Celexa and no motivation

[KarenRB53]

Hi: I've been taking Celexa for 8 months and after the first few wks I thought it was going to be okay. It does help depression however doesn't do much for my anxiety. Also, I have absolutely no motivation and the longer I take it the worse it gets. I just don't feel like doing anything. Not depressed, just don't feel like doing a darn thing. My doctor has increased dosage from 10mg to 20mg to 30mg and the only difference is the higher the dosage the more irritated I get. Does anyone have the same problem? I tried Lexapro first but I broke out in a rash on face and arms and so I had to switch to Celexa. Previously I used Prozac for many years but eventually it stopped working.
Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Jazzey]

I had the same problem too - with celexa. My doctor increased the dosage to 60 for me about a month ago and it made a world of difference for me. Maybe you just haven't found the right dosage yet? Have you also considered therapy as an adjunct to the medication? I find that therapy has also helped me quite a bit.

 

[Retired]

Hi Karen,

Have you discussed these feelings of lethargy and lack of motivation with your doctor? It sounds like you have made progress in getting relief from depressive symptoms, but now you need to find ways with your doctor to deal with the remaining symptoms.

As you probably know, sometimes treating depression and related anxiety requires dosage modifications and even changes in the medication, until the right match of medication is found to treat your particular brain chemistry.

It could be the symptoms you are experiencing might be side effects of Celexa, so a discussion with your doctor should help identify the cause and hopefully a strategy to correct them.

 

[Daniel E.]

It sounds like you have made progress in getting relief from depressive symptoms, but now you need to find ways with your doctor to deal with the remaining symptoms.

And, Karen, if your doctor doesn't mention therapy or lifestyle changes, that is unfortunately not uncommon. Generally speaking, doctors and psychiatrists need to do a better job of prescribing exercise, providing referrals to therapists, etc. Personally, I get more from socialization and exercise than I have from antidepressants, but my close relatives seem to get more out of meds than anything else.

 

[KarenRB53]

I had the same problem too - with celexa. My doctor increased the dosage to 60 for me about a month ago and it made a world of difference for me. Maybe you just haven't found the right dosage yet? Have you also considered therapy as an adjunct to the medication? I find that therapy has also helped me quite a bit.

How did you get up to 60mg. Did you increase by 10mg and for how long? I really wanted this med to work so will do what it takes to give it a fair trial. I do go for therapy also.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[Retired]

Karen,

There is no "one dosage fits all" or "one medications fits all" in treating disorders such as depression and anxiety. Relying on what may have succeeded for one person is no indicator of the outcome for some one else.

We each have our own medical history, our unique set of circumstances, a disorder or illness that presents a unique set of symptoms, a brain and body chemistry that may react in a specific manner, and a physician whose treatment protocol and style may also vary.

There is no magic bullet that erases all symptoms of the illness of depression and anxiety, but rather the treatment is a gradual progression dependent on continuous feedback between patient and physician so each issue can be dealt with in its own time.

 

[Jazzey]

How did you get up to 60mg. Did you increase by 10mg and for how long? I really wanted this med to work so will do what it takes to give it a fair trial. I do go for therapy also.
Thanks for sharing.

I've been taking celexa (citalopram) now since September 2008. I initially started at 20mg. Then about 4 weeks later, I went up to 40mg. At the time, I was seeing my GP on a weekly basis so he could monitor the medication. About six months ago, he suggested I increase the dosage and I said that I wanted to try lifestyle changes before increasing it. But, when I saw that I just couldn't get motivated (I'd spend days in bed) I asked him to finally increase the dosage. That was about a month ago now.

 

[KarenRB53]

How are you doing on the higher dose of Celexa? The only thing with me is my anxiety increases as the dose increases and then I have to take more lorazepam, which I don't want to do.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Have you made your doctors aware of this, Karen? There is always the option of trying something else which is less likely to produce anxiety as a side-effect, e.g., one of the SSRI/SNRI medications - Effexor, Cymbalta, Pristiq.

 

[KarenRB53]

Have you made your doctors aware of this, Karen? There is always the option of trying something else which is less likely to produce anxiety as a side-effect, e.g., one of the SSRI/SNRI medications - Effexor, Cymbalta, Pristiq.

About 5 months ago my doctor added WellbutrinXL 150mg to the Celexa 20mg. His thoughts were to increase the motivation and help anxiety at the same time. The combination has worked well for me as far as motivation, energy, etc, however the anxiety is still high. I also take lorazepam 1mg at night and .05mg during the day if needed. I know it could be the Celexa causing anxiety and it certainly could be the Wellbutrin. Seeing as how the WellbutrinXL doesn't come in lower doses I was wondering if taking 100mg of the WellbutrinSR might work out better for me. I really don't want to stop the Wellbutrin because it does help a lot with motivation and energy. I also know that nothing else works quite the way Wellbutrin does.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

That might be worth trying, Karen. I do know that sometimes people with anxiety find that Wellbutrin can make them feel more anxious.

