Celexa, is the brand name of a drug called Citalopram Hydrobromide which is one of the most widely prescribed Selective Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) on the market. It is widely used to treat major depression, panic disorder, anxiety, and agoraphobia. Many people think a none drug approach is better, and suggest something like Panic Away to help you relax and get over anxiety.
I used this drug for some time, taking the standard dosage of 20mg a day. Occasionally larger doses are prescribed if 20mg are found to be insufficient, and often the elderly or inform are started on a lower dose of 10mg which is increased when tolerance has been established.
Side effects are what most people think about first when anti depressants are mentioned, there has been much made in the media about addiction and suicide. Celexa does have a good side effects profile, to you and me that means that the side effects are usually mild and short lived. And in terms of addiction the relative long half life of the drug (the amount of time it spends in your system) means that it is much easier to come off than drugs like Seroxat (Paroxetine Paxil, Seroxat, Deroxat). Side effects that I encountered included very short lived bouts of dizziness, lasting less than a few seconds, and a week long drop in libido. Within a week all side effects had effectively passed and I never had anything that made me want to stop taking the drug. I never really experienced nausea or a dry mouth, and my sleeping improved quickly. I would say that on the very first day of taking the drug I felt as weird as I have ever felt in my whole life. I felt a spacey depression that was most unusual and odd. I would describe it as absolute helplessness. It passed later that day when I applied some techniques that I had recently learnt. (more on that tomorrow)
Would I recommend Celexa?
Well, from a side effect standpoint I would have no qualms (although of course everyone one is different and some people can not tolerate Celexa).
The question is, does it work?
Well, I think that it stops the really dire lows and keeps you stable, but it is not a pep pill and it does not put you on cloud nine. Neither does it change your outlook on life or your major cognitions, so while it does make desensitization easier if for example you were agoraphobic, it won’t make problems disappear, or didn’t for me anyway. For that you do need to use therapy as well as drug treatment. Drugs are just symptomatic relief.
Please read the disclaimer.
hi thats a lovely write up on citalopram,
my experience was totally different and my doctor said i suffered such an adverse reaction to it-that he stopped it immediately+gave me some(thankgod) aome doses of diazepam over a few days cos i was completely hyped up,sweating and couldnt stop from walking around!!it was dreadful!!!after that i vowed never to go near the doctors again-as i was prescribed the drug for anxiety only-not depression-and to give someone something when they are already hyped up that will (apparently only temporarily) make them MORE hyped up-is just ridiculous!!!
it has been two years now since my last visit to the doctor+now if im feeling anxious i go swimming to burn off the extra energy
Comment by Anonymous — March 12, 2007 @ 1:51 pm
I started taking Sodium Valproate given to me by an epileptic freind and it immediately lifted me out of the deep depression I have been in for years (I was only not depressed and anxious when high on alcohol, ecstasy or cocaine) it gave me an energetic buzz with concentration and focus and relaxation. I have been using cannabis for a long time and living on no money and I felt completely hopeless, Valproate may be an answer to my obsessive smoking, despair, hatred and paranoia. I went to the doctor to get some prescribed but he insisted I take Citalopram instead (I was in no frame of mind to argue). I have taken my first pill today but I am worried that 1) it won’t be as effective as Valproate and I will become desperate to smoke cannabis again (I have no money and about one joint so I really don’t want to be in that frame of mind) and 2) that mixing Valproate and Citalopram will have strange and undesirable effects. I have to give it a chance but I wish the doctor had given me something I know works.
Comment by Anonymous — May 16, 2008 @ 6:24 pm
Im 18 years old and my doctor wants to put me on prozac for anxiety but through my research im starting to think this is not a good idea, and am now looking into citalopram.. any more experiences?
Comment by Anonymous — June 14, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
I would have to say it did work wonders for me. Two pieces of advice….i wish i had tapered onto it, not jumped in. I don’t know what your doctor would say about this, but i found the first day very unpleasant indeed.
Also, watch out for weight gain! I had Big problems! Good luck with it…it made me feel loads better! and helped a lot with anxiety!
