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Quirkdiggler: SSRI adverse reaction upon few days dose


Quirkdiggler

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I'm new here... Celexa reaction one year ago this week, and I've pretty much never recovered.. I don't know where else to start, so I figure I'd just post the cliff note. I was blown away when I came upon this forum, I had no idea this was such a thing.. I finally don't feel as painfully alone..

Edited by scallywag
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Celexa adverse reaction one year ago, never really recovered. My life pretty much stopped. So many symptoms. Not sure how much to include here, but horror filled depression, terrible anxiety, physically wrecked. Try constantly to figure out what to eat, supplements etc. Kratom is the only thing that has kept me working, but with the recent dea nonsense I can't count on it forever

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Hey quirkdiggler

 

Welcome to SA and welcome to withdrawal hell.  I am 2 1/2 years out from a withdrawal from Zoloft and zyprexa and still suffer greatly from insomnia and fatigue.  The body can go a surprising long way on very little so don't lose hope.   I hope you find on here the support you are looking for. 

 

Poetjester

 

ps If you are interested, there is a support group on facebook that about 70 of us from this site take part in.  Just go to "Off-topic" on the intro page and there is a link to it.   

Court committed to take Prozac, Paxci, and Respiradol from 8/95 to 3/96.   developed severe akithisia and brain damage.  Was unable to speak and walking in circles 15 hours a day.  Went in for 5 sessions of ECT during a 10 day period in March of '96 and my forced medication was discontinued at that time.  My akithisia and brain damage cleared up within a few days of stopping the meds.

 

On Zoloft (200 mg) and Zyprexa (17.5 mg) March 1998- Feb 2014

In between was placed on Effexor 200 mg and Abilify for six months in 2004.  Developed mild akithisia which went away once I stopped the Abilify.  Developed severe GI issues in Dec 2001 and from that time on suffered from fatigue and hypersomnia where I would sleep between 12 and 20 hours a day and rarely ever left my apartment. 

 

Had tapered to 100 mg of Zoloft and 7.5 mg of Zyprexa at the time of going cold turkey Feb. 2014

Went 5 days without sleep at the beginning while vomiting all over my apt.  Had brain zaps for a number of weeks and also lightheadedness which both eventually went away.  However 2 1/2 yrs later I still struggle with insomnia, depression, and fatigue.

 

 

 

 

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Hi QD,

I'm so sorry to hear your terror story of being hurt so badly by Celexa!

 

You know now that you are not alone as so many of us are hurt seriously.

 

You are now off the meds so not much can be done in terms of managing the meds, but you will get tons information, knowledge and support here.

 

Can you provide a bit more info about what happened last year?

Drug free Sep. 23 2017

2009 Mar.: lexapro 10mg for headache for 2 weeks.

2009-2012: on and off 1/4 to 1/3 of 10mg

2012 June--2013 Jan,: 1/4-1/3 of 10mg generic, bad jaw pain

2013 Jan-Mar: 10 mg generic. severe jaw and head pain;

2013 Mar--Aug. started tapering (liquid ever since) from 10 to 5 (one step) then gradually down to 2.25 mg by July. first ever panic attack, severe head/jaw pain

2013 Aug.: back to 2.75 mg; Nov: back to Brand Lex. 2.75mg -- 3mg,

2014 June: stopped PPI, head pressure/numbness. up-dosed 4.5mg, severe reaction mental symptoms added on

2014 Aug--2015 Aug: Micro taper down to 3.2mg, .025mg (<1%) cut holding 2-3 weeks.

2015 Aug 15th, Accidental one dose of 4.2mg. worsening brain non-functional, swollen head, body, coma like, DR

2016 Feb., started dosing 10am through 11 pm everyday 2/13--3.2mg, 3/15-- 2.9mg, 4/19-- 2.6mg, 6/26--2.2mg, 7/22 --1.9mg, 8/16--1.8mg,8/31--1.7m g, 9/13--1.6mg, 9/27--1.5mg, 10/8--1.4mg, 10/14--1.3mg, 11/1--1.2mg, 11/29--1.1mg, 12/12--1mg, 12/22--0.9mg

