I'm new to this med & recently increased from 10mg to 20 mg (at night) I can't get a good night's sleep. I fall asleep OK, but I wake up VERY early. I take a trip to the bathroom to urinate, & after that I CAN NOT fall back asleep. Mainly, because I can't shake the feeling that I need to pee again. It feels like I have a urinary tract infection. However, I Don't have this problem at all during the day. I just feel crappy during the day because I've been 'robbed' of 3 hours of sleep.
I can't ignore the urge 'to go' because I'm too distracted by the muscle tension of 'holding it in'. Although, once I'm in the bathroom, there is barely any urine. But all of the running back-and-forth is making me very frustrated & sleep deprived. Anyone else with similar experience?
Celexa - I can't sleep due to constant trips to the bathroom to pee?
Question posted by bernal on 14 May 2012
Last updated on 6 October 2022
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20 Answers Page 2
bernal - I checked the side effects for Celexa and urinary frequency is not one of them. Still, you could have this side effect from the medication that simply hasn't been reported to the FDA as of yet. Anybody can have a side effect to any medication at any time. I would certainly suspect the Celexa since you doubled the dose. Generally, the higher the dose of a medication, the more likely you are to experience the drug's stated side effects. You can report side effects to the FDA.
Hi bernal,
I have that problem but it is because I may be prolapsing down there. I had surgery 8 years ago after 2 kids to have everything lifted up again. Well now I will be turning 50 this year so everything is starting to relax and causing me problems again. I saw the Urologist and he did a cystocopy to check my bladder. All is fine there but I have urgency all the time as well. I also take lithium and that fills the bladder quickly too. And I have to drink more water on top because of the lithium. So there is a few ideas that could be your problem as well depending if you had kids, certain meds and age too.
I get up 5-6 times a night so I understand where you are coming from that is for sure.
Hope you find out what is going on with you soon!
YES it can cause frequent urination! I read an article on it before (wish I could find it). But I also know this from personal experience. I had this SAME problem for years! I thought it was just me. But I just switched to another med (for other reasons), and it stopped! For the first time in years I am sleeping through the night as I don't have to get up to pee, and I fall asleep better at night as I don't have the constant feeling that I still have to pee. I would suggest trying a different med and see if it works.
Hi Bernal. I started Celexa 20 mg in Dec 2016. As I recall now, there were more trips than usual to the bathroom. But, Jan 1, 2017, I had a major stroke. I was in the hospital for a month, frequently incontinent but I attributed it to the stroke. I requested a bedside commode and assistance to it every 2 hrs during the night. The bedside commode came home with me and has been placed on a private and discreet back porch since the urgency and inability to always hold the pee in until I could get to the bathroom or commode had become a common thing several times each day. The back porch was a shorter distance, with no carpeting to ruin, than trying to make it to the bathroom. I’m also a heavy coffee drinker and I knew that wasn’t helping. I’ve been contemplating making an appt to see a urologist. ‘Wetting my pants’ several times per day then needing new dry clean pants was ruining my life.
I bought some adult ‘diaper’ type underwear, but the humiliation is horrible. THEN ... I read that Celexa can cause urination frequency etc. After having to get up and go to the bathroom every 45 mins 3 nights ago, (totally exhausted the next day!) I decided to cut my Celexa 20’s in half, and voilá! I slept for 6 hrs straight last night, no wet pants today, no sense of urgency. Regular peeing like in the old days before Celexa. So, this is only my story. I’m not advocating anything other than talking to your doctor. At 10 mg, I’m hoping to get the sense of balance and ability to run my life responsibly that the Celexa 20 gave me but without all the incontinence and urgency to get to the bathroom fast. Best of luck.
Hi, just wanted comment as well... as Pledge has said, i can't find any information on side effects of Celexa causing this symptom, i know it can cause urine retention, but not the other way round? I have been on Celexa/Citalopram for years now, started on 20mg, then increased to 40mg and am finally on 60mg now, and i have never experienced this. I agree with Pledge, speak to your doctor. Will you let us know what he says?
Retention causes frequency. When you go, you don't empty your bladder, so it only takes a short while until your bladder is full again.
I read all the posts on this site to see if anyone had asked something similar previously, before posting... and saw nothing related.
I don't run to the bathroom with a full bladder, more of an urge to go than an authentic need. It helped a little to REALLY make an effort to be sure I had emptied everything, but still made quite a few trips this morning.
I'm just hoping things stabilize for me after this week.
This is my first time taking this sort of medication. So many people on this site seem to be thrilled with the results, so I don't want to give up just yet (after waiting so many year to admit that I may need this)
I also have a bit of a rash in my armpits- No visible redness, just an uncomfortable irritation. I haven't used any deodorant products in a week for fear of making it worse.
Thanks for the support.
I don't think you're understanding me about retention. You only go a little bit, so you haven't emptied your bladder, it fills rapidly, you have to go again, but you only go a little bit, and so on. You almost always have the urge to go, because you're not going completely. Women can sometimes "reset" their bladder by standing up and sitting down again. I know of no way to reset it for a man.
Hi Bernal, just to clarify, when i listed the side effect of urinary retention i was referring to anuria - a complete lack of ability to urinate, which can lead to a distended bladder and in some cases can be classed as an emergency. I just wanted to be clear on my answer. I hope your doctor can suggest something to improve your side effects and that you are catching up on your sleep soon!
Bernal
I care for my mom, unfortunately she can't communicate changing conditions or side effects very well. However, she was on citalophram and now sertraline. Just as you described, her urge to use the bathroom at night is constant. Assistance to the bathroom is often every hour and recently every 20 minutes until complete exhaustion takes over... then we get 2 or 3 hours of sleep.
May I ask if you also take Methenamine Hippurate for preventing urinary tract infections? In our case, I'm speculating either the Sertraline or Methenamine Hippurate is causing the problem.
Hi, Bernal, how are you doing after so long regarding your success with Citalopram? I don't know how you feel about your mother having catheterisation during the night? One website say: "Catheterisation means to introduce a catheter into a body cavity to inject or remove fluid. Urinary catheterisation reduces the risk of infection and kidney damage by ensuring the bladder is emptied adequately at regular intervals. Urinary catheterisation can be useful for people with bladder problems, such as urinary retention or bladder obstruction".
Another website says: "women often feel the need to urinate at night because of rising progesterone levels. Frequent urination is a symptom that you should bring to the attention of your doctor. Drinking caffeine, tea, or alcohol beverages late in the day may contribute to a need to urinate during the night. For example, if you drink a lot of fluid in the evening, you may feel the urge to urinate which may awaken you from sleep. Other reasons that you might have a pressing urge to urinate that awakens you include:
An acute and severe urinary tract infection
Bladder stones lodged in the urinary tract causing a blockage, usually in the ureters or bladder". Something to think about???
Sounds to me like you aren't emptying your bladder completely. This can happen with many drugs that effects the central nervous system. Do you notice this during the day? You will need to talk to your doc about this. He may want to try you on another med.
Bladder wise- I'm fine during the day, or I would be thinking it's a UTI.
Thanks for the input
So it happens in the hours right after you take the celexa.
Hello bernal. I went to several sources and came up empty in response to your question. You might mention it to your doctor, what you are going through. If you did not have these (my own point of view) trips to the bathroom on the 10mg dose.perhaps you might go back to that dose. Either way, its not a side effect that has been reported in the past, be it common, severe, or rare. Regards, pledge
Related topics
celexa, sleep disorders, sleep
Further information
- Celexa uses and safety info
- Celexa prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Celexa (detailed)
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