Are my tremors worse because of Citalopram (Celexa)???

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Horus
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12 Nov 2010, 2:41 pm

I have been taking 60mg of Celexa now for about three months. I believe it has helped enormously with my depression as
I can't really say I feel depressed at all anymore. Nothing else in my life has gotten dramatically better, so I have every reason
to believe i'm feeling better strictly because of the medication.

Six months ago....I was so depressed it practically took the jaws of life to even pull me out of bed
and i'm only exagerrating to an extent here.

The Celexa has also been responsible for giving me very vivid dreams and now I remember my dreams
almost every morning when I wake up. This is a common reaction to SSRI's like Celexa and it is not bothersome
in the least. That is....i'm not having any actual nightmares. Furthermore....my dreams were never this vivid and
I didn't remember them so readily during the times I wasn't depressed AND not taking any psych medications
whatsoever. Therefore....I believe it's safe to say these changes in my dream activity are directly attributable
to Celexa/Citalopram.

Also...as some of you may have noticed as of late :wink: .....i've been pretty sexually-charged over the
past couple months. Six months ago....when I was severely depressed, I was more or less borderline
asexual/hyposexual/sexually indifferent...what you please!! !

Now i'm constantly seeking out suitable sex partners (thus far to no avail :( ) and like it has been said about males in general, i'm thinking about sex every seven seconds or so.


While this can result in problems of it's own (spending too much time on unimportant and non-life enhancing things like sex, etc.....)....it is not, of course, a major concern insofar as my PHYSICAL health is concerned.

I believe the Celexa may be worsening my tremors though and that IS a concern in regards to my physical health.


First of all....i've always had hand tremors to some degree or another and i'd guess they have everything
to do with the neurological abnormalities which caused my Asperger's/NLD-NVLD. Tremors are common enough
in those with AS/NVLD in any case.

Secondly....I really haven't noticed any increase in my tremors PERSONALLY. OTOH....my mother claims that she definitely has and now she said even my feet are shaking somewhat. 8O Previously the tremors seemed to be limited to my hands and they are exacerbated in times of stress and/or when I haven't eaten for awhile. Just this morning...my mother said my feet and hands were shaking badly and she claims this is NOT something she observed before I was taking Celexa.

So I suppose I ought to err on the side of caution here and assume my mother is correct in regards to an increase in my tremors since i've been on the Celexa.

Still...I don't know exactly what I should do about this. I've contacted the psychiatrist who rx-ed the Celexa, but i'm still waiting for him to call me back and god knows how long that will be.


Should I talk to a pharmacist about this in the meantime? Or a nurse practitioner at Walgreen's or something? I don't want to call my family doctor about this because I KNOW she'll refuse to tell me anything unless I come in for an appointment. :x But I have a very high deductible so I just pay her out-of-pocket and turn the receipts into my insurance company if necessary. I just don't have $90.00 or whatever it would be to go in and see her right now, especially for something like this which may not even be all that severe.

One thing i'm really reluctant to do is to stop taking the medication or even to decrease the dose. I believe it has done wonders for me in terms of alleviating my depression and if any you have ever been seriously depressed, then you know you'd practically sell your soul to the devil if you could just have some relief from the inexpressible darkness, hopelessness, apathy, etc....that often comes with the territory in depression.

OTOH...I don't want to jeopardize my physical well-being either and i'm wondering if my increased tremors (again...assuming my mother is correct and they actually have increased because of the Celexa) could be a sign of something more serious. I'm also wondering if anyone knows anything about potentially negative side effects which may result from long-term usage of Celexa/Citalopram.

The info you receive online rx sites about this stuff doesn't seem to be reliable and it's often conflicting, limited, vague, etc.....


Therefore....any serious advice about all this would be greatly appreciated. :)



Moog
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12 Nov 2010, 2:55 pm

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Are my tremors worse because of Citalopram (Celexa)???


Possibly.

I think my father is currently weighing the pros and cons of his drugs. There always seem to be cons. Sounds like you are enjoying the pros though.

