This blog post will answer the question, “Does celexa work right away?”. Celexa is an antidepressant which is used to treat a variety of mental health related problems. However, celexa takes time to work and this is all we are going to cover in this blog.

Does celexa work right away?

No, celexa does not work right away. It usually takes up to 4-6 weeks to start showing noticeable differences in the symptoms associated with your mental health condition.

Depression does not progress overnight. This mental health illness slowly starts deteriorating your health and takes you to the point where you can no longer survive without an effective antidepressant.

Similarly, you can not expect your celexa or any other antidepressant to work overnight. It’s not a magic pill. Celexa belongs to the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

When the serotonin is released in the synaptic cleft, it binds to its receptors and produces its respective effects. However, when all the receptors are taken, some of the serotonin is left in the synaptic cleft.

In usual practice, this serotonin is taken up from the synaptic cleft back into the presynaptic neuron (the neuron which released this excitatory neurotransmitter in the first place).

Celexa and its fellow antidepressants inhibit the reuptake of serotonin by blocking serotonin transporters (SERT) which are solely responsible for the reuptake of serotonin. This results in increased amounts of serotonin to counteract the effects of depression and anxiety.

Serotonin is an excitatory neurotransmitter which is responsible for modulating mood, cognition, reward, learning, memory, and various other psychological processes.

This process takes a while and it does not occur overnight. There is one important thing to mention that your antidepressant may make you feel worse before it makes you feel better.

Once your antidepressant starts working, It improves sleep quality, increases appetite, boosts energy levels, reduces the frequency of panic attacks and much more. Just make sure you give your body enough time to adjust and dont stop your treatment half-way.

What is the clinical significance of celexa?

Celexa is used for the treatment of following mental health conditions:

Depression

Celexa is used in the treatment of mild to major depression disorder (MDD). It is a state of mind which is concerned with disturbing thoughts, especially about one’s self.

It is associated with symptoms like hopelessness, tearfulness and emptiness. Depression is caused by the deficiency of excitatory neurotransmitters.

Celexa increases the amount of active serotonin to help relieve the symptoms of depression. Serotonin is an excitatory neurotransmitter responsible for modulating mood, cognition, reward, learning, memory, and various other psychological processes.

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)

Celexa is also used to treat generalised anxiety disorder. As the name implies, this mental health condition is associated with general worry or anxiety about pretty much everything without having any logical reason.

People suffering from GAD worry about small matters related to family, friends, relationships, study, work, health, wealth etc.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

Celexa is used to treat symptoms of OCD. It is a condition characterised by troublesome thoughts that won’t go away, no matter what you do, and a weird urge to do things over and over again.

Panic attacks

Overtime, celexa has proven to be a suitable treatment option for treating panic attacks. They are sudden, uncontrollable attacks of fear and worry. A patient might unwillingly exaggerate a certain condition and gets frightened, often to the point where he gets attacked by seizures.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD)

Celexa is also used to treat social anxiety disorder. It is a condition in which the patient fears facing crowds or social gatherings, and doesn’t really know how to react among people.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Celexa can also be used to treat the symptoms associated with PTSD. It is concerned with extreme psychological symptoms that develop after a disturbing incident, such as death of a loved one or a horrific accident.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

Celexa is also used to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder, including symptoms like mood swings, irritability, bloating, and breast tenderness.

What are the side effects associated with the use of celexa?

Common side effects of celexa include:

Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea or Constipation
Acid reflux or heartburn
Abdominal pain
Loss of appetite
Weight gain or loss
Excessive sweating or night sweating (nocturnal/night hyperhidrosis)
Frequent urination
Polydipsia or excessive thirst
Tremors
Muscle twitching and pain
Drowsiness
Dizziness
Excessive tiredness or fatigue
Insomnia or inability to fall asleep
Xerostomia or dry mouth
Dysmenorrhea or heavy periods
Flu like symptoms including irritation in eyes and runny nose
Loss of libido in both male and females. Males may suffer from inability to ejaculate, while females may suffer from inability to have an orgasm.

Citalopram is also associated with some serious side effects, which may include:

Allergic reaction associated with symptoms like redness of skin, itching, burning sensation, blisters, blue-purple patches, tightness of chest, wheezing, difficulty in breathing, hoarseness etc.
Auditory or visual hallucinations
Nose bleeds
Severe headache
Arrhythmia or abnormal heartbeats
Impaired memory and concentration
Convulsions
Swelling or tenderness in different parts of the body.

