Hi All,

So.. I stopped taking my 20mg of Celexa about 1.5 weeks ago cold turkey. I know this is not recommended, but I thought since I was on a lower dose and have been feeling great, that now was the time to do it. I've been on Celexa 20mg for almost 3 years. Started it soon after my son was born to help with a bad case of anxiety.

Starting last Sunday, all i've wanted to do is eat! Thank God for the band being in place, because it restricts the amount I can have it one sitting, but I find myself going to the kitchen and sifting through the cupboards and fridge every 30 mins or so! I'm not hungry at all.. it's all in my head. The urge to eat is over powering! I can't think of anything else... Since I'm almost 2 weeks out of taking my anti-depressants, there is no way I'm going to start again. I've definitely felt the side effects of stopping cold turkey. Dizziness, irritability, super sleepy.. I didn't think that head hunger would be an issue.. but it has been.

Has anyone else had this type of side effect coming off medication? I know that I didn't do it the right way.. and don't want to be reprimanded. I'm sure my doctor will do that when he see's me next week.

I just want to know how you got past the munchies. The urges to eat are like nothing i've ever had before.. Even on a liquid diet it wasn't this bad.

Thanks!

I can't speak for you...but for me. I wasn't sure if it was coming off the meds or coming off the food (aka my bad habits). I always have the munchies...when I am home. Weekends are brutal. I try to stay active by running errands...doing projects....etc. Anything except hanging around the house. I know eventually I will have to face my bad habits...but I just don't feel strong enough yet. It's worse when no one is home...I do the same thing....check out the cupboard, fridge, freezer...etc. I am not sure about your case...but for me I am detoxing on food...and kind of look at it like a drug as well.

When you shop, make sure you only make nutritious and healthy choices. Don't have chips, ice cream, you know what's bad for you in your pantry or shopping cart. I try to have deli turkey slices in the fridge in case I get the munchies. For me, they take a little time to pass through the band. Other options are apples, pears, blueberries, canned tuna, chicken salad, hard boiled eggs and try to stay away from the sliders?

tmf

dhales, I hear you there.. if I'm home alone, I pig out. At work i'm fine. I let the hunger pass, have a few sips of water and move on. Once I get home.. man it's a different story! I have definitely been trying to keep myself busy outside gardening and working on the lawn.. but once I come inside, i'm heading straight for the fridge! ugh.

Thanks tmf for the suggestions. Luckily i'm pretty tight, so it take a while to pass some types of food through my band. It's the fact that I don't want to stop eating! I've been super good over the past month, but now I'm eating until I feel sick. My down fall this weekend was pizza. I didn't even care that I may get stuck. I chewed like i've never chewed before to make sure I could eat it! UGH. Not proud of it. We are going shopping tonight, so I'll definitely be purchasing some healthy snacks for these unbearable moments.

i'm wondering if there is something going on with my serotonin levels in my gut. I'm holding out that this too shall pass. I have my 6 month check up next Tuesday, so if not, I'll talk with the doc.

More than likely it is your serotonin levels. The anti-depressant took care of that for you and now your body is adjusting to the lack by replacing medication with food. That was how I gained 100 pounds over the last 5 years, I quit smoking and quit taking my anti-depressants and so I turned to chocolate as a substitute, mostly brownies. Still can't have them in my house because I will sit down and eat half a pan in one sitting. I had to learn to cope with situations first without nicotine or medication and now I have to learn to cope without chocolate, and I think this one is harder. So technically it is in your head lol, because your brain is messing with you.

One thing that's been working for me is a grazing on bell pepper strips. I haven't been banded yet so I'm not sure how well they would jive with your restriction, but they sure help me a lot. I'm using them in place of chips too and the crunch is mucho satisfying.

Thanks mylynn1377! I should try pepper strips. I've eaten them in salad a few times and they haven/'t given me trouble. I did try eating carrot sticks with hummus.. the hummus goes right on down, but the carrots.. not so much.

Make sure to tell you MD the symptoms you're having after going off the medication cold turkey, I did the same thing with Pristiq my primary care doc had a fit! She was like "you can't quit cold turkey!" well I did lol. But from your OP you're prepared for that lol. When I went off it cold turkey I didn't have a problem food wise, but I was smoking cigarettes a lot more.

It's crazy how medication messes with us (in good and bad ways). For example, I was on Seasonique for like the past year (it's an oral BC). I HATED it! It's the best birth control because you have your period literally every month! And the side effects were horrible, I had the worse food cravings! I was so frustrated I called my OB/GYN and she said "you hate it? Go off it, we'll get you ready for a Mirena". The week after I went off it, I dropped 5 lbs, and now I'm about 6-7 days before my next aunt Flo and that's when I usually get the weird cravings and nothing at all right now.

Got to love prescription meds!!! LOL

I didn't come off medication but I have all the other symptoms mentioned. IM A MESS!!! Angry, upset, needy, distant, and I just want to eat every 15 minutes. Totally not hungry, it's all in my head. Last night I went to see a movie just to escape my head. Surprisingly, it worked very well. I was in a much better mood afterwards! I don't how long this will last, but I definitely feel like a junkie who is having withdrawal symptoms because the fix was taken away. I can hardly stand it. Hopefully everything will even out soon.

Hopefully.