All a pharmacist or nurse can probably do is tell you that, yeah, tremors are a side effect. The side effect lists on those drugs tend to be very, very long though, to cover the manufacturers legally.

Are you taking it as directed? I was on Citalopram for a short while, but heck if I can remember if you need to take it with food or anything. I'd be inclined to reduce dosage just slightly, phasing it slowly down, see if you can get a better balance of positive to negative.

I've been in the horrors of depression so I can relate, but I stopped taking anti depressants a long time ago. I always recommend people look seriously into non pharmaceutical methods of mood regulation.

Wishing you health and happiness.


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AardvarkGoodSwimmer
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12 Nov 2010, 3:29 pm

Moog wrote:
. . . All a pharmacist or nurse can probably do is tell you that, yeah, tremors are a side effect. The side effect lists on those drugs tend to be very, very long though, to cover the manufacturers legally. . .

You might find a pharmacist who's not so corporate and not so timid, and might be willing to have a decent conversation as far as what side effects he or she has observed are most common. So, that's one piece of the puzzle, and one step forward as far as making an informed decision.



KissOfMarmaladeSky
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12 Nov 2010, 3:29 pm

Horus wrote:
I have been taking 60mg of Celexa now for about three months. I believe it has helped enormously with my depression as
I can't really say I feel depressed at all anymore. Nothing else in my life has gotten dramatically better, so I have every reason
to believe i'm feeling better strictly because of the medication.

Six months ago....I was so depressed it practically took the jaws of life to even pull me out of bed
and i'm only exagerrating to an extent here.

The Celexa has also been responsible for giving me very vivid dreams and now I remember my dreams
almost every morning when I wake up. This is a common reaction to SSRI's like Celexa and it is not bothersome
in the least. That is....i'm not having any actual nightmares. Furthermore....my dreams were never this vivid and
I didn't remember them so readily during the times I wasn't depressed AND not taking any psych medications
whatsoever. Therefore....I believe it's safe to say these changes in my dream activity are directly attributable
to Celexa/Citalopram.

Also...as some of you may have noticed as of late :wink: .....i've been pretty sexually-charged over the
past couple months. Six months ago....when I was severely depressed, I was more or less borderline
asexual/hyposexual/sexually indifferent...what you please!! !

Now i'm constantly seeking out suitable sex partners (thus far to no avail :( ) and like it has been said about males in general, i'm thinking about sex every seven seconds or so.


While this can result in problems of it's own (spending too much time on unimportant and non-life enhancing things like sex, etc.....)....it is not, of course, a major concern insofar as my PHYSICAL health is concerned.

I believe the Celexa may be worsening my tremors though and that IS a concern in regards to my physical health.


First of all....i've always had hand tremors to some degree or another and i'd guess they have everything
to do with the neurological abnormalities which caused my Asperger's/NLD-NVLD. Tremors are common enough
in those with AS/NVLD in any case.

Secondly....I really haven't noticed any increase in my tremors PERSONALLY. OTOH....my mother claims that she definitely has and now she said even my feet are shaking somewhat. 8O Previously the tremors seemed to be limited to my hands and they are exacerbated in times of stress and/or when I haven't eaten for awhile. Just this morning...my mother said my feet and hands were shaking badly and she claims this is NOT something she observed before I was taking Celexa.

So I suppose I ought to err on the side of caution here and assume my mother is correct in regards to an increase in my tremors since i've been on the Celexa.

Still...I don't know exactly what I should do about this. I've contacted the psychiatrist who rx-ed the Celexa, but i'm still waiting for him to call me back and god knows how long that will be.


Should I talk to a pharmacist about this in the meantime? Or a nurse practitioner at Walgreen's or something? I don't want to call my family doctor about this because I KNOW she'll refuse to tell me anything unless I come in for an appointment. :x But I have a very high deductible so I just pay her out-of-pocket and turn the receipts into my insurance company if necessary. I just don't have $90.00 or whatever it would be to go in and see her right now, especially for something like this which may not even be all that severe.

