Hello, I was on Celexa 3 years ago for about 8 months for A/D due to PAWS from Alcohol. I was up to 40mg and my life was completely back to normal. I tapper off and my life was great. And no alcohol.
That lasted two years and due to a very tragic event in October all my Anxiety and Depression came back. I was put on Celexa again. I started at 5mg for one week. Then went to 10mg and have been on that for two weeks. I just went up to 12.5mg yesterday. My doctor wants me to get to 20mg.
I am terrified of drugs and side effects which always seem to be severe anxiety for me that is why I am going so slow to get to 20mg.
My mornings are horrible. I feel hopeless depression until around noon. the anxiety seem to start in my chest the moment I open my eyes. I take the Celexa in the morning around 8:30am but the depression and anxiety start before that. I can't take it at night because then I have problems with sleep.
My late afternoons and evenings are when I have peace. Although yesterday for the first time I had depression around 5pm but it went away around 7pm.
My main fears are that because I was on Celexa before, it won't work this time. And I am worried that I will never get over this.
I am also wondering whether the 4 to 6 week time frame for this drug to work starts when you are at the minimum therapeutic dose of 20mg or does it start from when I started at 5mg?
I also take Trazodone 50mg at night to sleep. And was out on Ativan .5mg 3 times a day as my Anxiety was through the roof all day long. I have crossed over to Valium 5mg in the morning, 5mg at noon, and I am still at .5ativan around 6pm. I will be cutting that to .250 Ativan and 2.5 Valium tomorrow and stat there for about 5 days and the it will be all Valium.
I know how bad the Benzo's are but at this point in my life I have no choice. I had to take them 3 years ago with the PAWS. I am hoping that the Celexa will kick in and then I can start to slowly tapper off the Valium.
That is the other HUGH fear I have of going through withdrawl from the Valium when I start the tapper!!!
God I just hope that the Celexa will work again!!! It really saved me last time!!!! I've been too worried about looking up whether it has worked for other people a second time because if I see it hasn't it will make things worse for me!!!
Please I beg you not to tell me any negitives about any of this. I already know them. I just would love to hear if it has worked twice for others.
And God bless all of you!!! I have been reading a lot of stories especially from women, you are so very strong!!!! I pray for peace for all of you!!!!
Sorry for the long post but I'm Scared!!!