Citalopram/Celexa/Cipramil?

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My general doctor gave me a prescription for this stuff today. I screened positive for clinical depression, anxiety, and ptsd. Not any surprises there, but I have been trying to treat my issues naturally. I'm generally anti pharma for a variety of reasons.

I've been taking St Johns Wort and when I read the warnings on the prescription I see that this is contraindicated plus lots of other side effects. I am considering just increasing my dose of St Johns instead of taking this pharmaceutical. If someone here has had success with the Citalopram I would love to hear about it to help me make my decision. If the drug has miraculous results I would consider it.

Thanks.

I will NEVER take another phyc med again and if someone tried to make me they will have to kill me and shove it down the throat of my corpse. I was forced to take them as a kid under the lie that they would "help" me. Whatever I needed help with I was never told, at least in a way I could understand or that did not go ever my head. I was told I had a chemical imblance in my brain but that has been proven to be BS. Physatrists are nothing more than legal drug dealers.

If you suffer from PTSD as well
as depression, it might me wise
to think about taking meds if you
are not getting enough support.

I am not on any meds, but a while
back I was on this the drug you
mention and it had a very positive
effect on me. I only needed 5mg to
get a good theraputic effect, with
only minimal emotional blunting.

Google Temple Grandin and Donna
Williams and medication. Experiment,
but dont mix St John's Wort with meds,
make sure you have a week in-between.

Wishing you well

Chris

Criss,

I hope this is not prying. It sounds like you were able to take this medication and then stop and still feel better. Is that correct? Was it helpful for the ptsd and would you consider yourself cured of that?

Punkykat,

I have the same general feeling. I have had horrible experiences with doctors and do not trust them. I have not taken a pharmaceutical in years.

Are you sure it's a good idea to mix St John's Wort with Citalopram?

edit: reread & realised you already know they interact.

Citalopram does work, but it's slow (often weeks) and can't be stopped suddenly, so if you think you have other options, there's no harm trying them first.

Keep the prescription handy just in case though.

Lene,

I would have to stop taking the St Johns Wort before I started the prescription. I read that on the package insert from the pharmacy. My doctor didn't mention it so good thing I read the insert. So I am trying to decide if the Citalopram works well enough that it might be worth it to switch and give it a try. The insert says I would need to wait 14 days in between.

Sorry, that's what I meant; hold onto the prescription, but don't start taking the citalopram until you feel you need to, and stop the Wort before then.

If you prefer, you can try upping your St John's Wort and making other lifestyle changes and see if that gets you by. If it doesn't, then you will have to stop the wort and take the tablets.

Different antidepressants affect everyone differently, so nobody can say exactly how well citalopram will work for you compared to St John's wort. You can always give it a go for a few months.

I have taken Citalopram for post-partum depression without bothersome side effects. I gradually titrated the dose down and eventually stopped.

I would recommend keeping a daily journal. Jot down how you are feeling each day and also, any particular stressors that might have occurred. Do this for a couple of weeks (at least) before starting a prescription. Then continue journalling for a a few weeks/months.

Review your journal. Are you feeling any better? Are you having any side-effects? Evaluate whether you think that this drug is helping or hurting you.

If it is hurting you - have the dose gradually decreased or stopped with consultation with your doctor.

If it is helping - try to get other support and treatment for your depression. Good diet low in sugar/processed foods. Excercise (walking is great), swimming, aroebics, whatever feels right to you. Also try to balance all aspects of your life - social, work, financial, emotional and spiritual. If it works for you - find a support group.

I liken my use of anti-depressants for my depression to that of an injured person using painkillers on a temporary basis. The painkillers are used so that the injured person can tolerate physiotherapy (which will actually heal the injury). In my cae, the anti-depressants lifted the fog enough so that I could better care for myself and use lifestyle choices to manage my mental health.

In any event, close journalling will help you better evaluate how this drug is working for you. If you live in a household with supportive family members/friends - ask them to journal or monitor your apparent mood as well. Sometimes other people can see changes (positive or negative) more objectively.

Good luck to you.

Canadian Rose & Lene,

I share the same general philosophy, and felt that I have managed my symptoms well naturally up until recently. In the last few months I have had some severe stressors in my life that have kind of snowballed me (bad exhusband wants to come back, close friend moving away, children issues, increased demands, etc)

I have decided to try taking 2 St Johns a day for six weeks (right now I only take 1) and keeping a record. Last week I resumed my neglected exercise schedule, so heres hoping.

Good luck I'm not surprised you're stressed at the moment!

Foreword: I am very sensitive to many medications and find microdosing works better for me.

I will never take Celexa or another SSRI in my life. While the first time my doctors tried Celexa when I was in college was largely free of side effects, every subsequent attempt with one of those medications had negative implications for me with each experience worse than the last. A year ago, my doctor wanted to try Celexa one more time, and I agreed. The next six weeks were hell as I went on and then back off of it - tremors/shaking, insomnia, hallucinations, among other issues. It was terrifying and umcomfortable. Medications for anxiety do a better job treating my depression than SSRIs (personally), but you might have some relief with a tricyclic antidepressant.


M.

I hope people aren't tired of me saying this, but your experiences on any given drug are ENTIRELY individual to you. You can't base your decision to take the drug on other people's reaction to it. My advice is to try it for 8 weeks and then make up your mind. If you experience side effects (which you won't notice for 3-4 weeks, by the way), stop it early. You might just do really well on it.

I have had a really, bad time with citalopram. I wish I had never taken any meds at all.

Don't take them together.

St. John's Wort is an SSRI, just like Celexa. They have a very similar effect. That means that if you take them both, you may accidentally overdose. At the very least, your doctor won't have the full picture about what dosages you are getting and which substances are currently affecting your neurochemistry.

In fact, I suggest you call your doctor and tell him/her that you have been taking St. John's Wort. Drug interactions can be serious business, and your doctor needs to be aware that you are taking it. (Always mention all over-the-counter and alternative medicines you are taking when you go to a doctor. They can have side effects, interact with other medications, and even be dangerous under various circumstances. There seems to be the idea that they aren't "real" medication because they're natural or you don't need a prescription; but they are, and people have hurt themselves because they didn't realize that.)

If you "screened positive" for depression and are having problems despite the St. John's Wort, it's probably time to try a different medication. When one antidepressant doesn't work, increasing the dose doesn't tend to work all that well, either. SSRIs are odd that way--if a low dose of a particular type is ineffective, a higher dose is likely to be equally ineffective. (Many doctors don't realize this and will increase the dose anyway, hoping for an effect. Unless the original dose was very small, they're not all that likely to get it. Trying a different SSRI makes more sense.) The obvious drawback to St. John's Wort is that it is still in raw form, rather than refined--you don't know how much of the "active ingredient" you are getting.

So, bottom line:
1. Call your doctor and ask about medication interactions.
2. Consider trying a different antidepressant rather than just raising the dose. St. John's Wort has been shown to be effective for mild depression, but not as effective as commercially manufactured SSRIs; and the dose is easier to calibrate properly for the commercial medication.

I'm on Citalopram. The only thing I can really say is that I haven't had any side effects at all from it. Not sure if it's working or not.