Citalopram Bipolar

Most people with bipolar disorder can achieve substantial control of their mood swings and related symptoms with proper psychiatric and drug treatment. Is the Citalopram bipolar connection real?

The Citalopram Bipolar connection

Citalopram is an antidepressant drug used to treat depression associated with mood disorders. Citalopram, also known as Celexa, is sometimes prescribed to treat bipolar disorder.

Many people who have been prescribed Citalopram for bipolar symptoms have noticed significant improvements in their mood. Others are affective negatively or not at all.

A recent study in the August issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry shows that the difference in people's responses to antidepressant medications such as Citalopram is thought to be based partly on differences in their genes.

Studies testing Citalopram and bipolar depression show that though further studies are needed, initially there seems to be a low rate of adverse events for using Citalopram as a treatment for bipolar I or II depression.

Citalopram can also change your sleep patterns. It may make you drowsy and sleepy during the day. Paradoxically, it may cause insomnia at night, making it hard to get a good nights sleep.

Other (this list is not complete) common side effects of using Citalopram for Bipolar symptoms include - excess sweating, loss of appetite, headache, tremors, restlessness, hallucinations, loss of coordination, fast heart beat, increased body temperature, fast changes in blood pressure, overactive reflexes, diarrhea, coma, nausea, vomiting, and weight gain.

If you are taking Citalopram for bipolar depression, monitor your physical changes and ALWAYS make sure your doctor is aware of them. These can be a sign that maybe you're overdosing on the medication (i.e., the dosage is too high) or that your body is somehow allergic to Citalopram. If you are taking multiple medications, it may also be as sign that one of them is interfering with the Citalopram.

Withdrawal Citalopram Bipolar symptoms

There can also be withdrawal symptoms when you go off of Citalopram. These can include symptoms such as anxiety; trembling, nervousness; and trembling.

According to the FDA, never take Citalopram if you are taking another drug used to treat depression, called a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI), or if you have stopped taking an MAOI in the last 14 days. Taking Citalopram close in time to an MAOI can result in serious, sometimes fatal, reactions, including:
High body temperature
Coma
Seizures (convulsions)

In short Citalopram seems to work well on the combination of anxiety & depression and common bipolar disorder symptoms. As always, never attempt to take any medication as serious as Citalopram without a doctors approval and prescription.

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