Would like to hear from the celexa user out there!

[kris123]

Hi guys. I am taking celexa for the second time. Right now I'm taking 10mg. And I've been taking them for the last 11 days. I felt I had a bit of a setback today, and determined, on my own that it was probably time for an increase. So I took another 10mg. My heart is sort of intermittently racing...for no apparent reason. I would really appreciate any advice/reassurance/success stories with this drug. It worked well for me the first time (but I was also taking buspar then). I wonder if it will work again.
Should I expect these ups and downs...today I felt depressed and anxious. Up until today, I wouldn't have classified myself as depressed....just very anxious. I dunno what to make of it.

[jessed03]

Did you take the extra 10mg once, or is 20mg now your regular dose?

SSRIs are pretty direct. Their goal is to change your brain chemistry, and they sort of just go right about it.

If your brain chemistry needed a fair amount of changing, which often it does, it's quite normal to feel bouts of anxiety and depression during startup. Around the 11 day mark, things are starting to work. Depression is often due to low serotonin, and anxiety high, so as the drug changes these levels in the brain, you can see why you'd experience both as your levels fluctuate until they normalize.

It usually takes around 10 weeks before it's made the changes it wanted to, but around the 4 week mark is where you often begin to feel better.

For the first 30 days, dont think too much of what comes up... Unless of course it is actually something alarming

I've taken Celexa twice, and felt the same way during startup both times.

[kris123]

I just started with the extra dose today. I plan on taking 20mg again tomorrow. It's sounds like your well versed in this drug. I've taken it before myself and had great results. But I'm finding it very hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, if ya know what I mean.

[jessed03]

My doctor was a trainee, and it was all I could get at the time, so he wasn't much help. I had to do most of my own learning about the drugs and what is needed to improve

Don't sweat the light at the end of the tunnel stuff. It's mostly a symptom of the anxiety and depression, rather than a separate rational judgement about the anxiety and depression. It's like an instinctual, evolutionary fear that comes from being in a hole. But, if you have the right directions, and you keep going forwards, eventually you start seeing a little daylight.

10mg is very low. Now you should start to see more of the changes you want. 20mg is the normal dose to get anything done really. It still may get a little worse before it gets better, as now it's all been kicked up a notch! See how you feel in around 3 weeks.

Good luck with it!

[kris123]

I would definitely say I'm feeling worst today. I'm so tired and my heart is racing. I hope this passes soon. It's only my second day taking 20mg. Is it normal to feel this way?

[jessed03]

I would definitely say I'm feeling worst today. I'm so tired and my heart is racing. I hope this passes soon. It's only my second day taking 20mg. Is it normal to feel this way?

How was your nights sleep? Was it disturbed? Did you have any dreams that you can recall?

[kris123]

I sleep well. I wake up so early though and can't get back to sleep. That combined with the meds are probably why I feel so tired. What is your impression on the fact that I feel bad in the morning, but as the day progresses I begin to feel better and Feel like myself? Do you find that strange, or is that par for the course? Also, it feel like since the increase in celexa yesterday, my physical symptoms of anxiety have gotten worse. Do you think the 20mg is to strong or is this just temporary until my body adjusts to the increase?

[kris123]

And no to the dream question

[jessed03]

I would say it's temporary.

The fact you slept pretty well, and don't recall bizarre dreams means your serotonin could possibly be lower or lowering at this point. You usually get bizarre dreams when it increases.

The fact it may be lowering, would make you a little more tired (and depressive like), causing your body to react by releasing adrenaline to counter it, this is most likely responsible for the heart pounding. That and the subconscious nervousness about taking an anti-D.

If I've pulled an all nighter working on a project, around 8am I get heart palps. It's my body trying to wake me up with a little extra adrenaline. Very useful too although not with anxiety

As far as feeling yourself a little later in the day, how do you feel at night time, say around 9-10pm, what's your mood like, what is your state of mind like?

[kris123]

I would say it's temporary. The fact you slept pretty well, and don't recall bizarre dreams means your serotonin could possibly be lower or lowering at this point. You usually get bizarre dreams when it increases. The fact it may be lowering, would make you a little more tired (and depressive like), causing your body to react by releasing adrenaline to counter it, this is most likely responsible for the heart pounding. That and the subconscious nervousness about taking an anti-D. If I've pulled an all nighter working on a project, around 8am I get heart palps. It's my body trying to wake me up with a little extra adrenaline. Very useful too although not with anxiety As far as feeling yourself a little later in the day, how do you feel at night time, say around 9-10pm, what's your mood like, what is your state of mind like?

I usually feel great at night, like I can conquer the world. I feel pretty normal. But the next day....it starts all over again. Very frustrating. About the serotonin...tell me a little more about that and how it affects my anxiety. How does the celexa treat that? Is the goal to lower it?