DJones: Celexa kindling reaction

[Djones1984]

I guess if you are trying to get at if I feel any differnt after taking the celexa the answer is no. I am not having any imidiate adverse reaction to the celexa. I am always better from mid morning until about 5pm and usually bad from 5pm until about 8 or 9pm.

 

I am just wondering if a small gradual increase on the Celexa to maybe 2mg might help but I don't know. I will monitor my symtoms pretty close for the next few days and let you know.

[Djones1984]

I have however been a tiny bit more stable the last 2 days even my wife and mother have noticed it.

[Djones1984]

Alto, I have been keeping track and I am having no reaction after I take the Celexa.

 

My symptoms are normally worse right when I wake up until 10am I am usually feeling somewhat better until about 5pm than its rocky between 5 and 9 or 10 at night usually worse after I eat no matter if its a salad or carbs I react to eating for about an hour after.

[Djones1984]

I am thiking that maybe updosing the celexa might be a good idea. But I don't really know of I want to or if it will even help.

[Djones1984]

Is pushing myself to do things like hang out with people like be around loud cars, etc bad in withdrawl for my cns. I am a big car and motorcycle guy and recently have been pushing myself into some fun even though I feel terrible at times. I have also been walking around the lake some and trying to get out in sun.

 

I also try to work most days of the week around loud machinery but I wear ear plugs as much as I can I just feel sometimes it might be hindering my recovery. But if I sit at home and think about how bad I am I think it's even worse.

 

This is all so hard because I just feel like I am looking at my life and myself from the outside wishing I could go back to pre meds but even than I always had to have a way out incase I panicked or got anxiety so bad I would just have to leave.

[Djones1984]

The Akathesia is absolutely killing me I don't see how this is ever going to go away while still on meds. Today is absolute torture.

[Altostrata]

Do not expose yourself to any more light, sound, vibration, motion stimulation than you need to. This triggers reactions from your nervous system and can worse your symptoms. You might make it a practice to wear dark glasses to reduce light stimulation.

 

Also, do not drink alcohol at all.

 

I need to know your symptom pattern relative to when you take your drugs. Please make it a practice to repeat your drug schedule every time we talk about your symptom pattern, to save me the work of combing through 10 pages of this topic. Also, please update your signature.

 

What time of day do you take Celexa? What drugs do you take between 4pm and bedtime? What time do you go to bed?

 

Do you take any drugs near mealtimes? When and how much?

 

Do you get any symptoms after you take the benzo? Please record your symptom pattern for each day like this:

 

6 a.m. Woke and vomited

8 a.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro

10 a.m. Had diarrhea

10:30 a.m. Ate breakfast

11:35 a.m. Got a headache, lasted one hour

12:35 p.m. Ate lunch

4 p.m. Stomachache

5 p.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro

6 p.m. Ate dinner

9:20 p.m. Headache

10:00 p.m. Took 50mg Seroquel

10:20 p.m. Headache got worse

10:30 p.m. Fell asleep

2:30 a.m. Woke, took 3mg Ambien

2:45 a.m. Fell asleep

4:30 a.m. Woke with headache

[Djones1984]

Alto, I do not drink alcohol as I am a recovering alcoholic.

 

Symptom pattern for the last 25 hours

 

1:00 a.m went to sleep had a hard time as I started to have a little panic and anxiety but managed to fall asleep.

Slept through the night 

7:00 a.m woke up took .125mg of klonopin mild anxiety went back to sleep 

9:00 a.m woke up took 1.5mg Celexa and ate a piece of toast 

9:30 a.m anxiety akathesia type anxiety 

10:00 a.m took Klonopin dose 

10:00 a.m - 12 p.m Akathesia, shortness of breath anxiety remains

12:00 p.m ate lunch symptoms remain the same.

1:30 p.m cleaned the house

3:00 p.m window in the akathesia and symptoms

5:00 p.m Mild anxiety and symptoms 

 

I will continue to do this for the next few days 

 

Thanks alto

[Djones1984]

I have been logging my days. And will post it up here soon but I had 2 decent days and now tonight I am back in hell again with dizziness, anxiety/akathesia.

[bubble]

Can you describe what you mean when you write akathesia?

[Djones1984]

It feels like mental torture, like the worst anxiety agitation anyone could ever imagine, terror/fear, hard time sitting still, cant concentrate, out of body, like I have electricity running through me, internal tickle, burning in brain, nose head tension, feeling like running out of the building, like I am loosing my mind.