2017: 1/7--0.8mg, 1/15--0.7mg, 1/17--0.6mg, 1/20--0.52, 1/21--0.4mg, 1/22--0.26, 1/23--0.2, 2/13--0.13mg, 2/20--0.06mg, 3/18--0.13mg, 6/1--0.12mg, 7/6--0.1mg, 7/14--0.08mg, 8/17--0.04mg, 8/20--0.03mg, 8/28--0.02mg, 9/6--0.0205mg, 9/8--0.02mg, 9/17--0.015mg, 9/20--0.01mg, 9/21--0.0048mg, 9/22--0.0001mg,

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And here is some great info to help with post ssir reaction healing

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1351-cg-recovered-from-prozac-withdrawal/

Drug free Sep. 23 2017

2009 Mar.: lexapro 10mg for headache for 2 weeks.

2009-2012: on and off 1/4 to 1/3 of 10mg

2012 June--2013 Jan,: 1/4-1/3 of 10mg generic, bad jaw pain

2013 Jan-Mar: 10 mg generic. severe jaw and head pain;

2013 Mar--Aug. started tapering (liquid ever since) from 10 to 5 (one step) then gradually down to 2.25 mg by July. first ever panic attack, severe head/jaw pain

2013 Aug.: back to 2.75 mg; Nov: back to Brand Lex. 2.75mg -- 3mg,

2014 June: stopped PPI, head pressure/numbness. up-dosed 4.5mg, severe reaction mental symptoms added on

2014 Aug--2015 Aug: Micro taper down to 3.2mg, .025mg (<1%) cut holding 2-3 weeks.

2015 Aug 15th, Accidental one dose of 4.2mg. worsening brain non-functional, swollen head, body, coma like, DR

2016 Feb., started dosing 10am through 11 pm everyday 2/13--3.2mg, 3/15-- 2.9mg, 4/19-- 2.6mg, 6/26--2.2mg, 7/22 --1.9mg, 8/16--1.8mg,8/31--1.7m g, 9/13--1.6mg, 9/27--1.5mg, 10/8--1.4mg, 10/14--1.3mg, 11/1--1.2mg, 11/29--1.1mg, 12/12--1mg, 12/22--0.9mg

2017: 1/7--0.8mg, 1/15--0.7mg, 1/17--0.6mg, 1/20--0.52, 1/21--0.4mg, 1/22--0.26, 1/23--0.2, 2/13--0.13mg, 2/20--0.06mg, 3/18--0.13mg, 6/1--0.12mg, 7/6--0.1mg, 7/14--0.08mg, 8/17--0.04mg, 8/20--0.03mg, 8/28--0.02mg, 9/6--0.0205mg, 9/8--0.02mg, 9/17--0.015mg, 9/20--0.01mg, 9/21--0.0048mg, 9/22--0.0001mg,

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Hi Quirkdiggler, 

 

I just saw your post on the "Immediate Adverse Reaction" thread. I'm in the same boat. I took Effexor for 5 days about 18 months ago and am still sick from it. 

 

How long did you take Celexa? So sorry that you're suffering so much. Believe me, I know what you're talking about. 

 

Did your symptoms improve at all since the reaction? I'm impressed that you manage to work. I wouldn't be able to. 

 

Wishing you lots of healing, 

Laura

Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional

Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. 

After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. 

June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells

September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. 

 

Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn

 

Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland:

https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg

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Hey, I saw your post in my thread and I'm also here to offer my support. You will get better. What symptoms are you still experiencing?

 

I would advise against using kratom. It may alleviate the symptoms, but you never know when you experience an adverse effect, especially when your CNS is so sensitized. 

 

Wishing all the best to you, you're not alone in this!

History:

Escitalopram 10mg Nov - Jan 2016 (switched to Effexor XR)

Effexor XR 37,5mg Jan - Feb 2016; 75mg Feb - April 2016; 37,5mg for one week in April, 75mg April-July 2016 (started tapering, took my last beads on Sept 11.)

The fluctuations happened because my GP mistakingly prescribed me the wrong dosage.