One thing i'm really reluctant to do is to stop taking the medication or even to decrease the dose. I believe it has done wonders for me in terms of alleviating my depression and if any you have ever been seriously depressed, then you know you'd practically sell your soul to the devil if you could just have some relief from the inexpressible darkness, hopelessness, apathy, etc....that often comes with the territory in depression.

OTOH...I don't want to jeopardize my physical well-being either and i'm wondering if my increased tremors (again...assuming my mother is correct and they actually have increased because of the Celexa) could be a sign of something more serious. I'm also wondering if anyone knows anything about potentially negative side effects which may result from long-term usage of Celexa/Citalopram.

The info you receive online rx sites about this stuff doesn't seem to be reliable and it's often conflicting, limited, vague, etc.....


Therefore....any serious advice about all this would be greatly appreciated. :)


First of all, I'm not sure if Asperger's or NVLD causes tremors or any other neuromuscular impairment (that I know of---my mom is planning to get me an updated medical textbook with rare diseases for Christmas, so maybe that will tell me), but I'm pretty sure that the tremors (worsening, anyway) could be caused by the medication. Did you check the side effects to see if a decrease in neuromuscular function or worsening tremors could be a possibility? Secondly, (I know this is an odd question) have you had any chronic health problems besides the tremors, such as an autoimmune disease, diabetes, kidney problems, or any other thing?

I hope I helped any!



AardvarkGoodSwimmer
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12 Nov 2010, 3:45 pm

Horus wrote:
. . . Still...I don't know exactly what I should do about this. I've contacted the psychiatrist who rx-ed the Celexa, but i'm still waiting for him to call me back and god knows how long that will be. . .

Yeah, a psychiatrist is going to have the occasional emergency, for example a person who is suicidal, but he or she needs to be reasonable quick in getting back with you most of the time because your issues are important, too.

And it sure seems, depending on how serious you and your doctor judge the tremors to be, you could phase down the Celexa at the same time your phasing in a new drug. Different people respond to different drugs.

And, it's so valuable having a doctor you can halfway talk with. Because of time pressures, I've even tried writing things down (three points, one half of one piece of paper, phrases rather than sentences). And that sometimes works, (humans are so complex, nothing always works!)

And for you, or anyone else, you are not 'stuck' with a psychiatrist. A familly practitioner or internist can just as well prescribe an anti-depressant. As long as it's a doctor you can halfway talk with (and expecting more than that is probably expecting too much!).



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12 Nov 2010, 3:48 pm

Moog wrote:
Quote:
Are my tremors worse because of Citalopram (Celexa)???


Possibly.

I think my father is currently weighing the pros and cons of his drugs. There always seem to be cons. Sounds like you are enjoying the pros though.

All a pharmacist or nurse can probably do is tell you that, yeah, tremors are a side effect. The side effect lists on those drugs tend to be very, very long though, to cover the manufacturers legally.

Are you taking it as directed? I was on Citalopram for a short while, but heck if I can remember if you need to take it with food or anything. I'd be inclined to reduce dosage just slightly, phasing it slowly down, see if you can get a better balance of positive to negative.

I've been in the horrors of depression so I can relate, but I stopped taking anti depressants a long time ago. I always recommend people look seriously into non pharmaceutical methods of mood regulation.



Yes....my psychiatrist told me to take two 20mg when I wake up in the morning and one 20mg later in the afternoon.

I am following these directions perfectly. You don't need to take it with food or anything else. I'm considering reducing the dosage, but all I can say is that I didn't notice any significant positive improvements in my depression until not long after I started the 60mg dose.

I would HATE to start feeling like I was six months ago again....even slightly. I don't what non-pharmaceutical methods of mood regulation would work for me. Exercise may be one...but it doesn't seem to help in cases of severe depression and getting motivated to exercise when you're depressed is difficult in the first place...at least it is for me since I have difficulty motivating myself to exercise when i'm not feeling depressed at all...lol.


I've tried meditatiion...but I find it impossible to silence my thoughts or focus on one thing for a long period of time. This might sound like a statement the stereotypioal "neurotic" jew (and I am 1/4 Ashkenazi jewish) like Woody Allen would make....but meditation makes me nervous...lol.



