CITALOPRAM is a type of antidepressant that belongs to the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and is primarily used to treat depression and other mental health conditions, including anxiety, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Depression is a mood disorder that affects day to day life of a person. A person may have symptoms such as feeling sad or feeling of loss and might have mood swings. Anxiety is defined as an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and symptoms like increased blood pressure. Anxiety disorder also includes panic disorder which is characterized by sudden feelings of terror. In Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a person feels the need to think or perform things repeatedly.
CITALOPRAM works by increasing serotonin levels. Serotonin is a chemical messenger in the brain responsible for improving mood and physical symptoms of depression. It is also responsible for relieving symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
You can take CITALOPRAM with or without food. It should be swallowed whole with a glass of water. Do not chew, bite, or break it. Your doctor will advise you on how often you take your tablets based on your medical condition. In some cases, you may experience erectile dysfunction, insomnia (difficulty in sleeping), low sexual desire, nausea, restlessness, upset stomach, vomiting, and weight gain. Most of these side effects of CITALOPRAM do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist, stop the medicine and reach out to your doctor.
Try not to stop taking CITALOPRAM of your own as it may lead to unpleasant side effects. Let your doctor know about this, as it may cause withdrawal symptoms. Do not take CITALOPRAM if you have epilepsy (seizure disorder or fits), diabetes, liver or kidney disease, any heart problems,narrow-angle glaucoma, bleeding disorder, electrolyte imbalance or are currently taking medicines for depression known as MAO inhibitors (such as Isocarboxazid, Phenelzine, Selegiline), or problems with alcohol or other prescription drugs. Inform your doctor if you are allergic to CITALOPRAM.Tell your doctor if you are pregnant/planning for pregnancy/breastfeeding your mother.
Depression and other mental health conditions like anxiety, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder
When you take CITALOPRAM, it increases the serotonin levels. Serotonin is a chemical messenger in the brain responsible for improving the mood and physical symptoms of depression. It is also responsible for relieving symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. CITALOPRAM helps many people recover from depression, and has fewer unwanted side effects than older antidepressants.
Try not to stop taking CITALOPRAM of your own as it may lead to unpleasant side effects. Let your doctor know about this, as it may cause withdrawal symptoms. Do not take CITALOPRAM if you have epilepsy (seizure disorder or fits), diabetes, liver or kidney disease, any heart problems, narrow-angle glaucoma, bleeding disorder, electrolyte imbalance or are currently taking medicines for depression known as MAO inhibitors (such as Isocarboxazid, Phenelzine, Selegiline), or problems with alcohol or other prescription drugs. Inform your doctor if you are allergic to CITALOPRAM. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant/planning for pregnancy/breastfeeding mother.
Drug-Drug Interactions: CITALOPRAM may have an interaction with anti-depressants (phenelzine, iproniazid, tranylcypromine), a medication used for heartburn, acid reflux and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (esomeprazole) and any medicines that affect your heartbeat.
Drug-Food Interactions: CITALOPRAM may interact with a multi-mineral or other herbal/ayurvedic supplements. So, if you are using any of them, please tell your doctor.
Drug-Disease Interactions: People affected with bipolar disorder (manic depression), bleeding or blood clotting disorder, drug addiction or suicidal thoughts, liver or kidney disease, seizures, low levels of sodium in your blood, cardiovascular disorders like high blood pressure, chest pain (angina), and coronary artery disease should avoid intake of CITALOPRAM.
It is not recommended to take alcohol with CITALOPRAM to avoid unpleasant side-effects.
CITALOPRAM is not recommended in pregnancy. However, if you were already taking this medicine before becoming pregnant, do not stop taking it without consulting your doctor. It can pose a small risk of problems for an unborn baby. Your doctor might prescribe you this medicine in pregnancy depending upon your condition as it is important to stay well in pregnancy.
CITALOPRAM passes into breast milk in minimal amounts and might cause side effects in breastfed babies. It can be prescribed if the baby is healthy. However, if after taking CITALOPRAM, the baby isn't feeding well as usual, or is sleeping a lot than normal, please consult your doctor.
It is not recommended to drive after taking CITALOPRAM as it may cause drowsiness and interfere with your driving ability.
CITALOPRAM to be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of liver diseases/conditions. The dose may have to be adjusted by your doctor.
CITALOPRAM to be taken with caution, especially if you have a history of kidney diseases/conditions as dose adjustment might be required.
Before Prescribing a CITALOPRAM doctor should check in a child, or adolescent must balance the potential risks with the clinical need.
Depression: It is a mood disorder that affects day to day life of a person. A person may have symptoms such as feeling sad or feeling of loss and might have mood swings.
Anxiety: It is defined as an emotion that is characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and symptoms like increased blood pressure. Anxiety disorder also includes panic disorder which is characterized by sudden feelings of terror.
Panic disorder: It is a type of anxiety disorder. It causes panic attacks, which are sudden feelings of terror when there is no real danger. You may feel as if you are losing control and also have physical symptoms such as a fast heartbeat.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): In this disorder, a person feels the need to think or perform things repeatedly.