Question:
When I was 13 I first experienced a panic attack, I was scared. I dealt with the problem
until I was 16 and then I finally went to see a psychiatrist. I took celexa since 2001
until 2003 (OCT). I know it will be difficult but Celexa has too many side effects, and it
gives me heart palpitations which scare me more than panic attacks.
how long will these effects last in my system?
Answer:
These are pretty typical symptoms when one is beginning an SSRI...sad to say
but true. It's the worse before better phenomenon. Did something happen
that prompted you to start taking the Celexa again?
I really don't think it's withdrawal after being back on the medication for
but five days. It's more likely a continuation of the side effects you
experienced while trying to get back onto the Celexa after being off from it
for several months.
Let me tell ya, Thank God my family has been supportive.
It's wonderful when the fam comes through durring the rough times. Don't
know what I'd have done without mine at the worst times.
I highly doubt that Celexa has truely ruined your life, even though it feels
like it at this moment when you are experiencing a bunch of nasty symptoms.
I felt the same way when I took SSRI's that didn't agree with my body, but
they really didn't ruin my life.
It doesn't seem like the effects should linger for more than a week or two
at most from the time you stopped taking the Celexa.
I do take medication now, but have plenty of experience dealing with PD
without meds as well. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the number one non
med choice. Meditation helped me a lot when done on a daily basis. Some
kind of sort of aroma therapy was also calming for me, a pulse point cream
with mint and eucalyptus, as well as a soothing lavendar. Breathing
exercises were and still are very helpful. Avoiding certain triggers didn't
hurt either. :-)
Maybe the attacks will return maybe they won't it's rather difficult to say.
If the attacks didn't return in your hiatus from celexa they may not return
now either.
Were you being treated by a psych or a family doctor? IMO your doc should
know that you are ceasing the meds, and a psych should be able to help you
in finding therapy or other non-medication ways to cope with your symptoms.
Did you stop Celexa *cold turkey* and what dose were you on? Stopping a
psychotropic med suddenly will make for all sorts of withdrawal
symptoms. A gradual taper is the way to go. It might be best to get back
on it and then start a slow taper (by 5 mg every week or every two weeks
if necessary) which should be monitored by a skilled pdoc.
Still I don't quite understand your post (this may be me of course). On
the one hand you seem to say you stopped Celexa suddenly after 2 1/2
years of continuous use and on the other hand I seem to understand that
you first decided to take the medication on January 4, had bad side
effects (of the sort that may occur when starting at too high a dose)
and stopped it again 5 days later.
Would you please explain because otherwise it's difficult to say
something sensible about this."
A "normal life without medication" is not always possible for anxiety
sufferers. What is you diagnosis (Panic Disorder? General Anxiety
Disorder?)? There are a gazillion of other meds that may well be
beneficial for you even if Celexa wasn't.
If you want to take a no meds route *Cognitive Behavioral Therapy* (CBT)
is the first line of treatment and this can also be combined with
medication if necessary. Your pdoc should be able to refer you to a
clinical psychologist practicing CBT.
You shouldn't just stop taking any med absent a doc's advice and
oversight. At worst, you should taper the dose to gradually come off
it. Most of these drugs take a while to build up in your system and it
would make sense to wean yourself off of them. Generally, once you
build a tolerance for them the side effects tend to go away.
I'm sorry that I can't answer your question on how long it will take you
until the symptoms diminish.
Also, don't expect the panic attacks to come back. There is a very good
chance they will not. You can learn (teach yourself) how to deal with
them and you can also use meds (benzos) with less side effects to deal
with anxiety.
