Celexa and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 26, 2014

For Anxiety and Stress "Did some yawning in the first week and then my libido started to diminish. After two weeks, my yawning went away and was replaced with clarity and a clear mind. The unfortunate downside at 20 mg after two weeks was absolute zero libido, I couldn't have an erection. It's too bad because it's a very effective medicine otherwise. I've switched to Wellbutrin, haven't started it, going through a one-week wash-off from Celexa."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 28, 2012

For Postpartum Depression "I began to feel better almost immediately - within 4 days, I could really tell a difference in my stress level and more overall depression. I feel much better, and I am thankful that I decided to seek help. This has not solved all my problems, but it put me in a frame of mind to be able to deal with them rather than feel out of control and hopeless. Best decision I could have made, not only for myself, but my family. The only side effect that I have experienced is difficulty reaching orgasm. But honestly, it has helped me so much, I am more than willing to live with this than go back to the way I was before."

• Can...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 30, 2015

For Depression "I can't say enough good things about this medication. I've fought mild-to-moderate depression on and off for twenty years. I've done counseling and read tons of books. I also tried Paxil years ago but found it numbing. Celexa has been WONDERFUL. I'm on 20 mg a day. The crying spells, feelings of doubt and despair, and constant negative thoughts have all gone away. I still have up and down moods and feelings, but they feel normal and manageable... like what regular people must feel like. I feel much more confident, happy, and engaged with life. As for side effects... not to be crude, but the only side effect I've experienced is delayed orgasm and, as a man, this is more of a benefit than a problem ;-) I highly recommend this medication..."

• anx...
• July 21, 2011

For Panic Disorder "I was on Lexapro for 6 years before it started to poop out. Besides panic disorder, I have some OCD, and I am scared of taking medicine. So, when the doctor wanted me to try Celexa, it took three months of therapy and hitting rock bottom before I took it. Well, 5 weeks later, things are great. Virtually no panic attacks, and it has reduced obsessive-compulsive disorder habits to a minimum. I did have loss of sex drive for the first three weeks, but I am back to normal now, and my husband is happy. I was also very scared of gaining more weight. I gained 45 lbs on Lexapro, but so far on Celexa, I have lost 8 lbs. I hope this medicine never poops out on me."

• cry...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 28, 2015

For Anxiety and Stress "This medication is truly a double-edged sword. This is only my personal experience with this drug. I liked it but won't be recommending it due to sexual and other side effects. The positive: It works like a dream...as far as mood, it will make you extremely mellow and easygoing. The negative: It will make you shake-tremors. You will still have somewhat of a sex drive but it's impossible to achieve an orgasm. Weight gain, stomach cramps, restless, and trouble sleeping."

• Anonymous
• November 7, 2009

For Anxiety and Stress "I switched to Celexa from Paxil (which I had been on for 7 years for anxiety). It's been 6 weeks, and although the transition was smooth to 10 mg of Celexa, there's just one major problem for me: no sex drive. I'm a 25-year-old female and also am on birth control (have been for 6 years). Maybe it's the combination of both Celexa and birth control! I'm hoping this one side effect will go away because otherwise, it's a good drug."

• ske...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 3, 2016

For Anxiety and Stress "First time ever trying any medication for anxiety, which I have struggled with for years. I took Celexa for 6 days, 10 mg once a day. Throughout taking it, I noticed that my feelings started to dull. Everything was very level, and it was hard to be anxious - or excited, or happy, or really much of anything. I got sexual side effects starting on the 3rd day, which was the deal breaker for me. As much as I liked that it calmed my racing thoughts, the constant fog, feeling of not being myself, and the inability to orgasm made it no-go for me. Celexa was effective for my GAD/social anxiety, but the side effects were terrible."

• ske...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 3, 2016

For Anxiety and Stress "First time ever trying any medication for anxiety, which I have struggled with for years. I took Celexa for 6 days, 10 mg once a day. Throughout taking it, I noticed that my feelings started to dull. Everything was very level, and it was hard to be anxious - or excited, or happy, or really much of anything. I got sexual side effects starting on the 3rd day, which was the deal breaker for me. As much as I liked that it calmed my racing thoughts, the constant fog, feeling of not being myself, and the inability to orgasm made it no-go for me. Celexa was effective for my GAD/social anxiety, but the side effects were terrible."

