I just recently started taking the anti-depressant Celexa and was wondering if anyone here is now or has in the past taken it. Or Prozac or any other anti-depressant. It is all very new to me and am curious about what I can expect. The doctor that perscribed it for me gave me a lot of info, but I guess what I'm looking for is some real-life "testimonials" so to speak. I've only been on them for three days and I know it takes a while to notice a difference. Right now they just make me feel a little jitter-y and sometimes nauseated, too - which is no fun! Anyways, I'd appreciate any insight on this subject... thanks!

[Tony T]

You are ill-advised to get testimonials from strangers on the Internet about medications.

Anti-depressants are one of many groups of drugs that work differently for different people. There are dozens of top prescribed anti-depressants...and some work for some while others work for others. Some people experience side effects with one, others experience no side effects whatsoever.

An individual's experience with a certain medication depends a lot on their metabolism, age, physical condition, medical history, dosage, and the severity of their problem. Your doctor will work closely with you to monitor your Celexa and the dosage to be sure it is right for you and to get you to the proper blood level to be maintained for maximum effectiveness.

It could take several weeks to kick in but Celexa is a newer drug and is prescribed for those who have had problems with side effects of other drugs and for those with thyroid dysfunction.

The standard side effects of anti-depressants, and not all people experience any or all of them, are dry mouth, constipation, mild to moderate dizziness, anxiety, etc. You can expect a little of this at first and then those side effects usually go away with time. If you start feeling really weird, call your doctor for reassurance.

Rather than exchanging war stories with people on the Internet, you are strongly advised to talk to your doctor about what to expect, especially if you are feeling anxious. You are on an excellent medication that has helped hundreds of thousands of people.

If you want to read about the drug from authoritative sources, go to a good search engine like: www.google.com and enter the word "Celexa" in the subject field and knock yourself out. There's enough material about Celexa and depression on the Internet it will take you some years to read it all. That's only if you must. Certainly you have other interests or better things to do.

You hired your medical doctor to deal with the problem for you. Since you do not have a working knowledge of general pharmacology, you are likely to misinterpret a lot of the data you may read on the Internet...and certainly misunderstand what people might tell you about their own personal experience with Celexa.

Please talk to your doctor if you are having any doubts or misgivings about your medication.

[katybird]

I agree with Tony on the subject of not getting personal testimonials in lieu of medical knowlege, but when *I* was on Celexa, I found that the info in the Physician's Desk Reference/Celexa web site was CRAP. Dozens of other users found monay side effects that aren't officially disclosed.

First, I'll say that Celexa was wonderful for me. It helped a lot.

Second, I'll warn you that you may very well feel funny for a couple of weeks. I felt spacey. Then, that feeling faded and I felt normal in a GOOD way. Many people said that they had a similar experience.

You may find yourself grinding your teeth or clenching your jaws. That was common among us on that message board. It faded for me.

My libido remained OK, but it took a while to reach orgasm, and those orgasms were kinda weak.

All the side effects faded for most of us over time.

I will say this: on Celexa, I felt better than I can remember feeling since I was five years old. Maybe I would be on it still, except I went into the military and didn't want to "go there" with them. As it is, I am not suffering from any acute depression, so there's not really a need for it. If I ever find myself in that situation again, I'll gladly go back on it.

[butterflyz]

because i don't believe in anti-depressants, for me.

consult your doctor about any side effects. side effects will occur with even the most benign drug.

[HokeyReligions]

I agree with Tony, but I also think its not a bad idea to talk to others who have used the same, or similar drugs just to compare information, or help build your list of questions to ask your doctor.

From my understanding, many antidepressent drugs (many drugs in general) take time to saturate your body and during that initial period (could be a few days or weeks) a body is making adjustments to the drug. Once the body is comfortable with the drug the amount and/or severity of the adjustments and/or side-effects can decrease or disappear. But -- new side effects may become evident and take a long time to appear, that's why careful monitoring from a doctor is vital.

Also, sometimes when looking for an antidepressent a person has to try several different types - over a period of months or years - before they find one that works for them.

Make sure you are diagnosed properly. I have seen personally, and read about many cases of people who are suffering from anxiety be prescribed something that is for depression, or mild depression due to a specific circumstance and not a medical condition be prescribed something that is really intended for medical depression.

Try WebMD or do a search like Tony suggested for the drug you are taking, and for the definitions of depressions and anxiety.

Also, don't base your decision to stop taking a drug on something you read. If you want to stop - talk to your doctor. It can be dangerous to stop cold-turkey. By doing a little research you can have a good list of questions to discuss with your doctor. Make sure you keep track of where you get your information too such as if its a story from someone or out of a medical website or book. This will help you, and your doctor, keep from getting confused when discussing your medical care.

[tkgirl]

I was just feeling a little uncertain about starting on anti-depressants - wondering how they would affect me etc. Anyways, I realize that everyone is different and experiences with this sort of medication would also be different. But I appreciate everyone's input so far!