[ChristySpirals]

I was on this antidepressant for almost 4 years. It helped with the depression yes but holy hell getting off of it has been complete hell. It has been almost 3 weeks (2 days shy) since I went off and the withdrawals are crazy...my brain is zapping, shivering including my chest, heart palpitations, dizzy as ****, dreams are whack, anger, omg the anger, is so intense that even guilt for your anger towards other doesn't play into the factor.

I googled withdrawals from celexa and the responses were unreal, there are so many ppl going thru exactly what I am going thru...its disheartening.

My Dr swore by this med, said coming off won't be bad. He is a ****ing idiot as far as I'm concerned...****ING MORON!! Oh and btw the FDA just put out that celexa is linked to heart disease...ya!!! My whole family has heart disease with the exception of my mother. So ya thanks ya ****!!!!

Just for the record, obviously, avoid this one.

[Confusedinomicon]

I don't think you should have dropped the medication completely. Usually you taper off medications, especially if it's a big dose.

I'm kind of annoyed that it seems many doctors tell patients to drop medication without being informed on safe tapering strategies to prevent painful withdrawals. I'm sorry that you're experiencing this, I know it isn't fun. ((HUGS))

[BipolaRNurse]

SSRI withdrawals are hell. I've done it several times and I wanted to put my head through a wall each time. You have my sympathies. Get better soon, 'K?

[OctobersBlackRose]

Yeah no matter the med (celexa, zoloft, or anti-pyscotics) the withdrawl effects are bad when getting off the meds if not done right. i experienced that in my early teens not fun

[Ruebus]

I took this and had to stop because the withdrawal was so severe for me. If I was late by a few hours, or missed it for one day, I went completely off the handle. Admittedly it did help a little with the depression, but it is commonly known that SSRI's are not recommended for people who suffer from bi-polar disorder.. especially in teens.

[RobertDark]

Originally Posted by OctobersBlackRose

Yeah no matter the med (celexa, zoloft, or anti-pyscotics) the withdrawl effects are bad when getting off the meds if not done right. i experienced that in my early teens not fun

I think you can have massive issues with withdrawal even if you taper of like the doc tells you. Lexapro was hell to get off of, I had months after I stopped taking it properly where I did not feel right.

Unfortunately, it makes sense. These are drugs that alter the brain. Once the brain has gotten used to them for years (I was on Lexapro for 5 years), you have the potential to not be okay for a while after stopping them.

To the OP, keep your head up, getting of a med is hard. There is light at the end of the tunnel however and once you get to that light, you'll feel great.

[Eloise42]

The week i took Celexa I accidentally ripped my hair out with a jewelry drill, suddenly threw up for the first time in eight years and it was the one and only time I ever hallucinated anything. My friend's faces kept morphing into each other's. It was a bad week. I have had bad drug interactions before but Celexa is the devil in my book.

I can't imagine coming off of it. If I were you I would take it as easy as possible, long hot baths, days off work if you can, basically indulgence time, and bear in mind that eventually this stuff will be out of your system and your system will adjust accordingly and this is horrible but temporary.