Celexa and weight gain

I have been on Celexa (citalopram) for about 13 months. I took it at night, starting with 10mg and over time worked up to 60mg which is the max. dose. My doctor switched me to Lexapro and then Cymbalta to see if they worked better, but eventually I ended up back on Celexa, that seemed to be best. I did gain about 35 pounds on it, though and was still going, along with absolutely NO sex drive whatsoever. When my husband could finally coax me into it, I couldn't orgasm at all. I finally begged him to even stop trying, the attempts seemed to annoy me. This wasn't me, so I slowly tried weaning off of it. First down to 40, then 20, then 10.

so here's my question: I've been completely off of it for 3 days now and I'm still feeling dizzy, lightheaded, have indigestion, headaches, etc. The other times I was off of it, I went right on another med, so I didn't seem to notice the side effects. Anyone who has been taken off of Celexa, PLEASE respond and let me know how long these awful effects last? I have a 2 year old I have to care for and she doesn't understand why mommy feels "woozy" all the time.

nightmares
no sex drive
can't climax
weight gain
crave sweets and junk food
extremely tired
sleep all the time
sweat especially at night
in a fog/spacey
can't focus

been on Celexa for 3 months now. started at 20 mg now at 40
no more morning axaity, feel happy more often, but with all the side effects I don't think it's worth it. my doctor is now weaning me off it. going to try Wellbutrin next.

I have been taking Celexa for 6 years now & have went from 140 lbs when I started to over 250 lbs. I fell tired all the time & ...sleep ...what is that..? So as of this week I spoke to a new Doctor who is weaning me off of Celexa to switch to Wellbutrin...Celexa worked as far as keeping me from being so depressed most of the time but , as the years have went by it just dosent seem to be working for me any longer..I started out on 10 mg a day then to 20 mg finally to where I have been for several years now 40 mg. I have suffered huge migrains ,stomach pains , loss of sex drive , & upper respatory infection , mood swings....The up side to Celexa for me was that it helped me get through my day.
Now that I am slowly stopping Celexa I feel plain aweful ,aggravation is a huge side effect for me I'm dizzy & feel like im in a fog . I sure hope the wellbutrin is worth changing for ..because I feel aweful...I have several concerns about wellbutrin ...mostly the seizers...I hope that this new med will work for me because the weight gain from Celexa over the years has cause all new problems for me now.

Ive been on Celexa for 1.5 years now. Prior , Id taken Prozac for 8 years with no side effects whatsoever, until I got whats called 'poopout"...all at once I had reverse effects.
So, back to Celexa... I take 20 mg a day. There are times when Im great, and there are times like the past week Ive had. Extreme fatigue, irritability, shakes, blured vision, nausea, loss of balance, headaches....I find that every so often, I have to cut my dose in half, or Im in a haze with heavy eyes as I am now.
As for weight gain...yes I had gained quite a bit of weight.Foe the last 9 months, I have completly changed my eating habits... I also take apple cider vinegar, which really helps with sweets cravings, as well as omega 3--6--9. Ive added more protien to my diet, and excercise regularily. I still do get the sweet/carb cravings, but find that an excess now makes me ill, making me stop, where as before, I couldnt.
Myself, I am seriously considering switching back to prozac.
It scares me that I have to tweek my medication on a regular basis as I do, which one really shouldnt. I feel as though at times Im on a roller coaster in the fog, and its time for me to get off...

I too have been taking celexa for a number of years. It has been a great medication for me. The only complaint I have is weight gain and leg cramps. I have gained 40 pounds, and can not seem to lose it no matter what I do. The leg cramps are horrible. The only thing that helps is a hot bath before bed, that seems to quit the legs down.

My doc had me on Celexa, Respirdal and Wellbutrin, all at the same time. I don't know which drug is responsible for which side effect, but they include weight gain, insomnia, lethargy, inability to concentrate, loss of volition, hopelessness. I quit. I went cold turkey for 10 days, but realized this was a big mistake. Now I'm weaning myself off slowly. I feel out of control and scared. I hope this doesn't last too long.

I began taking Celexa, once 2 years ago and decided to give it another try 1 year ago. It has worked for me. I have noticed weight gain over the last year but not sure I can attribute it to the Celexa. I have MS and chose Celexa when I was having a very emotional time, many things, Cancer, a relocation and everything that goes with MS. I chose only to go on 10mg of Celexa the 2nd time around. I now am cutting down to taking it every other day. I am waiting to see how I feel and taking it slow. What I have found is that I have been sleeping great. I also have picked up in my life: coaching a 2-3 grade team, and exercising when my young ones are in school/preschool. I am a stay-at-home mom and the exercise and coaching feeds my unused energies. I also find at least once a month time to get out with the girls. I find much strength in my women's bible study as well. One thing that I have learned is: At the time I took the Celexa I really needed it to pull me out of the slump. It will be a daily struggle just like MS to sometimes stay on top. Just as I have to keep track daily on my calendar my vitamins and MS drug therapy, I need to be aware of what brings on my depression. (at least those things I can control) Also!! ...When it takes me more effort on those days to stay on top, I need to remember that I am not any less a person because I have to work hard at it.
To me Celexa is a quick fix just as other drugs are. Change your life style. Slow down and sit in the sun!
This positiveness can come and go but it is something "I Choose" to work at. It is work! JS