Oxazepam 2x10mg Dec 2015 - Jan 2016 (basically CT but no apparent symptoms); June 2016 - Feb 2017 (c/o to Valium)

 

Current:

Valdoxan 25mg Dec 2015 - Sept 2016. 12.4mg (Sept - Nov '16) -> 11.86mg (Nov '16) -> 10.75mg (Dec '16) -> 9.75mg (Jan '17) -> 8mg (March '17) -> 7mg (April '17) -> 4.5mg (May '17) -> 4mg (Jan '18) -> updosed to 4.5mg in the end of January

Valium (liquid form) 8.5mg Feb 2017. 7.6mg (June '17) -> 7.2mg (June '17) -> 6.8mg (July '17) -> 6.4 (Sept '17) -> 6.2 (March '18) -> 6 (April 7 '18) -> 5.8 (April 17 '18) -> 5.6 (April 26 '18) -> 5.4 (July 16 '18) -> 5.2 (March '20) -> 5 (March '20)

What to take away from all this: if you feel extremely sick only after a few doses of an AD, please tell your doctor and just stop. Adding medications is no bueno.

 

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Thank you so much to all of you for replying! I have been working so much and so tired and in pain, it's a season in my line of work that September and October are all daylight hours Monday thru Saturday, so I haven't been able to touch my phone... I'm still getting set up here, I was advised to post this here which I had somewhere else for a little background... So... anyway I had a horrid reaction to celexa last fall, and I thought I was crazy that I am still sick until I found this site. I really want to talk to anyone on here that understands, so that I might have some how and that I might share what progress I have made researching every minute I get free for almost exactly a year ago since my life was completely changed.. So if anyone wants to reach out, I'd love to finally not feel like I'm battling this alone, no doctor I've found gets it or has heard of such extreme long term issues.. But they are real and hopefully I just have to keep looking. I'm tired as in writing this as i am so much of the time, which I hate, so if I'm not doing the best job I apologize. But ya, I want to get involved and I do have some info that might be a big help to some also.. Ty!

 

So that was kind of my first post, so now everything is in one place.. I'll post a better description shortly because I know I haven't included a whole lot, and I'm not even sure what and where I wrote in the chaos that has been the last two months, so fresh start using this thread.. Thank you again, I have not found a doctor yet that will even acknowledge such a phenomena.. And yes it has been VERY HARD to work thru this in addition to the physical pain taking a dark terribly turn recently. But I'm spending every minute I can on my heating pad and walking my pup to the beach being that this is the first two days in a row off since the hurricane. And that was bad for a bunch of reasons I'll explain also, but that didn't even count as down time.. I'll get organized and post a real description and time line... Thank god for this site and you guys

Celexa adverse reaction one year ago, never really recovered. My life pretty much stopped. So many symptoms. Not sure how much to include here, but horror filled depression, terrible anxiety, physically wrecked. Try constantly to figure out what to eat, supplements etc. Kratom is the only thing that has kept me working, but with the recent dea nonsense I can't count on it forever

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Quirkdiggler -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)
 
Some people have had negative response to a single dose or brief exposure (< 1 week) of psychiatric meds, including the "safe" SSRIs like Celexa. I'm sorry to read that you've found yourself in that group.
 
Thanks for creating a signature.  Would you change the "one year ago" statement to include "2015" and the month or season you took Celexa?  One year ago won't always mean 2015.
 
You mention kratom in your signature. Aside from availability issues, you would be wise to consider the implications of taking an opiate substance over the long term. Apparently the active ingredient in kratom works on the CNS (central nervous system) the same way that morphine does.

In addition to using a heating pad, you might want to look at these topics for ideas:
Non-drug techniques for dealing with physical pain
Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms,also good for physical and cognitive symptoms

 

Again welcome. I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but am glad that you found us.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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Hi QD, and welcome. I also had an adverse recation to celexa in June and still going through the motions.

I'm sorry you are still suffering with systems. There is a lot of support on this site and success stories.

I hope when you are ready you can add your full story. You are not alone in this. D

Started Fluoxetine 40mg In 2010

Switched to citalopram 2011.Fluoxetine made me very drowsy.

Came off citalopram 2014 over 2 weeks tapering as advised by GP. Mild WD symptoms, brain zaps.

Almost 2 years med free, happy and less anxiety.

June 2016 start 20mg citalopram for anxiety, experince akathisa, intrusive harming thoughts, hallucinations, hypermania, negative ruminations, insomnia, no appetite, dioreah, racing thoughts/mind chatter.

