First my history. I had a huge break down including major panic attacks multiple times a day when I was 16. For about a year after that I was on 10mg of Celexa daily. I decided to go off of it and was fine until a year an a half ago, after I turned 21, at which point I decided to go back on medication at 10mg. All this I did with a psychiatrist, not a gen prac.
I mostly showed physical symptoms the second round: insomnia, IBS, grinding teeth, - but also the typical nervousness, racing thoughts, etc that comes with anxiety.
A few months down the road, I could feel the anxiety coming back and my thoughts racing again, my insomnia starting up, so I went to 15mg. Again, five months down, I went to 20mgs.
Now I've been on 20 for maybe 6 months or more and I'm starting to wonder if I'm getting back into the anxiety. I should add that I went off the medication briefly and have now been back on it for a month and a half, so I won't change anything until I've been on it for a while - but I am concerned.
Is it normal to need an increasingly higher dose for the same level of performance? Celexa has always worked well for me with minimal side effects, and I need it to function. I'll likely talk to my doctor about this but since moving I do not have a psychiatrist in my area. I'm wondering if I shouldn't get reevaluated now that I'm older? Do others find they need more meds for the same result?
TIA!
I am considering seeing a therapist regularly. It has helped me in the past. However I think my anxiety is chemical. I'm not scared of certain things, worried about specific events from my past that caused trama. My brain picks things (money, what I'm cooking tomorrow, when am I call my father, what if X happens at work...) and obsessive over it, even if I do not want to. :) It sounds crazy but I'm used to it by now and know very well that it's the anxiety.
I take both Celexa 20mg and Wellbutrin. The combo is what works for me. My dr gave me mild allergy pills for anxiety. Try half a Benadryl. Hard to be anxious when you're sleepy.
Do you know what the anxiety stems from? I would suggest some behavior modification techniques that will help you curb the anxiety without or in addition to your medication.
The goal should ALWAYS be to take the least amount of meds to make your condition manageable.
There are some GREAT behavior modification techniques for anxiety that are HIGHLY effective.
Try "when panic attacks" by David Burns.
I was having panic attacks (when to the ER for rapid heart rate > 180bpm and shortness of breath - thought it was a heart attack). I used this book with a psychologist and was highly successful.
I would also recommend getting a psychiatrist in your area, definitely. A Gen Practitioner can help with some psych meds, but really a psychiatrist is your best bet.
Good Luck.
J., give the Vitamin D a chance - what the ladies recommended. It might really help, and you may really need it. The doctor can actually test your blood levels for it. If you are taking at least 1000 mgs a day, absolute minimum, and you test low anyway, you need to know why you are testing low.
Sometimes there is a physical cause for anxiety and you need to rule that out.
Good luck,
Dawn
yeahh eventually your body gets used to the dosage and it doesnt have the same effect as it used to.. for a year my fiance was at 10mg then went up to 15 n then 20... hes been on 20 for over a year and is fine.. i guess sometimes you just need to find the right dose.. sometimes your body gets used to the meds.. id talk to your doctor if u dont feel comfortable with having to continually go up in dosage you could always ask about switching to something else
Oh my gosh yes! This does happen a lot. I had the exact same problem and they kept increasing it until they couldn't, then I'd get switched. Right now I'm on Effexor and have been for almost two years and they haven't had to increase my dose. Ask your psychologist about it, they'll be able to switch you to one that you don't "get used to". :)
as others have said it, its possible that your body is just getting used to the dosage and need a higher amount to get the same result. you should definitely see a therapist though to try to get to the root of your anxiety. good luck!
I think I have heard that it is normal, once you go off a med, to need an increasingly larger dose. However, if you're only on Celexa for a month or two and then going off, you are probably messing with your system more than anything. I would suggest staying on a certain dose for a while--a year--and not going off it. I was on Celexa, a very low dose, a while ago and while it did not get rid of my anxiety, it did get rid of my fear of the anxiety--which was perpetuating the anxiety. I didn't get rid of all my panic and anxiety, but I was much more able to live with it. I still have occasional anxiety issues--I had a very anxious day yesterday, for no reason I can determine, as a matter of fact, but I am able to cope now, whereas I was not so much before Celexa. I was on Celexa for a couple years without a change in dose and went off it when my life settled down a little. I don't think that yo-yoing with anti-depressants is a great idea--please talk to your doc about the fact that you've been on and off; I suspect that might be part of the problem.
My husband is a pharmacist so I asked him. He said it is possible to build up a resistance to a drug and that could mean needing a larger dose. He said it would be best to see a psychiatrist but you can start with a general practitioner.
Are you also seeing a therapist regularly? You need to find out what the cause of the anxiety is and deal with those issues, medication alone won't take care of it. I never suffered from anxiety until about 2 and 1/2 years ago. My history is my first husband was an alcoholic, my second was abusive (25 years ago). We had the neighbors from he$$ and the husband was abusive to make is short he threatened and bullied us and they destroyed our property. This set off my anxiety/panic attacks which through therapy I found out it was due to the abusive ex. My point is you can think you have dealt with things and that they are over but something can trigger it and all of it comes crashing back in to your life. I have been in therapy for a long time now at least 2 years and I am just to the point of no attacks or anxiety. I couldn't even shower alone it was so bad. I chose to not take medications and I am glad I didn't (which is not to say other people shouldn't take them) but it does take time. If you aren't seeing someone you might want to consider doing it. I started out 2 times a week for a long while. Good Luck to you and I feel for you I know how it feels to have anxiety. Also I agree that Vitamin D3 could help you a lot!