Comment by Anonymous — June 14, 2008 @ 7:38 pm
I had severe depression 2 years ago, and without citalopram I don’t know what i would have done, it was a LIFE SAVER. yes the first week you feel a bit buzzy, and get rushes of energy, but you know what it is and it passes in a week or so. I quite liked It, iwent for power walks so fast with my ipod i lost a well needed 20 pounds sin 6 weeks and that made me feel better as well. before I took it i could nt get out of bed, The panic and depression took me to dark places I cannot describe, and it fills me with fear even trying. I never want to feel like that again, like you are dissolving into your mattress and cannot see hope or happiness ever again in your life. As a very jolly bubbly person, this was alarming! so, I cannot recommend the stuff enough and if i ever needed them again I would not hesitate. a few of my friends have taken them for bereavement etc and also think they are great as they dont make you feel too weird! coming off was terrifying, and you have to be in a goog place and be sure you are well. i waited a year and came off very slowly and was fine. hope this helps! sarahx
Comment by sarah — July 15, 2008 @ 11:48 pm
i am also on celexa… i started on 10 mg for a week then up to 20mg for about a month. after no real change my doc up me to 40mg. i started my adventure with celexa about 4 months ago and i am still having some side effects… nothing that would cause me to stop taking it however.. my two major issues with the drug is the low libido however i have found that if i skip the next day it is fully active and sometimes more active. the second issue is that i have very vivid dreams.. sometimes to the point where i can not tell if my dreams are reality… again these side effects are not that major to me so i continue to use celexa for my agoraphobia.. i dont know if skipping a dose is the correct thing to do for a low libido i only found it online, i did not ask my doctor what to do. however i think celexa is a good option for people dealing with ssri related illnesses
Comment by Anonymous — July 31, 2008 @ 3:19 am
My doctor put me on citalopram today for anxiety, I have had it for 15+ years, I have also had a drink problem for a while and in the past other things and got my drink sorted out 7 days ago.
I asked her for something to kill my mind going around so fast and paranoia type stuff, the anxiety gets to the point I shake in crowded rooms and can't bear it and want to just walk out.
After I spent 4 days of hell not drinking she gve me some tablets for that first and said come back and I will give you something to stop your anxiety right away…
I went and she came out with some thing that would take from 4 weeks to 8 weeks to start working.
I pointed out that it was bad attacks and she said she was unwilling to give me the other one as it is addictive.
Well guess what so have ben so many other things in my life and my last target is beer and then nicotene.
Any way to cut it short I tryed ziban to smoke smoking a few years ago and it screwed my up that bad I drunk twice as much a day to try and kill the side effects or what ever it did to my head.
citalopram feels just as bad as that and you can add the feeling of it feels like your coming down off 4 or so E's aswell ((not the high though children)) and the first thing most folks do is go drink some beer to cure it.
I have spent three lots of three days in 14 years alcohol free, it will be many years now before I spend them 3 days free again of alcohol thnks to this screw up and no sub mis team either.
CITALOPRAM IS BAD don't take it!
Comment by Anonymous — June 15, 2009 @ 6:52 pm
49 year old Male here – I started citalopram a little over 2 weeks ago, 20mg/day. I felt nauseous off and on the first few days, but it was nothing debilitating. So far I'm very happy with the results. I'm not feeling the "lows" I did before, I don't have that gnawing feeling anymore when I deal with the issues in my life like I used to have. I was worried about a loss in libido, but that hasn't happened, maybe just the opposite. My sexual stamina has increased dramatically. It's amazing what hidden anxieties can do to a man's performance!
I give Celexa 5/5 stars.
Comment by Anonymous — June 25, 2009 @ 1:57 am
Hi! 35 female here. I was prescibed Citalopram after the birth of my third child more as a precaution to keep post natal depression at bay, but also for anxiety issues. I should note also that I was breast-feeding and was extremely vocal about my concerns of drugs passing into breastmilk. I dealt with quite a few of the side effects in the initial few weeks of taking it such as a racing heart, felt extremely spaced out and dehydrated on the first few days, I felt my body and brain was taking a general dislike to the drug.
This really did only last for the first week, then fantastic. No side effects at all, only positive effects. I continued taking it for approximately 12 months then slowly came off them under my doctors advice. Unfortunately my anxiety has returned only 7 months off them so I have decided to go back on them. Three days into it and past the worst of that awful initial spacey feeling and I already am optimistic of my future.
