Combinations - Citalopram & cannabis: Dangerous?

[poppet]

I have been smoking skunk very happily for 10 years.
I smoke about 1/8 daily and it has been my best friend, self medication, and closest enemy.!
I am going through a lot at the moment and find myself extreamly anxious and depressed. My doctor has prescribed me a 'course' of 20mg p/d of Citalopram. My doctor knows I smoke and says I will naturally stop once they kick in and so the anxiety, depression and nights spent sweating like a b***h will soon end.
I have not started the course yet as I have read 'mixed views' so to speak!
I love my skunk but hate who it has turned me into. I have zero motivation and never bother to go out with my mates which i'm sure i'm well on my way to losing. I do want to quit and start the SSRI's but not if they make me go mad or get worse etc....
I understand 'different folks, different strokes'...but I want to hear any advice , past experiences, or info you may have on Citalopram either alone or when used with cannabis.
Thanks guys!
Poppet. xx

[Dole654]

Its definitely a question of what works for SWIY, but...

Personally, SWIM feels like antidepressants are generally not much more than a money making tool. SWIM feels like one should avoid pumping any extra synthetic chems into one's body, we take enough of them in as it is...

SWIM smokes alot of cannabis, and definitely prefers that as an antidepressant. With regard to SWIY's situation though, would a break help, maybe with an intent to change SWIY's smoking habits?

Or does SWIY not think that possible?

As for your subject, SWIM has been prescribed escitalopram (S enantiomer... part of what SWIY is prescribed) and continued to smoke cannabis with no ill effects, other than what could be expected with the antidepressant. Albeit, SWIM never really attained what he would call a steady state conc. SWIM has begun many a course of medication that didn't last more than a week or two.

[poppet]

OK....
WTF is SWIM and SWIY?
Excuse my ignorance!
I'm not in a position to 'stop' or have a break.....Although I think I see your point/purpose.
I agree, and the pill are not going to take away my problems or debt....but will they send me mad? Will i go crazy coming off them...?
I have read some scary stories on the net of ppl not being able to walk for like a yr after coming off etc.
basically I'm rather scared now links to mental health etc....

[Dole654]

SWIM = Someone who isnt me
SWIY = Someone who isnt you

This way, there's no self-incrimination

I've definitely heard horror stories about withdrawals from pretty much the whole selection of current antidepressants.

Just FYI, a generic citalopram course of 20 mg a day costs about $50 a month, according to consumer reports...

The best advice I can give is to always remember that although all these psychiatrists may have high-level degrees, you are still the one who knows what is best for your own mind and body.

Have you tried meditation, yoga, or anything of the like? Personally, I feel like we all (most of us at least, even most of those dx'ed with depression) have everything we need to "cure" ourselves already.

I would only use antidepressants as a last resort. If you do choose to begin a course of medication, just pay attention to what your body is telling you. If it rejects the meds as poison, whose to argue?

Oh, and if you're considering citalopram, you should definitely look into escitalopram. The S-enantiomer (escitalopram) is described as controlling most of the 5-HT reuptake inhibition... Citalopram is a 50/50 mix of the S- and R-enantiomers. This can only leave room for the creation of more negative side effects. I'll look for some more info on this.

From the prescribing information for Celexa (keep in mind this is put out by Forest Laboratories, the manufacturer)

Discontinuation of Treatment with Celexa
During marketing of Celexa and other SSRIs and SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), there
have been spontaneous reports of adverse events occurring upon discontinuation of these drugs, particularly when
abrupt, including the following: dysphoric mood, irritability, agitation, dizziness, sensory disturbances (e.g.,
paresthesias such as electric shock sensations), anxiety, confusion, headache, lethargy, emotional lability, insomnia,
and hypomania. While these events are generally self-limiting, there have been reports of serious discontinuation
symptoms.

I'm not quite sure what the hell "generally self-limiting" means...
Tapering down the dose at the end (20mg to 10mg to 5mg), I would consider necessity, whatever that may mean.

