Hi,

I have been diagnosed with GAD and panic disorder 12 years ago for which I take clonazepam (1mg twice/daily) and a few months ago, sunk into a severe depression for which I see a therapist.

The therapist suggested I should be prescribed an antidepressant and also have the clonazepam dosage checked and maybe adjusted, being that I might have built a tolerance to it.

Being that I live in Quebec, Canada and that we have a very lousy socialized health care system, finding a "family doctor" is impossible and the only options we have are walk-in clinics (one-shot deal with no follow-ups) so needless to say, they sure as heck won't prescribe antidepressants to someone they don't know (oxymoron) or go to a hospital's ER in where the average waiting time is roughly 26 hours.

To make a long story short, a friend is under a PDoc's care and he called him up to see if he would see me and he agreed. I went to see him and after the usual questions, he prescribed Celexa (20 mg at bedtime) and modified the clonazepam intake from 1mg twice/daily to .5mg four times/daily.

I have now been on this med for 26 days and wish to stop taking it because it seems that I'm intolerant to this drug and the gravity of the side effects outweigh it's benefits.

Here's a partial list of the side effects that affect me on a daily basis:
- blurred vision
- excessive trembling
- complete loss of appetite, frequent nausea, diarrhea and abdominal cramps
- excessive sweating
- frequent urination
- nervousness and agitation
- dizziness
- lack of energy and libido
- tingling and burning sensations on certain parts of my body
- trouble concentrating and sluggishness
- pounding heart
- infrequent mood changes

Also, starting 3 days ago, my left ankle and foot is slightly swollen at night.

I'm aware that these side effects should be reported to my PDoc but 2 days after I saw him, he went on vacation and won't be back until the 25th so I have to take matters in my own hands till he gets back and get off this med.

So, my big question is can I just quit them "cold turkey" after only 26 days or do I need to gradually ween myself off it over a few days to avoid withdrawal symptoms, if any after such a short period?

Thanks,
Gene

Link to detailed Celexa side effects:
http://www.drugs.com/cons/celexa.html