 

[SilentNinja]

ive just relaised this is what i am taking too but in drops because pills scare me! I have been sleeping alot since taking it.. but it might not be that, i have to increase my dosage tomorrow as well.

Yay i caught the edit button!

I dont mean to hijack this thread but can i throw a quick question in here to save me starting a thread? Its just that i have been reading about this medication online and it says Warning.. not to be taking if you have bipolar disorder... which i have been diagnosed with... why would they put me on this medication?!

 

[Been there Done that]

I want to increase Celexa too but I am concerned asking my doctor if it would make me manic. Does the higher dose help with OCD thoughts?

Been There Done That

 

[KarenRB53]

ive just relaised this is what i am taking too but in drops because pills scare me! I have been sleeping alot since taking it.. but it might not be that, i have to increase my dosage tomorrow as well.

Yay i caught the edit button!

I dont mean to hijack this thread but can i throw a quick question in here to save me starting a thread? Its just that i have been reading about this medication online and it says Warning.. not to be taking if you have bipolar disorder... which i have been diagnosed with... why would they put me on this medication?!

Is it the Wellbutrin or the Celexa you're wondering about?

---------- Post added at 05:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:35 PM ----------

I want to increase Celexa too but I am concerned asking my doctor if it would make me manic. Does the higher dose help with OCD thoughts?

Been There Done That

I don't know about the higher dose and OCD thoughts......from what I've read, the Celexa can cause agitation in some. I'd like to know the answer to this also.

 

[SilentNinja]

the celexa it said not to be given to people with bipolar.. i read it somewhere on the internet

 

[Andy]

the celexa it said not to be given to people with bipolar.. i read it somewhere on the internet

It may be used as off-label. Meaning it is approved for Depression, but is used for other conditions as well. The only reason I can think that you may have read that it shouldn't be given to bipolar is that maybe it induces mania/hypomania in bipolar 1.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I want to increase Celexa too but I am concerned asking my doctor if it would make me manic. Does the higher dose help with OCD thoughts?

Not necessarily. : It won't necessarily "make you manic" and a higher dose than what you're taking won't necessarily be better than your current dose for "helping with the OCD thoughts". On the other hand, all SSRIs have the potential for inducing hypomania or mania in bipolar patients, although this is more likely to be a risk if you're not already taking medication to stabilize your moods.

I don't know about the higher dose and OCD thoughts......from what I've read, the Celexa can cause agitation in some. I'd like to know the answer to this also.

the celexa it said not to be given to people with bipolar.. i read it somewhere on the internet

It may be used as off-label. Meaning it is approved for Depression, but is used for other conditions as well. The only reason I can think that you may have read that it shouldn't be given to bipolar is that maybe it induces mania/hypomania in bipolar 1.

STP is correct. See above: Any SSRI has the potential to trigger hypomania or mania; this is not special to Celexa and Celexa does not have a higher risk in this regard than other SSRIs. Many people with Bipolar Disorder are prescribed SSRIs, sometimes alone and sometimes in combination with other medications, e.g., mood stabilizers.

 

[KarenRB53]

That might be worth trying, Karen. I do know that sometimes people with anxiety find that Wellbutrin can make them feel more anxious.

I've been diagnosed with MDD and GAD and possibly bipolar2. So anxiety has always been an issue with me no matter what meds I take. The Wellbutrin combined with Celexa does seem to increase the anxiety and its a body anxiety (don't know what else to call it), my body is very tense and kind of stiff. The Wellbutrin works well for motivation, energy etc and because I've always taken an SSRI, thought I should keep taking that also. Just thinking maybe its the combination of Celexa w/Wellbutrin. When I took Celexa alone I couldn't increase dosage above 20mg or the anxiety really increased. So Celexa does nothing for anxiety and at best just kept my head above water as far as the depression goes and thats why my doctor added Wellbutrin. I also take Lorazepam daily which does help but I can feel when its starting to wear off. Maybe a different SSRI (one that calms) or maybe just Wellbutrin with a longer acting benzo (clonazepam) or is there another type of medication that works well for GAD that I could take with Wellbutrin. Sorry for all the questions. Thanks for any suggestions or advice. My psychiatrist leaves a lot up to me as to what I'd like to try, so I definitely need guidance.

Karen

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Have you tried one of the dual action SSRI/SNRI drugs - Effexor, Cymbalta, or Pristiq?

 

[KarenRB53]

Have you tried one of the dual action SSRI/SNRI drugs - Effexor, Cymbalta, or Pristiq?

I did try Effexor but my blood pressure went up very quickly so my doctor took me off. I take meds for high blood pressure and its well controlled.