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Citalopram

This article is a stubmissing:
Subjective Effects
Pharmacology
Interactions
Tolerance
History & Culture
Citalopram molecule structureCitalopram molecule structure

Dosage & Duration

Dosage

Doses are population estimates that vary widely between individuals.

Moderate20-40 mg

Subjective Effects

Subjective Effects not written up yet

Pharmacology

Pharmacology not written up yet

Interactions

Interactions not written up yet

An unlisted combination is an unknown one, not a safe one. Check a dedicated combination chart before mixing.

Check TripSit

Tolerance

Tolerance not written up yet

Harm Potential

Addiction & Dependence

Psychological

Low

Citalopram does not produce euphoria or a high and is not typically associated with abuse potential or compulsive use patterns. However, discontinuation syndrome upon stopping treatment indicates some degree of neuroadaptation.

Physical

Moderate

SSRI discontinuation syndrome is well-documented and includes sensory disturbances, electric shock-like sensations, gastrointestinal symptoms, dizziness, lethargy, sleep disturbances, anxiety, agitation, irritability, and poor concentration. Treatment should be reduced gradually when discontinued.

Toxicity

Cardiovascular

Citalopram causes dose-dependent QT interval prolongation and is associated with a higher risk of arrhythmia than other SSRIs; doses above 40 mg daily are no longer recommended, with a maximum of 20 mg for those over 60 years old.

Central Nervous System

Rare side effects include convulsions and hallucinations; seizures may occur in overdose and can be delayed. Visual snow syndrome has been reported as a rare side effect that may not resolve after discontinuation.

Reproductive

Mating and fertility were decreased in animal studies at doses approximately 8 times the maximum recommended human dose.

Gastrointestinal

In a 24-month rat study, small-intestine carcinomas occurred more often at exposures roughly twofold and sixfold higher than the maximum recommended dose for humans.

Carcinogenicity
Possible

In a 24-month rat study, citalopram was associated with more small-intestine carcinomas. It was also mutagenic in 2 of 5 bacterial reverse-mutation assay strains and clastogenic in the Chinese hamster lung cell chromosomal-aberration assay.

Evidence Basis
Human EpidemiologicalNone
Animal Models
Positive
(rat)
In Vitro
genotoxic
bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames test), Chinese hamster lung cell chromosomal aberration assay
MechanisticNone

Psychosis Risk

Hallucinations are a rare side effect. Citalopram, like other SSRIs, may provoke manic or mixed symptoms, with particular concern for people whose bipolar disorder has not been diagnosed.

Seizure Risk

Convulsions are listed as a rare side effect. Seizures may occur in overdose and can be delayed in onset.

History & Culture

History & Culture not written up yet

Legality

By Country

Prescription2
United States flagUnited StatesPrescription only
Canada flagCanadaPrescription only

References

Citations

  1. Prescription Drug List: Human Use. hpr-rps.hres.ca (n.d.). https://hpr-rps.hres.ca/pdl-phu.php1
  2. The Prescription Drug List: Access the list and notices. canada.ca (n.d.). https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/prescription-drug-list/access-list-notices.html1
  3. Food and Drugs Act. laws-lois.justice.gc.ca (n.d.). https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/F-27/section-29.1.html1
  4. Food and Drug Regulations. laws-lois.justice.gc.ca (n.d.). https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.%2C_c._870/section-A.01.010.html1
  5. Food and Drug Regulations. laws-lois.justice.gc.ca (n.d.). https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.%2C_c._870/section-C.01.041.html1
  6. Product information: AG-CITALOPRAM. health-products.canada.ca (n.d.). https://health-products.canada.ca/dpd-bdpp/info?code=82501&lang=eng1
  7. DailyMed - CITALOPRAM tablet, film coated. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov (n.d.). https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=825c0c49-5fbf-6d8b-cb8c-94ebf0eda0431
  8. DailyMed - CELEXA- citalopram tablet, film coated. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov (n.d.). https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=4259d9b1-de34-43a4-85a8-41dd214e91771
  9. 21 USC 353: Exemptions and consideration for certain drugs, devices, and biological products. uscode.house.gov (n.d.). https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?edition=prelim&num=0&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title21-section3531
  10. openFDA Drugs@FDA API - NDA020822 (Celexa). api.fda.gov (n.d.). https://api.fda.gov/drug/drugsfda.json?search=application_number%3A%22NDA020822%221

Article Status

  • Josie Kins avatar
    Step 1 · Automated synthesis

    An autonomous workflow built by Josie Kins compiled this article's foundation from information published across the web.

  • Step 2 · First-pass reviewPending

    Not yet reviewed — this article is pending editorial review by Lyrea.

  • Step 3 · Citation reviewPending

    No one has reviewed this article's citations yet. That second pass checks each claim against the source it cites.

Recent changes7 human edits · latest

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24 January 2026

  1. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

  2. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

  3. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

  4. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

  5. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

  6. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

  7. Josie Kins · Updated the article · also 1,4-Butanediol, 1B-LSD, 1cP-AL-LAD and 573 more

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