• Eaz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "Side effects are pure awfulness right from the jump. Blurred vision, floaters in vision, burning sensation of the skin, tightness of chest, migraines, nausea and vomiting, night terrors, suicidal thoughts, crying outbursts, panic state of mind, extreme anger, feeling out of control (almost out of body experience), and memory loss like anything. I couldn’t remember things I had said just minutes beforehand. Not to mention zero libido and complete loss of any sort of emotion. It all makes for a real fun time. Mind you, I’ve never had any of this before starting this medication. So it's a no-go in my book. Celexa made me feel the worst I’ve ever felt in my entire life. If you want real relief, just stick to Xanax."

• Anonymous
• December 7, 2010

For Panic Disorder "I was in a really bad spot with the constant anxiety and panic attacks. It was affecting every aspect of my life negatively. At first, I slept a lot, which wasn't necessarily bad since I hadn't been sleeping anyway. Sex was a little off, but at least I feel a lot better and don't feel like I could jump out of my skin 24 hours a day. I hate that I have to take something, but it's much better than the alternative!"

• ilo...
• May 17, 2014

For Depression "I was diagnosed with major depression 6 years ago when I was 18 years old. I was started on 100 mg of Zoloft. You hear the commercials about the side effects of SSRIs about how they can 'increase suicidal thoughts in children and young adults.' Well, Zoloft did that to me and made my depression even worse until I eventually was suicidal and was hospitalized. Then they switched me to 60 mg Celexa, and I have never had any problems with it! I've been on it for 5 1/2 years, and the only side effect I have is low libido. The FDA lowered the max recommended dose to 40 mg, so my doctor lowered my dose too. I have been okay on 40 mg, but I wish I was still allowed to have the 60 mg. I wonder why the max dose got lowered?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 17, 2012

For Anxiety and Stress "I took this medication for anxiety and stress for only 2 months. I really did not see any improvement, and the side effects were pretty bad: insomnia, nausea, headaches, felt like my nerve endings had little electrical surges, lethargic, night sweats, and zero sex drive."

• Iti...
• November 13, 2013

For Anxiety and Stress "I began Celexa after having a bad experience on Prozac. I did not see immediate results, but I did see some improvement. The side effects were terrible! I had extremely vivid dreams that caused me to be very tired and hard to wake. I had decreased sex drive and lots of problems with memory loss."

• bew...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 7, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "I took 20 mg of Celexa during college for anxiety and depression, and it helped tremendously. I quit taking it for a couple of years after college, but began it again after I got married. I noticed that this time around it affected my sex drive (lower) and made me more tired, but nothing super terrible. After my 2nd child was born, my doctor upped me to 40 mg because of anxiety, and the side effects were awful. Super tired - asleep by 6-7 pm every night - super low sex drive and inability to climax. It was very frustrating. I guess my body chemicals changed over the years and especially after pregnancies. On Wellbutrin now instead of Celexa, so we'll see how that goes."

• Nov...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 11, 2018

For Anxiety and Stress "I started on the generic brand around Christmas time of 2017, as Christmas is a time of socialization and stress! I have a lot of social anxiety and depression. So bad that it put my relationship on the line. I figured it was time to visit my (fantastic) doctor! I was put on 10 mg a day for 6 weeks and did not see much of a difference. I was then bumped up to 20 mg a day, and I am a new person! My mood is improved, I can start a conversation with a stranger, and my anxiety is gone! The side effects I have are minimal compared to the pros of the medication. I have increased sweating, which mainly contains itself to my fingertips, so it's not bad! My brain is a little foggy all the time, and I have decreased sex drive. Not too bad for the cons of Citalopram! I highly recommend this life-changing medication!"

• Ewe...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 5, 2012

For Anxiety and Stress "I took 10 mg Celexa (increased to 20 mg) for a year after experiencing panic attacks and generalized anxiety for 3 years. My anxiety affected my stomach the worst, I'd have trouble eating anything without getting a stomach ache or diarrhea. It's as if all the butterflies in my stomach ate my food for me. After taking Celexa, my anxiety disappeared completely and my stomach went back to normal. However, I stopped taking it due to the side effects. I had no more sex drive and had difficulty feeling any emotions, or at least to the extent I felt them before. I felt foggy and not myself. As soon as I went off it, I had panic attacks again but felt more clear."