I don't know what other options there are in terms of viable non-pharma means of treating depression.

Is there something I should or should not be including in my daily diet/supplements (I currently take 3000mg of fish oil per day and that's it as far as supplements are concerned) that everybody should/should not be including whether they're suffering from clinical depression or not???



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12 Nov 2010, 3:51 pm

AardvarkGoodSwimmer wrote:
Moog wrote:
. . . All a pharmacist or nurse can probably do is tell you that, yeah, tremors are a side effect. The side effect lists on those drugs tend to be very, very long though, to cover the manufacturers legally. . .

You might find a pharmacist who's not so corporate and not so timid, and might be willing to have a decent conversation as far as what side effects he or she has observed are most common. So, that's one piece of the puzzle, and one step forward as far as making an informed decision.




Thank you kind Sir/Madam....I might just have to do that, but i'll be hard-pressed to find such a pharmacist around here in
Wally-greens world of anywhere, USA suburbia. :roll:



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12 Nov 2010, 4:01 pm

KissOfMarmaladeSky wrote:
Horus wrote:
I have been taking 60mg of Celexa now for about three months. I believe it has helped enormously with my depression as
I can't really say I feel depressed at all anymore. Nothing else in my life has gotten dramatically better, so I have every reason
to believe i'm feeling better strictly because of the medication.

Six months ago....I was so depressed it practically took the jaws of life to even pull me out of bed
and i'm only exagerrating to an extent here.

The Celexa has also been responsible for giving me very vivid dreams and now I remember my dreams
almost every morning when I wake up. This is a common reaction to SSRI's like Celexa and it is not bothersome
in the least. That is....i'm not having any actual nightmares. Furthermore....my dreams were never this vivid and
I didn't remember them so readily during the times I wasn't depressed AND not taking any psych medications
whatsoever. Therefore....I believe it's safe to say these changes in my dream activity are directly attributable
to Celexa/Citalopram.

Also...as some of you may have noticed as of late :wink: .....i've been pretty sexually-charged over the
past couple months. Six months ago....when I was severely depressed, I was more or less borderline
asexual/hyposexual/sexually indifferent...what you please!! !

Now i'm constantly seeking out suitable sex partners (thus far to no avail :( ) and like it has been said about males in general, i'm thinking about sex every seven seconds or so.


While this can result in problems of it's own (spending too much time on unimportant and non-life enhancing things like sex, etc.....)....it is not, of course, a major concern insofar as my PHYSICAL health is concerned.

I believe the Celexa may be worsening my tremors though and that IS a concern in regards to my physical health.


First of all....i've always had hand tremors to some degree or another and i'd guess they have everything
to do with the neurological abnormalities which caused my Asperger's/NLD-NVLD. Tremors are common enough
in those with AS/NVLD in any case.

Secondly....I really haven't noticed any increase in my tremors PERSONALLY. OTOH....my mother claims that she definitely has and now she said even my feet are shaking somewhat. 8O Previously the tremors seemed to be limited to my hands and they are exacerbated in times of stress and/or when I haven't eaten for awhile. Just this morning...my mother said my feet and hands were shaking badly and she claims this is NOT something she observed before I was taking Celexa.

So I suppose I ought to err on the side of caution here and assume my mother is correct in regards to an increase in my tremors since i've been on the Celexa.

Still...I don't know exactly what I should do about this. I've contacted the psychiatrist who rx-ed the Celexa, but i'm still waiting for him to call me back and god knows how long that will be.


Should I talk to a pharmacist about this in the meantime? Or a nurse practitioner at Walgreen's or something? I don't want to call my family doctor about this because I KNOW she'll refuse to tell me anything unless I come in for an appointment. :x But I have a very high deductible so I just pay her out-of-pocket and turn the receipts into my insurance company if necessary. I just don't have $90.00 or whatever it would be to go in and see her right now, especially for something like this which may not even be all that severe.

One thing i'm really reluctant to do is to stop taking the medication or even to decrease the dose. I believe it has done wonders for me in terms of alleviating my depression and if any you have ever been seriously depressed, then you know you'd practically sell your soul to the devil if you could just have some relief from the inexpressible darkness, hopelessness, apathy, etc....that often comes with the territory in depression.

