Tapering off anti-depressants like Celexa can be a miserable business. But you want to live your life without medication, so eventually you take the plunge and start to withdraw.
For me, a major benefit of coming off the drug was that I would lose the weight it had made me put on. I had tolerated the drug well, the only side effects were feeling very sleepy and yawning constantly. Not bad for someone with a history of insomnia.
The one major thing that bugged me is that I went to a about 10kgs over my normal weight after being on Celexa a few months. When I went onto Celexa at the height of a horrible depression I weighed 5kgs under my normal weight. So with the Celexa I had put on a whopping 15kgs.
Anyway, I thought I would lose it as I came off the drug, but things with SSRI’s are not so simple. Prior to coming off I embarked on an ambitious exercise and diet plan and lost a few kilos. But the plan was too drastic and I couldn’t stick to it.
As I started to taper my doses I began to get hungrier, craving large amounts of carbohydrates. I also felt quite lazy and the brain zaps and dizziness made exercising uncomfortable, especially in the afternoon and evening, when I had most spare time.
Even as the side effects passed and I could control my eating better, the weight did not start to lessen as I thought it might, just by my bodies metabolism getting back to normal.
To get rid of the pounds you put on while taking Celexa you need to work hard. I have discovered that I probably won’t go back to my heaviest, even if I really pig out. But I won’t lose much unless I exercise an hour a day and eat very sensibly. The problem is, I still crave carbohydrates!
What is true for me might not be the case for you, and you should get a thorough checkout before you start any drastic weight-loss. And remember, short term fad diets don’t work!
But remember, there is quite a lot that the drug companies don’t tell you, and quite a lot that your doctor won’t tell you either through ignorance or through loyalty to the drug reps that buy them dinner.
Other posts on SSRI’s that you might find interesting:
Anxiety, Celexa and Weight Gain
Celexa, citalopram – a personal experience
Anxiety 2 Calm: Celexa, Effexor, know your drug!
Slow withdrawal from Citalopram (Cipramil / Celexa) with minimal side effects?
