Celexa for Depression

Depression is a mental health disorder that makes a person to be in a persistent depressed mood or lack an interest in activities causing a considerable impairment in daily life.

A persistent depression will lead to a range of physical and behavioral symptoms that need treatment. The mainstay of treatment is medicine prescription with or without talk therapy. Celexa is a drug that doctors prescribe to treat depression and alleviate other accompanying symptoms such as lack of sleep, appetite, energy, self-esteem, and concentration lapse.

Celexa (also citalopram) is an antidepressant medication that pharmacists prescribe to treat anxiety and mood disorders which occur due to factors that disturb the mind such as depression. Celexa is in a class of SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) antidepressants. Antidepressants are anything especially drugs that treat or prevent depression. SSRIs are the type of medications that work by restoring the balance of serotonin, a natural substance in the brain.

How Does Celexa for Depression Treatment Work

Celexa balances the level of serotonin a neurotransmitter in the brain. Serotonin is a naturally occurring chemical that controls mood, sleep, and other essential functions for mental stability. An imbalance in brain chemicals contributes to depression and mood disorders. Celexa is an SSRI assisting with balancing of the serotonin to prevent absorbing into the brain nerve cells. It changes the brain chemistry by reducing the feelings of anxiety and improving mood.

Doctors prescribe Celexa to reduce symptoms of co-occurring conditions such as depression, treating a significant depressive disorder and other states. It can decrease the severity of panic attacks and other signs of panic disorders.

Celexa For Depression Dose

A doctor can prescribe a patient to take this drug with or without food usually on once a day in the morning or evening. A doctor will use some of these factors to determine the dose that a patient will take in a day:

Other medications that a patient is taking could also determine the prescription dosage. A patient should be frank in declaring all the products in use to a doctor or pharmacist. These include the prescription, non-prescription, and herbal products. A maximum dosage of Celexa is 40 milligrams a day.

Citalopram is also available in liquid form, and users must accurately measure the dose using a special spoon or measuring device. A household spoon is not the appropriate tool for measuring the amount to take as it can be more or less.

A doctor can prescribe a low dose at the beginning to reduce the risk of side effects and increase it steadily over time. A patient should always adhere to instructions of use without increasing the dose or taking it for more days than the initial prescription. Depression does not heal faster because of taking more Celexa. Such an increase will most likely cause some side effects.

Taking medicine regularly according to instructions is the way to get the most benefit. It is also essential to take the antidepressant at the same time every day because it creates a routine that you cannot forget. Doctors prescribe antidepressants when depression is at a severe level or other forms of treatment fail to work.

How Long Should a Patient Take Celexa

It might take 1-4 weeks to feel the effect of this drug and several weeks before the full benefit. It is essential to continue taking medication even after getting better. A patient should not stop taking Celexa without consulting the prescribing physician or pharmacists. Sometimes depression can become worse with a sudden stop of medication. Others might experience symptoms such as mood swings, tiredness, changes in sleeping habits, headaches and brief feelings of sensations similar to electric shock. It is the reason why a doctor might require a patient to reduce the dose gradually at the end of treatment.

A doctor should get a report any side effects of Celexa or escalate of depression symptoms soon after they occur.