I would like to know the side effects of taking citalopram and if it can have a big impact on my weight.

Question

Hello, I went to my doctor yesterday and she prescribed me citalopram (10 mg) to help me manage my irritability. However, when I went to the pharmacy yesterday, two different pharmacists gave me totally different advice and I'm a little confused about the side effects. Indeed, I am very anxious about taking this medication and the side effects that could be related to it. At the time, I didn't think to talk to my doctor and she didn't really talk to me about the side effects of taking this medication. After reading up on the Internet and talking to the two pharmacists, one of the side effects that really concerns me is weight gain. Yesterday, one of the two pharmacists told me that this was very rare and that this medication was well tolerated and the other one told me that I should be much more careful knowing that this could indeed be a side effect related to taking citalopram. I am a little confused and did not sleep all night about this. I did some research and read testimonials from people who had gained a lot of weight from taking this medication and are having a hard time losing it. For the past year, I have been a person who works out about 5 to 6 x a week and I bike and walk in the summer. I eat relatively well, but because I work out so much I often indulge in sweet or less healthy foods in the late evening. I also drink about 3L of water a day. I also believe that I am a person who can gain weight quite quickly if I am not careful. Hello, Thanks for your quick response. I want to make sure I understand, sertraline would not cause weight loss or weight gain? :) Thank you

Alexandre Chagnon · Accepted Answer

Hello, It is true that citalopram can cause a little weight gain. In fact, usually, in the first few weeks, it has a tendency to cause a little bit of weight loss. However, in the long term, it can cause a small weight gain, on average 1.5 kg. However, not everyone gains weight. The 1.5 kg is rather an average. Also, since you have a very active lifestyle as well as good eating habits, you're putting the odds in your favor of not gaining weight. However, if you're still concerned about it, perhaps you could try a drug other than citalopram, in the same family, such as sertraline instead. This medication would cause less weight loss than citalopram. If you're interested, you could talk to your pharmacist or doctor about it. As for other side effects, they're often temporary at the beginning of treatment. You may experience dizziness, nausea or changes in sleeping patterns, however these side effects tend to disappear or decrease significantly after a few days of treatment. Also, 10 mg is a small dose, so side effects should be less. I hope this has answered your questions :) Catherine Deslandes pharmacy student Supervised by Alexandre Chagnon pharmacist Sertraline on average causes less weight loss than citalopram. However, unfortunately it's hard to predict, as it depends on each individual. However, you have good lifestyle habits, which puts the odds in your favor!