# Celexa vs. Lexapro



## Junebabyaf (Aug 18, 2009)

Has anyone switched from Lexapro to Celexa? I am currently on Lexapro and it has been working well for me. I have no side effects at all. At first I felt a little foggy/emotional, but that went away in only a few days. I am very happy with Lexapro, however, I just found out how much it will cost! My psychiatrist gave me samples, so I have to start getting my own soon... My insurance will only cover Lexapro if other similar medications could not be used and requires special approval. Lexapro costs $100 a month at Walmart if I don't use the insurance! So it looks like I'm going to have to switch to generic Celexa, but I'm concerned about switching -- Has anyone experienced worse side effects from switching from Lexapro to generic Celexa?


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## John_in_SF (Mar 1, 2009)

No, not at all. In fact, Celexa seems more tolerable to me than Lexapro. The difference may lie in the inactive ingredients, since both drugs share _precisely_ the same active ingredient.


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## arth67 (Aug 6, 2009)

its claimed that both meds are actually the same and that lexapro was a clever way of extending the patent, you will do fine on generic celexa


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

Celexa is generally considered to be the weakest SSRI. Yes, it is by definition 50% Lexapro, but clinically it really doesn't seem to work that way. The "R" enantiomer of the drug seems to counteract the "S" to some degree. Studies and meta-analyses comparing the drugs generally suggest that Celexa is significantly less effective.

Personally, I would see about switching to zoloft instead. Well, I'd try to see about getting special approval first, but I realize that's unlikely to happen. Zoloft ranks up there with Lexapro in terms of effectiveness and are for the most part equally tolerable.


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## epril (Mar 24, 2009)

Generic Celexa, highest dose, works for me.


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

meyaj said:


> Celexa is generally considered to be the weakest SSRI.


Actually thats a misconception, prozac is marginally weaker.

http://www.preskorn.com/books/ssri_s3.html

See table 3.1, and figure 3.3.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

jim_morrison said:


> Actually thats a misconception, prozac is marginally weaker.
> 
> http://www.preskorn.com/books/ssri_s3.html
> 
> See table 3.1, and figure 3.3.


That's interesting. Would have liked to see Lexapro compared there. I was speaking in a clinical sense though, that psychiatrists often find it to be the weakest.

This might be explained in part by its unbelievable selectivity, I think. Prozac is nearly 20 times more effective in terms of norepinephrine reuptake inhibition. I realize it's still a relatively minor effect, but with citalopram it's nearly non-existent.

Makes me even more interested to see Lexapro up there to get a sense of why it's considered to be so effective.

Edit: Just realized it's further down the page... doh


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

> *Efficacy*:
> 
> 1) Mirtazapine (Remeron)
> 2) Escitalopram (Lexapro)
> ...


http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/f30/antidepressant-efficacies-the-first-top-10-list-65291/

Data based on the following meta-analysis including 117 randomised controlled trials with 25.928 participants: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19185342


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

Word, still supports my recommendation of switching to zoloft instead


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

Medline said:


> http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/f30/antidepressant-efficacies-the-first-top-10-list-65291/


It always suprises me how poorly cymbalta faires in efficacy in that study. You'd think that being the potent dual acting drug that it is, it would atleast compare to a TCA for depression *shrugs*.


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## Phobiker (Mar 25, 2009)

I switched vice versa, from Celexa to Lexapro and Lex works alot better. If I wouldn't be insured I would still pay for Lex than switching to Celexa.


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## John_in_SF (Mar 1, 2009)

jim_morrison said:


> It always suprises me how poorly cymbalta faires in efficacy in that study.


But it _does_ have a very pretty name. Like a character from Shakespeare.


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

Freesix88 said:


> Because the dual acting only means it increases serotonin and norepinephrine. Good for depression but norepinephrine should people make a bit more anxious I think, therefore it's not the best choice for SA. The serotonin effects starts to work after several weeks while the norepinephrine effects almost work immediately. This was the case for me however.
> Cymbalta is really energizing and therefore it's good for bedridden depressive people.


Yeah but depression was what I was referring too. The study medline posted was done for Depression, not SA.