Comment by Anonymous — August 2, 2009 @ 11:40 am
i am 23 and suffered a breakdown about a month ago severe anxiety panic attaks leading to agraphobia but no apparent depression actually quite happy was put on buspirone never again then trazadone never again then two other types of pills that didnt work then became stable for three weeks on diazepam 2mg was refused another prescription for them yesterday incase of addiction and given citlorpram and had a horrible day on them nausea feeling of not being here increased anxiety shaking and now worried to continue use or if these side effects will pass advice from anyone in a similar situation would be appreciated.
Comment by anon — September 25, 2009 @ 12:45 am
I had a major breakdown about two months ago too, started slowly with increased anxiety, then full blown panic attacks, vomiting, not being able to sleep, afraid of almost everything, at times agoraphobic, racing thoughts etc. good times I can tell ya. Treatment started out with XanaX which helped the panic attacks but I had spikes inbetween doses that werent fun and STILL no sleep!!
After that I was just put on Klonopin for a week and a half 0.5mg twice a day and it helped lots against my anxiety. Though again, a little better but far from good sleep, and also I think it made me depressed.
Now my doc wants to put me on Citalopram…yeah I’m scared of the side effects and am gonna stick through with only taking Klonopin and Trazodone for sleeping at night (godsend, i finally sleep!)
Right now I’m so happy I finally found something for sleeping yay! I hope my life will get back on track….
Comment by Kat — September 30, 2009 @ 3:00 pm
I’ve struggled with depression, anxiety, and agoraphobia for most of my adult life. I’m 47. This past year it has gotten worse to the point where it has been extremely difficult for me to function at work. About 4 weeks ago my doctor started me on Citalopram, 20 mg. After 2 weeks, he upped it to 40 mg. At first I did experience some side effects such as nausea, upset stomach, insomnia, and an increase in depression for about 3 days. The side effects have tapered off and this week I have felt great. The doctor told me that it takes a while for this one to kick in…4 to 6 weeks sometimes 8. It was worth the wait. This past week I was able to function and interact with people and coworkers with no problem. Where I had been terrified to talk to anyone, this week I was able to talk and even joke around. At times I would realize that I wasn’t even thinking about being uncomfortable. It’s been amazing. If you can tolerate the side effects, give the citalopram a chance. It has done wonders for me and I plan to keep taking it for quite a while. I have hope again and hope that things will only get better from here. p.s. I am also going to counseling which has helped also.
I’d give the citalopram a 5/5 also. Best of luck to all of you who are trying to find the right one for you.
Comment by amylaura — November 13, 2009 @ 10:08 pm
Anxiety and depression is a nightmare I am a 28 year old male I been fighting with panic attacks since I was 21
And was prescribe zoloft
At first it helped now im on celexa and im still struggling sometimes I just don’t know about these pills if they make u better or worst?
Comment by Ryan — November 16, 2009 @ 4:27 pm
i have been taking citalopram for nearly a year now and as so many people have already stated, the first 2 days on them are the worst, i found the sick feeling and very dry mouth the worst, but in comparrison to my depression/panic disorder/agraphobia….. this was a breeze. i have been on so many different anti-depress’ that i have lost track of all their names. i can honestly say that citalopram has been the best,they have changed my quality of life….. but the negative is the weight gain…. as i have read from another cit user…. fat and happy……. skinny and sad…. i will stay on he bigger side as i could not be without them now. Any medication you take will have some side effects, and i think citaloprams side effects are worth it againt how my life was before. you have to judge for yourself but my tip to any new user is, dont give up with them 2 quick as they are worth sticking with. give them a chance, you wont refgret it. good luck!
Comment by jakki — November 24, 2009 @ 2:51 am
I used to read these forums so much when i first started taking citalopram. I was so curious and nervous about it that i just had to find out as much as I could. When reading i was so grateful to all the people who were good enough to share their experiences, good or bad, that i promised myself i would post my experience. So here goes. I started on 20mg and at first had difficulty sleeping, locking jaw and slight nausea. It was weeks with no difference then after 5 weeks i could definately feel some difference but the doctor thought because i am quite a big guy i should double my dose. At this point i went back to the terrible depression and anxiety at the lowest point of my depression and started doubting even taking it. However after around 6 weeks later i can whole heartedly say it has been the best thing to happen to me. Lots of people have noticed a big difference in me and i have done some things i thought i would never do again. I know its not the same for everyone but the only advice i would give is stick with it for a good few weeks, and if you increase your dose don’t be surprised if it feels like you are starting again. Good Luck!
