Dear members, Please don't ever hesitate to consult with your health care provider regarding any medication concerns. Your local pharmacist is also a great resource for this information. Casey ______________________________ The DC Support Team

Well...I've been only on Cipralex (from antidepressants) and yes, the first time I started to take it (a year and a half ago) the first days were just yawning and yawning several times a minute... lol (but no breathing problems).

Hi Rayne & Moth, Well it's finally good to hear from you Rayne. I haven't been up to par lately, actually things have gotten worse for me that is. I had to go back to work at least part time, doctor's orders and my diagnosis has changed to Bipolar disorder due to mania episode recently. I've spent over $800 gambling and losing, plus an additional $500-600 or more on clothes, shoes etc. See what I mean. The sex part or at least the interest has peaked in the past month as well. I just can't deny the symptoms any longer. I am on so much medication Rayne, for mood swings, depression, anxiety, and sleep. My doctor keeps changing the meds, increasing the doses to find the right combination for me. I am so worried about work due to health insurance benefits that I feel overwhelmed with all the decisions I have to make very soon. I just wish someone would just tell me what to do about this, but I know it is my decision and my doctor's recommendation whether I should remain working. My job cannot continue at partime so I need to decide if I can handle all the duties at full time status or not. I just can't concentrate, or seem to focus on my work and I am so much slower in completing things. I am afraid they just might fire me if I don't resign. So I am sorry for not getting back in touch either, but life is getting in my way. You know what I mean. Rayne, I am sorry that you lost your job and for the difficulty you are having as well, I can certainly relate. However, I don't think I can offer you any kind of support other than to respond to your posts. I feel my life is spiraling out of control at times so I don't want to say the wrong thing to anyone. Moth, I am glad you are getting some help too. Sometimes I think about stop taking all of these meds, but then I remember how bad the depression was and I don't think I could make another round of that without any meds this time. Just give it some time to level off. I find that some of the side effects from the meds due tend to go away after awhile. If they don't, write them down and do tell your doctor so you can be monitored more closely. I do like my doctor and trust him in what he is doing, which is probably the best thing a person could do in this situation. Because I certainly don't trus

Hi Wishingwell and Moth18, It's so long since you both wrote, sorry for the delay in my reply. I have been attending a day group at the health centre and learning new coping techniques and such. I am actually finding it pretty helpful and of course I am hearing stories from the others in the group and that again helps me with my own problems. You should find out if there is anything like this in your area. Ours is Gov't run but maybe the U.S. might have something too. I sure hope so. Try and check into it at least. As for the job...eh....whatever. I didn't really want to go back anyhow and the stress of thinking that I would have to go back was making me worse...(I think). I do feel a bit freaked out about it but I do still have my coverage (only for this occurence though, all the rest has been discontinued). I am a little freaked that the insurance company could say that I should be better or whatever and discontinue it but I don't think that they will...at least not yet. As for you not watching tv....that is fabulous!! I just got rid of my cable tv and am LOVING it. It was a total crutch for me. If I wasn't feeling good I could just flop onto the couch and be a potato for days, weeks, months. And it certainly did happen. I think anyone with depression should ditch the TV FIRST thing. Anyhow...just my opinion. The outdoors is wonderful and with summer coming it does bring happiness out into the open doesn't it? Now why do you think you are going to the casino? The flirting thing I wouldn't worry about. We all like attention and to feel sexy and desireable. If you feel like maybe you're not getting it at home you want to know that you are still desireable to men. No big deal. Are you finding it hard to stay away from the Casino? I know if I lost money I would probably hide it from my husband. Hell...I know I would! As for manic I don't know. I think it is probably just a destructive behaviour that your mind is doing to keep you stuck. My mind does it too...just in different ways. (I tend to shop like a fiend!!)It can be rather frightening. Have you spoken with a Dr. or counsellor? I would check and see if this is an emerging pattern. And Moth18, I am so happy to hear you are taking meds! It really does help doesn't it? I know I would pr