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## Junebabyaf (Aug 18, 2009)

Thanks for all the feedback  this is helpful. I began trying Celexa, so far I have had some adverse side effects, but I am going to give it some time to see if they go away. My doctor will try to call the number to get Lexapro approved if the adverse side effects continue. If not, then I'm going to try Zoloft. My doctor mentioned trying either Prozac or Zoloft if Celexa doesn't work and Lexapro isn't approved, however, I'm leaning more toward the Zoloft. I see Zoloft is rated highly


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

Junebabyaf said:


> Thanks for all the feedback  this is helpful. I began trying Celexa, so far I have had some adverse side effects, but I am going to give it some time to see if they go away. My doctor will try to call the number to get Lexapro approved if the adverse side effects continue. If not, then I'm going to try Zoloft. My doctor mentioned trying either Prozac or Zoloft if Celexa doesn't work and Lexapro isn't approved, however, I'm leaning more toward the Zoloft. I see Zoloft is rated highly


I don't know how old you are, but if you're not an adult Prozac is probably the best choice.

However, Prozac tends to be agitating for anxious people, especially in the first few weeks. And while most drugs are able to build up to a stable level in 2 weeks or so (and consequently get cleared from your system in a few weeks), Prozac is unique in that it takes FIVE weeks. So if you're an adult, I'd strongly suggest the zoloft.


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## Junebabyaf (Aug 18, 2009)

I'm a young adult, I'm 24. I think I may try the Zoloft if the Celexa doesn't work and if Lexapro isn't approved by my insurance. Thanks for the feedback.


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## Junebabyaf (Aug 18, 2009)

So I experienced the differences between Lexapro and Celexa. I thought I would share them... I had some minor side effects with Celexa that I didn't have with Lexapro. Other than that, I preferred Lexapro over Celexa. I noticed that Celexa made me VERY tired and sedated. I didn't have the energy to do many things. With Lexapro, I felt like my energy was at a good level and I felt more awake. With Celexa I needed a lot of caffeine even when I got plenty of sleep. Did anyone experience this as well?


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## Bluemeow (Apr 18, 2009)

I too prefer Lexapro over Celexa, mostly because Lexapro doesn't interfere with my amorous relations with my husband to the extent that Celexa did.

I did not have a good experience with Mirtazapine (Remeron), as many on this forum have had. I felt sedated and unsocialable, so I guess it doesn't work with whatever is out of whack in my neurochemistry.


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## Makaveli (Jul 15, 2009)

Been on Celexa since 2002 except for a month when I was on effexor-xr in about 05. Most I've taken is 2 tabs which is 40mg a day. It doesn't react well to alcohol, makes me very tired and lethargic and gives me a bit of weight gain. It helped a little with SA but the underlying probs were still there. I also got depressed every 4-6 weeks for like a few days.

I made an earlier thread this week about tapering off meds completely but it seems the general consensus is to keep trying different ones and find the right dosage. I just can't help but find this a bit stupid. Sorry to patronise anyone but it seems pointless to me.

My doctors and previous psychiatrist have said different ones work for different people and I know that but for some reason I find it futile and it's really making me very disheartened.

Zoloft, Lovan, Lexapro have been suggested to me but I just don't like the side effects of getting used to them.


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## fcbfcb (Sep 17, 2009)

Makaveli said:


> I made an earlier thread this week about tapering off meds completely but it seems the general consensus is to keep trying different ones and find the right dosage. I just can't help but find this a bit stupid. Sorry to patronise anyone but it seems pointless to me.


I do find it pointless to keep trying meds of the same class (SSRI/SNRI). Being unaltered and side-effect free is currently my preferred state until I can get a hold of something different as monotherapy or combined with the above.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

fcbfcb said:


> I do find it pointless to keep trying meds of the same class (SSRI/SNRI). Being unaltered and side-effect free is currently my preferred state until I can get a hold of something different as monotherapy or combined with the above.


Well there are legitimate reasons for trying more than one SSRI. But after a few failed attempts it's usually time to move on.


