Citalopram is an SSRI antidepressant—a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. It causes dysfunction in the brain by attempting to keep serotonin hanging around in the gap between neurons for abnormal lengths of time. The purpose of doing so is to hope that additional electrical signals will be transmitted, changing the way our mind and body work (in potentially positive or potentially damaging or deadly ways).
SSRIs like Citalopram are prescribed for anything you could really complain about, though there are some common groupings of conditions that get more attention, like mood disorders, pain disorders, and various conditions we don’t understand well enough to treat more directly or effectively.
Citalopram is not very successful at treating anything, including depression, and SSRIs are actually prescribed more often for non-psychological conditions than mental disorders like depression or anxiety.
Non-human animals, like pets, zoo prisoners, and research animals, are also given SSRIs such as Citalopram for a variety of conditions.
When Is The Best Time To Take Citalopram?
When would be the ideal time to take Citalopram? Your healthcare provider probably has recommended Citalopram if you have anxiety, mood, or depression disorders, as it is one of the most tested and trusted medications.
Should Citalopram be taken at night or in the morning? Well, there are actually no benefits to taking Citalopram either in the morning or at night. It actually depends on the symptoms you’re having. Moreover, everyone reacts to medications differently. You will have to discuss this with your health care provider.
Benefits Of Taking Citalopram At Night
Citalopram can be taken either at night or in the morning, but there can actually be more benefits to taking the medication at night. You should always follow your physician’s prescriptions. For a better understanding of how the drug would work, you should ask your physician if you should take it at night or in the morning. Here are the benefits of taking Citalopram at night.
- You may be able to handle some side effects of Citalopram better if you take it in the evening or before bed.
- If you experience side effects like nausea and drowsiness, it would be recommended that you take the medication at night.
- For someone who has insomnia, it will be advisable to take the medication at night to prevent untimely sleep.
- One of the major side effects of Citalopram is headache; taking this medication at night instead of in the morning would reduce the chances of you having one.
What Are Citalopram Used For?
Mental disorder (depression, anxiety, paraphilias, etc.), premature ejaculation, vulvodynia, fibromyalgia, (recovering from) tissue injury or surgery, headaches/migraines, neuropathies and other nerve pains, idiopathic pains, side effects of other medications (including other antidepressants), pet misbehavior (in animals but in humans as well), insomnia, autism, premenstrual conditions, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, hot flashes, ad
They do not do very well in treating any of those things, only seeing meaningful success in a very small minority of patients, statistically speaking, including in uses for FDA-approved conditions for SSRI treatment like depression and (for a few SSRIs) certain anxiety disorders.
They are also used to treat SSRI withdrawal—sometimes doctors try to switch your SSRI in order to try mitigating severe withdrawal effects, and sometimes a reinstatement of SSRIs in an attempt to deal with post-discontinuation symptoms will be a different medication than that which the patient originally took.
There are no real limits to what you can prescribe antidepressants for, so literally anything can be treated with SSRIs. As I mentioned, there is not a strong case to treat almost anyone with SSRIs for any reason at all, but treatment is rarely about curing the patient. It has been observed that treating many of these conditions actually worsens the patient’s outcome, lengthens recovery times and hospital stays, and creates more hospital visits, emergency room visits, and psychiatric ward admissions.
About 50–75% of SSRI prescriptions are for non-psychological treatments. It is no wonder we have an epidemic of debilitating side effects and medication-induced psychological disorders stemming from their use in individuals with no history of depression, anxiety, psychosis, mania, suicidality, rage, or other emotional problems SSRIs can often cause.
Side Effects of Citalopram
Here are some of the common side effects of taking Citalopram medication:
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Constipation
- Vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Headache
- Decreased appetite
- Weight loss
- Frequent urination
- Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
- Joint or muscle pain
- Dry mouth
- Heavy menstrual periods
Try to take your medication around the same time each day, whether you’re taking it in the morning or at night.
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