# Do Antidepressants stop working?



## Auroraheart (Aug 8, 2000)

I've been on Celexa since April or so. At first I was losing weight, extrememly happy etc. (after the flu like stuff at the beginning) I seem to see a trend though, lately that I am getting more depressed. I have gained back LOTS of weight and all I seem to want to do is sleep and cry. It's an effort to remain positive. I hate to say this, but there have been some nights I was very close to having to call the crisis line again.







I take two 20mg pills every second day, and one 20mg pill on the other days..Can anyone relate to this?


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## partypooper (Mar 22, 2000)

Hi, I was on Celexa for about 4 months a year or so ago. It did not help me with IBS symptoms or the accompanying depression. I did not notice that it affected my weight one way or another.I tried a different antidepressant, imipramine, with much better results. Everyone is different though.You need to tell all of these things to your doctor soon. Do you have a psychiatrist? If so, call him/her asap. They will probably want to try a different drug. Don't go to your GI with symptoms of depression. They don't know anything about how these drugs affect anything but your GI tract and can give some bad advice - at least that was my experience.


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## Serendipity (Oct 14, 2001)

Everyone has different reactions to medicine. It's possible for your body to adjust to the Celexa. Have you tried discussing this with your therapist/Physician? He should be able to tell you what's going wrong, and can either up the dosage or give you another medication.Also, the medication can only do so much. You should try using exercise to help combat depression, as well as other natural methods. (Therapy, volunteering, Self-help books, attitude, etc)Hope you feel better.







------------------Isn't it enough to see that a Garden is beautiful without having to see fairies in the bottom of it, too?


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## coppin (Jul 17, 2001)

Aurora...i feel for you...I only started the celexa the other nite..i had dry mouth the whole time..drunk lots of water but obviously not enough as i was on the dehydration path...it ended with a migraine im still got part of...so since my anxiety is so bad they have me on BuSpar now...I was on Remeron quite succesfully till my dad just passed away a couple of weeks ago...but the remeron stopped working for me...Good Luck...its hard to find the right pill for each person...Aussiedeb


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## Auroraheart (Aug 8, 2000)

I have an appn't with my doctor on Tuesday. (he is away til then) I've been feeling really ill since I had a reaction to some meds a week ago. Now they say that my iron level is WAY too low (I've always had a good iron level) and something else in my physical I had came back worrysome.I hope I don't have to start another antidepressant..I've been on Celexa since April and I still remember all the "getting used to" symptoms. I'm sleeping SO much.







At least I am positive sometimes so I can post humorous things on the Meeting Place and my friends don't know. Coppin...I'm really sorry about your Dad. On top of everything else, I'm not sure I would be as strong as you.Serendipity (love your name!) I'm going to see about some esteem courses. I read a lot of books and try to help myself that way. I think I need more though.Partypooper...I am going to tell my doctor everything on Tuesday. He's an amazing doctor. I also have the advantage that he was my Mom's doctor for 20 some years before he moved here to where I am, so he knows my family history. He also has IBS, ironically.Thank you all for your help------------------A positive attitude may not solve all your problems...but it WILL annoy enough people to be worth the effort


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## Guest (Oct 27, 2001)

I am new to this group and I am so happy I found you all! I have been battling with IBS for some time now and I am so sick of the pain and diarreha. I went to my doctor last year for this and he put me on Paxil. I hated being on this anti-depressant. I waited a whole year to go back again. Now he wants me to try Celexa. I told him that I have a demanding job, mother of two, and I have a long commute to work. When I was on Paxil I would sleep everyday in my car at lunch and was practically falling asleep at wheel driving home. I was basically a zombie. He said Celexa is different I really don't want to try this. I am going back and telling him to send me to a GI doctor. I want to be normal.


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## partypooper (Mar 22, 2000)

Hi, Luvbytz - I was also put on paxil and then celexa for IBS-D. Neither one helped me physically or mentally and also made me very sleepy. Have you tried elavil or imipramine (tricyclics) yet? The imipramine slowed down my gut a lot and really helped with the diarrhea. I also did not have nearly as many negative side effects. Go figure.Unfortunately, I have to get off of it now because I want to get pregnant, but I would really recommend it to anyone with severe IBS-D.


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## Munchkin (Jan 23, 2000)

Yes, Aurora, I can relate. But this was happening to me after years of Zoloft. The fatigue and depression were terrible. My psych doc wanted me on Serzone. I tried it for a week with a disasterous outcome. I think my thought process was out of control. I kept talking all the time and I had a major panic attack while tapering off the Zoloft and increasing the Serzone.Here is what I believe-You really have to try many antidepressants before you hit the right one for you. And after several years, you might be able to take one that you couldn't before. I am so happy with Paxil's affects on my IBS-D that I really don't even need the lotronex anymore. I _never_ thought I would ever say that. On the other hand, my daughter is taking the same amount of Paxil (she weighs quite a lot less than I do, too) and it is only doing so-so for her IBS-D. She really could use the Lotronex again. It worked perfectly for her.I have an 18 year old who was put on Celexa for depression. I don't think it worked at all for her. She doesn't have IBS, but life circumstances changed and the depression is gone.I do think that physical activity helps the antidepressants work even better along with regular earing and sleeping habits.Good luck in your search.


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## Guest (Nov 2, 2001)

Hello Partypooper,Are those anti-depressants? If they are I really would like to avoid them since my bad experience with Paxil, Desreyl, and Zoloft. That is why I don't want to even try the Celexa. I basically just want something for my stomach problem.


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## srhackett (Feb 11, 2001)

There are many Ads out there and unfortuately you have to try several to find hte right one. I got lucky on the first try with Remeron. Coppin (sp?) what let you know that the Remeron stopped working for you? I started mine in January and my grandmother died in June (she basically raised me instead of my mom) and I was afraid of it stopping working. FOr about a week it did - then I was okay again. EVeryone is different and it depends on what is going on with you - as to what you need to be on. My doc said no to cleexa because he said it makes an anxious person more anxious. I have heard too many non-success and problems about Paxil and have heard many IBS-der's say ZOloft just made things worse. That's about the extent of my experience.


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## gasbob (Dec 4, 2001)

I know this is sort of off-topic, but did any of you ladies experience an increase in menstrual flow while on, or after taking Celexa?The reason I ask is that my wife has had terrible periods after she took Celexa for a while. She has never had this heavy a flow in her life.Thanks,Bob


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## wanderingstar (Dec 1, 1999)

Aurora, you should wait and see what the doctor says about your abnormal test results before you start worrying about your medication. Things like an underactive thyroid gland can cause a worsening of depression, being tired and putting on weight. You can take medication for the thyroid if your doctor deems it necessary.


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