Comment by Mark — November 29, 2009 @ 11:15 pm
Your statement, “Neither does it change your outlook on life or your major cognitions, so while it does make desensitization easier if for example you were agoraphobic, it won’t make problems disappear, or didn’t for me anyway. For that you do need to use therapy as well as drug treatment. Drugs are just symptomatic relief.” is true. There is effective treatment.
Comment by Barry — December 6, 2009 @ 11:49 am
It’s common for any anti-depression or anti-anxiety med to create some short term side effects. Most of them go away in time. I had some sexual dysfunction as well as it prolongs climax, in some males which may make some wives happier lol. They actually off label prescribe it for premature ejaculation. Seriously though it went away for me after a couple months. Drugs do help some people more than others, but they definitely helped me.
Prevent Panic Attacks
Comment by Mike D — December 21, 2009 @ 6:48 pm
Hello, I logged onto this website looking for peoples experiences of citalopram as I have been on them for 4 days now and the nausea is horrible. Although my mind has already started to calm a bit, I am still not sleeping brilliantly, however, I dont expect to just yet. I was on fluoxetine till november of last year and felt well enough to come of them, but very quickly returned to how I was before. I am unsure as to why the doctor has put me on citalopram as I had such a good experience with fluoxetine, but am willing to give them a try, so will stick with it. fluoxetine gave me the calmest year of my life:) and I am hoping citalopram will do the same, I stayed away from alcohol whilst on fluoxetine and as alcohol is a depressant and makes your meds less effective I would advise anyone to do the same, have a night out where you are the sober one amongst your friends, its an eye opener
Anti depressants do work, the chemicals and hormones have got to be balanced right in your brain and for some of us it isnt. It does have a lot to do with negative experiences in life as well, because you are dealing with cr*p quite a lot, your brain resets to work at a constant level of dealing with bad things, its like a faulty thermostat, its really cold right now but the heating could be set to deal with summer all year round, therefore when things change, you dont. Anti depressants do work at resetting the chemicals… I truly believe that 
Comment by anon — January 12, 2010 @ 1:53 am
I’ve been on this pill for one whole day …I talked fast, felt weird and awkward, then was in a daze — and to top it off, woke up in the middle of the night with terrible night anxiety. Honestly, I felt crazy and like I was losing my mind. I felt like I even seemed weird to other people because I was so off center. I called my doctor today to see about another med…I mean seriously, I can’t even take this and go to work. Not sure if this would be better if I took it at night ??? We’ll see….
Comment by Amber — January 13, 2010 @ 10:41 pm
Hi there, it is so great to read other ppls experiences of not only this medication, but the journey we are experiencing. It can be a lonely, crazy journey, but great when you find others who understand. I have some fairly major anxiety probs, and have had depression on and off for ten years. Up until 4 weeks ago I had never taken meds, was prescribed prozac at 18 years old, but hated it so stopped after two days. Recently I couldn’t take my increasing anxiety anymore, and my best friend told me that she noticed every year I have one more major fear and one more avoidance. (Driving over 50 km is the latest weird one….)so anyway, started taking Citalopram 3 weeks ago, and have really noticed a decrease in anxiety, haven’t had a full blown panic attack (been a year since I went a day without one) and am sleeping better. Still get anxiety “rushes” but seem to be able to get a grip before they get out of control. Side effects – mainly just nausea/digestion and maybe a little tired but its hard to tell, because that could be from day to day life too…anyway, I wish whoever is reading this the best of luck, give the meds a try. This is coming from someone who had anxiety about having anxiety, too anxious to try meds…a total mess! Good luck, there are obviously lots of us out here struggling with depression/anxiety, you are not alone xx
Comment by Hollie — February 5, 2010 @ 9:17 pm
Well I am new this whole thing it started about two weeks ago I woke up and couldn’t shake this worry feeling it was sooooo bad that when I went to pick up my husband he had to drive home because I was so shaky and crying, then the next day I was taking a shower and lost it again I felt so unsettled I have never felt like that before in my life! So my husband came home and I went to the doctor I explained to her what I was feeling and how bad it was, she has me on Citalopram 20mg once a day I take it in the morning cuss I can’t sleep at night if I take them in the evening. I had the side effects first it was dry mouth, then it was fatigue,then it was the I can’t sleep, and then I threw up it was bad but I kept telling my self that it would get better, so far this is my journey I have been on it for two weeks I have noticed a slight difference so far but I know it is a process and determined to stay with it. I have never been a person who takes medication for anything so this is quite a change. I hope the with persistance comes the freedom of the anxiety cuss lord knows I need it. these forums are so nice cuss it makes me feel like I am not alone in this so thank you so much for writing your experiences you truly are brave!
