Citalopram and why all them bad side effects?

20 Aug 2009

It is very difficult to predict which drug will work best for each person because there are over 50 different chemical messengers in the human brain! Although Citalopram only directly affects serotonin, it is likely that there is a flow on effect to other chemical messengers. Therefore, what works beautifully for one person may be poison for another. It's a bit like that old saying, "one man's medicine is another man's poison".

The warning is given because in clinical trials, some people become suicidal after taking these drugs. However, the incidence is usually not high and more people are helped by taking that drug than harmed. Therefore it gets approved for use.

I have taken Aropax (Paxil), Lexapro and Cymbalta. Of these, only Lexapro made me suicidal. I wasn't even depressed when I went on it!! ( I have generalised anxiety disorder and like to control it with medication). Yet I had been on Aropax for over 10 years and never had that problem.

20 Aug 2009

Rita,
As Junior pointed out, these are just know POSSIBLE side effects. The drug companies have to make consumers aware of the by law. You'd be surprised by all of the POSSIBILITIES of some meds. Give the medication a try and if you feel that you are experiencing any of the side effects, just inform your doctor and work with him/her on finding an alternative med. By the way, citalopram usually takes about 4-6 weeks before patients start noticing any marked improvement. Hope this helps. Good luck and God bless.