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## sjsurvival (Apr 26, 2011)

*lexapro vs celexa*

This is my first entry. I took Lexapro for three years with success. I too have taken at least 7 different medications. I started Lexaro along with Xanax. It worked fine and after a while I cut dowen on the Xanax. My company insurance changed to another company. It boosted my co-pay for Lexapro way above my budget. So, I changed to Celexa and Xanax. No side effects. But I have to take more Xanax for anxiety along with the Celexa. Currently, I have no drive and spend a lot of time in front of the TV instead of seeing people or working in my garden. I want to get up but I just sit. With the economy and I am retired I am hesitant to pay the high co-pay. For those of you who have tried both BUT definately prefere Lexapro, do you think the extra money is worth it?
Thanks,:thanks


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## waynemichael (Jun 23, 2012)

*celexa vs lexapro*

Have been on both, and found them both very effective. The only thing I notices was when I switched fro Lexapro to the generic celexa (as it was so much cheaper! Only $4.00/month at WalMart), I experienced a somewhat "whoosy" feeling the first day ot two. (Not constant......just a brief, passing feeling on slight dizzyness). It was nothing major.....very brief....and very mild. But after a day or two, everything was fine. And, the generic celexa was just as effective as the lexapro (and so much more affordable).


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## renski (May 9, 2007)

Junebabyaf said:


> So I experienced the differences between Lexapro and Celexa. I thought I would share them... I had some minor side effects with Celexa that I didn't have with Lexapro. Other than that, I preferred Lexapro over Celexa. I noticed that Celexa made me VERY tired and sedated. I didn't have the energy to do many things. With Lexapro, I felt like my energy was at a good level and I felt more awake. With Celexa I needed a lot of caffeine even when I got plenty of sleep. Did anyone experience this as well?


Yes, I feel that way on Celexa too. When I first started on it, it was good, but then I switched to another generic and tried a few more generics, and all they did was make me feel tired, upping the dosage did nothing to help (although I only took the stronger dosage for a week). I'm trying Lexapro from tomorrow, so we shall see!


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## Kon (Oct 21, 2010)

Lexapro (the S enantiomer of citalopram) is the most selective SSRI. Citalopram consisting of the R and S enantiomer is less selective not only because of the aditional R enantiomer which Lexapro doesn't have but also because the R enantiomer of citalopram has weak antihistamine properties. I doubt very much that it makes much if any difference with respect to efficacy in anxiety.


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## gumleaf (Feb 4, 2013)

I know someone who took their own life and was on celexa at the time. I don't know if it increased the depression, but it surely did not seem to help. it can help with others, everyone reacts differently. if nothing seems to work (or if they do), it's always better to try eating healthy, meditating, exercising and or doing some yoga.

I have a long history with medication and they were all bad experiences and only made things worse, especially when I stopped taking them I got bad withdrawals. I started doing all those 4 things (meditation, yoga, healthy food and exercise) and though I still frequently feel sad, I am doing A LOT better. my social anxiety is better at least. food matters more than taking your medication and more than you think, trust me. It's true that you literally ARE what you eat. 

Also, meditation is proven to be more helpful than anything else for literally any problem. look it up. what initially got me into meditation is a book by Eckhart tolle "A new earth"

I am never taking a pill again in my life. they messed me up real bad. 
the thought that it only takes 30 days to make something an every day habit keeps me motivated to do the things I do


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## Kon (Oct 21, 2010)

gumleaf said:


> Also, meditation is proven to be more helpful than anything else for literally any problem. look it up.


I did a small search on medline.There's no evidence that meditation is _more helpful than anything else_. How would you ever be able to prove that? You would have to run comparison trials with all other therapies before you would be able to draw such conclusions. And it would not be "proof". Scientific research doesn't deal with proofs. There are studies suggesting benefits in comparison to placebo for some conditions, however. Here's 1 review (Cochrane) of the literature and the author's conclusion:


> The small number of studies included in this review do not permit any conclusions to be drawn on the effectiveness of meditation therapy for anxiety disorders. Transcendental meditation is comparable with other kinds of relaxation therapies in reducing anxiety, and Kundalini Yoga did not show significant effectiveness in treating obsessive-compulsive disorders compared with Relaxation/Meditation. Drop out rates appear to be high, and adverse effects of meditation have not been reported. More trials are needed.


