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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by hildi on June 30, 2002, at 10:16:16
I have been on a low dose celexa for the past 2-3weeks. At first I seemed to feel a little bit of something, a glimmer of hope, but now nothing. I feel worse than ever. I cannot stop crying, I feel black. I'm nauseous, shaky, light-headed, jittery, and easily confused. I tried upping the dose, but that only made things worse. My pdoc says "to give it more time and to stop thinking about all this so much". He says to just "smile" and deal with it. I feel humiliated by this doc, and I don't want to give this more time. My anxiety and depression are not improving at all, but he says the celexa is different and needs more time to kick in. All I know Is that in the past, when I started prozac and later, when I started zoloft, I could feel things start kicking in almost immediately. Does anyone have any similar experience?
Also, the dr. recently gave me some trileptal that he wants me to start taking twice a day, in addition to 10 mg. celexa. I am really med sensitive. I'm scared to take this stuff.
Should I really give celexa more time? Should I go back to prozac or zoloft. Should I add the trileptal?
I am unipolar- have major depression and severe anxiety d/o.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Posted by suji on June 30, 2002, at 14:52:58
In reply to celexa-should I continue? Add trileptal?, posted by hildi on June 30, 2002, at 10:16:16
Posted by Bill L on July 1, 2002, at 8:44:37
In reply to celexa-should I continue? Add trileptal?, posted by hildi on June 30, 2002, at 10:16:16
Hildi - give it more time. I have been on Celexa (40 mg) for 2 and 1/2 years with very good results. But when I first started on it, it made me jittery and tired. The side effects gradually went away.
Posted by hildi on July 1, 2002, at 20:20:46
In reply to Re: celexa-should I continue? Add trileptal?, posted by Bill L on July 1, 2002, at 8:44:37
> Hildi - give it more time. I have been on Celexa (40 mg) for 2 and 1/2 years with very good results. But when I first started on it, it made me jittery and tired. The side effects gradually went away.
Thanks Bill. But what about the crying spells? I was crying uncontrollably off and on. This morn I took 25mg zoloft and my crying is under control. I am queasy though. I'm thinking of taking a very small dose of zoloft, in addition to a small dose of celexa, at least for a little while.
And what about the trileptal? My dr. says to add this. I have heard some not so good things about this med on PB. I'm afraid to try it.
Posted by Bill L on July 2, 2002, at 10:08:14
In reply to Re: celexa-should I continue? Add trileptal?, posted by hildi on July 1, 2002, at 20:20:46
Hildi - I am not familiar with trileptal. I hope that someone who is familiar with it will respond. I hope your combination of Zoloft and Celexa helps you. Be careful about raising the dose and make sure that your doctor knows. You can get serotonin syndrome if you take too much of the Zoloft together with Celexa.
> Thanks Bill. But what about the crying spells? I was crying uncontrollably off and on. This morn I took 25mg zoloft and my crying is under control. I am queasy though. I'm thinking of taking a very small dose of zoloft, in addition to a small dose of celexa, at least for a little while.
> And what about the trileptal? My dr. says to add this. I have heard some not so good things about this med on PB. I'm afraid to try it.
Posted by allie on July 2, 2002, at 18:22:58
In reply to Re: celexa-should I continue? Add trileptal?, posted by Bill L on July 2, 2002, at 10:08:14
I have been taking trileptal for three months and find it helpful but I am bipolar and do not think it would benefit you if you are unipolar.
Posted by hildi on July 2, 2002, at 20:52:40
In reply to Re: celexa-should I continue? Add trileptal?, posted by allie on July 2, 2002, at 18:22:58
> I have been taking trileptal for three months and find it helpful but I am bipolar and do not think it would benefit you if you are unipolar.
I don't really know my diagnosis. My pdoc doesn't tell me anything and I basically have had to find out information all on my own for the past 8 or so years since I've been taking meds.When I ask for information from my pdoc he tells me "I'm thinking too much" and "just smile". This is really frustrating, but I haven't changed dr's because I don't have health insurance and am on a 'sliding scale' at the place this dr. is at. I 'think' I am unipolar- when I was first 'diagnosed' with depression and anxiety d/o I did some research and I seemed to fit the description for 'major' depression, I think. . . but I know I also probably have OCD and maybe even ADD? I wonder what I am because the SSRI's seem to increase this OCD and ADD thing. It's so hard to tell what to take since I don't even know what I am.
Could you tell me a brief explanation of bipolar, and what is the difference between BP 1 and BP2? Gosh, there is so much I don't know.
