Posted by Cam W. on June 15, 2000, at 21:50:30
In reply to Re: I feel a desire to taper off Celexa finally , posted by Rockets on June 15, 2000, at 14:57:53
Rocket - I have to agree with danf & you, that a year taking an SSRI is probably a good idea. Adding serotonin to your system will correct the symptoms, and retraining the body to produce a proper amount, does take time (books say at least 6 months, I tend to say at least 9 months, but a year is better).You also have to adjust the levels of other neurotransmitters that have been altered while trying to compensate for the lack of serotonin in your body. Along with this, neurotransmitter receptor concentrations also must adjusted. The trick is to keep these readjustments at a "normal" level. The body always wants to take the path of least resistance. If you stop an SSRI too soon, the body will revert back to pre-SSRI neurotransmitter/receptor concentrations because the body "remembers" (still are higher concentrations of proteins and secondary messengers that are involved in gene expression due to receptor stimulation that must also be altered) how it was working pre-SSRI This remembering may be how relapse happens (no real proof, but an educated guess). All this changing takes time.
You may feel better now, but the SSRI is acting as a bandage as the wound (anxiety circuit breakdown) is being healed.
I hope this makes some sense. If not, tell me and I will try to rephrase it (my brain isn't firing on all cylinders, tonight). - Cam
poster:Cam W.
thread:37305
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000610/msgs/37459.html