*Meditation therapy for anxiety disorders.*
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16437509


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

gumleaf said:


> I know someone who took their own life and was on celexa at the time. I don't know if it increased the depression, but it surely did not seem to help. it can help with others, everyone reacts differently. if nothing seems to work (or if they do), it's always better to try eating healthy, meditating, exercising and or doing some yoga.
> 
> I have a long history with medication and they were all bad experiences and only made things worse, especially when I stopped taking them I got bad withdrawals. I started doing all those 4 things (meditation, yoga, healthy food and exercise) and though I still frequently feel sad, I am doing A LOT better. my social anxiety is better at least. food matters more than taking your medication and more than you think, trust me. It's true that you literally ARE what you eat.
> 
> ...


I had exactly the same mindset and lived exactly the same as you prescribe for about 5 years to manage anxiety and depression. I did so in order to avoid medications. In the end though, my problems got worse and worse and I needed medications to live.

I suggest that anyone be doing the things that you suggest simply for a generally healthy life.

But your suggestion that this the truth for everyone and the best treatment for everyone and that we should "trust you" about it is a big bowl of bs. It is inappropriate for you to say so strongly and ultimately that "food is more important than medication." That is true for some but you are saying it is true for all. It is not true for everyone and if everyone followed your advice there would be far more suicides and mush more pain and misery. Don't mistake the fact that you have suffered and found a treatment that works for you as some kind of ultimate truth for everyone.

As I said. I did everything to such a degree that you can't even imagine. I believed in it so strongly that I ended up agoraphobic and afraid to leave my house for a year so I didn't get medical help. Chances are I would be dead and would have rotted doing yoga by now had not a family member forced me to start seeing a doctor. Now, Medications have saved my life.

So remember there is no one right treatment for everyone. Don't forget it and don't suggest there is.

oh yeah, I'm sorry for your friend who committed suicide while on Celexa. My brother committed suicide while he had never been medicated, was exercising, eating right and meditating. I took Celexa and didn't commit suicide. Your post has not truth behind it and is incredibly misleading, meditate on that because you have a long way to go.


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## renski (May 9, 2007)

I took a small dosage of lexapro today, and the sleepiness feeling wasn't nearly as bad! Felt more relaxed too.


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## swim (Apr 4, 2011)

lexapro's maximum dosage of 20mgs might not be enough...


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

I'll have to think for a moment to figure out what order I beat these dead horses in:

1. Paxil
2. Prozac
3. Lexapro (2003)
4. Zoloft
5. Luvox (2012)
6. Celexa (2012)

I have yet to try SSRI #7, but I'm willing to go out on a limb here and bet it will do nothing but produce sexual side effects. Either I'm a wild gambler, or I'm simply expecting the same results as the first 6 SSRIs produced as any reasonable person would.



> Tolerability:
> 
> 1) Sertraline (Zoloft)
> 2) Escitalopram (Lexapro)
> ...


We don't have #6 & #12 in the US, but I've tried the other 10. I'd rate Wellbutrin as #1 in tolerability. Wellbutrin is placebo that tosses in a very minor appetite suppressant effect. The other 9 are useless or worse than useless.


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## swim (Apr 4, 2011)

isn't Savella available in the US?


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## James1311 (Dec 31, 2012)

I was on citalopram, went up to 30mg and it stopped working and just left me feeling tired eventually, I kind of wish i'd gone up to 40mg now to see what would of happened.

But anyway, i've just started on sertraline 50mg. Its too early to say what it will be like but the side effects seem less than citalopram so far, just a bit sleepy, I imagine I will go up to 100mg in a couple of weeks. My doctor said sertraline is better for anxiety than citalopram, I hope it will at least give me some temporary relief. If it stops working like citalopram did i'll be a bit dissapointed.

I found citalopram also made me very hungry which wasnt good.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

swim said:


> isn't Savella available in the US?


According to wikipedia it is:



> In January 2009 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved milnacipran (under the brand name Savella) only for the treatment of fibromyalgia, making it the third medication approved for this purpose in the United States.