[Codehead]

Citalopram + cannabis made me extremly paranoid. Thats was just so sick. Now I don't use any ssri anymore and cannabis works grate!

[Felix Guattari]

It's fairly unlikely you'll have a problem with the combination.

SSRIs increase serotonin, low levels of which are implicated in some sorts of depression and anxiety. I've often suspected that a fairly high percentage of heavy cannabis users are self-medicating for something (not necessarily a bad thing). And if your something happens to be serotonin-linked depression and/or anxiety, then citalopram may help. If that is the case (and there's no way to know unless you try), you might see some benefit from augmenting it with 5-htp. (I know there have been suggestions that this could cause serotonin syndrome, but its also the case that SSRIs won't work for a certain percentage of the population without it. Just talk to your doctor about it and start slow if you do.)


SSRIs have gotten a lot of bad rep, but I suspect this is largely just a natural reaction to over-prescription and the industry's willed-ignorance of their possible negative effects.
Don't dismiss psychiatric drugs just because of a few horror stories.

[Nacho]

Swim was on citalopram (at that same dose) for about 7 months. Swim thought it helped a lot with anxiety and not at all with depression (Swim's been on a lot of depression and anxiety meds). Smoking wasn't a problem at all. Swim doesn't try to self-medicate or anything. If you do start taking it and you smoke less, that probably means that there isn't a gap to fill with weed.

[dazedandconfused44]

While swim was growing cannabis, swim would take 40 mg pills daily to calm him down. eventually swiv would take 80mg to 120mg a day. that made swiv very calm and sedated but when swiv smoked buds, it made the paranoia worse. swim likes the nice sedated feeling it creates, mellow and relaxing.

alcohol + bongs + 40mg citalopram = next level shit lol fun

[welshmick]

SWIM was prescribed Citalopram, he did use cannabis and wine plus some diazepan.


Said he felt like shit on Citalopram, so he stopped taking it - he then felt better.

I think if u don't have lows, you can't have highs.


Citalopram - just puts you on a nothing plateau

[e4rolls]

SWIM wants to point out that on the internet you tend to only get the bad from people regarding psychotropic medications. People who are benefiting from these medications don't often feel the need to go onto internet forums and sing praise for them.
Just because 1 % of the population cannot tolerate a certain medication does not mean that the rest will experience the things described in most of the "horror stories" on the web.
Oh and SWIY won't go to jail useing a SSRI to help with mood and SWIY won't ever have to search for it when the scene is "dry" or go without. The same can't be said about cannabis and other illicit street drugs.
SWIM has tried mixing cannabis with his anti-depressant meds with no success. SWIM always gets paranoid and anxious when high.
SWIM does'nt blame the SSRI for these symptoms because they only worsen when SWIM uses street drugs.

Reputation Comments on this post:

good point!

[dazedandconfused44]

welshmick: 3 weeks or so swim was on it medium to high doses 40-80mg daily with seroquil 25s too. suddenly felt compelled to stop and didnt seem to need them anymore. swim doesn't approve so much of the zombie shit anymore.

these side effects are common: dry mouth, urinating frequently, unable to bust nuts, yawning and more yawning.

[e4rolls]

SWIM would like to appologize for his above post SWIM has gone completely manic and is attacking innocent internet people for no good reason.

SWIM occasionally does illicit drugs and is not better than anyone else just because he uses legal prescriptions. SWIM is a repeat offender in abusing his legal Amphetamines! LOL

Also, SWIM has been brainstorming on SSRI/SNRI medicines and has realized that most of them have been completely unaffective in treating his depression/anxiety (except for Effexor XR, SWIM is in love with this medicine and is biased even if it has a horrible Discontinuation Syndrome).

SWIM is also jealous of those who can enjoy smoking cannabis as SWIM goes insane when he attempts to smoke the wacky weed and then immidiately wishes he had not smoked it!

