Celexa (citalopram) for Anxiety and Stress

Eight months ago, I had a severe anxiety attack after cutting myself badly while cooking. One second I was fine, the next my heart was racing, dizzy, felt like running, felt I was losing control. After an hour I somewhat calmed down, but after thinking about the anxiety, I got nervous and another came on, and from that point on, for the next week, from the moment I woke up, until the moment I fell asleep (never more than 3 hours a night), I was having total anxiety attacks. Finally I called a psych, who told me to go to a clinic, and they gave me Xanax, which helped to bring down the anxiety, but it recurred after few hours. Finally they put me on Celexa and after 2 weeks, symptoms disappeared. It has kept me normal, no side effects. Good medicine.
 Celexa has calmed me down a lot. I use to stress about everything. I always feared the worst. Celexa has helped me overcome this feeling. However at times I seem too laid back and I get very annoyed with people who complain about everyday situations. At first I thought this drug is not working but a month later I don't know how I survived without it. I do have headaches more frequently and sometimes I get lazy but sometimes I get this burst of energy too. Also every so often I get really somber but within an hour I calm down and feel awesome. This drug works wonders for me.
 I have suffered from depression off and on for years and have taken Zoloft in the past. This time it didn't seem to be working. I also was hit with overwhelming anxiety because of my husband's job difficulties. The doctor prescribed Celexa a couple of months ago. After 3 weeks, I was ready to give up on this because it took longer to kick in than Zoloft. I also had terrible dry mouth and food just didn't taste good. But the Doctor bumped me up to 60 mg and that really did the trick. I only have dry mouth when I first wake up in the morning and food tastes good again. My hubby said that on Zoloft I was more "flat emotioned" but on the Celexa, I have the normal ups and downs that everyone else has. The only negative is that I am on the tired side, but not terribly bad. It is a lot better than wanting to jump in front of a bus. I urge everyone to give this a try and stick with it.

Celexa - Is there anything I can take to counteract the decrease in my sex drive

There is anything that will help by increasing your sex drive, if Celexa is the cause. In these circumstances, where a medicine causes decreased sex drive, then going off the medicine is the only way to reverse the sex drive. If you have erectile dysfunction then perhaps something like Viagra might help... but I don't think can anything can help increase your sex drive. Please discuss with your doctor... if it's really bad then your doctor may look at changing your antidepressant. I've been taking Celexa for about 2 months now and my life is completely different. I have been struggling with depression on and off for about 14 years now. It was getting really bad for me, I was at the point where I couldn't control my emotions at all. It made me very drowsy at first, but that subsided after a couple of weeks. I feel so much better inside and people around me can tell a distinct difference too. I like the fact that it doesn't make me emotionless, just that my emotions aren't so strong and out of control. I still get sad, but that is a normal human emotion. I am so thankful that there are ways to make people like me feel better. Depression is a disease, not a choice. I was fortunate to have found an effective method of treatment for my depression after trying only a few different medications. I began with Lexapro, which gave me drymouth, provided little relief and resulted in an uncomfortable feeling if a dosage was missed. Cymbalta gave me a constant headache. I started on 20mg of Celexa and after a few weeks I felt more like myself. I have been taking 40mg for three years and have had great results with few side effects. Mild decreased in sex drive.

Celexa

Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions in children, teenagers, and young adults. However, depression and certain other mental problems may also increase the risk of suicide. Talk with the patient's doctor to be sure that the benefits of using Celexa outweigh the risks. Families and caregivers must closely watch patients who take Celexa. It is important to keep in close contact with the patient's doctor. Tell the doctor right away if the patient has symptoms like worsened depression, suicidal thoughts, or changes in behavior. Discuss any questions with the patient's doctor. Celexa is used for treating depression. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor. Celexa is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It works by restoring the balance of serotonin, a natural substance in the brain, which helps to improve certain mood problems. I responded after one week. The side effects (lethargy, some bowel problems) are the only reason i didnt rate this medicine a 10. After 44 years of excessive anxiety and depression I finally feel like I can be "myself" instead enslaved to unreasonable thoughts and frustrations. Ironically, I avoided these types of meds for years, instead "self medicating" with alcohol and cynicism. Had I switched to this years ago maybe I would still be married to a wonderful woman I was having a tough time with some bad calls. No sleep, always feeling like I'm in trouble, like I'm drowning and no one can help me. My doctor put me on Celexa and life came back. I worry about the things I need to be worried about and don't stress about the things that shouldn't stress me. I feel "normal" again. I believe it saved my career.