Depression and insomnia often go hand in hand, resulting in many insomniacs taking some kind of antidepressant medication. We’ve already shared a list of common medications that cause insomnia; today we’ve got a popular antidepressant to add to the list: Celexa (citalopram).
According to a recent study, out of 428 people who found citalopram helped partially relieve their depression, 94% reported mild insomnia and 75% reported severe insomnia. In about half of these cases, the reports of insomnia were new – ie, the patients didn’t suffer from insomnia before they started taking the antidepressant.
This study actually supports previous research that found insomnia was a common side effect of citalopram and other selective serotonin receptor blockers (SSRIs). These include escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertaline (Zoloft). Another antidepressant, bupropion (Wellbutrin) was also found to cause insomnia.
Don’t stop taking any antidepressants you’ve been prescribed based on this research. Instead, raise any concerns you may have with your doctor.
Source: Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology via Consumer Reports
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