Comment by Sarah — February 17, 2010 @ 1:49 am
today was my 2nd day on citalopram, but 1st day back 2 work (had yesterday off). I have some sort of anxiety disorder, i dont no if its social anxiety or general anxiety or what??? but anyway…. it was HORRIBLE….. from when i left my front door up untill about half 5 minutes of being in work my heart was pounding and raceing like crazy, i was shakey, i couldnt bare it so i had a propronolol in my make-up bag (a beta-blocker) left over from when i was on them, just to compose myself, and where i work is very small so where ever i go i bump in2 sum1 and they start talking away 2 me and i just want them to go away so i can get myself together! I felt quite tierd all day aswell and a little dizzy but no major side effects appart from the very bad adrenaline rushes, i dont no if i can stick with citalopram because it just doubles my usual anxiety.
Comment by becky — February 17, 2010 @ 11:11 pm
Becky, In my experience the first few days on citalopram were pretty weird….then felt normal and then better…so probably worth giving it some time to see if its for you!
good luck and let us know how you get on!
Comment by admin — February 17, 2010 @ 11:24 pm
I’ve been taking Celexa for almost a month now (for GAD) – and my anxiety has increased a bit this week – is this a side effect as my body gets use to the drug (20 mg)? I feel hyped up during the day -
Comment by Jeff — February 27, 2010 @ 2:35 am
I am on my 3rd day of citalopram and only real side effect I’ve had is terrible stomach aches at night. It’s almost like a burning sensation.. I know it can take a couple weeks for side effects to subside, but this is keeping me up ALL night! Any suggestions? Tums don’t even help!
Comment by Trisha — March 4, 2010 @ 2:59 pm
I have now been taking citalopram for 3 weeks today. I was on 10mg for the first 2 weeks and then my dose was upped to 20mg for the last week. I have been prescibed this medication for social anxiety. I have high hopes for this medicine but it hasn’t started working at all yet. The side effects i’ve been experiencing are insomnia, jaw clenching and inorgasmia (although my libido strangely has gone sky high?!), though they seem to be subsiding a bit now. I will keep taking them – apparently they can take anywhere up to 8 weeks to start working. If not, I will probably up my dose to 40mg. Fingers crossed….
Comment by Clarence — March 6, 2010 @ 1:45 pm
I’ve never written on one of these before! I’ve struggled wih depression a few times and (thought I) managed to sort myself out properly about 12 months ago, cant remember what i was taking but came off them and was fine for a few months. The past 4/5 months have been hell! i dont feel depressed but the anxiety and panic has been getting unbearable. I was determined not to go back on medication, i tried to take the ‘mind over matter’ approach…last week I realised i wasnt getting anywhere, i was getting worse as the days went on…work is the hardest time – trying to avoid a conversation with anyone, even stupid things like walking past someone who looks at you…panic attacks trying to do a tesco shop…nightmare. So today i went to the doctors and they put me on citalopram 10mg, I think she’ll up my dose when i go back in 2 weeks. Its a real help reading other peoples comments an what they’re going through because you really feel alone when going through a sh*tty time, you feel like you’re the only person feeling like it. WIsh me luck, i am desperate for these pills to work! i just want to get back to feeling myself and doing ‘normal’ things like meeting up with a friend for coffee without being in complete fear about whats going to happen me, i dont want to panic, it just springs up out of nowhere. Everyone keep posting and we can help each other out. Good Luck everyone!
Comment by Vicky — March 11, 2010 @ 8:54 pm
Been on Citalopram for five weeks now. Week 3/4 I was so very sick, then two days later came the watery runs. Still stuck by the meds. Now I’m just a bit nauseous all the time, and get a burning feeling in my upper abdomen. Still waiting for the time when I feel better. Only on 10mg.
Decided to take to drug when I realised I was making myself unemployable because of my anxiety.
Comment by Julie — March 13, 2010 @ 10:27 am