Hey I would appreciate any words of advice here, as I am really not doing so well at all.

I was taking Celexa, but it did not help enough so my dr. switched me to lexapro. The side effects upon starting were tremendously awful, but I kept taking it in hopes that they would lessen. A month later they had not, so she said I could go off it. I"ve been on zero of it for a week now and I feel just slightly better but still HORRIBLE, almost as bad as if I were still taking it. It gave me tremendous stomach pain, and anything I ate is accompanied by the most bizzarre and uncomfortable bloating ever. It also gives me more suicidal thoughts then I've had in awhile. And then there's this bad insommnia. I just still feel this way all day long, even when I eat plain foods and juice. I have depression w/anxiety, and I am begining to feel so freaked out and anxious every where I go. I think it's because I just can't stand the thought of feeling that way any longer.


How much longer is this likely to go on? Anything I can do to make it not as bad?


Thanks!

Sara

I'm sorry to hear of your struggle, aries woman

If you discontinued your Lex about 1 week ago, my sense is that you *should* be feeling relief soon. When I discontinued Celexa, it took me a week or so to feel as though it had finally left my system. GI upsets are common on AD's -- unfortunately. Even discontinuation of them can cause ripple effects, as you can clearly see. It's not clear what all of your "horrible" side effects were, but it's encouraging that you are beginning to notice that you are feeling a bit better. Try to hang in there. I don't think there are any magic remedies to help with coming off AD's, unfortunately. Allow yourself rest as you need it and be kind to yourself. Take the space you need to recoup. Hope you'll be feeling better soon...

Best,
HopefulOne

Thanks so much hopeful one. When I wrote that a few days ago it was among the worst I'd ever felt in my life! I finally am doing much better than that, it just took so much longer than I'd thought, a week and a few days. Yikes. ADs can be so frightening, you never know exactly what they'll do to you, and Lexapro and Celexa are supposed to have less side effects than the others.

When I stopped Celexa it took at least three weeks for me to stop feeling nauseous. About three more weeks before I stopped feeling what I call "high". Dizzy and light headed.

Good thing is that you know what it is and it will pass. This is what kept me going.

I tiried lexapro about 3 weeks ago now and it made me SO sick!!
I was incapaciated with tiredness and then was gagging and vomiting constantly and had muscle spasms.

I have NEVER felt so bad as that as i can remeber in my recent life.

it is only now that i am feeling better.

Probably after one week i felt an impovement - so you should soon too, i hope!!
and after two weeks i felt better but still a little bit 'off' - dizzy and weak and dehydrated
but now i am starting to feel normal again.


I hope that you recover soon.... i know how awful it can be :(