Celexa help!?

Question

I just started on this med last night. I woke up around midnight and my vision seemed blurry and when I turned my head it looked like one of the lights blinking in our house was a strobe light. It really scared me a lot. This morning I got up and have felt very shaky. It was tough getting down the stairs because my legs were so shaky. It's scaring me. :( Please help.

Answer 1

Relax. Calm down. I've been on Celexa (a/k/a citalopram) for over 10 years & have never had any sort of adverse effect. In fact, it's helped me tremendously. You need to contact your doctor and describe what you've experienced...you may be having an allergic reaction to the the medicine. FYI I always take this med in the morning. Taking it at night can disturb your sleep. Please take care of yourself!!!

Answer 2

Don't be scared. Those side effects are perfectly normal.

Celexa is in class of meds called SSRI. Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor. These class of drugs hold serotonin on the receptors longer than normal (the brain absorbes them after it releases them, thus the "re-uptake" part).

Increased levels of serotonin will cause a variety of side effects. I took this drug for 4 years. When I first got on it, I had a difficult time sleeping the first week. I felt shaky and wobbly, my mouth was always dry. It can be unsettling at first, no doubt about it.

I don't know if your doc told you to do this, but you should start off with the minimum dosage and work your way up over a period of, say, 2 weeks. Take half a pill for the first week...ramp yourself up.

People's brain chemistry can vary quite a bit, and sometimes the first med they try you on just won't work. But know that there are always side effects, at first, from SSRI's. I'd give it at least 2 weeks to see if the side effects lessen. By the end of my 1st month, I had absolutely no side effects at all, aside from being in a fantastic mood, increased confidence, and sleeping like a rock.

First week it may be difficult to sleep, but by my 2nd week, I couldn't sleep enough. It felt like I was wrapped in a warm blanket of goodness and I just didn't want to get up. :)

Look up SSRI on the yahoo search and read up on all the info you can. It will help to see that other people have gone through the same thing you're experiencing now.

Don't sweat it tho. The side effects are unsettling at first, but it's normal and they do go away.

Answer 3

meds affect people differently. i have been on celexa for a few years and it works well for me. you should contact your dr today . you may be having an elergic reaction, or the dosage is too high. hope you feel better, and contact your doctor or pharmatist.