Hi again, Thanks for replying to my query Rayne. I guess each person is different when it comes to taking medications. I don't think I have had side effects so to speak - my doctor(who is just a doctor not one known to me)prescribed me a really low dose of citalapram 10mg for two weeks and has now increased it to 20mg - this was because I have been refusing meds for years due to anxiety about side effects. I think I feel better - more clear thinking and calmer but sometimes cannot sleep(anxious thoughts) or am completely zonked like you describe Rayne. I also get a mild wanting to take a deep breath and also a feeling like I've swallowed some chalk! Nothing major though I did go dizzy and very hot last week - frightening. When I read that poeople are on 150mg of meds makes me feel very frightened...what is the usual dosage for a drug like Citalapram - do you think that I was not depressed at all and that all this is a placebo effect I am having? My doctor also said i could drink in moderation with this drug but on the pack it says not to drink. Hope you are feeling better Rayne and sorry you lost your job. Moth

Hi Rayne, Boy, it has been awhile since I've posted or read anything online here due to almost similiar circumstances. So many changes, I can't keep up. I agree with you about the Lexapro making you sleepy. My doctor also took me off it and put me on Zoloft 150 mg, plus now he has added an additional medication, Abilify 15 mg. I'm not too crazy about this med though, it is not nor,normally meant to treat depression, but he seems to think he will work well as a combination. So I am trying it now for a few weeks. My time off from work expired last week and I was basically forced to go back to work or else lose my health insurance. At least my doctor gave me a reprieve for 2 weeks and asked for part-time and reduced work load due to stress. I see him again next week to be reevaluated and I am so nervous about what he is thinking and what work is going to do and what I should and can do. Right now the work is not hard because they have me basically doing paperwork and not interacting with anyone to cause me stress. But this will have to change and I don't know if I can still do this job. I am so sorry that you lost your job Rayne. I know you were worried about some of the same things I am worried about now. How are you coping with this and do you still have insurance? I'm not sure how it works where you live, but in the USA you need insurance and it is pretty expensive if you are not working. Rayne, I have also been doing some things that I am ashammed about that is taking up my time during the week. I stopped watching almost all tv, especially soap operas that I watched for numerous years religiously. This is a good thing though. I am also working outside more like watering the grass and plants and flowers, which for some reason the outdoors has been so appealing to me lately. It's like I don't like to be inside the house. This is also good I think. However, two things that appear to have become very destructive perhaps habits for me is gambling at the casino and losing a lot of money and then hiding it from my husband. Flirting with other men while I am there, and drinking sometimes excessively. Two days this past week I stayed at the casino for 9-10 hours not planned plus two other days during the week. I am not sure if this is manic

Hey Moth18, Actually I was on Cipralex for about 2 months exactly. I did find that the symptoms did decrease after about 3 weeks but with doing deep breathing exercises it would cause the symptoms to relapse a bit. My Dr. recently has told me to discontinue the Cipralex. I went to see him yesterday and had told him that I had decreased down to 5 mg every 2nd day. I find that it absolutely zonks me out. I was able to use it as a sleeping pill! I also found that the next morning after taking a Cipralex I was exhausted all day. He said that I seemed better yesterday than I had the last time I had seen him. Strange because my life is getting even more complicated than it was before. (I recently was let go from my job...while off on stress leave). Maybe the stress of having to go back or deciding to quit is now removed from my hands. Whatever the reason I do seem to feel a bit better and I hope that this feeling lasts. :)

How long have you all been taking Cipralex or equivalent and do the side effects decrease? Thanks Moth

It is very unnerveing! I almost get to the point of a panic attack when I have to keep mentally talking myself down from the ledge! Drives me crazy. It seems to have eased up a little but I find if I even miss one dose the weird effects seem to increase. Oh well....just have to make sure to not miss my meds! Thanks everybody! :)

I had no idea that Cipralex and Lexapro were the same thing -- learn something new every day (I'm in Canada too)! I've been on Cipralex for a few months now (after quitting Effexor), as well as Wellbutrin, and I've noticed a similar problem with breathing -- very odd.