Stomach upset from Celexa withdrawal or Lithium?

[mariposita]

Hi everyone, I'm new here and decided to join the forum because the medical "professionals" who are supposed to be helping me are highly incompetent.

I'll try to keep the background brief. I was diagnosed with major depression 10 years ago (but probably had it for another 6-8 years prior to that), and I've been taking medication to manage it ever since. Four or five years ago I started on Celexa (40mg) and two years ago Wellbutrin (200mg) was added because I had been complaining about low energy. A month ago I had a suicidal crisis after having been severely depressed over the summer, and ended up in the hospital for a week. While in the hospital the psychiatrist took me off Celexa, because he thought it might be contributing to my suicidal thoughts, and put me on Lithium (600mg) which apparently can help with suicidal thoughts in depressed patients. He told me that there would be no side effects after I went off Celexa, and I (stupidly) believed him. He took me off the Celexa cold-turkey.

I got out of the hospital and immediately began an outpatient program at the same hospital. The first week I was out, I was incredibly nauseous all the time and very, very dizzy. There was one night when I was so miserable I turned on the TV just to pass the time and distract myself, but found that the movement on the screen made it worse, and I ended up vomiting. I was also feeling weak that first week because I couldn't eat because of the nausea. I talked to the nurse practitioner at the hospital about feeling ill, and she told me that the flu was going around and that I was probably just sick. I told her I thought it had something to do with the Celexa withdrawal or the Lithium, but she didn't believe me.

The second week after being discharged, my nausea got moderately better and I was able to eat more or less normally for a few days. During the second week I had brain zaps and a dizzy feeling very similar to what I felt when I was withdrawing from Effexor, so I deduced that it was almost certainly Celexa withdrawal. I talked to another nurse practitioner at the hospital about my suspicion that it might be Celexa withdrawal, and she said that withdrawal is normally only a day or two because Celexa is out of your body within 72 hours. She refused to believe it was Celexa withdrawal, and told me I probably just had the flu.

The third week (this past week) the nausea is back, and I've hardly been able to eat anything for a week. As you might expect, I've been feeling like crap all week, and have been weak and dizzy. Ginger ale doesn't help, and neither does eating. Usually eating makes me feel worse and just being in front of a plate of food makes me want to hurl. The brain zaps have gone away, however. I am still waiting to see my psychiatrist (have an appointment for 11/2), so I once again complained to the staff at the inpatient program about how I was feeling. The same nurse practitioner as I saw in week two again told me that I must have the flu (who has the flu for 3 weeks?), and that Celexa is out of your body within 72 hours so that was how long any withdrawal lasted. (Hah!) The only helpful thing she said was that Lithium may sometimes cause nausea in people, and it usually doesn't go away.

Because I am at my wits end, after feeling like crap for the past 3 weeks, I decided to take 300mg instead of 600mg of Lithium beginning two days ago. I've felt a little better, but today the nausea is back and I can't eat much. I'm thinking I might just stop taking the Lithium and see what happens, because I don't know what else to do.

Does anyone have any ideas about whether the nausea is Celexa-withdrawal related or is being caused by the Lithium? Any ideas of how to get rid of the nausea so I can eat?

[bpladybug]

well, you should take the lithium for crackers, milk, something to help your stomach

that is not a lot of lithium, have they given you a blood test for your level?

your gastro problems could be celexa withdrawal or the lithium and it is hard to tell

you really need some work on your meds, 300 mgs of lithium will not help too much

I think you need to go into that appt in a few days with a list of questions and some requests

really be an active participant in your medical care

personally I love lithium, just love it

but some people cannot tolerate it

[mariposita]

I went down to 300mg of Lithium because I want to get off of it, assuming it's causing my nausea. Seeing as my psychiatrist told me I would have no withdrawal side effects from Celexa, I'm a little concerned about his ability to help my nausea, so I'm not sure what to do.

[helloheartbreak]

I get really sick to my stomach if I take the immediate release form of Lithium. Almost no troubles with the extended (Lithobid, or Lithium Carbonate ER) form. You might want to look into that. Also, the bit of trouble I did have was reduced after I got past the first couple months.

[witchywoman]

I get really sick to my stomach if I take the immediate release form of Lithium. Almost no troubles with the extended (Lithobid, or Lithium Carbonate ER) form. You might want to look into that./quote]

I agree with this. When I was on regular lithium, I had stomach upset. I went on the er formulation (extended release) and felt 100% better.

[mariposita]

I just looked at the bottle and it says Lithium Carbonate. The pills are peach-colored capsules, not tablets. I think I'm already taking the extended release lithium, no?

[nibblerd]

Nope. That's the instant release flavour, and I've had some pretty fucking wicked nausea from that at a dose of 600mg during my first trial with it. The second time I was put on 900mg from day one and haven't had any. Try taking it on a full stomach and see how you feel.. It sucks you have to deal with this.