Citalopram Side Effects

The Varied SSRI’s and Citalopram Side Effects Citalopram is known as an antidepressant drug being prescribed to patients who have been experiencing depressive moods and different illnesses which is related to psychiatric disorders. This type of drug is considered as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). SSRI is a group of drugs used in the normalization of the serotonin levels in your brain to obtain a normal and balanced affective and cognitive functioning. Similar to any therapeutic drugs available in the market today, Citalopram side effects are also experienced by many patients who regularly use it. However, some of these side effects are actually manageable but there are also serious side effects that will need the presence of a health care provider. This is the main reason why patients and their providers need to have awareness of these side effects prior to initiating or utilizing this drug as a part of their daily regimen. Furthermore, it is also advised to have ample ideas about the drug interactions to other medications. The most frequent and common side effects of the drug are diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. There are also reported cases that it affects the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal mechanism. However, these common side effects of Citalopram can be minimized or lessened in occurrence through eating small but frequent meals. Patients need also to have an increase water intake in order to replace fluid losses most especially if the patient is suffering from diarrhea or frequent vomiting. Dry mouth is an example also of the many side effects of this drug. However, it can also be minimized by eating gums that are sugar free as well as eating ice chips. Moreover, it is reported that all drugs that are under the category of SSRI have unwanted side effects related to sleep patterns. If there is a significant increase in the function of serotonin, patients will experience sleep disturbances. This is due to the effects of the drugs primarily in the specific stage of sleep, the Rapid Eye Movement (REM). Apart from experiencing sleep disturbances, this drug also affects the nervous system. Nervous system side effects include excessive tiredness, drowsiness and dizziness. However, these side effects of Citalopram can be prevented if patients will take the drug before bedtime. If this drug is taken at daytime, patients need to avoid doing activities that need alertness. These activities include operating machines and driving. This is important to consider in order to avoid undesirable accidents. Furthermore, there are also times that patients might experience mild to moderate headaches. On the other hand, life threatening side effects include breathing difficulties, rashes and itchiness. If this is the case, patients need to seek medical consult immediately.