What are the side effects when you stop taking Celexa?

Answer

I had been on Celexa for about 3 months when I started to feel MORE agitated and restless. I also had some hand tremors. I decided to cut my dose in half and see what happened. I felt great for about two weeks and then it hit me like a ton of bricks: severe stomach cramps, nausea, bloating and abdominal pain, lower back pain, dizziness, excessive tiredness and insomnia. Four the next two weeks I thought I was pregnant as my period was also quite late. I went to see my doctor, convinced that I was quite ill and he just said it was odd but that he didn't know what it could be. I mentioned to him that I had changed my dose and he didn't seem to think it was related. I came home scared and depressed. I decided to do some research and discovered that all of these symptoms are from Celexa withrawal. I decided to go back on and proceded to gain about 5 pounds on 2 weeks. That's on top of the six I had already gained in the previous three months. I continued to have ther same withdrawal symptoms and then came the bowel problems, blood in the toilet gave me the biggest scare yet but my doctor was indifferent. I decided then and there to get off of this poison once and for all. I went cold turkey about a week ago. The nausea and cramping lasted for about three weeks. It was AWFUL! Worse than any flu! But I only have mild stomach pain every once in a while now. Emotionally, I feel very unstable but it is easier for me to handle this than all the physical side effects. I have feelings of self loathing, and a desire to harm myself. I have felt deep sadness and then complete numbness. I am used to feeling this was, periodically so it is not so difficult to handle (it is like a BAD case of PMS)but I am frustrated most of all by the weight gain and yet I've heard of people gaining 20 or ever 40 pounds on this medication. Will I ever lose the weight? How long will the drug's remnants effect my metabolism and hormonal balance?
Anyone out there get back to normal after using this drug?
A. MacDonald
I originally started taking 10 mg of Celexa to alleviate my severe PMS symptoms. It definitely eliminated my PMS and that part was great. After a few weeks of taking it, it also eliminated my sex drive and caused me to be in a constant state of "who cares" about everything. Things I should have cared about -- I didn't or couldn't. After taking it for about 9 months, I noticed that it didn't work very well anymore and the PMS was returning. I called my Dr. and she upped my dose to 20 mg. I really quit caring about everything then and I no longer wanted to participate in life. However, it was not from feeling sad or depressed -- I couldn't feel anything so that certainly was not it. I just didn't feel like doing anything. I would compare it to being in a slight to moderate state of sedation. I decided to wean myself off and reduced to 10 mgs for about 3 weeks and then to 5 mgs for another 3 weeks before going off it completely. I have been off the Celexa now for about 6-8 weeks and at first my symptoms from not taking it were relatively mild -- starting with a return of my PMS in the first couple of weeks to emotional intense highs and lows to utter feelings of despair and not caring if I die by week 8. I have never had any thoughts like this BEFORE taking Celexa. Today I had to go back on it and am afraid to go off again. My husband said he didn't even know who I was and was seriously contemplating a separation due to the crazy mood swings, my constant crying and he said I also acted very angry at everyone all the time. If you do not take Celexa and can find a natural herbal remedy to control irritability - do that instead. This drug is dangerous to your mental health! The drug companies are creating drugs that force you to stay on them or suffer huge difficulties.


I have been taking 60mg a day for a couple of years, ran out last week. First day and a half or so, nothing. Then...irritable doesn't begin to describe it. Continuously enraged is more like it. Alone in the car, I found myself screaming and pounding on my dashboard over minor traffic issues. It was everything I could do to be civil to store clerks. Basically, I wanted to kill EVERYONE. Little things would put me in a blind rage. I took 80mg to try to restore the level in my system, and it started to subside in about 40 minutes. I should add that I do not have anger issues normally.