OTOH...I don't want to jeopardize my physical well-being either and i'm wondering if my increased tremors (again...assuming my mother is correct and they actually have increased because of the Celexa) could be a sign of something more serious. I'm also wondering if anyone knows anything about potentially negative side effects which may result from long-term usage of Celexa/Citalopram.

The info you receive online rx sites about this stuff doesn't seem to be reliable and it's often conflicting, limited, vague, etc.....


Therefore....any serious advice about all this would be greatly appreciated. :)


First of all, I'm not sure if Asperger's or NVLD causes tremors or any other neuromuscular impairment (that I know of---my mom is planning to get me an updated medical textbook with rare diseases for Christmas, so maybe that will tell me), but I'm pretty sure that the tremors (worsening, anyway) could be caused by the medication. Did you check the side effects to see if a decrease in neuromuscular function or worsening tremors could be a possibility? Secondly, (I know this is an odd question) have you had any chronic health problems besides the tremors, such as an autoimmune disease, diabetes, kidney problems, or any other thing?

I hope I helped any!




Tremors can be present in many of those with AS/NVLD. Not everyone with these disorders have them....but they're common enough and I suppose the causes of them are related to the poor motor skills people with these disorders often have. I would guess they have something to do with abnormalities in the cerebellum and several studies suggest that many people with ASD's and similar disorders may have said abnormalities.

Yes...tremors or worsening tremors in those who already have them IS one of the potential side effects. Thus....i'm pretty sure my own have increased as a result of Celexa, but i'm not 100% they HAVE increased at all. This is strictly my mother's observation....NOT my own or anyone else's that I know of. Therefore...I am not willing to place 100% trust in her mere observations. She is not a medical doctor or even a mental health professional in the first place.

I have no other chronic health problems i'm (or my doctors) are aware of aside from acid reflux disorder which I take Achipex for. There are no mentioned contraindications in terms of Celexa and proton-pump inhibitors like Achiphex.


Thanks!! ! :)



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12 Nov 2010, 7:09 pm

Hi Horus,

Quite likely the Celexa is causing, or in concert with, those untoward side-effects.....But - so good you are feeling better, regarding depression, etc., which is why you began the treatment.

Typically antidepressants are not to be taken permanently and are intended to get one 'over the hump' if you know what I mean. Since your original condition is much improved you should be able to taper off and discontinue the Celexa. When one is severely depressed, then it can be nearly impossible to get over it without pharmacological treatment - but now you are better! Drug treatment is OK but not forever. Plus, often the therapeutic benefits reach their limit but the side-effects last, which is the reason to quit.

Could you ask your doctor/medical provider about discontinuing the Celexa? Seems the treatment worked well for you - that's good. Now you could get rid of those side-effects. Hope it works out soon!


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12 Nov 2010, 7:26 pm

LabPet wrote:
Hi Horus,

Quite likely the Celexa is causing, or in concert with, those untoward side-effects.....But - so good you are feeling better, regarding depression, etc., which is why you began the treatment.

Typically antidepressants are not to be taken permanently and are intended to get one 'over the hump' if you know what I mean. Since your original condition is much improved you should be able to taper off and discontinue the Celexa. When one is severely depressed, then it can be nearly impossible to get over it without pharmacological treatment - but now you are better! Drug treatment is OK but not forever. Plus, often the therapeutic benefits reach their limit but the side-effects last, which is the reason to quit.

Could you ask your doctor/medical provider about discontinuing the Celexa? Seems the treatment worked well for you - that's good. Now you could get rid of those side-effects. Hope it works out soon!




