Posted by GLYN on October 16, 2000, at 19:14:11
In reply to c 14elexa day, posted by Bub on October 16, 2000, at 16:18:20
Hi Bub,
I am on Celexa 10mg for anxiety. I noticed that the first 2 weeks my anxiety greatly increased (in fact it was a living hell)and did not start to dissapate to a level lower than before I took it until I had been on the drug for 5 weeks (I'm now into my sixth week). I beleive its better to take 5mg for anxiety in the first two weeks and then increase to 10mg after that - my doc neglected to tell me this though. However, we are all different and you may get quicker results. I still feel nervous at times and get the occasional panic attack in certain situations. For me the drug didnt reduce anxiety directly but instead made changes to my outlook on things that had the knock on effect of reducing anxiety. I had developed agorophobia, an acute phobia of going crazy and major panic disorder. WHat Celexa did for me was to remove the fear of these things and give me more positive thoughts and more confidence generally which meant that I have become near fearless in the psychological sense yet still anxious in the physical sense (Its actually hard to describe the process). As I was able to go into fearful situations without the severe anxious thoughts and sense of dread (although physical anxiety was the same) I found that with some exposure and time anxiety symptoms went away - or lessened. It doesnt cure anxiety like a tranquilizer but it turns the situation around so that it makes you the master of your problem - and not it the master of you. Stick it out for a bit. The side effects can be a pain but they do fade after a while. Have you had a stiff neck and teeth clenching thing? I also felt slightly hypnotised and would just stare into space in the afternoons for the first few weeks which also goes. I still get a stiff neck though and hope that this too will soon fade. WHat time of day do you take yours?
poster:GLYN
thread:46495
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20001012/msgs/46506.html