[Djones1984]

Daily symptom pattern since Sunday night where I left off

 

6:00pm was on computer started getting burning head, anxiety/mild akathesia

7:00pm dinner took .125mg Klonopin dose

7:30pm worsening of symptoms from eating stayed until 8:15pm

8:15pm window from symptoms

9:00pm Anxiety, shortness of breath, pain, adrenaline rush, mild stomoch ache lasted 1 hour

10:00pm took K dose watched tv window from symptoms

11:00pm took shower went to bed window

slept through all night

 

Monday-

7:00am woke up took K dose, mild anxiety

8:00am took celexa and 2 trader joe fish oil with vit e

8:30am bad akathesia/panic lasted 45 min while driving

9:15am window drank a little decaf coffe

10:00am akathesia/dp lasted bad 45min

window

12:00pm mild anxiety lasted 1 hour

1:00pm lunch some carbs window

3:00pm bad akathesia type anxiety dp

4:30pm window

5:30pm head pressure, shaking, mild anxiety, driving home from work.

6:30 dinner mild reaction with an increase in symtoms

7:00pm k dose

7:30pm window almost no symptoms

9:30pm headache, anxiety, tension, body pain

10:00pm took k dose window

12:00 went to bed window

slept through night

 

Tues-

7:00am mellow upon awankening miltook k dose

8:00 am celexa 1.5mg and fish oil

9:00am mild anxiety driving to work lasted 1.5hrs

10:00am took k dose

window for rest of morning

1:00pm anxiety/akathesia, dp lasted 45min

window

3:00pm anxiety/akathesia, dp, shaking,

dp lasted through day

6:30pm bad akathesia in aa meeting lasted 1 hour

7:00 took k dose

window mild anxiety

10:00pm took k dose started to get mild anxiety, shortness of breath

12:00am went to bed

slept through night

 

weds-

7:00am woke up took k dose mild anxiety sensitivity to sound

dosed off again

8:30am took celexa dose  and fish oil

10:00am took k dose, drove to work anxiety shortness of breath lasted through morning

1:30pm lunch

2:30pm akathesia, dizziness, shortness of breath burning head, dp, I had a big sandwhich for lunch could have reacted to. lasted 2 hrs

5:00pm window of relief mild dp

7:00pm took k dose bad akathesia, dizziness, panic, depression lasted until 8:30

9:00pm mild anxiety

10:00pm took k dose some window of relief

11:00 mild stomach ache

11:30 went to bed

slept through night

 

thurs-

 

7:00am took k dose mild anxiety, sensitive to sound, dp, sucidial ideation

8:30am took celexa and fish oil mild anxiety

9:00 drove to work

11:00am anxiety, pain, dp, dizziness, vertigo, shortness of breath

was doing pretty physical labor and could have been result of uptick in symptoms

12:00pm small window

1:00pm anxiety, panic, shortness of breath, depression, nerve pain

3:00 window almost no symtoms lasted 2 hours

5:30 dinner window of symptoms

6:30 mild anxiety, dizziness

7:00 took k dose mild anxiety through night

9:30: mild stomach ache and akathesia, dizziness

[Djones1984]

I just feel like I cant keep going on like this doing the same thing over and over is the definition of insanity which is what I have been doing for years. I feel I need to change something but I cant and I feel like I cant ever recover unless I do. I feel better at times but the lows are as bad as ever just really depressed tonight.

[ChessieCat]

TommyG,

 

The moderators do not push people into taking anything.  They make suggestions based on the information that a member gives them, combined with knowledge that they have from research and real life situations on this forum.  It is then the member's decision whether to follow that suggestion or not.

[Djones1984]

Tommy, I appreciate your feedback but I was on celexa for alot of years prior and I was in a worse of state when I tapered to fast this time so I am in a very difficult situation. If I just quit the celexa cold turkey I will be no better of and probably worse than I am right now.

 

I have no idea what to do at this point.

[FunkyBaboon]

Hey Tommy,

 

Every time I reduce my antidepressant dosage I go through withdrawal and it's pretty severe even with minor reductions.

 

I'm currently in a pretty bad crash and a few nights ago tried taking 1mg of Diazepam. That just made things worse because my already destabilised CNS couldn't handle either the small dose of Diazepam or the subtle withdrawal from it the next day.

 

I can't imagine what would happen if I just stopped taking the antidepressant and just started taking benzos instead. I'd bet that it'd probably kill me. Already have breathing problems that get worse when I reduce my dose...

 

Maybe what you're suggesting would work for some people but it wouldn't be the best thing to suggest as a standard approach for everyone.

 

Funky

[Ali4]

Don't worry djone, I'm in the middle of a battle with celexa as well, I can understand where your coming from, it will get better, unfortunately is just a time thing, but we will get better, one day at a time, one foot in front of the other. Stay strong my friend hugs Ali

[Djones1984]

Thanks everyone, I don't know what to think anymore I just feel stuck.