I started taking citalopram a week ago. I had taken Lexapro for 3 months prior to that, but my insurance company was switched and they wouldn't cover Lexapro until I tried something else first. I didn't really notice any side effects that were different from Lexapro. When I first started taking Lexapro I was really really tired and had a headache and little appetite. However this weekend I got really sick and was vomiting and still feel naseaus the past two days. It had been several days since I started taking it so I don't know if it was from that or something else. I have also had problems falling asleep at night so I have switched to taking it in the morning.

I also am worried about weight gain since I think I need to lose weight. While on lexapro I did not gain any weight and my sex drive actually increased, but since I had none before that wasn't much. I hope with citalopram I don't have any more side effects.

Hi All, I just started taking Celexa last night for the first time on the reccomendation of a friend who took it in the past with wonderful results, no weight gain, in fact she lost weight. She told me to expect to feel a little "strange" the first few days and that it takes about 2 weeks before you start to feel better. I suffer from depression, general anxiety and anxiety attacks. I'll keep you all posted as to any side effects that I do experience.

I was just prescribed cellexa today for depression, so I came here to read some of the side affects that poeple on this medication have been expierincing, and to tell you the truth, all the stories that I have just read scared the crap out of me! Weight gain- a lot of weight gain, sexual side effects, nightmares. Is it worth all that, and wouldn't that make people more depressed? Has anyone had any good expierinces with cellexa? Please let me know.

I was just researching about Celexa b/c I was on it a couple of years ago, and just wanted to see what everyone elses side effects were.

Being off of it, I had been switched to Lexapro. Just wanted you guys to know what my side effects were on Celexa. When I went on Celexa I was VERY depressed. Had no appetite. I went from being 130 to 112 lbs in a couple of weeks. I felt good about the weight loss but, my whole life was in an uproar. Anyway, my doctor had said that there was no weight gain with Celexa. So, I tried it. I remember the first week, I was very very nauseaus. I actually vomited from it. It caused me to have insomnia alot in the beginning. But, as for my mood, everyone saw a positive change. Weight came back, little by little but, I definately relate it to the med b/c I did not eat alot. When I told my dr. about the weight gain, he said it was next to impossible. I stayed on Celexa for about 2 yrs. Then Lexapro came out, supposed to be better. I hated Lexapro, always tired, more weight gain. I was on everything for 3 1/2 yrs. I am now 136 lbs. If it was not for the antidepressants, God knows where my life would be today. They really do help a person. But, they do not take away the problem. Just to let everyone know, at the same time I was on Celexa and Lexapro, I was also on Wellbutrin SR to help the weight gain.

Well, hope you find my experience helpful.

I have been on Celexa for several years and have not experienced the weight-gain side effect noted by others. Neither has it had much effect on sexual functioning. I thought I'd mention this since some posters had asked for positive reports (I actually found this site while researching a different medication I'm on that does have bad side effects).

Actually I'm thinking about going on celexa and I was wondering if anyone has heard of "Lexapro"...it's like celexa only it's been said to cause less side effects. Either way, I want some advice from anyone who is on either of these or has tried either one. My story is this: I'm 24 years old, I am the mother of a 17 month old baby and I have 2 step-kids. My husband's ex-wife is a nightmare and I am totally depressed just with life in general. I weigh 110 pounds and will FREAK out if I gain any weight because I've just always enjoyed being thin. I read an article on celexa and it basically said that only a small percentage of the people on it had significant weight gain...so maybe that small percentage of people are the ones who come on these message boards. I keep reading all these horror stories for all these different meds and I've concluded that the people seeking answers for their problems come on this web-site and read these side effect profiles...not the people who are happily getting on with their lives because their medication is working. So if there is actually someone who reads this who has something encouraging to say, please speak up! Thanx a bunch, R.N.

I am on Celexa since November 2001, right after I lost my son at the World Trade Center. It seems to take some of my depression away but I seem to be gaining weight. Because of the weight gain, my sugar has risen to 149 which my Doctor says is a sure sign of my getting full blown Diabetes. I am now trying to lose weight but am worried that the Celexa is making me gain weight. Am not sure!

I was also on Celexa for a period of time I gained weight also, was shakey, and doctor took me off and put me on something else

I started on 20 mg, gained weight and had a return of the symptoms. It was then increased to 40 mg, then I gained even more weight and cause difficulty in loosing it!