even hand a resume out, so I am getting on Celexa to overcome this hump so I can hopefully experience life how it is meant to be lived, without being afraid to leave your front door. My ultimate goal is to experience life that way, and then realize that I am my own worst enemy and begin working on my psychological issues that are burried in my brain somewhere. I will make my first review tonight of how I am feeling and will do a little review everyday of side effects etc.
> 
> ...


First off...Canada Sucks! JK I'm a Pittsburgh Pens fan and it was painful to watch Sid score the OT game winner on the USA team. Now I know what it's like to root against him. Great game though. I'll be wearing my 87 Pens jersey tonight. Anyway as you can see I'm on Celexa and after being on it for 2+years at 20 mg it does not do it for me anymore. I'm working with my Doc to get adjusted. I wish you all the best luck in the world my friend. Remember just follow what you Doc says and be honest with him/her. I tried self med with Tramadol and well.....it was not a good result. I'm starting a thread on that in a min if you want to read that.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

steelpenguin79 said:


> First off...Canada Sucks! JK I'm a Pittsburgh Pens fan and it was painful to watch Sid score the OT game winner on the USA team. Now I know what it's like to root against him. Great game though. I'll be wearing my 87 Pens jersey tonight. Anyway as you can see I'm on Celexa and after being on it for 2+years at 20 mg it does not do it for me anymore. I'm working with my Doc to get adjusted. I wish you all the best luck in the world my friend. Remember just follow what you Doc says and be honest with him/her. I tried self med with Tramadol and well.....it was not a good result. I'm starting a thread on that in a min if you want to read that.


Will check it out for sure, thanks a lot for the feed back man. Sorry to hear your 20mg isn't working anymore, this is my first SSRI and I started off right away on 20mg, the first 1-3 days were hell but now my body is adjusted and I don't even notice the side effects much. If you don't mind me asking, before your 20mg stopped working, how were the results? did you notice a dramatic decrease in depression/SAD? (i'm taking it for severe SAD with mild ocd/depression). Thanks for your feedback and I wish you future luck with your medication, maybe 40mg or 30mg will do the trick for you.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

gilt said:


> I'm taking Celexa, and I notice that I tend to wake up halfway through the night. Eventually I'm able to get back to sleep again, but perhaps it's a sde effect of some sort.


Ya it's weird, I can't stop waking up early, oh well maybe i'll get up nice and early and have nice productive days from here on out  *must think positive, must think positive* lol


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## steelpenguin79 (Feb 13, 2010)

Jcq126 said:


> Will check it out for sure, thanks a lot for the feed back man. Sorry to hear your 20mg isn't working anymore, this is my first SSRI and I started off right away on 20mg, the first 1-3 days were hell but now my body is adjusted and I don't even notice the side effects much. If you don't mind me asking, before your 20mg stopped working, how were the results? did you notice a dramatic decrease in depression/SAD? (i'm taking it for severe SAD with mild ocd/depression). Thanks for your feedback and I wish you future luck with your medication, maybe 40mg or 30mg will do the trick for you.


umm... it worked good for awhile. I had a very high stress job being a Compliance Manager for Wachovia Securities until we got bought by Wells Fargo and they let most of us go in managment. All I know is that it does not do to much for me at the moment but if I miss taking my dose for two days I feel like a space cadet so make sure you don't forget to take it!


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

steelpenguin79 said:


> umm... it worked good for awhile. I had a very high stress job being a Compliance Manager for Wachovia Securities until we got bought by Wells Fargo and they let most of us go in managment. All I know is that it does not do to much for me at the moment but if I miss taking my dose for two days I feel like a space cadet so make sure you don't forget to take it!


Ya I make sure to take it every night. If I do miss a dose by accident, do I just take it as soon as I remember? don't double up? etc...


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

DAY 7 (one week mark!):

Quick update, i've felt fine all day once again besides the dry mouth, no nausea, no headache nothing. I've noticed a SLIGHT decrease in anxiety/depression, i've been in a few situations where i'd normally get anxiety and I didn't, after leaving the situation I realized, hey wait a minute where was the anxiety.. however this could be all placebo effect, but it feels good either way! looking forward to the 2-3 week mark where i'll really hopefully feel some improvement. I thank you all again for your support, even though you're strangers you are really helping me through this, I truly thank you guys.


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## steelpenguin79 (Feb 13, 2010)

Jcq126 said:


> Ya I make sure to take it every night. If I do miss a dose by accident, do I just take it as soon as I remember? don't double up? etc...


Just take it as soon as you remember. Don't double up.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Hey guys, missed my day 8 review so i'll sum it up in 2 words: DRY MOUTH. I literally had my spit turn into a paste, it was the worse day yet for dry mouth. However the dry mouth is gone today and I feel fine.

I'm making this post because i'm on day 9 and feeling phenomenal, I feel really optimistic and have noticed I haven't been obsessing and focusing on my negative thoughts, overall I just feel great. It's only been 9 days so it hasn't "kicked in" full force or anything, but even my GF said she is noticing some changes. So overall I just wanted to say that i'm very excited for the next 1-3 weeks and watching it slowly kick in more and more.