Droped to 10mg for 1 week after 10 days on 20mg, then 1 week at 15mg by alternating doses then 1 week at 20mg before dropping to 10mg again for 1 week then 5 days at 5mg. Quick taper due to reaction.

Started .5mg lorozepam/ 2.5mg diazepam every other day from week 2 on cit sometimes daily for about 2 weeks stopped CT as was put on 25mg quetiapine.

Stopped cit 01/8/16. Stopped quetiapine 3/8/16

Taking fish oil

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Thank you guys again. I will update the time stamp type stuff yes absolutely. You are so professional at this, I'm sorry for what led you here, but it's proof that the spirit of "whatever I'm doing I'm gonna be damn good at it" lives on even in the worst of circumstances. It's inspiring. I'm working on a description of what has happened to me. It's such a sht show, I wrote it all out but I've gotta filter it down a bit.. I know the more info I give the better, but I wrote it out of emotion as well as facts, and I need to cut it down a bit to mostly factual and just the important emotional parts. It was way too much. What a mess. What I wrote and myself. But I finally feel a little bit of "the guilt" lifting knowing I'm not alone. Back soon.

Celexa adverse reaction one year ago, never really recovered. My life pretty much stopped. So many symptoms. Not sure how much to include here, but horror filled depression, terrible anxiety, physically wrecked. Try constantly to figure out what to eat, supplements etc. Kratom is the only thing that has kept me working, but with the recent dea nonsense I can't count on it forever

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How long did you take the celexa for and what dosage? Also, had you taken any other medication previously?

December 2010: 10mg Citalopram

April 2011: 5mg for 2 weeks then cold turkey withdrawal - Extremely bad depression / no emotions

June 2011: Reinstated 10mg - After 3 weeks started getting impulsive suicidal thoughts

July 2011: Cold turkey - Withdrawal hell begins...

 

January 2021: Reinstated 0.1mg Citalopram as last resort

February 2021: 0.2mg Citalopram for 2 days had bad foggy head so went back down to 0.1mg

Upon reducing I experienced low mood, suicidal thoughts, burning up, low appetite, very bad insomnia, mild diarrhoea

22 Feb 2021: Stopped all Citalopram after panic / depression attack and crying similar to when I reinstated back in June 2011.

 

4 April 2022: Reinstated 0.1mg Citalopram - Anxiety + foggy head

5 April 2022: Stopped Citalopram - More lasting damage...

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What are your symptoms? I'm sorry you are in this.  I am just about 19 months off SSRIs and in deeply damaged.  You can see my signature for my symptoms.

Dec 2014 I tried Zoloft 25mg for one week (adverse reaction - extreme anxiety and felt like I was on an amphetamine). Dr. said to quit cold turkey, so I not only quit Zoloft but also 2 weeks of Xanax .25mg -- extreme dizziness, hyperarousal and anxiety began! On Jan. 29, 2015 my psychiatrist put me on new stuff and this is how my next 2 months and 7 days looked like (I was having the same bad reactions to all of these):Effexor XR 37.5mg (3 days) - throwing up, heart palpations, night tremors/convulsions or something where whole body shakes for a second, Prozac 10mg (15 days), Prozac 20mg (7 days) - internal restlessness, electric current through body/brain (not zaps), agitation, intense fear and could no longer nap at this point (still can't today because of this), Lexapro 5mg (4 days) - same as Prozac, a horror show...extreme internal agitation, Lexapro 7.5mg (2 days), Lexapro 10mg (16 days), Zoloft 12.5mg (3 days)...she said try it again since my blood relative does well on it, Zoloft 25mg (7 days) - same as before and getting worse!! Zoloft 50mg (6 days), Zoloft 25mg (4 days and then came off cold turkey on April 8, 2015). I used Xanax .25mg about 7 times per month through all of this until June 30, 2015 (my last benzo dose). Extreme anxiety, nervous system traumatized, mental akathisia, anger triggered by nothing but the brain totally going off on its own, feeling of a pressurized electric current going through me like my brain and body are trying to explode, stress reaction x10000 to everything, waking in terror lasting all day, fear, very sensitive, brain can't keep up, don't know what to do with myself, feeling like everything is going too fast and I can't keep up, helium head, deep depression like something is ripping out my soul, out of my mind, can hardly drive or be alone, cognitive issues, simple tasks are so complex and straining, feel disturbed because the brain can't process anything right even though your brain tries so hard and it makes you go mad, episodes of deep anguish with a sick toxic poison feeling (like you have some unknown virus).

