What is Citalopram Prescribed For?
An astounding 12-15% of the population is taking antidepressants today. Citalopram was first marketed as Celexa© for the treatment of depression, but over the years, a much longer list of off-label uses has developed.1,8
Off-label uses of citalopram include:
- Alcohol use disorder
- Coronary arteriosclerosis
- Premenstrual dysphoria
- Post-menopausal flushing
- OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder}
- Bipolar*
- PTSD
- Panic disorder
- SAD {social anxiety disorder}
*It should be noted that diagnostic criteria for bipolar and many such conditions have become quite general. Often a prescription is written after a brief conversation in a doctor’s office. Overprescribing, especially in the elderly, has been studied extensively as a growing problem.5
SSRIs and Serotonin Syndrome
There can be a reaction to too much serotonin building up which is called “serotonin syndrome.” Anyone taking SSRI medication should be aware to watch for the signs and if suspected, immediate medical intervention is needed as the condition can become life-threatening. Typically the treatment would include immediate cessation of whatever drug is causing the SS to occur, but done in a hospital setting where life-saving protocols are close at hand.
Signs of serotonin syndrome* include:
- Muscle rigidity
- Mental confusion
- Dilated pupils
- Agitation, restlessness
- Elevated heart rate
- Heavy sweating
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Twitching
- Fever and/or chills
*SS needs immediate medical attention as the condition is potentially life-threatening.7
Understanding Downregulation and Tapering SSRIs
Another factor to consider in tapering citalopram is that the body tends to react defensively against the presence of a serotoninergic agent, such as citalopram. The body begins reducing the number of active serotonin receptors. This is called “downregulation.” This defense mechanism is an innate attempt to bring the body’s neurochemistry into balance. It has been discovered that the presence of SSRI or serotonergic medications results in the receptors that transport serotonin becoming inactive or impaired in their function.4
The serotonin molecules that remain unused will eventually degrade and become lost. This can lead to a deficiency of available serotonin, and possibly other types of hormones and natural neurochemicals. Despite the enthusiasm of drugmakers, some researchers believe that antidepressants are possibly little or no more effective than placebo, while some believe they are destructive to neurochemistry over time. There has been some controversy over these points, but it still serves to do one’s own research for a better understanding of the mechanics involved.3
Long-Term Effects of SSRI Medications
Some side effects are felt soon after starting the medication, such as an elevated mood. However, others are not instantaneous but occur over time. The body will eventually adapt to the presence of citalopram, and during the course of taking an antidepressant, various reactions to the drug may result. It adds further complexity to the situation when a person suffers a set of new or worsening side effects after long-term use of SSRIs.
Reactions or side effects could include worsened depression, various aches and pains, suicidal thoughts, and many others. These can be uncomfortable enough that a person may decide that getting off citalopram is necessary. Because of downregulation and other factors, a person may experience a decrease in available serotonin.1 There are effective strategies using orthomolecular nutrition and other protocols to mitigate the situation, to soften and even out the long-term effects of SSRIs such as mood swings, disrupted sleep, or other reactions. These strategies assist the citalopram tapering process greatly.
Handling Root Causes for Symptoms
Citalopram tends to have a numbing or dampening effect on neurochemistry. This is the theory behind drug-based therapy. This dampening effect might be compared to giving an aspirin to a person who has a broken leg. It can reduce discomfort to some degree for a short while. A physician may genuinely think this would help a patient in crisis. However, doing so will not get to the root cause of the problem.
Like peeling off a band-aid, when tapering off citalopram these original symptoms may again present and sometimes with a vengeance, as the anesthetic effect is no longer there. This may result in returning and sometimes intensified original symptoms. Additionally, the drug itself causes side effects. Then, combining both sets of symptoms can result in a level of discomfort that just cannot be endured. Sometimes a person will give up the idea of getting off citalopram altogether because the level of discomfort has just spiraled beyond all expectations, and has become too great to withstand. However, this situation can be helped greatly by using proper citalopram tapering, weaning, and titration methods as we use at Alternative to Meds Center.
If poor diet, exhaustion from insomnia, or exposure to toxins have resulted in mental health symptoms, then a full assessment of possible factors and their treatment, can be powerful tools for improving natural mental health without drugs.
Diagnostic Tools Used in Tapering Citalopram
A highly useful set of diagnostic tools applicable to tapering SSRIs includes testing for neurotoxic accumulations. Heavy metals and other toxins could be contributing to, if not directly causing, a person’s insomnia, faulty digestion, or resultant fatigue. Testing for vitamin and mineral deficiencies could reveal that too much zinc was causing chronic headaches. Or perhaps a simple blood test might reveal too little calcium in the blood, which is called hypocalcemia, which has resulted in chronic depression and stomach cramps.2
Most patients who come to our center have never been recommended to get such testing, or if they have, incomplete follow-up may have left symptoms unresolved. Alternative to Meds Center uses these and many other diagnostic tools to isolate root causes for conditions that were troubling a person before they ever began on medication. Clients respond positively to correcting these deficiencies or removing these toxic accumulations, typically reporting great relief because of better sleep and improved appetite, more mental clarity, a calmer disposition, feeling brighter, and many other welcome changes.
Comprehensive Plan for Stopping Citalopram at Alternative to Meds Center
Alternative to Meds Center uses a multi-faceted program to help our clients toward their health goals. Using testing and other diagnostic tools, root causes for certain conditions can be isolated and then corrected while safely and comfortably reducing or eliminating prescription drugs over time. Also of high importance is providing a nutrient-rich diet that is clean of toxins and additives to support rebuilding healthy neurochemistry, and also support all the systems of the body as they begin to transform back to natural function. And the removal of the neurotoxic burden through cleansing techniques is another vital segment that will open the door to natural mental health, increased vitality and energy, and a reduction or elimination of the symptoms that led to one or more prescriptions in the first place.
Education is offered as an integral part of the program. Various subject modules are designed to give our clients a highly practical understanding of how the CNS functions, including healthy neurotransmitter function, how to create and maintain a healthy microbiome, and many other subjects that even physicians are coming to the center to learn more about. Learning about properly weaning off citalopram can literally change your life.
For More Information on Citalopram Tapering
Have you or a loved one been considering weaning off citalopram or other prescription drugs, without success? We can help. Please contact us at Alternative to Meds Center to find out more about our comprehensive citalopram tapering methods so that you or your loved one can consider the potential benefits available to you in much greater detail.
Citalopram tapering can be made much more tolerable by using methods derived from understanding the ways the drug interacts with the central nervous system. We should not overlook the benefits of micro-nutrients that can support comfortable citalopram cessation. At Alternative to Meds Center, we also view education as an important component of 
Gradual titration or tapering over weeks or months in small increments to avoid harsh withdrawals 10