Hildi
Posted by allie on July 2, 2002, at 21:04:34
In reply to I don't even know diagnosis-patronizing dr., posted by hildi on July 2, 2002, at 20:52:40
Antidepressants alone do not work well for bipolar people. A mood stabilizer (such as Trileptal) is needed in addition to the antidepressant. Do a computer search on Bipolar and Bipolar 11 and you will learn very much. Also go to your library and read books on bipolar.
Posted by oona on July 7, 2002, at 11:30:46
In reply to celexa-should I continue? Add trileptal?, posted by hildi on June 30, 2002, at 10:16:16
> I have been on a low dose celexa for the past 2-3weeks. At first I seemed to feel a little bit of something, a glimmer of hope, but now nothing. I feel worse than ever. I cannot stop crying, I feel black. I'm nauseous, shaky, light-headed, jittery, and easily confused. I tried upping the dose, but that only made things worse. My pdoc says "to give it more time and to stop thinking about all this so much". He says to just "smile" and deal with it. I feel humiliated by this doc, and I don't want to give this more time. My anxiety and depression are not improving at all, but he says the celexa is different and needs more time to kick in. All I know Is that in the past, when I started prozac and later, when I started zoloft, I could feel things start kicking in almost immediately. Does anyone have any similar experience?
> Also, the dr. recently gave me some trileptal that he wants me to start taking twice a day, in addition to 10 mg. celexa. I am really med sensitive. I'm scared to take this stuff.
> Should I really give celexa more time? Should I go back to prozac or zoloft. Should I add the trileptal?
> I am unipolar- have major depression and severe anxiety d/o.
> Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
> ThanksHi Hildi,
I do not know about tileptal. I had started Celexa about 2 months ago and it had not started working right away. I had also been on Zoloft before so I know what you mean about it working right away. I am taking risperdal, a mood stablilzer also. I am bipolar, not sure if it is I or 2. My pdoc said probably have to increase the meds if they were not workin. Have started taking 40 mg/Celexa now, so we will see how that goes and taking .5 of the Risperdal, probably will have to increase that as my moods are shaky...Just to let you know to hang in there, maybe by telling the doctor how you feel about him, his insensitivity etc. All clinics and public health centers have some kind of review boards and maybe you can get switched to another doc. You just have to let yourself be heard. THEY are working for YOU! Even if it is on a sliding scale, your health and well being is why they are there. Tell him that you want to know EXACTLY what your diagnosis is. Tell him you are humiliated by him. Tell him you are suffering from depression and can not smile. Let him hear you. Do not sit there and let him play the role of The great DOCTOR. Is he a psychiatrist? Now in some states, psychologists can dispense meds and may not be a knowledgable in these areas.
If you feel you can not tell him all of this, write it down, all of it and read it to him. I will bet that makes him sit up and take notice!
Or better yet, print out all of these replies and read them to him, HA, he will really sit up and take notice. If he fails you in any way, it is his licsence and reputation.
do not know your whole story, just that I found it helpful to make my self heard and I used to be a mouse and it took many years to find my voice.
peace,
oona
Posted by fairnymph on July 7, 2002, at 12:13:36
In reply to celexa-should I continue? Add trileptal?, posted by hildi on June 30, 2002, at 10:16:16
How did zoloft and prozac work for you?
IMO, you have been on the celexa long enough so that the side effects should have subsided..I think you should stop taking it, it sounds like you just can't tolerate it.
I don't know that much about trileptal but I'm somewhat skeptical of whether it's the right med for someone like you...
~fairnymph
Posted by hildi on July 7, 2002, at 17:59:14
In reply to Re: celexa-should I continue? Add trileptal?, posted by fairnymph on July 7, 2002, at 12:13:36
> How did zoloft and prozac work for you?
>
> IMO, you have been on the celexa long enough so that the side effects should have subsided..I think you should stop taking it, it sounds like you just can't tolerate it.
>
> I don't know that much about trileptal but I'm somewhat skeptical of whether it's the right med for someone like you...
>
> ~fairnymphThanks to the both of you for responding. i don't believe either med is right for me,my body doen't lie about things like this. I plan on calling the dr. tomorrow, making an appointment to see him soon and making him talk to me some more. This is just too ridiculous. I don't know my diagnosis, I fell like hell, I am being intimidated by this man for asking questions I have the right to ask. you both brought up some good points -I have the right to expect good care (I was thinking maybe I didn't. I thought maybe I was expecting too much and being too demanding)and if these drugs were right for me I would know. My body is NOT responding positively to either of these meds. I will trust my body and my intuition. I do not trust my dr., not now, not ever.
Thanks gals,
Hildi
This is the end of the thread.
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