Celexa help?

Question

My doctor prescribed me with 20 mgs (1 tablet) of Celexa per day, however, I've noticed next to nothing from this and took 3 when one of my attacks struck me particularly hard. I noticed that it made me a little drowsy, however seemed to help me. I know it was irresponsible and childish, however, I'm wondering if anyone with experience or such can tell me REALISTICALLY bad this was for me. If 3 helped, shoudlnt I try and ask him to raise the dosage?

Answer 1

Celexa is not the type of drug that provides immediate results. I'll give you some more insight on how it works in your brain, which should help you understand why you shouldn't change your dose.

This drug is part of the SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) family, which are the more popular in the antidpressant medication group. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter believed to play an important role in the regulation of body temperature, mood, sleep, emesis (vomiting), sexuality and appetite. Low levels of Serotonin have been associated with several disorders, notably depression, migraine, bipolar disorder and anxiety. Therefore, the SSRI's have been created, where the medication prohibits your brain from naturally returning the serotonin to its storage bins for later use, keeping it in your brain longer, lessoning your depression.

You will need to take this medication at the proper dosage for 1 - 2 months, before you feel the effects full blast. This drug is not designed to treat acute anxiety and panic attacks. There is another class of drugs designed for that, mainly Benzodiazepines - e.g. Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax. These medications are designed to kick in quickly (15 - 30 mins) and won't interact with your antidepressant. The effect you were feeling was a placebo effect. The Celexa won't do anything for you in the short term, you were just psyching yourself out, thinking that if you took more, you would feel better.

As far as not feeling the effects of Celexa, talk to your Dr. about this and ask if you think it would be ok to switch to Lexapro. Lexapro is a more potent and improved version of Celexa and the most selective amongst SSRI antidepressants. I've hear

Answer 2

Yes, ask him to raise the doasge. 20mg of celexa is extremely low. You usually only take a dose that small if you are just starting it.....generally you would do half a tablet for 1 week, and then a full tablet for 2 weeks to see it's effects. You should be seeing your doctor 1-2 times a month, or communicating by phone. Usually, a doc will go ahead and put you on 40mg (2 tablets), but he may do 30mg for a week or so first to make the adjustment to 2 tablets easier.

please do not take 3 tablets of celexa at one time if you are normally only taking 1.....you could've been in a much worse situation....you are so lucky that your body tolerated it well enough! Also, be extremely careful about what other meds you take with celexa and always ask a pharmacist or doc first....it's important
Good luck, and take care!

Answer 3

I don't know when you started the Celexa but it does take anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks until you may notice a difference. Has it been this long?
The dosage is usually started at less than 20mg as there are side effects. Anxiety can be one of them so imagine how you would feel if your start dose was too high.
3 pills aren't going to cause an overdose in an otherwise healthy individual. Discuss the dosage with your Dr.
Hope it works out for you.

Answer 4

i'm on 5 MG of Celexa and before everything it could make you sleep and lose interest in daily activities besides the undeniable fact that it gets greater valuable after a month or so. I been occurring and rancid it by accident bc I overlook to take it so it threw me off and made me worse besides the undeniable fact that it does bypass.

Answer 5

you should always follow your doctor's dosage instructions. it takes a while for those kind of drugs to take full effect, sometimes up to three weeks, it can be very bad for you to take that much at once, it could depress your system to the point where you stop breathing. if you are still feeling poorly after couple weeks, talk to you doc, maybe this isn't the right med for you or you could just need an adjustment of amount.

Answer 6

Do not raise the dosage, just be patient, most anti-depressive meds can take up to 6 weeks before you start to notice a change. Your brain needs to be "re-trained" to regulate the chemicals out of balance. Ask your doctor about mood stabilizers like "Zyprexa"...but follow his advice!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

smoke a big fat joint it will help faster than the meds