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## shazzaTPM (Oct 29, 2008)

This has been very intriguing. I've been planning to make an appointment with a GP and a psychologist/psychiatrist for my mild anxiety (self-diagnosed), and thought SSRI was the safest option. How are you going now that it's, from my calculations, day 15?


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## steelpenguin79 (Feb 13, 2010)

Jcq126 said:


> Hey guys, missed my day 8 review so i'll sum it up in 2 words: DRY MOUTH. I literally had my spit turn into a paste, it was the worse day yet for dry mouth. However the dry mouth is gone today and I feel fine.
> 
> I'm making this post because i'm on day 9 and feeling phenomenal, I feel really optimistic and have noticed I haven't been obsessing and focusing on my negative thoughts, overall I just feel great. It's only been 9 days so it hasn't "kicked in" full force or anything, but even my GF said she is noticing some changes. So overall I just wanted to say that i'm very excited for the next 1-3 weeks and watching it slowly kick in more and more.


That's Great!!!! I'm getting off of Celexa right now. My Doc just put me on Prestiq.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

shazzaTPM said:


> This has been very intriguing. I've been planning to make an appointment with a GP and a psychologist/psychiatrist for my mild anxiety (self-diagnosed), and thought SSRI was the safest option. How are you going now that it's, from my calculations, day 15?


Hey, glad my journal has been of assistance. I have been feeling great lately, and as you have noticed (lack of journal updates) I have barely even been in these sites posting about my problems, been living life a little more  One problem I noticed was I got really, really drunk 3 days ago and then the next day I just felt depressed and like I negated all positive effects from the Celexa and all the progress I had been making, then the day AFTER that I got really tired and dizzy and felt like **** again, so for 2 days straight I felt like 10x worse than I did before Celexa. However, today i'm feeling pretty good again so i'm going back to my "happy state" slowly lol, i've decided i'm going to quit drinking now because I don't want to mess with my progress. Overall I am liking the Celexa, i'm hoping it does kick in more though otherwise I may have to up the dose or try something like Paxil. I feel good, but not to where I want to be yet, however it's only been 16 days now which is nothing.


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## shazzaTPM (Oct 29, 2008)

That's good hear. I am still not on meds, and am leaning towards not being, but lately I have sworn off alcohol -- or binge drinking -- as my hangovers are more mental and depressing than physical. All the best!


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Just an update, i'm on day 27 and feeling solid. Went to the doctor to get upped to 40mg, but he said he thought it was best to stay on 20mg for 8 weeks, since i've only been on it about 4 weeks and it takes 6-8 weeks to reach full effect. So he said come back in 1 more month, hitting the 8 week mark and then we will consider going to 40mg if I haven't noticed any more improvements. Depression is 90% gone and SAD is 50% gone after 4 weeks, I am impressed.


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## Raptors (Aug 3, 2009)

Jcq126 said:


> Just an update, i'm on day 27 and feeling solid. Went to the doctor to get upped to 40mg, but he said he thought it was best to stay on 20mg for 8 weeks, since i've only been on it about 4 weeks and it takes 6-8 weeks to reach full effect. So he said come back in 1 more month, hitting the 8 week mark and then we will consider going to 40mg if I haven't noticed any more improvements. Depression is 90% gone and SAD is 50% gone after 4 weeks, I am impressed.


:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap

What's your LSAS score now?


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Jcq126 said:


> Just an update, i'm on day 27 and feeling solid. Went to the doctor to get upped to 40mg, but he said he thought it was best to stay on 20mg for 8 weeks, since i've only been on it about 4 weeks and it takes 6-8 weeks to reach full effect. So he said come back in 1 more month, hitting the 8 week mark and then we will consider going to 40mg if I haven't noticed any more improvements. Depression is 90% gone and SAD is 50% gone after 4 weeks, I am impressed.


Awesome news mate!


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

Hey guys, I was just reminded on my page of how I hadn't updated my journal in a long time which is fairly selfish of me IMO for anyone who wants to read on my journal who is interested in Celexa.

So I am about 1.5 months into my treatment and life has never been better. I did do a write up review on Celexa on the medication review page which I will copy paste here. To sum things up before I post my review here, I have zero side effects and am only on 20mgs however everything has changed, if you read day 1-4(ish) you will see how much of a rough spot I was in but I can honestly say I've never been happier. I recommend this medicine to anyone!

Review:

I have been on Celexa for 1.5 months and my life is changed. I was slowly turning into an alcoholic (i'm 21) because I had to drink to do anything in life because my depression and anxiety were completely crippling me. I have had anxiety since I can remember (all the way back to kindergarten). I tried boozing, weed, and finally I went the med route. Propranolol was a life savior however it just masked the anxiety but I still mentally had it, so I wanted something I could take that would last all day. I finally got on Celexa after over a decade of suffering, I moved out on my own and was starving because I was too afraid to find work even though I couldn't pay my rent or food that's how bad it was. Finally since Celexa I have gotten a job and had zero anxiety doing it, I just feel good about myself all the time and can do things effortlessly now without overthinking EVERYTHING and being afraid of it.

