Celexa is an SSRI that works by increasing serotonin levels in your brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter—chemical messenger—involved in the regulation of mood and anxiety among other functions. When you take SSRIs regularly for an extended period of time, your brain becomes accustomed to this level of serotonin. When your dose is suddenly discontinued or reduced, your brain has to adjust to lower levels of serotonin. This adjustment period can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
Celexa has a half-life of about 35 hours , that means that it takes 35 hours for half of the drug to effectively leave your system. It takes about one week for the drug to leave your system entirely. For most people, Celexa withdrawal begins within three to six days of your last dose.
Symptoms may continue for anywhere from five days to and in some cases over one month. The severity of SSRI withdrawal symptoms also varies widely. Recent research has found that the severity is worse than what doctors once believed. Researchers estimate that nearly half 46 percent of people going through SSRI withdrawal describe their symptoms as severe. People with severe symptoms may have difficulty fulfilling their responsibilities at home and at work. To get a better idea of the range of symptoms and symptom severity, you may want to check out the Discontinuation-Emergent Signs and Symptoms Scale DESS , which is sometimes used by clinicians.
The following is the complete list of symptoms associated with SSRI withdrawal:. If you are quitting Celexa because your depression has abated and you have determined with your doctor that it makes sense to come off your antidepressant, you may want to consider a taper.
Tapering a medication means incrementally reducing your dose over the course of several weeks or months. New research suggests that a very slow taper lasting several months that continues well beyond therapeutic levels may help successfully manage withdrawal symptoms. This means that by the end of your taper, you will be taking a much smaller dose then what you started on. Your taper may continue until you are taking almost nothing. A good first step is to reach out for support from family, friends, and other people struggling with antidepressant withdrawal.
When you have social support, you are less likely to feel isolated, ashamed, or alone. When friends and family know what to expect, they can forgive you for being more anxious or agitated then normal. You can also look online for groups of people going through the same thing as you. Here are a few examples:. Celexa, like other SSRIs, comes with a warning from the FDA about the potential increased risk of thoughts of suicide and suicidal behaviors in children and young adults.
When you quit or change your dose, your risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors may increase. If you or someone you love is quitting or has quit Celexa, it is important to know what to look for. Contact a doctor or emergency services if any of the following symptoms arise:. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.
If you become pregnant while taking Celexa, you have some decisions to make. Talk to your OB-GYN about the risks and benefits of continuing antidepressants during your pregnancy. There is a small risk that women who take antidepressants during their second and third trimesters could experience preterm labor. Unfortunately, women who choose to discontinue antidepressant therapy are five times more likely to have a depression relapse. Post-partum depression is harmful to both mother and baby.
They should be clear about the limits of the research around that medication and if there are any other options. Do not stop taking citalopram even when you feel better. With input from you, your health care provider will assess how long you will need to take the medicine. Depression is also a part of bipolar illness. People with bipolar disorder who take antidepressants may be at risk for "switching" from depression into mania.
Symptoms of mania include "high" or irritable mood, very high self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, pressure to keep talking, racing thoughts, being easily distracted, frequently involved in activities with a large risk for bad consequences for example, excessive buying sprees. Medical attention should be sought if serotonin syndrome is suspected.
If you are planning on becoming pregnant, notify your health care provider to best manage your medications. People living with MDD who wish to become pregnant face important decisions. Untreated MDD has risks to the fetus, as well as the mother.
It is important to discuss the risks and benefits of treatment with your doctor and caregivers. For women who take antidepressant medications during weeks 13 through the end of their pregnancy second and third trimesters , there is a risk that the baby can be born before it is fully developed before 37 weeks.
This is a potentially fatal condition that is associated with use of the antidepressant in the second half of pregnancy. However, women who discontinued antidepressant therapy were five times more likely to have a depression relapse than those who continued their antidepressant. If you are pregnant, please discuss the risks and benefits of antidepressant use with your health care provider. Typically patients begin at a low dose of medicine and the dose is increased slowly over several weeks. The dose usually ranges from 20 mg to 40 mg once daily.
For patients older than 60 years, the maximum recommended dose is 20 mg once daily. Only your health care provider can determine the correct dose for you. The liquid should be measured with a dosing spoon or oral syringe which you can get from your pharmacy.
Consider using a calendar, pillbox, alarm clock, or cell phone alert to help you remember to take your medication. You may also ask a family member or friend to remind you or check in with you to be sure you are taking your medication.
If you miss a dose of citalopram, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is closer to the time of your next dose. Discuss this with your health care provider. Do not double your next dose or take more than what is prescribed. Avoid drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs while you are taking antidepressant medications.
They may decrease the benefits e. If an overdose occurs, call your doctor or You may need urgent medical care. You may also contact the poison control center at Headache, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, increased sweating, feeling nervous, restless, fatigue, or having trouble sleeping insomnia. These will often improve over the first week or two as you continue to take the medication. Sexual side effects, such as problems with orgasm or ejaculatory delay often do not diminish over time.
Low sodium blood levels symptoms of low sodium levels may include headache, weakness, difficulty concentrating and remembering , teeth grinding, angle closure glaucoma symptoms of angle closure glaucoma may include eye pain, changes in vision, swelling or redness in or around eye , serotonin syndrome symptoms may include shivering, diarrhea, confusion, severe muscle tightness, fever, seizures, and death , seizure.
SSRI antidepressants including citalopram may increase the risk of bleeding events. Combined use of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs e. It's important that you do not stop taking antidepressants suddenly. A dose of antidepressants should be slowly reduced, normally over 4 weeks, but sometimes longer. This is to prevent any withdrawal symptoms you might get as a reaction to coming off antidepressants suddenly.
Withdrawal symptoms usually come on within 5 days of stopping the medicine and generally last 1 to 2 weeks. Some people have severe withdrawal symptoms that last for several months or more.
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