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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Larissa on August 27, 1999, at 10:18:17
In June of this year I finally sought treatment for my depresion. Am seeing a therapist and a Psych Doc.
Dr started me on Celexa 6/15 but it made everything worse. I have been tired all the time, CANNOT remember anything, dizzy, no motivation and I miss the euphoric feeling I had when I was cycling more.I saw the Dr yesterday and she swithched me to Wellbutrin -no weaning off celexa or anything. Frankly, Im scared. Im new to this whole experience of working with meds and dealing with the side effects. Ive been reading thru some of your posts and you all seem to have been doing this for a while. Any help?
Posted by JohnL on August 27, 1999, at 15:33:51
In reply to Celexa vs Wellbutrin. What do you know?, posted by Larissa on August 27, 1999, at 10:18:17
The switch from an SSRI(Celexa, Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft) to Wellbutrin is common. Weaning off one and onto another is common. The key is to go slow in small steps with both. When a doc has a patient switch or stop without weaning slowly it makes me cringe. New side effects plus sudden withdrawl effects together...potentially very confusing and uncomfortable. I've stopped and switched every which way. Through personal experience I much prefer the slow and low method, with or without my docs blessings. Even weaning off Celexa slowly and completely before starting the Wellbutrin would be better than stopping abruptly based on my own experiences. I guess what I'm saying is starting the Wellbutrin isn't a problem, with or without the Celexa, but stopping the Celexa abruptly is. Just my experience.
Posted by Nancy on August 27, 1999, at 18:58:42
In reply to Celexa vs Wellbutrin. What do you know?, posted by Larissa on August 27, 1999, at 10:18:17
> In June of this year I finally sought treatment for my depresion. Am seeing a therapist and a Psych Doc.
>
> Dr started me on Celexa 6/15 but it made everything worse. I have been tired all the time, CANNOT remember anything, dizzy, no motivation and I miss the euphoric feeling I had when I was cycling more.
>
> I saw the Dr yesterday and she swithched me to Wellbutrin -no weaning off celexa or anything. Frankly, Im scared. Im new to this whole experience of working with meds and dealing with the side effects. Ive been reading thru some of your posts and you all seem to have been doing this for a while. Any help?I wouldn't worry too much about it. Wellbutrin affects the serotonin system very little, and Celexa iss in the SSRI class of antidepressants that affects primarily the serotonin system. Wellbutrin works mostly on dopamine. Give iti some time and see what happens.
Posted by Cheeser on August 23, 2002, at 18:20:20
In reply to Celexa vs Wellbutrin. What do you know?, posted by Larissa on August 27, 1999, at 10:18:17
> In June of this year I finally sought treatment for my depresion. Am seeing a therapist and a Psych Doc.
>
> Dr started me on Celexa 6/15 but it made everything worse. I have been tired all the time, CANNOT remember anything, dizzy, no motivation and I miss the euphoric feeling I had when I was cycling more.
>
> I saw the Dr yesterday and she swithched me to Wellbutrin -no weaning off celexa or anything. Frankly, Im scared. Im new to this whole experience of working with meds and dealing with the side effects. Ive been reading thru some of your posts and you all seem to have been doing this for a while. Any help?I was taking Celexa from March through today, when my new doctor switched me to Wellbutrin. I have high hopes (higher than Celexa, anyway). Celexa was *horrible*. Terribly unmanageable side effects like those you said. And it's not just me, almost everyone I've talked to has had a bad reaction to Celexa.
Wellbutrin seems to have a good change of working for me, since my major complaints from Celexa, and even Prozac, were: sexual dysfunction, weight gain, sleeping problems, and excessive sweating. Wellbutrin seems to have a better chance of bypassing those side effects.
My doc did mention something about Celexa-2 though, that's coming out in September 2002. Something about how they've redesigned it so that it's just as effective in half the dose (thus reducing side effects). So, I was on 80mg and the new one would only require 40mg. I'll keep an eye on it, but I did *NOT* like Celexa at all.
Posted by Dynagirl68 on October 5, 2002, at 8:34:25
In reply to Re: Celexa vs Wellbutrin. What do you know?, posted by Cheeser on August 23, 2002, at 18:20:20
I have been on Celexa since Sep 01 and have gained 30 pounds. I could handle the low sex drive, sleepiness, sweating, etc. but could not handle that. Gaining 30 lbs while working out an hour and a half almost every day? That's just wrong! In any case, my doc put me on Wellbutrin this week and I am hoping for the best. Any thoughts out there would be greatly appreciated...
Posted by Cheeser on October 5, 2002, at 23:59:40
In reply to Re: Celexa vs Wellbutrin. What do you know?, posted by Dynagirl68 on October 5, 2002, at 8:34:25
> I have been on Celexa since Sep 01 and have gained 30 pounds. I could handle the low sex drive, sleepiness, sweating, etc. but could not handle that. Gaining 30 lbs while working out an hour and a half almost every day? That's just wrong! In any case, my doc put me on Wellbutrin this week and I am hoping for the best. Any thoughts out there would be greatly appreciated...
Wow! I have had a GREAT reaction to Wellbutrin. I've been on it for several weeks now and I have renewed energy, motivation and just basically a new lease on life. I hope it works for you! It completely turned me around. (It also has no sexual side effects!). I felt "high" for about the first week, but that subsided and now I just feel like my old self (before depression). It's been great and I can only hope it does as well for you. Please let us know!!
Posted by Dynagirl68 on October 6, 2002, at 14:30:57
In reply to Re: Celexa vs Wellbutrin. What do you know? » Dynagirl68, posted by Cheeser on October 5, 2002, at 23:59:40
Thank you for the info. I am very very hopeful that this will work. I don't really have a lot of depression per se, mostly severe anxiety, bordering on paranoia at times. Just like this constant fear for no good reason, all the time. The best way I can describe it is if you've ever done cocaine or speed, the feeling you get when you are coming down, except I feel that way most of the time. I dont do coke or speed anymore, just did it recreationally when I was in my twenties. I always hated that coming down part. Yikes, it was horrible. In any case, Celexa did work for me, made me a bit numb and completely asexual but did make me just go with the flow and not stress about anything. I just couldn't handle the weight gain. It freaked me out. I lost 80 pounds in 1989 and have kept it off for 13 years, so to just gain this 30 pounds for no good reason was just a deal breaker for me on the celexa.
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