Seems it's not approved for depression nor any other mental issues, which would explain why I was unaware of it. I know most psych meds as they're discussed regularly here. Drugs used exclusively for fibromyalgia don't get discussed here. Of course, I realize that the SNRI Cymbalta is now being marketed for fibromyalgia, just as Lyrica that's marketed for fibromyalgia is being used off-label for anxiety.

The thought of another SSRI is horrifying. That's more dead horses I may be forced to beat!


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## yourfavestoner (Jan 14, 2010)

I've tried four SSRIs. 

Celexa stands as the only one that didn't cause sexual side effects.

Celexa was a sugar pill for me. I've never taken a medicine that literally had absolutely no noticable effect whatsoever - Celexa is the only one. 

Celexa is my favorite SSRI. Sure, it was useless. But the others were also useless with the added bonus of sexual side effects.


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## renski (May 9, 2007)

Those who give SSRI's a bad time are putting doubt in the minds of those who are/were considering an SSRI (myself included), and it's not helpful at all.

I've been on Celexa for 2.5 months, and now Lexapro for 3 days, and it's working really well, I feel more relaxed then I have in probably 10 years. I'm already seeing improvement in my insomnia as well, which has been chronic for about 5 years now.


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

renski said:


> Those who give SSRI's a bad time are putting doubt in the minds of those who are/were considering an SSRI (myself included), and it's not helpful at all.
> 
> I've been on Celexa for 2.5 months, and now Lexapro for 3 days, and it's working really well, I feel more relaxed then I have in probably 10 years. I'm already seeing improvement in my insomnia as well, which has been chronic for about 5 years now.


Glad it is helping you. SSRI's help some people, it's god that you are one of them.


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## Intricate (Dec 2, 2012)

Celexa is really a very effective SSRI at least for most people


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## Kon (Oct 21, 2010)

Intricate said:


> Celexa is really a very effective SSRI at least for most people


But is there any evidence to suggest that it works significantly better than another SSRI? I think Celexa and Lexapro are often prescibed because of fewer drug interactions in comparison to other SSRIs/SNRIs and not due to greater efficacy. Moreover, many studies don't seem to find much differences. See attached thumbnail for results of one internet study:


> Messages posted on the MSN Health message board in response to a news story reporting that antidepressant medications are placebos were examined. Over 37 days, 1,624 messages were posted by 1,238 unique authors. The sampling unit consisted of 960 authors who were users. Users' messages were gathered in real time and content analyzed. Few users explicitly responded to the question posed in the article: 2.5% of the users stated their antidepressant was a miracle drug, 2.0% stated it was a poison, and only 0.2% stated it was a placebo. Users reported positive experiences with antidepressants more than twice as often as they reported negative experiences.


*Miracle drug, poison, or placebo: patients' experiences with antidepressant medications as described in postings on an online message board*
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21599508

*Do Antidepressants Work? The Internet Says...*
http://neuroskeptic.blogspot.ca/2011/05/do-antidepressants-work-internet-says.html


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## Signet (Dec 2, 2012)

why do you want to know what drug is better? Celexa, Lexapro... almost all drugs are worthless.
It seems like you believe that you have
to spend the rest of your life taking medication. You want to try a new drug...
because you don't have other option. However, the truth is that you do have
another option! You see... nobody wants to tell you... as these companies earn
millions of $ because of you... but there is a cure for your mental disorder.
As a matter of fact there is a cure for almost any illness of this planet!
There is a revolutionary and unique method that can put an end to your mental
disorder. It was created after many years of research on the cause of all mental
illnesses. The best psychiatrist of the 20th century(Carl Jung) started to develop it.
It was continued by other researchers like John Weir Perry. It was recently
finished by another researcher. This is the only method that can entirely cure
anxiety or any other mental disorders because it deals with the cause of all mental
disorders. You can learn more here:

Unique and Revolutionary Approach

I'm going to leave this forum as I don't have a mental disorder anymore.
My social anxiety and ocd are gone. You can learn how to cure your mental disorder too.
You only have to be open-minded and put in some work.
I don't fear social situations anymore. I've even got a girl friend.
I am going to begin a new life. I would like to talk more but it seems like
nobody posts here anymore. I am going to leave the forum too.


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