What would happen if you accidentally took two 40mg Citalopram?

This blog post will answer the question, “What would happen if you accidentally took two 40mg Citalopram?”. Citalopram is an antidepressant which is used to treat a variety of mental health conditions. 

However, if you accidentally take more than you are supposed to, it can give rise to serious complications. This blog will cover what happens when you overdose on citalopram. 

What would happen if you accidentally took two 40mg Citalopram? 

If you accidentally take two 40mg Citalopram, you will be subjected to the disturbing symptoms associated with serotonin syndrome, a condition which occurs when there is too much active serotonin in your body. 

Citalopram is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and is specifically used to increase the levels of this excitatory neurotransmitter to counteract the symptoms of depression, anxiety and several other mental health conditions. 

When you take too much of citalopram, especially as high as 40mg, it causes too much serotonin reuptake and as a result, a huge amount of active serotonin is present. This can result in excessive neuronal firing and can result in nerve-racking symptoms. 

What are the symptoms associated with Serotonin Syndrome? 

Serotonin syndrome, as stated earlier, occurs when there is too much serotonergic activity in your body. The signs and symptoms associated with this condition include:

• Excessive sweating 
• Fever with chills
• confusion
• Restlessness and fatigue
• Headache, which often feels like your head is pounding
• Changes in blood pressure and/or temperature
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Bradycardia
• Tremors
• Muscle twitching and muscle pain
• Shivering and goosebumps

This condition can take a serious turn and can cause uncontrollable seizures and may put the patient in a coma. It is extremely important to take your antidepressant carefully as it is not something you can mess with. 

If you don’t remember taking your citalopram, look for signs or ask someone living with you whether they have seen you taking your med or not. If nothing works for you, it’s best to wait for your next dose because if you have already taken your citalopram, taking another one will result in overdose.

Overdosing on your antidepressant comes with disturbing side effects. You can check your medicine bottle or count your medicines in order to help remember if you have taken your dose or not. 

Not remembering if you took your antidepressant is pretty nerve-racking and it leaves you with two choices, missed dose and overdose. Missed dose is considered much better than overdosing on your citalopram.

What should be done if you overdose on your citalopram? 

If you accidentally take more of your citalopram than you should, the first and the most important thing to do is to reach out to your healthcare provider. 

Since 40 mg is literally the highest preferred dose per day, taking two doses can lead to disturbing symptoms and you may need to be in a hospital where you’ll be given immediate care. 

Low doses are not that disturbing when it comes to overdose, but higher doses can easily lead to hospitalisation. Make sure you properly inform them how much extra drug is taken and when. 

The time duration of your overdose can help the doctors make the appropriate decisions to treat your symptoms. 

Is there any way to ensure the proper dose administration? 

You need to be extremely careful when it comes to taking your citalopram carefully. Several surveys have revealed that the most common cause of taking 2 pills is that the people simply don’t remember taking the first dose and accidentally take two. 

If that’s the most common thing you struggle from, there are a few things that can help you remember taking your antidepressant. 

Try taking your citalopram at the same time, everyday.

It’s best to take your citalopram at the same time everyday. This way you will perfectly take it ‘once a day’. This practice also makes taking citalopram a part of your routine like other daily life activities and you’re more likely to remember taking it.

Try taking your med with some other daily activity 

The best way to always remember taking your med is combining it with your daily activities. For example, if your doctor has advised you to take your citalopram every morning, try taking it with your breakfast. 

This way, you will always remember taking it as it becomes a part of your breakfast routine. You can also link your citalopram to some other daily activity. 

Seek help from technology and smart gadgets

The use of technology is the easiest way of keeping track of your citalopram. You can set an alarm or a reminder on your phone to help you remember taking your med. 

You can also find apps on app stores which can help remember your medication schedule. Studies have revealed that people who put reminders and sticky notes on their phones are more likely to remember taking their med. 

Use a pill box

Pill boxes are boxes with small compartments, which are labelled for storing your medication day wise. You can use one for Citalopram and fill it up with a week of doses. 

In case you forget if you have taken your citalopram or not, you can simply go check your pill box and see if the compartment labelled with the present day is empty or not.

Add it in your to-do-list

If you like crossing things off your to-do-list, you can try adding your antidepressant in it as well. It is advised to do it only if you keep and strictly follow your to-do-list. If not, then this hack will not work for you.

Ensure you never run out of it

Make sure you never have to miss a dose of your citalopram simply because you don’t have it. Always refill your prescriptions on time so you never run out of it. 

