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Citalopram

Medication SSRI antidepressant mental health
Aka: Cipramil
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Prescribed for depression and for panic disorder
When to take
NHS: once a day, morning or evening, with or without food
Take with
Water · NHS: no st john's wort; alcohol raises side effects
Pros & cons
Pros
  • NHS: once a day, with or without food
  • NHS: tablets and oral drops both exist
  • NHS: usable in pregnancy or breastfeeding if needed
Cons
  • NHS: headaches, nausea, dry mouth, sleep problems
  • NHS: sexual problems, such as low sex drive
  • NHS: stopping suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg open dataset, 5,511 rows, cached in full and filtered locally): no citalopram row · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Filtered locally: 0 of 5,511 rows list citalopram (ATC N06AB04); the 8 rows matching 'citalopram' are all escitalopram (ATC N06AB10) — e.g. SIN12363P LEXAPRO TABLET 10 mg, 'Prescription Only'. No CIPRAMIL row.”
  2. NHS Medicines A-Z — Citalopram: what citalopram is for · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Citalopram is an antidepressant medicine used to treat depression and panic disorder. It's only available with a prescription … a type of antidepressant called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).”
  3. NHS Medicines A-Z — Citalopram: how to take citalopram · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “take it with or without food; take the tablets once a day, either in the morning or evening – swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water (do not chew them); take the oral drops once a day”
  4. NHS Medicines A-Z — Citalopram: common side effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Common side effects of citalopram include: headaches; feeling sick (nausea) and being sick (vomiting); sweating; dry mouth; diarrhoea or constipation; problems sleeping; a fast heartbeat (palpitations); sexual problems, such as low sex drive”
  5. NHS Medicines A-Z — Citalopram: who can and cannot take it · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “It's not usually recommended for children and young people under the age of 18 … it may not be suitable if: you have a heart condition … a condition such as diabetes, epilepsy, liver or kidney disease, or glaucoma”
  6. NHS Medicines A-Z — Citalopram: how to stop taking citalopram · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Do not suddenly stop taking it because it may cause withdrawal symptoms. Your doctor will gradually reduce your dose over a few weeks. Always follow your doctor's advice.”
  7. NHS Medicines A-Z — Citalopram: pregnancy and breastfeeding · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Citalopram can be used during pregnancy if needed … Citalopram can be used while breastfeeding, but it's best to check because the medicine can pass into your breast milk in small amounts.”
  8. NHS Medicines A-Z — Citalopram: taking it with other medicines, food and drink · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “sumatriptan; strong painkillers, such as tramadol and buprenorphine; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) … medicines used to reduce stomach acid, such as omeprazole … anticoagulants, such as aspirin and warfarin … Do not use the herbal supplement St John's wort”
  9. US FDA label for CELEXA (citalopram), section 2.1 Recommended Dosage, via openFDA (Allergan, effective 2023-10-09) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Administer CELEXA once daily, with or without food, at an initial dosage of 20 mg once daily, with an increase to a maximum dosage of 40 mg once daily at an interval of no less than one week.”
  10. US FDA label for CELEXA (citalopram), sections 2.3-2.4 specific populations and CYP2C19 inhibitors, via openFDA · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The maximum recommended dosage of CELEXA for patients who are greater than 60 years of age, patients with hepatic impairment, and for CYP2C19 poor metabolizers is 20 mg once daily.”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.