What if you take too much celexa?

Celexa overdose depends on a lot of factors. Research shows different responses to overdose. Some people tolerate it pretty well and some find it extremely difficult to deal with the symptoms.

There are two most important elements which can contribute to this variation, your dose and how well you generally tolerate celexa. The common symptoms of celexa overdose include:

Excessive sweating
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

Now, one thing to note here is that these side effects can vary from person to person and are much more pronounced in people taking higher doses of celexa. People who tolerate celexa well and are at lower doses might get away with just a little discomfort.

What if you have missed your celexa dose?

Antidepressants are not that simple when it comes to missing a dose. It’s a common practice among people who have busy schedules to forget taking their meds. But antidepressants, including celexa, are a bit typical in case of missing a dose.

Most people can experience symptoms similar to those of discontinuation syndrome, especially those who are at higher doses. Symptoms are much more intense in people using antidepressants with shorter half-lives.

For people on lower doses, symptoms associated with missing a dose are mild but it’s still hard to predict as people have different tolerance levels. Common symptoms include:

Anxiety
Vomiting
Nausea
Vivid dreams
tremors
Headaches
Excess sweating/night sweats
Disturbed sleep, insomnia, nightmares
Dizziness or vertigo
You might feel something called brain zaps, which feels like a shock firing in your brain
Heightened anxiety and nervousness
Mood swings

Other rare symptoms include:

Brain zaps
Auditory or visual hallucinations
Hypertension
Arrhythmia
Heart palpitations

The above mentioned are possible symptoms of missing a dose. They rely on several factors, including the duration of your antidepressant use and your dose. You will not necessarily go through these symptoms but it is possible for some people to experience them.

If you’re way past the usual time at which you take your med, do not take it. It will cause you to overdose when you take your next dose, which is not too far away. It’s better to skip the missed dose and take the next one. If you remember your missed dose earlier, it’s safe for you to take it.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have talked about the time which is taken by celexa to start producing its beneficial effects. Celexa is an antidepressant which is used to treat a variety of mental health related problems. However, celexa takes time to work.

It usually takes up to 4-6 weeks to start showing noticeable differences in the symptoms associated with your mental health condition. Depression does not progress overnight.

This mental health illness slowly starts deteriorating your health and takes you to the point where you can no longer survive without an effective antidepressant. Similarly, you can not expect your celexa or any other antidepressant to work overnight.

FAQs: does celexa work right away

Does Celexa work the first day?

No, celexa does not work the first day. It usually takes up to 4-6 weeks to start showing noticeable differences in the symptoms associated with your mental health condition. Depression does not progress overnight. This mental health illness slowly starts deteriorating your health and takes you to the point where you can no longer survive without an effective antidepressant. Similarly, you can not expect your celexa or any other antidepressant to work overnight.

How long does it take for Celexa to begin to work?

It usually takes up to 4-6 weeks to start showing noticeable differences in the symptoms associated with your mental health condition. However, this time period can vary from person to person. Some people start getting relief in their physical symptoms as soon as 2 weeks, while others can take up to 8-12 week to completely adjust to this med.

Is 10mg citalopram enough for anxiety?

10 mg citalopram can be used as an initial dose. This dose is later increased to achieve better therapeutic response. However, the dose is only increased if you seem to tolerate citalopram better. If you can’t, then your doctor may switch you to another antidepressant.

Is Celexa better than Zoloft?

Celexa (citalopram) and zoloft (sertraline) both belong to the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). They both work by increasing the amount of active serotonin in your system. However, some studies suggest that celexa is safer than zoloft.

How did citalopram make you feel?

Citalopram may take 4-6 weeks to start working and it may produce side effects earlier than making your symptoms better. Once your antidepressant starts working, It improves sleep quality, increases appetite, boosts energy levels, reduces the frequency of panic attacks and much more. Just make sure you give your body enough time to adjust and dont stop your treatment half-way.

Can celexa change your personality?

Celexa can fix your personality if your depression has ruined it in one way or another. Some people become agitated when they suffer from depression. They isolate themselves and stop hanging out with their friends and family.

They stop engaging in their favourite activities and don’t even feel like leaving their house. This long-term isolation, anxiety and overthinking can mess up a person’s brain. Celexa fixes these depression symptoms.

Over time, people start feeling better and start engaging in normal activities which seemed nerve-racking during the episodes of depression. This is how celexa affects your personality.

References

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

Does celexa work right away?