Celexa withdrawal symptoms?

[Lala63]

Hello everyone! I’m so glad I found this site. I have taken celexa for the past 4 months end it has been a disaster. I developed bipolar disorder while on it and I’m not bipolar. I had more anxiety and more obsessions on this drug, it was and still is horrible! I gradually raised my dose to 25mg that I took for a few days only. Then I stabilize it at 15 mg for two weeks. And I still had anxiety on it. So I went up to 20 for a week. Still anxious. So my last dose was 25 mg for a week and I developed hypomania. I went down to 17.5mg that I took for 4 weeks and that’s when I had my first depressive episode. I couldn’t get out of bed, I kept calling myself a piece of shit and I had suicidal thoughts. I knew something was wrong. Then, the hypomania returned. I couldn’t sleep again because I was too energized. I lowered that dose to 10mg that I took for 4 days, I was still energized on 10 mg and I couldn’t sleep. I took them 5mg for one day only (still energized) and it’s been 6-7 days that I’m on 2.5mg. I’ve been feeling horrible. I’ve been depressed for the past 2 days, feeling like a piece of shit with weird obsessive thoughts that won’t go away. Btw, I suffer from GAD, so this is all new to me. I’ve had terrible mood swings, diarrhea, suicidal thoughts, irritability, vivid dreams, mild headaches, brain zaps (for the past 3 days), nausea, crying spells (yesterday I cried for at least 10min because I felt so depressed) etc, you name them! For the first days of my taper I felt very tired and slept a lot. My obsessions are stronger now than they were before! I feel like anxiety is slowly crippling in, and this stupid depression is quite strong too- I’ve never had depression, just anxiety! I’m praying to God this will stop soon and that this stupid Celexa hasn’t done any permanent damage to my brain. Being bipolar wasn’t fun at all.. and I feel like I still am a bit. One day is good, then the second day is not good- always ups and downs. I hope these are only withdrawal symptoms that will subside with time. And I also realized that I should have done a much slower taper. I just couldn’t take that hypomania and no sleep. Please share your experiences here and I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have!

[Hidden]

Oh lord...I am so sorry this is happening to you. Are you saying that your thoughts became more obsessive on celexa? I was prescribed this for ocd and now am afraid to take it. Perhaps you need a mood stabilizer in addition to the celexa?

[Lala63 in reply to Hidden]

Hi! Yes, it was awful. I obsessed much more (the obsessions were so strong hat I felt I was losing my mind) and I had more anxiety than without the drug. However, I took the same drug (Celexa) 7 years and I did fine on 20mg for one year and a half! You just need to try it to see..You may become bipolar on it or it will be a lifesaver for you. I don't think I would want to be on a mood stabilizer, I am not bipolar without the meds and I don't like taking anything to start with..I am coming to grips with the fact that I will always have GAD and obsessive thoughts, it's hard to accept it but I've been working on it. Just an fyi- when you start these meds, it's a disaster for 2-4 weeks, but you need to hang in there! You may have terrible insomnia, more anxiety etc.

[Hidden in reply to Lala63]

Oh I know what a disaster it is as I have taken lexapro and sertraline and seriously wanted to kill myself. I had increased anxiety, insomnia, etc, I have now been prescribed celexa and am petrified that it will do the same thing. Next I was going to try Prozac if the celexa didn’t work. I experienced a trauma 2 years ago and have obsessed about it ever since. It’s horrible, do you know what the root of your obsessive thinking is? Have you tried therapy?

[Lala63 in reply to Hidden]

What's sertraline? Is it a mood stabilizer? Did you develop hypomania on Lexapro? Lexapro and Celexa are very similar, but I felt very drowsy on 5mg of Lexapro and cut that dose in half. At that time my anxiety was less severe, so I did fine on such a low dose. I had acne though and dermatitis. Yes, I think I know what it is, but it's difficult to tell. I think it's the student teaching I am starting in August that will turn into a new job. I obsess about being fired because I won't be able to sleep, that there is no cure for my anxiety because I can't take antidepressants etc. I have GAD, so here it is...LOL. I am afraid that I will have to take Ambien or something bad to sleep and that will be the end of me. I know what you mean by 'horrible'. I can't concentrate on anything, I spend hours researching stuff (even researching ketamine, have you heard of it?), something to help me deal with my anxiety and obsessive thinking. Yes, I am doing therapy. I read a lot, but you know...these thoughts are so f* strong that whatever I keep telling myself just doesn't work. Have you been sleeping ok?

[Lala63 in reply to Hidden]

I think that the mix of both drugs made you crazy like this. When I was taking celexa and couldn't sleep because of it I had to take Xanax or Ambien, oh man, I felt horrible the next day. I kept calling my friends etc, because I thought I was going nuts! And I felt very depressed

[Hidden in reply to Lala63]

Has your dr made any more suggestions as to what medication you should take?

[Lala63 in reply to Hidden]

She thinks I am doing though withdrawals, but I think it's my head/brain that keeps playing tricks on me again. She said I was improving. We have been texting. I am improving from not being on meds anymore, but today I felt bad and yesterday was even worse. I just don't know I texted her now to see what she says, I asked about a potential treatment for me

[Lala63 in reply to Hidden]

Also, have you heard of GeneSight testing? It can show you which drugs you metabolize better (which cause you more side effects etc). Also, I just bought a natural stress supplement by Olly called Goodbye Stress and it seems to be working! It has GABA in it. My anxiety is almost gone, not that many obsessions, wow! You should try it! Because my anxiety and obsessions are strong..and I never believed in anything natural because it never worked. I hope you are feeling ok on celexa, let me know!