• cur...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 22, 2012

For Anxiety and Stress "Took this for social anxiety. After about a month on the pill, my anxiety was gone. However, there were some side effects that I didn't like. My sexual functions (male) were completely gone, which scared me. But after a couple of months on the pill, I could get by... but it's never as good on the pill as it is off the pill. Also, I ground my teeth at night a LOT. I gained weight too... but that could be because I ate terribly, so we'll call that my fault. After a year on this pill, I stopped taking it. Having my social anxiety gone while on the pill built up my confidence a lot, and now I do fine in social situations with no pill needed. I recommend this pill for social anxiety."

• Sun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 17, 2016

For Anxiety and Stress "Started on Prozac 20 mg but went off because of low libido. Doctor had me try Celexa 20 mg, and it was the worst month of my life. So many side effects! Not only did my libido get worse, but I had frequent urination, my depression worsened, my sleeping pattern messed up, fatigue, always sweating, and it made my period disappear for 3 months, and I wasn't pregnant! After a month, I went back to Prozac, I couldn't deal with Celexa's horrible side effects anymore!"

• Shm...
• October 7, 2016

For Depression "I've been on Celexa for almost 3 years now, and I'm very happy with the results in regard to my depression. Most of the side effects went away after the first year, but it has definitely altered my sleep, and I have absolutely no sex drive. I would highly recommend it for effectiveness, but if you're not okay with living with some side effects, it may not be for you."

• Nat...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 2, 2018

For Anxiety and Stress "I've been taking the generic version, citalopram, for almost 10 years. I now take 10 mg. I was on 20 mg to start. The difference to not taking it is that people like me when I'm on it. I'm naturally introverted and skittish around people. I have to interact with the public on my job. I can hold myself together better and can even find joy talking to people-something that was foreign to me prior to taking citalopram. Side effects for me include insomnia, loss of sex drive, blocked thinking (just sort of blank inside), excessive smiling (as in, I can't stop even if something horrible happened that day and I don't want to smile. Feels like someone hijacked my face). Despite that, I wish I had found this drug much earlier in my life."

• can...
• August 25, 2011

For Panic Disorder "20 mg citalopram caused me to have severe anxiety attacks, feel like I cannot relax ever, cannot sleep, I feel dizzy all the time and nauseous, and it's given me horrible digestive problems. I have taken Zoloft and Paxil with good results for years, but started having sexual dysfunction and was switched to citalopram. It stopped my crying spells, but I feel like my depression is still there. I just cannot let out my feelings due to this medicine. The only positive is that I can just barely manage to function sexually. I am really surprised to see all these good reviews on here as to how it made others less anxious and more positive and social and even drowsy, as it has had the total opposite effect on me."

• lit...
• September 1, 2011

For Depression "I have been dealing with clinical depression since I was in kindergarten (I'm 41 now). Have been on and off many different antidepressants over the years (mostly off because of the side effects and some making me feel worse). Therapy never helped. Have been on Celexa 20 mg for the last month - month 1/2, and it's working very well. I have actually lost 11 lbs being on it because of loss of appetite. The only side effects I don't like are increased headaches and decreased libido. I do still feel sad and alone at times, but not as bad as I used to. I am using Xanax a lot less too."

• ale...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 12, 2012

For Depression "I'm 19 years old and had been struggling with depression since I was a kid. I was against antidepressants all my life until I went off on my freshman year of college out of state and found it impossible to control my emotions. I became suicidal and was thinking about trying illegal drugs. Finally, I told the school counselor that I needed help. She diagnosed me with mild depression and prescribed 20 mg every day. I've been on it for a bit over a month, and my life has changed. My emotions are reasonable and under control, I'm much more agreeable, energetic, and optimistic. Side effects from the first two weeks were: dry mouth, excessive yawning, insomnia, and a bit of anxiety/hyperactivity. Still have decreased sex drive though."

• Lex...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 10, 2016

For Depression "25 yr old, female. I've been taking 20 mg for 2 weeks now. Only side effect was insomnia, so I started taking it in the morning. Maybe a loss in sex drive? No other side effects, though. It hasn't kicked in yet."

• mhe...
• May 13, 2008

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "It has really helped with panic attacks that are spawned by flashbacks. It took about two weeks for me to notice it was working. It has lowered my sex drive slightly, other than that, there have not really been any other side effects."