Q. Much to my surprise, I was diagnosed several months ago with depression and anxiety. I have had a number of life adventures the past few years and I guess they have caught up with me.
The doctor gave me a prescription for Celexa, but I have not tried it yet. I am very hesitant to start an SSRI, as I have read about side effects and difficulties getting off it.
Are there any more benign remedies I could try? I bike daily, try to eat right and continue to fight through day to day, but the battle is wearing me down. Am I being overly concerned about the Celexa?
A. SSRI-type antidepressants such as citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft) can help ease symptoms for some. They don’t work for everyone and there are numerous potential side effects. In addition, it can sometimes be hard to discontinue such drugs.
Even more vigorous exercise might be helpful (Psychosomatic Medicine, Sept.-Oct., 2007), as may supplements such as fish oil or the herb St. John’s wort. We are sending you our Guide to Dealing with Depression so that you and your doctor can discuss these concerns and evaluate whether non-drug approaches such as light therapy, talk therapy or high-dose fish oil might be appropriate.
The People's Perspective on Medicine