Turn your bottle upside down

After you’re done taking your citalopram, turn your prescription bottle upside down. Day by day, try to make it a habit so you won’t ever forget doing that.  If you forget it someday, just go check the position of your bottle from which you can check whether you’ve taken your medication or not.

How to ensure the proper use of citalopram? 

• Make sure citalopram is the right choice of antidepressant for you. Stick to your doctor’s recommended dose. Do not take more or less than that. 
• Ask your doctor before taking citalopram if you’re pregnant, trying to conceive or if you’re a breastfeeding mother. 
• If you fail to understand how to use the drug properly or have any other question, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• In case of overdose, immediately reach out to the hospital. Make sure you properly guide them about how much drug you have taken and when. 
• If you have missed a dose, take it as soon as you remember, but if a lot of time has passed and your next dose is near, do not take it. It’s better to skip the missed dose and take the next one.
• Report any problems with bleeding or bruising to your doctor. If you see any unexplained blisters or rashes on your body, or experience any problems with urination, or if you feel changes in your vision, immediately report to your healthcare provider. 
• Keep the bottle away from children and pets. In case of overdose, immediately take them to the hospital. 

Conclusion 

In this blog post, we have discussed the complications of overdosing on 40mg Citalopram. It is an antidepressant which is used to treat a variety of mental health conditions. However, if you accidentally take more than you are supposed to, it can create serious complications. 

When you take too much of citalopram, especially as high as 40mg, it causes too much serotonin reuptake and as a result, a huge amount of active serotonin is present. This can result in excessive neuronal firing and can result in nerve-racking symptoms. 

If you accidentally take more of your citalopram than you should, the first and the most important thing to do is to reach out to your healthcare provider. Make sure you take just as much as needed and use the tips we have discussed to help remember taking your citalopram. 

FAQs: accidentally took two 40mg citalopram

What happens if you take 2 40mg citalopram?

If you accidentally take two 40mg Citalopram, you will be subjected to the disturbing symptoms associated with serotonin syndrome, a condition which occurs when there is too much active serotonin in your body. Citalopram is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and is specifically used to increase the levels of this excitatory neurotransmitter. 

When you take too much of citalopram, especially as high as 40mg, it causes too much serotonin reuptake and as a result, a huge amount of active serotonin is present. This can result in excessive neuronal firing and can result in nerve-racking symptoms. 

What happens if you accidentally take double citalopram?

When you take double the amount of citalopram than you should have, you suffer from symptoms associated with serotonin syndrome. The signs and symptoms associated with this condition include:

• Excessive sweating 
• Fever with chills
• confusion
• Restlessness and fatigue
• Headache, which often feels like your head is pounding
• Changes in blood pressure and/or temperature
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Bradycardia
• Tremors
• Muscle twitching and muscle pain
• Shivering and goosebumps

Can you take 80mg of citalopram?

The maximum safe dose of citalopram is 40 mg per day and it is not recommended to take more than that. 80 mg is way too much and is not used in clinical practices because it is nearly impossible to tolerate the dose that high. However, if you accidentally overdose on your 40 mg citalopram, make sure you immediately report to your healthcare provider. 

Can’t remember if I took my citalopram?

If you don’t remember taking your citalopram, look for signs or ask someone living with you whether they have seen you taking your med or not. If nothing works for you, it’s best to wait for your next dose because if you have already taken your citalopram, taking another one will result in overdose.

Overdosing on your antidepressant comes with disturbing side effects. You can check your medicine bottle or count your medicines in order to help remember if you have taken your dose or not. 

Not remembering if you took your antidepressant is pretty nerve-racking and it leaves you with two choices, missed dose and overdose. Missed dose is considered much better than overdosing on your citalopram.

What to do if you can’t remember if you took your antidepressant?

If you don’t remember and there’s nothing that can help you remember, it’s better to let it go and not take another dose in order to prevent overdosing. 

Does your brain go back to normal after antidepressants?

Your brain does go back to normal after you stop using antidepressants, but it takes time and this time taken depends on the duration of your antidepressant therapy. It could take up to 10 months to go back to your normal serotonin levels, after long-term antidepressant therapy.

References 

• Don’t Mess With Your Antidepressant https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20000504/dont-mess-with-your-antidepressant
• R J Milne, K L Goa (1991) -Citalopram. A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic potential in depressive illness https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1711447/
• James M. Ferguson, M.D. – SSRI Antidepressant Medications: Adverse Effects and Tolerability https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC181155/
• Celexa – Uses, Side Effects, and More https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-8603/celexa-oral/details
• Citalopram (Oral Route) https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/citalopram-oral-route/description/drg-20062980