Thanks LabPet!! ! :D You rule!! 8)


Anyway....i've been considering cutting it back to 40mg per day, but i'm not sure if that's the right way to go. That bastard psychiatrist of mine never called me back today even though I told his secretary that I believe I may be having side effects from the meds. :x I called his stank-a** @ around 1:00 and she said he was with another patient and would call me back. So now perhaps i'll call his emergency line tomorrow because if not, since it's the weekend, I may not hear from him until Monday at the earliest. My primary care physician is worthless when it comes to stuff like this and she would demand I come to her office for an appt. I can't afford right now. Eh....more therapists and medical professionals in general you need to slay!! ! :rambo: :wink:



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12 Nov 2010, 9:59 pm

I know that trembling or shaking can be a side effect of Celexa. I take 20mg a day and my doctor checks my "steadiness" about every three months. If the trembling becomes too bad, their are other anti-depressants that may work for you without exacerbating your problem. And yes, when you are not depressed, sex does become a primary interest. The little head always does all the thinkin'.


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12 Nov 2010, 10:14 pm

can be a dangerous thing and all sorts of medications up serotonin levels, not just antidepressants. I learned that the hard way when I had a really bad allergy/sinus thing going. I was on two different classes of antidepressants, a muscle relaxer, and was also taking OTC Benadryl, Claritin, and Mucinex.

First came the mania- I have NEVER been manic in my life. My blood pressure was unusually high, almost dangerously high, during a doctor's visit. Then I could not sleep a wink, no matter how tired I was. The uncontrollable movements came next and that's when I realized I was experiencing mild serotonin syndrome. Which could have been fatal had I not stopped taking the meds.

Please talk to your doctor about the uncontrollable movements, as they may be a warning sign or merely a side effect.



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13 Nov 2010, 10:36 am

billybud21 wrote:
I know that trembling or shaking can be a side effect of Celexa. I take 20mg a day and my doctor checks my "steadiness" about every three months. If the trembling becomes too bad, their are other anti-depressants that may work for you without exacerbating your problem. And yes, when you are not depressed, sex does become a primary interest. The little head always does all the thinkin'.





Yes.....it is a side effect. For me though, it is hard to tell whether the trembling/shaking/tremors have increased since i've been taking Celexa. My doctor has never bothered to check my "steadiness". I see a psychiatrist at a local clinic which works with low income patients on a sliding scale. I can't afford to see another psychiatrist and my insurance does not psychiatric care. Again...i've ALWAYS had tremors to one degree or another. Naturally, the tend to be worse during times of stress, when i'm especially anxious, and/or when I haven't eaten anything for awhile. I'm not having any other side effects that i'm aware of aside from the dramatic changes in my dream activity, which is not bothersome. Hopefully i'll be able to get ahold of this Dr. today. I'm going to call his emergency line when I get home. I don't have the # with me and it wouldn't do me any good if I did. I spent the night at my friend's house, my cell phone battery is dead and I don't have my charger. I suppose I could use his phone if I could just 411 the # of the clinic and get the emergency #, but I think I can wait until I get home in an hour or so.



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13 Nov 2010, 10:45 am

matrixluver wrote:
can be a dangerous thing and all sorts of medications up serotonin levels, not just antidepressants. I learned that the hard way when I had a really bad allergy/sinus thing going. I was on two different classes of antidepressants, a muscle relaxer, and was also taking OTC Benadryl, Claritin, and Mucinex.

First came the mania- I have NEVER been manic in my life. My blood pressure was unusually high, almost dangerously high, during a doctor's visit. Then I could not sleep a wink, no matter how tired I was. The uncontrollable movements came next and that's when I realized I was experiencing mild serotonin syndrome. Which could have been fatal had I not stopped taking the meds.

Please talk to your doctor about the uncontrollable movements, as they may be a warning sign or merely a side effect.



Hmmm...i'm not experiencing any mania and while I can't say i've never been manic in my life, i've never been dx-ed with bipolar or anything like that. Just various mood disorders like major depression, mild depression, dysthymia, etc....I would guess your own issues were a reaction to some or all these drugs. My doc has never checked my blood pressure, but I did have it checked at my PCP's office about 6 weeks ago and it was normal. I usually sleep anywhere between 5-7 hours per night and this really hasn't changed much from when I wasn't on the Celexa and depressed six months ago. I'm going to try to talk to my doc today, but i'm obviously going to have to try the emergency line when I get home.