Anonymous asked this question on 5/6/2000:

i have a friend whos son was put on celexa and refuses to discuss the matter with her and she is very concerned i would appreciate any iiformation on what to expect like attitude change any side effects which might occur in fact any thing you could relay on the subject would greatly help.

best regards

rdswd@juno.com

chrissy729 gave this response on 5/7/2000:

Dear Anonymous,

Hello!

Be relieved when I tell you that the side effects are not bad!!

Weight gain is, as i have experienced it, (as well as my friends) would one of the top side effects of Celexa. It does make one sleepy at times, so the best time to take it is at night - preferably the same time every day. It does well combating the depression. I myself switched from prozac to Celexa and found it more effective.

Until his body adjusts to the medication, he may feel nauseated, and depending on his age, (forgive me if I am out of the ballpark here) but in males it is known to cause sexual differences such as sexual desire or ability to perform.

But if I had to rate this drug on a scale from 1 to 10, i would definitely rate it a 9. The 1 point is lost for the weight gain. I gained 20 pounds from it. But it does well with the depression. It is not addicting like some other depression medications. And if he feels as tho he wanted to switch to something different, there is a waiting period, because there may be some side effects when immediately switching medications.That is very very important. It is better for the body if you wait at least 7 to 10 days between switches. You may want to see if your friend can ask him if any other drugs, such as those for anxienty, were prescribed. I say this because if, for example, he is taking Celexa and Xanax (which is used for anxiety), it may make him feel a bit, shall I say, "drunk".. it makes you feel as tho you are full of air, and its very very hard to not only concentrate, but function. So very small doses of anxiety medication are fine, but one must be very very careful when taking the two together.

I certainly understand your and your friends concern. He should be talking about it, not only with his mom, but also a counselor. While Celexa helps balance out the chemical imbalance in the brain, but if there are emotions involved, talking is the best therapy ever!! But this drug is really common and not known to cause any dangerous health issues. So you can rest assured in that.

If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to write me back at anytime. In the meantime, as I can understand the concern from a mothers perspective, if he is experiencing depression, the Celexa will definitely help, and you will see an "Uplift" in attitude.

All of you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Christine

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