[Djones1984]

Tommy I was on 5mg of Celexa and in a way better place than in am now so how do you think that I would be any better off cold turkeying it?

[Djones1984]

Yes I had a reaction to 40mg not 5mg and certinly not 1.5mg

[Altostrata]

TommyG, I cannot support your judgments. It is irresponsible to urge someone here to take an action unless you intend to support them throughout the experience, even if it turns bad. Will you be here for DJ should he quit Celexa because you want him to and develops withdrawal symptoms on top of the problems he's having?

 

DJ, thank you for posting your daily symptom pattern.

 

It seems to me that, again, it's the Klonopin that's the problem. Klonopin reaches peak plasma 1-4 hours after ingestion; when you take your Klonopin dose at 7 a.m., you are getting a paradoxical reaction right on time, a few hours later, in the form of "akathisia" and other symptoms.

 

It looks like your symptoms come and go in relation to your Klonopin dosing. Are some Klonopin doses missing? What is your daily Klonopin schedule?

 

You might test whether it's the Celexa by moving the timing of the Celexa dose -- but you have enough problems right now without bringing in another drug change.

[Djones1984]

Taking klonopin .125mg at 7am 10am 7pm 10pm I think alot of it is the klonopin but what do u do about it? Crossover to Val but than I am going to destabilize even more.

 

If I do nothing than what no healing? I have been in alot better place than this just last year. Not perfect but better.

[Altostrata]

From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. you have a bit of a Klonopin bald patch. Seems you have a little window 5ish when it's at a low point. Please discuss this in your Benzo forum topic.

[Meimeiquest]

This may be dumb, especially as Ihavent read all your recent history, but have you already discussed the possibility of going to every six hours Klonopin dosing if you are having to break it up?

[Altostrata]

My thinking, too, Meimei, but I haven't been following DJ's benzo topic

 

Discussion of the benzo dosing should be taking place there, or we'll get uncoordinated.

[Djones1984]

The last few mornings I have waited till 9 to take my celexa on empty stomoch and about 20 min later I notice that the anxiety Ramps up but it could also be cortisal or the K dose finally kicking in or out.

 

Luke I said in the benzo forum I am stuck with no way out.

[Altostrata]

Dj, we are all trying to figure it out for you. Many people have been in the same place with benzos, got evened out, tapered off, and are doing well.

 

Please disregard everything TommyG posted in your topic. He was wrong on all counts, his advice is destructive, and he has been banned.

[Djones1984]

I really don't know how to find the strength to make it even one more minute of this existence. I am trying so hard to keep going I am dieing inside.

[Fresh]

Hi DJ ,   I haven't been following your benzo thread , but am wondering about this suggestion from 20 March:

"  have you already discussed the possibility of going to every six hours Klonopin dosing if you are having to break it up? "

 

Did you make any changes to klonipin doses / times in the last few days?

[Djones1984]

Fresh, yes I have made changes to klonopin in the last few days. I have been in acute suffering since December.

[JanCarol]

It can get better, it does get better.

 

You just have to go through it.  

 

There are no shortcuts, no easy answers - you just have to go through it.  Since you are so far along, it is shorter to go through it than to go back and try again.

 

Rest, put one foot in front of the other. Rest some more, if you need to.    Take care of yourself. 

[Djones1984]

I Seen Henry Emmons today and I am happy to say he does know about withdrawl and none of my symptoms surprised him. I will be working with him to taper the Klonopin, etc. He is a very good doctor.

[Djones1984]

I saw the doctor again on Friday and he wants me to hold where I an on the klonopin and suggested that I might feel better updosing the celexa some to say 5mg. I wanted to get some opinions on this. Alto what do you think?

[Djones1984]

I am not doing very well at all this acute suffwring is killing me since December. I have worse body pain than ever before I fell like I am getting crushed in a vice. I am about to start going up on something.

[apace41]

DJones,

 

Sorry to hear you are struggling.  If you are considering an updose I would suggest you titrate up more slowly than jumping to 5mg.  I would suggest you try going from 1mg to 2mg and see how you do on that.  It is always best to use the least amount of the medicine possible both to avoid stressing the CNS and also to leave you less to taper in the future.

 

Please advise how you are doing.

 

Best,

 

Andy

[Djones1984]

This is just an absolute nightmare from hell over 3 years and I am still in acute suffering with my body feeling like it's in a vice being crused. I have a doctor trying to help and telling me to go up on the Celexa for awhile don't know what to do and am just stuck in this muddled existence trying to work and make a living is just pure torture.