confusion and memory loss

Here's the thing, from a "glass is half full" guy: We're all on this drug because we're depressed. Do you not remember how bad we felt before this drug? I DO!!! I couldn't focus on anything, for thinking about how bad and gloomy thing were.

I don't think the drug is doing this to us. I think the drug is doing the best it can with the problems in our brain.

I am sooo thankful someone who loves me recommended I get on this pill.

So, what can we do about this? Has anyone found a remedy? I've been off of celexa for nearly 3 years and I was hoping my memory and brain function would return. No such luck.

My dad was prescribed Celaxa two months ago, and while he was having some depression issues due to the death of a close friend, and some other petty issues. He first complained of it in the first few days of taking the prescription. He was forgetting things like passwords to emails and job logins, etc.
After two weeks my dad's memory had been totally down the drain. He was forgetting after every 5 minutes. He kept repeating the same things with a gap of 5-10 minutes. Forgot his name, address, his children's names, etc.
We are really worried, even though he has been taken off Celaxa now, the damage has been done. There is no improvement. MRI, CT scan, EEG, all are clear, they show no harm to the brain. I want to sue the general physician who prescribed this in the first place. This is unfair to innocent people!

I feel relieved, but frightened to read all these comments. Tonight, I told my husband I wanted to be tested for early Alzhimers. I work in the interior design business in a beautiful store. Many times a day, I go to do something, and forget where I was going, what I was doing. I find it difficult to come up with the words I want lately, which is really frightening. I want off this stuff.

I just started Celexa 3 months ago (10 mg for the first 3 weeks, then 20 mg since). My memory has gotten REALLY POOR over the last month. I find myself really trying to focus on the task at hand, and have a hard time remembering orders of things that I do at work, that normally came quickly. I can't remember conversations I have had and find myself repeating myself. I am having a hard time recollecting good friends names....yikes! THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME IN THE PAST. I am 34 years old and take pride in remembering people and things. I can usually think 5 steps ahead of a task and now struggle on the 1st & second. Also, my sex drive is ZERO and I have not had an orgasm since I started the medicine. My anxiety has decreased, but what I am experiences as side effects is WORSE! I am weaning of Celexa starting TODAY!!!!

Me too wrote:

So, what can we do about this? Has anyone found a remedy? I've been off of celexa for nearly 3 years and I was hoping my memory and brain function would return. No such luck.

A friend of mine was on a really high dose of antidepressants and wanted to get off because of his side effects (memory loss being one of them). After doing a lot of research he found that taking pharmacy grade fish oils three times a day for 6 months helped him get his memory functioning normally. I too am going to start taking the fish oil. He said you can buy it online, but I am going to see if my doctor will give me a px to see if my insurance will cover it. Gook luck!

Me too wrote:

So, what can we do about this? Has anyone found a remedy? I've been off of celexa for nearly 3 years and I was hoping my memory and brain function would return. No such luck.

Oh yeah, and he was on his antidepressants for 6 years. No doctor would help him wean off and said it was too dangerous. He did it on his own. He said it was the worst thing ever, but after taking the fish oils and exercising regular, and going on a whole foods diet for a while (including juicing) he is doing GREAT. His brain functions are normal! YEAH!

I have had issues with memory all my life. I forget names and struggle to form relationships with people both in work and social situations because of my inability to recall information. I can hear a song hundreds of times and not remember the words. I can drive the same route on a daily basis but still get confused without following road signs. I now have conversations but struggle to make sense as I feel as though something is shaking my head and making any sense impossible. This is really stopping my life and I am desperate for help. Read about cushings disease and wonder if I have this. Any help would be Great. Thank You

Try gettin a referral for examination of learning disabilities. My memory in not the greatest for lengthy intructions, but I am good at remembering difficult words, and multi-tasking is impossible for me. i got tested and found that anxiety and add affect my capacity to learn and recall. Now the next task is finding learning methods that work for me. good luck to you. Hope it helps.

ShakenHead wrote:

I have had issues with memory all my life. I forget names and struggle to form relationships with people both in work and social situations because of my inability to recall information. I can hear a song hundreds of times and not remember the words. I can drive the same route on a daily basis but still get confused without following road signs. I now have conversations but struggle to make sense as I feel as though something is shaking my head and making any sense impossible. This is really stopping my life and I am desperate for help. Read about cushings disease and wonder if I have this. Any help would be Great. Thank You

After taking celexa for about 3 years I started
to experience memory loss and slight confusion. I was searching for words and losing things constantly.
I talked about this with my doctor many times over a period of 6 months, until he finally suggested that we should switch to another drug. I have noticed that
most doctors tend to ignore complaints about side effects and more or less tell you to not pay so much attention to it.

Well... I have been reading all of your comments as I was just googled celexa/citalopram and memory loss. I have been taking this medication since I had a terrible bout of baby blues after my daughters birth 20 years ago! I have been afraid to go off of it and my doctor just kept renewing the perscription. I am 52, a professional, and am having difficulty with my memory to the point where I have been fearful that I have early onset Alzheimers or something. Has anyone else out there been on this medication long term?

I have the same issues as all, I cannot remember my own agenda, where I put things and my co-workers teaching me Euker get all up tight as I cannot remember situations. I am cloudy all the time. I too come from a family with strong Alzheimers trends so yeas scary. I take 20 mg Celexa with .5 xanax so...

I came off my medications 60 days ago and I am absolutely flying. I stopped immediately and got ZERO withdrawals. I strongly recommend the cod liver oil tablets - i got a good but reasonably priced supply and took between 20 and 30 a day. i have read a book where the author says all brain problems are to do with essential elements lacking in our diets and he advises eating consciously, whereas we look at every item we put in our mouths and start to make better decisions. I GUARANTEE this works. I am a totally different person to who I was before I got better. I make all the right choices now and believe me it gets easier with time so that you actually seek out healthy options. I'll get the name of the book that I read and post it in the next few days. I WILL NEVER GO ON ANY MEDICATIONS EVER AGAIN and no longer trust doctors or the Multi-National Pharmaceutical companies who make their fortunes by keeping us ill. God Bless you all. I will return.

Well, I"ve been on celexa for 6 yrs and at first i thought it was great and then I started gaining weight but just a little and then within the last yr...I had gained 30 lbs!!!!! omg, my dr. kept telling me it wasnt the celexa, but come to find out it was. So i weaned myself off of it about 4 wks ago. Then found out I had to have surgery. After the surgery I have been so dizzy that i couldnt even play basketball or baseball with my sons. i went to the hospital to try to get to the bottom of this dizziness...I was told all my tests came back normal and they said they believed it was a side effect or withdrawl from the celexa. No one EVER MENTIONED ANYTHING LIKE THE EXTENT OF WITHDRAWL SYMPTOMS!!!!