So I recently went back on celexa (citalopram). I have been off it for two years but my depression got bad again so I decided to go back on. This time my psychologist told me to take 10mg. I took 5mg before. I have been on it for three days and my side effects are really bad today. I have this acidic feeling in my stomach, no appetite. I forced myself to eat breakfast today and yesterday but haven't been eating much else. I also feel like I'm high. I don't want to get out of bed because I feel just plain weird like I just drank five cups of coffee and I'm super awake but the stomach pain makes me want to lie down. I know these side effects are bad the first few days or weeks but is there anything I can do to help them not be so bad? Is there something I can take for my stomach? The acidic feeling is awful. It feels like heartburn but it also feels like constant hunger. I am starting spring break and I don't want to feel this bad when I'm on holiday.
http://www.wikihow.com/Cure-a-Stomach-Ache ^This link has great ideas for settling a stomach. One or a few of them are bound to work! I'd talk to your psychologist and doctor about these side effects and their severity just so they can stay informed. When you try to eat, watch what you eat very carefully. I'm sorry if I can't help much but I would definately recommend alot of rest, careful diet, and the ideas on that link to see if this helps. ~<3
Yes, if the side effects from medication are severe, talk to the prescribing physician--there are sometimes ways to counter the side effects, or other alternative prescriptions you could try.
I called the pharmacist and he said it was something I'd have to deal with for a while. He also told me to take some antacids. I tried tums and that didn't help much. I just took some pepto-bismo. I think tomorrow I will take a little less of the medication because this is too strong for me right now and I don't want to be sick while I'm on spring break. :/
When i took depression medication in 7th grade my least favorite side effect as unnatural amount of energy, I had to be moving all the time or I was super uncomfortable, if I even sat still for more than 2 minutes I would start twitching and itching. Your effects sound worse, I don't think it's something you should have to deal with, you really should be getting more help than just "deal with it" :/
Here are a few things I would suggest- If you're a big coffee/soda drinker, try backing off a bit. A lot of people have found that they are more sensitive to caffeine when on anti-depressants. I've noticed that I over-do the caffeine (which is rare for me) that I get very dizzy and my stomach goes crazy. Try drinking more water. Force yourself to eat very small meals frequently, preferably bland food. I would also definitely talk to your doctor. He or she will most likely know the cause and be able to help you with a solution.
Did you have these problems when you were on 5mg? You said you've been off them for two years. Jumping to a higher dose may be a shock to your system. Hope it works out for you. I have tried several different ones and ultimately quit all of them because the side effects were too unpleasant. Doing the St. John's Wort thing now, but I've just started so we'll see how it goes.
Call your doctor and report your side effects. Sometimes with antidepressants, the first dosing starts a bit too high and the doctor may want to take the dose down a bit until your symptoms decrease. Once you've adjusted (which can sometimes take up to a couple of weeks), the doctor can try you at the higher dose. If that doesn't work, they may want to change meds. Some of the anti-depressants are known to cause some unpleasant side effects like nausea and light-headedness, so it may take a trial of a couple of different meds to find the one that you tolerate best.
Here's an update: I lowed my dosage to 5mg till I get adjusted. The stomach pain and acidity is completely gone. YEY! However I woke up this morning with a debilitating headache. I spent most of the day in bed because of it. Now the headache could be because I barely ate anything in the last few days so I ate very well and drank lots of water today. I also drank less coffee (thanks for the suggestion) any coffee I drank was before I took the meds (not with the meds cause that made me feel crazy.) I can't quit coffee cold turkey because if I did I would have major withdraw. However, after eating more and drinking more the headache didn't go away. It might be because of my allergies. I took some allergy meds to help and I think that did help a bit but the pain just isn't going away. Could it be because of the meds or something else? Why would my initial symptoms lesson and then be replaced by different symptoms? It makes no sense.
Although I'm not familiar with the interaction between antidepressants and caffeine, I am familiar with caffeine withdrawl. LOTS of water will help with the headaches. If they are really bad, a tylenol or advil (do not use these if your pharmacist says they will interact with other meds you are on) while you are going thru withdrawl. The process should only take about a week or two. Now, on side effects of drugs - there are some medications that may have temporary side effects when initially starting the drug, and should go away with time. Some medications have no immediate effect, and only really work after you've been taking them for a little while (some as long as a month)
everyone is different 5 and 10 mg is quite a low dose [I was on 40mg .. and had no side effects at all] it is different for each individual .. . and hopefully you will adjust in time if you continue to have issues, you could try an alternative med
Thanks. I am incredibly sensitive to medication. Especially medication with dizziness as a side effect. That's why my therapist suggested this medicine because it has less intense side effects then other medications. I rarely take meds. In fact I have had surgery before and didn't take the pain meds just took a few tylenol. Again thank you all for advice it has helped a lot. Do any of you have any other depression meds that have worked well for you?
After Citalopram, I tried Venlafaxine (Effexor) successfully. It is good if you suffer depression AND anxiety together. No side effects from that really (for me) and I was on really high doses. After consulting an expert ... I have just started a new one ... Duloxetine (Cymbalta) and it is working quite well - but early days. I sound like a real pill-tart don't I?? Well it has been over a period of 10-15 years... But, as always, different people react differently and it is a question of trial and error. I hope you find a balance that works for you - but do get expert advice...