I also have ZERO side effects, no sexual dysfunction, no appetite effects nothing. The first 3 days I felt really spacey but since then it has just continued to go upwards. I highly recommend Celexa to anyone, i'm only on 20mg and my life has already changed for the better.


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## csrpj (Feb 24, 2010)

nice! good to hear about this, man!

your actually making me reconsider celexa... my p-doc suggested it to me, but i declined b/c of worry of sexual dysfunction, and the general negative consensus i've been reading on this forum and others. i just started saint john's wort, will move to memantine if it doesn't work, then to agomelatine, and then, to celexa.... don't mean to hijack in away, but is there good reason for me to move celexa above, or is it in good spot in my line-up?


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

csrpj said:


> nice! good to hear about this, man!
> 
> your actually making me reconsider celexa... my p-doc suggested it to me, but i declined b/c of worry of sexual dysfunction, and the general negative consensus i've been reading on this forum and others. i just started saint john's wort, will move to memantine if it doesn't work, then to agomelatine, and then, to celexa.... don't mean to hijack in away, but is there good reason for me to move celexa above, or is it in good spot in my line-up?


I personally tried 5-htp/Wort etc and the natural method didn't do anything for me besides give me diarrhea, i've heard memantine is good but it only has a 12 hour life or something I believe (I could be wrong, remember reading that from a poster earlier today I think). If you don't mind SSRI's, I would just go to Celexa but if anything go memantine first then Celexa, i'd skip the st johns wort etc... I have zero sexual side effects, zero weight gain etc so I will recommend it to anyone. I'm on 20mg and it does the trick for me, I started noticing HUGE improvements on day 9-10ish.


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## DrewDrewson (Mar 29, 2010)

Hey jcq that's great to hear about your success. Hopefully it lasts. I got a question though. I took my first pill of celexa tonight and my pupils are ****ing huge! Did this effect go away for you? People are gonna think I'm high as hell. It's almost not worth it if they stay like this.


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## csrpj (Feb 24, 2010)

DrewDrewson said:


> Hey jcq that's great to hear about your success. Hopefully it lasts. I got a question though. I took my first pill of celexa tonight and my pupils are ****ing huge! Did this effect go away for you? People are gonna think I'm high as hell. It's almost not worth it if they stay like this.


people are more attracted to dilated pupils... consider it a nice side effect 

personally, i think eyes look really cool when pupils are dilated. and who cares what people think - if the meds work like they're supposed to, ya won't!


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## DrewDrewson (Mar 29, 2010)

I've taken ssri's in the past and this is the worst side effect. It freaks people out, they never liked it. People would ALWAYS ask me if I was on drugs. It's one thing if they're dilated but another when they take up almost my whole iris. I just hope it goes away after a couple weeks this time.


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## Jcq126 (Jan 11, 2010)

DrewDrewson said:


> I've taken ssri's in the past and this is the worst side effect. It freaks people out, they never liked it. People would ALWAYS ask me if I was on drugs. It's one thing if they're dilated but another when they take up almost my whole iris. I just hope it goes away after a couple weeks this time.


hah i'll try to ease your mind dude, my first couple days my pupils were MASSIVE it was tripping me out, and at one point I was on the computer and my vision got blurry I was like amg i'm dying!! lol but everything is gone. Dry mouth was the worst + had big pupils and a little insomnia, but trust me man after you stick out the first week the side effects just disappear it's weird, it's just your body adjusting, you'll be fine in no time.


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## Whitney (Oct 2, 2008)

Update?

Just wondering if you are still on it and if it is still working great...

I just started taking it 5 days ago 20mg, I'm supposed to up it to 40mg in a few more days...


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## peaceandlove09 (Aug 10, 2010)

Bump.

How is Celexa going for you?


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## El Duderino (Aug 19, 2010)

wow great journal man! Are you still only on 20mg?


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## aric (Aug 6, 2010)

Hey,

Just read your journal on Celexa. Glad it's working for you. I recently started taking celexa, I think 7 days ago? I don't exactly remember when but I know it was recently. Started on my own at 20mg - was supposed to only take 15 but 20mg is normal starting dose. Anyways, Day 3 I woke up and the sun was really bright. Felt a little de-personlization kicking in, but, brushed it to the side. Eh. So far, I think it's working.. My anxiety is similar to yours, It's hard for me to keep a job - especially a job that involves working with people. Well I have a 2 1/2 month's supply of this stuff, so, I'm gona stick it out untill I reach the last pill. 

Keep us informed with your progress. Everyone's progress is motivating me to take the pill. Usually around day 15 on any med, i'll see my self getting better and say "nah, I don't need this anymore, I don't want to be a druggie." and stop taking it lol.


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