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  • 5 weeks later...

Quirkdiggler,

 

I also had an adverse reaction so please share your symptoms when you can. Our stories are on our intro threads so let us know yours when you can. Hope things improve.    

Lexapro: started in 2002 at 10 mgs.

Ambien: started as a as needed sleep aid in 2010.

Quit Lexapro cold turkey in June 20015 due to contributing to low sodium issues.

Restarted Lexapro in late November for a week (only 5 mgs) but quit due to dizziness side effects. Side effects worsened for 3 weeks until

12/24/15: Protracted WD hit, experienced extreme anxiety, insomnia lack of full concentration and social challenges.

Reinstated Lexapro on 1/1/16 at 5 mgs. Increased per Dr to 7.5 MG. Tapered off Lexapro in March 2016.

Started 50MG of Seroquel in late January 2016 for bedtime to help in eliminate Ambien. Tapered off both Seroquel and Ambien in March 2016.

2/14/16: Prescribed both Remeron (15 MG) and Temazapam (15 MG) for sleep. Also use Klonopin and Ambien again in place of Temazapam to avoid addiction. However I did take Temazapam 60 straight days

6/15/16: Stopped use of all benzo's and now use Belsomra 1-2 times a week. Still on 15 MG of Remeron

10/11/16: Off all psych medications

 

After kindling, trying to regain my strength suffering from severe mental and physical fatigue.

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  • 2 months later...

Hey there, is anyone still out there? I just had to take a break from the constant obsessive research, I just had to. It was at and night every little time I could find, threaded into a very busy life... Very frustrating when you work 60 hours and try to read and whatnot in minute increments when you just want to spend days and weeks learning how to get your life back. But I couldn't take it anymore. But I have found some things along the way so I think it's time I get back to this. I've gotta get my profile straight with a list of what happened. I'll do a little every chance I get. I've had a few actual progresses recently, so it lit the fire back up that maybe someday I'll be my old self again. A month ago on a Sunday I was staring at a bottle of pills and how do badly I wanted to just have peace, once and for all. Deserved peace. I had to look at my pup and tell myself that he needs me over and over to stop the misery and madness. But anyway I want to do this. Can anyone remind me of what all comprises a good profile information wise? Thank you and I hope everyone is at least a little further thru this process than before. Even just a little bit. To be a little bit if I'm sure it's real is a big deal.

Celexa adverse reaction one year ago, never really recovered. My life pretty much stopped. So many symptoms. Not sure how much to include here, but horror filled depression, terrible anxiety, physically wrecked. Try constantly to figure out what to eat, supplements etc. Kratom is the only thing that has kept me working, but with the recent dea nonsense I can't count on it forever

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hey Quirk,

 

Glad to hear you've had some improvements - that must have been such a relief for you. 

 

By 'profile' do you mean signature?  It's good to include the dates and dosages of all drugs you have been on, including tapering methods.  You can also include any supplements you are using. 

 

And yes, there are always people here having improvements.  I've been having them lately, after a good long hold helped me get stable again.  Are you now feeling more stable than a month ago?  So glad you've found the determination to continue to heal.

 

Welcome back,

Karen

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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  • 2 years later...

How are you doing, Quirkdiggler?  It's been over two years since you last visited?  We hope you are well. -Rosetta

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/16629-rosetta-ct-may-2011-too-fast-taper-feb-2017/?page=25

2001-2011 Celexa 10 mg raised to 40 mg then 60 mg over this time period

May 2011 OB Doctor's Cold switch Celexa 60 mg to 10 mg Zoloft sertraline (baby born)

2012-2016 - Doctors raised dose of Zoloft up to 150 mg

2016 - Xanax prescribed - as needed - 0.5 mg about every 3 days (bad reaction)

2016 - Stopped Xanax

Late 2016- Began (too fast) taper of Zoloft

Early 2017 - Trazodone prescribed for bedtime (doseage unknown)

Feb 2017 - Completed taper/stopped Trazodone

Drug free since Feb 2017

2017 - Unisom otc very rarely for sleep

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