How fast does celexa start working

Some may be better suited for you than others. They can tell you about other medications that may work well for you. You may wonder how Celexa compares to other medications that are prescribed for similar uses. Here we look at how Celexa and Lexapro are alike and different. Celexa contains the active drug citalopram. Lexapro contains the active drug escitalopram. Lexapro is FDA-approved to treat depression in adults as well as children ages 12 to 17 years. Lexapro is also FDA-approved to treat generalized anxiety disorder in adults.

Celexa and Lexapro are both available as tablets that you swallow. Lexapro is also available as an oral liquid solution. Both Celexa and Lexapro are generally taken once a day. Celexa and Lexapro belong to the same class of drugs. Therefore, both medications can cause very similar side effects. Below are examples of these side effects. These lists contain examples of more common side effects that can occur with Celexa, with Lexapro, or with both drugs when taken individually.

These lists contain examples of serious side effects that can occur with Celexa, with Lexapro, or with both drugs when taken individually. Separate studies of the two drugs were compared in a larger review of studies. People who took Lexapro were more likely to have their symptoms ease than those who took Celexa. Celexa and Lexapro are both brand-name drugs. Both drugs are also available in generic forms.

The generic form of Celexa is called citalopram, and the generic form of Lexapro is called escitalopram. Brand-name medications usually cost more than generics.

According to estimates on GoodRx. Generic Celexa tablets generally cost about the same as generic Lexapro tablets. Like Lexapro above , the drug Zoloft has uses similar to those of Celexa. Zoloft is also FDA-approved to treat the following:. Celexa is used off-label to treat most of these conditions.

Celexa and Zoloft are both available as tablets that you swallow. Zoloft is also available as an oral liquid solution. Both Celexa and Zoloft are usually taken once a day.

Celexa and Zoloft belong to the same class of drugs. These lists contain examples of more common side effects that can occur with Celexa, with Zoloft, or with both drugs when taken individually. These lists contain examples of serious side effects that can occur with Celexa, with Zoloft, or with both drugs when taken individually. Celexa and Zoloft are both brand-name drugs.

The generic form of Celexa is called citalopram, and the generic form of Zoloft is called sertraline. Generic Celexa tablets generally cost about the same as generic Zoloft tablets. Stopping Celexa too quickly can make you feel ill. You may have withdrawal symptoms that last days to weeks, which is known as discontinuation syndrome. Symptoms can include:. If you need to stop taking Celexa, your doctor will help you decrease your dose slowly to help avoid these symptoms.

The medication works in part through its activity in the brain and nervous system. Alcohol can also affect the brain and nervous system and make you tired. In addition, drinking alcohol may cloud thinking and impair your ability to drive or operate machinery safely. So drinking alcohol while taking Celexa may put you at risk for harm.

If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about the possible risks and whether Celexa is right for you. Celexa can interact with several other medications. It can also interact with certain supplements as well as certain foods. Different interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some interactions can interfere with how well a drug works. Other interactions can increase the number of side effects or make them more severe.

Below is a list of medications that can interact with Celexa. Before taking Celexa, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Taking Celexa and the pain medication tramadol may increase your risk for serotonin syndrome high levels of the chemical serotonin.

They may monitor your side effects during treatment or suggest different medications. The CNS includes your brain and spinal cord. They may need to monitor your side effects or suggest a different combination of medications. Using Celexa with certain other antidepressants may increase your risk for serotonin syndrome.

Other types of these antidepressants include serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors SNRIs , selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs, and tricyclic antidepressants. Taking more than one antidepressant at a time can increase your risk of bleeding. They can review your medications and recommend the right treatment for you. Celexa can increase the risk of bleeding, especially if you take it with other drugs that can also increase bleeding risk.

Drugs known as triptans can be used to treat migraine. Taking a triptan with Celexa can increase the risk of developing serotonin syndrome. The medication carbamazepine Tegretol may speed up the breakdown of Celexa in the body. So in theory, taking carbamazepine with Celexa could cause Celexa to not work correctly.

Taking Celexa and lithium Lithobid together may increase the risk of serotonin syndrome. They may monitor you more closely during treatment or suggest different medications.

One study showed that taking Celexa and pimozide can increase the risk of a type of heart rhythm problem called QT prolongation. Your doctor should monitor you for changes in heart rhythm if you have to take these drugs together. Be sure to tell them if you have any dizziness or heart palpitations feeling of skipped or extra heartbeats. If you take Celexa and ketoconazole together, it may decrease the amount of ketoconazole in your body.

They may monitor your level of ketoconazole or recommend a different medication for you. They may decrease your dose of Celexa or suggest a different medication for you. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist before using any herbal or supplement products while taking Celexa.

Taking St. Serotonin syndrome is a potentially serious condition that requires treatment. If you have symptoms of serotonin syndrome, tell your doctor right away. If you take St. They may have you pause your use of the supplement during your Celexa treatment. Studies looked at babies born to pregnant women who were given Celexa during their last trimester 3 months.

The babies were more likely to be hospitalized, be fed through a tube, or need breathing support. Withdrawal syndrome can occur after babies are born and all of a sudden they no longer have Celexa in their system. Some studies have shown that Celexa and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs may increase the risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn PPHN.

In addition, research has shown that women who stop taking antidepressants during pregnancy were more likely to have their depression return. This is compared with women who continued to take antidepressants while pregnant. They can discuss the pros of Celexa treatment as well as the possible side effects with you. For some people, the benefits are very clear, and taking the medication makes sense. But for others, a different medication may be a better option.

Celexa is present in the breast milk of nursing mothers. Two infants who were breastfed by mothers taking Celexa were reported to have drowsiness, decreased appetite, and weight loss. If you plan to breastfeed while taking Celexa, first talk with your doctor.

They can help you consider the benefits of taking Celexa, other treatment options, and potential side effects to watch for in your child. As with all medications, the cost of Celexa can vary. To find current prices for Celexa in your area, check out GoodRx.

The cost you find on GoodRx. Your insurance plan may require you to get prior authorization before approving coverage for Celexa. This means that your doctor will need to send a request to your insurance company asking them to cover the drug. The insurance company will review the request and let you and your doctor know if your plan will cover Celexa. If you need financial support to pay for Celexa, or if you need help understanding your insurance coverage, help may be available through your local pharmacy.

Talk with your pharmacist about ways to save on your prescription. You can take it in the morning or evening. It is approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder MDD. 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. Even though both Lexapro and Celexa are approved to treat major depressive disorder MDD , some studies suggest that Lexapro may have an edge over Celexa in terms of efficacy in treating MDD.

For instance, a study published in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology also found Lexapro to be more effective in treating MDD when compared to Celexa over an 8-week period.

Even though both medications have been found to effectively treat anxiety symptoms compared to a placebo , Lexapro was found to be more effective overall, according to a study published in Depression and Anxiety. The CNS Spectrums study mentioned above that found that Lexapro may begin working faster than Celexa also found that Lexapro may be more effective and quicker in treating anxiety as well.

While head-to-head comparisons of how Celexa and Lexapro stack up in treating social anxiety disorder are not available, some studies suggest that both may be effective treatment options, especially for people who have found other medications typically used to treat social anxiety to be ineffective.

For instance, a study in CNS Spectrums found that Celexa was both well tolerated and effective by people who had not tolerated or failed to respond to other treatment options. A study published in Depression and Anxiety suggested that Celexa may be a good treatment option for people whose primary diagnosis is social anxiety.

And a study in Depression and Anxiety suggested that Lexapro can be a well-tolerated and effective treatment option for both short-term and long-term management of social anxiety symptoms. While Celexa and Lexapro have some potential side effects in common, they each have their own more common side effects. You may have heard that antidepressant medications can cause weight gain.

While this is a common concern, the truth behind it is more complicated than just concluding that the medication was the cause.

For instance, some people actually lose weight when they are depressed and have not yet begun treatment. Once their depression is treated effectively, their appetite returns and they may begin to gain back the weight they lost.

This weight gain is not necessarily caused by the antidepressant medication, but rather by the reduction in depression symptoms. While there are few head-to-head comparisons of weight gain for Celexa vs Lexapro, a study in General Hospital Psychiatry found that Celexa, Lexapro, and other antidepressants may lead to weight gain. According to a study published in Current Medical Research and Opinion, people taking Lexapro over an 8-month period gained an average of 4 pounds.

On the other hand, a study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that people taking Celexa over a 2-year period gained an average of 5. Taking these medications together could lead to dangerously high levels of serotonin collecting in your body, causing serotonin syndrome, which can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. You may consider switching medications if:. In all of these cases, switching to a different medication may be just what you need to get your anxiety or depression treatment plan back on track.

Because both Celexa and Lexapro can cause withdrawal symptoms if stopped suddenly, it is very important that you work with your doctor, prescribing nurse, or a Minded professional to come up with a plan to switch or stop the medication gradually and carefully.

This may mean tapering down the dose of the medication you are on currently and then beginning the new medication. Celexa and Lexapro are both options worth considering for your anxiety or depression treatment plan. While they are similar in a lot of ways, they also have notable differences, making each come with its own pros and cons.

While both medications have been found to be effective treatment options for MDD and GAD, Lexapro may be more effective—and it may start to work faster than Celexa. Both Celexa and Lexapro may be effective treatment options for social anxiety disorder—particularly for people who have tried other medications for this condition and found them ineffective.

And while more people may stop taking Celexa if they experience side effects, Lexapro also may cause side effects. It is also important to understand that not everyone who takes a medication will experience the potential side effects of that specific medication.

And some people may find the side effects of one medication more tolerable compared to the side effects of another medication. Take our self-quiz. If you suffer from anxiety or depression , the struggle to find and get effective treatment can sometimes feel like summiting a mountain without the proper gear.

Motivating yourself to get treatment, not to mention slogging through the process of addressing the condition—can all be a bit much for an overwhelmed brain. Certain types of depression like Seasonal Affective Disorder SAD occur in certain periods or conditions, while others can be constant and persist over months or years. Typically, healthcare professionals are able to diagnose depression if a person experiences down feelings for a period of about two weeks or more.

Various biological, genetic, psychological and environmental factors can lead to or exacerbate depression. It typically shows symptoms in the form of moodiness, anger, exhaustion and irritability. Depression can also lead to more serious issues, like sleep loss, reckless behavior, substance abuse, weight fluctuations and suicidal thoughts.

Antidepressant medications work by balancing serotonin levels in your brain. They help regulate mood disorders by creating more typical patterns of interaction with serotonin.

Celexa also called citalopram in its generic version is technically an antidepressant medication, with on-label capabilities for fighting other disorders.

Studies have shown that citalopram is effective as a medication for depression. Celexa is part of the group of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs which help your brain find balance with serotonin levels.

SSRIs prevent the brain from reabsorbing serotonin, which keeps more of it available in supply. Celexa in particular can also help in treating alcoholism, eating disorders, panic disorders and types of anxiety. It should be taken daily, at the same time, and can be taken with or without food.