SWIM is notoriously hard-headed and refuses to accept that he acts freaking retarded on weed so SWIM continues to smoke whenever it is offered to him. SWIM might never learn it seems.
Cheers!

[cybergenesis]

Since marijuana is probably a better treatment than most antidepressant drugs, smoke away!

[BaldTerror]

Swim feels that 15years smoking dope every day was a mistake and cannot toke without experiencing sleepless nights filled with paranoia perhaps the canabis is Swiys problem and may actually be the source of the depression.

Swim would recommend mirtazapine (swim detested citilopram) and not smoking dope at all if that is possible.

[rocknroll714]

There is absolutely no danger whatsoever with this combination. The combination will actually likely offset a lot of the side effects of both drugs. Citalopram will help remedy the anxiety and paranoia generated by weed, and the weed will help offset the insomnia, anorexia, and nausea caused by citalopram. The only thing I'd expect is for your weed to seem slightly trippier than usual and maybe a little more sedating. That's about it. Enjoy your smoking.

[Jatelka]

rocknroll714, your monkey is posting an awful lot of misinformation, which cannot be allowed to go unchallenged:

Stating boldly that there is no potential problem with this combination is, quite simply untrue.

Citalopram (and other SSRI's) increase anxiety in many subjects, and this could be extremely unpleasant, and lead to bad experiences, in combination with cannabis

[rocknroll714]

Originally Posted by Jatelka

rocknroll714, your monkey is posting an awful lot of misinformation, which cannot be allowed to go unchallenged:

Stating boldly that there is no potential problem with this combination is, quite simply untrue.

Citalopram (and other SSRI's) increase anxiety in many subjects, and this could be extremely unpleasant, and lead to bad experiences, in combination with cannabis

Citalopram and the other SSRIs/SNRIs are often prescribed for anxiety in case you didn't know. The treatment of anxiety is their second biggest indication, only after depression. To argue that the combination of an SSRI/SNRI and marijuana would be anxiogenic is simply wrong. I digress however, it is possible, though quite aberrant, that some individuals could have such a reaction. Generally speaking this is unlikely to be the case though.

[BaldTerror]

Originally Posted by rocknroll714

Citalopram and the other SSRIs/SNRIs are often prescribed for anxiety in case you didn't know. The treatment of anxiety is their second biggest indication, only after depression. To argue that the combination of an SSRI/SNRI and marijuana would be anxiogenic is simply wrong. I digress however, it is possible, though quite aberrant, that some individuals could have such a reaction. Generally speaking this is unlikely to be the case though.

Speaking as Swim who has tried the said combo i find your information to be unhelpfull and at leasts second hand. Swim would not recommend combining these two if you have experienced any negative mental or physical affects with either drug, trust me its not good.

[rocknroll714]

Originally Posted by BaldTerror

Speaking as Swim who has tried the said combo i find your information to be unhelpfull and at leasts second hand. Swim would not recommend combining these two if you have experienced any negative mental or physical affects with either drug, trust me its not good.

Everyone's experience is subjective.

[Boca Bitch]

Originally Posted by rocknroll714

Citalopram and the other SSRIs/SNRIs are often prescribed for anxiety in case you didn't know. The treatment of anxiety is their second biggest indication, only after depression. To argue that the combination of an SSRI/SNRI and marijuana would be anxiogenic is simply wrong. I digress however, it is possible, though quite aberrant, that some individuals could have such a reaction. Generally speaking this is unlikely to be the case though.

And beta-blockers are a first-line treatment prescribed for hypertension. But they are strictly contradicted for use when a stimulant overdose is involved, as it can further complicate the hypertensive crisis.

Just because puzzle piece A sounds like it fits with piece B... does not make it so in medicine; it's far more complicated than that. One can't simply rely on symptoms when prescribing multiple medications... the possible interactions (cross side-effects) must be taken into account. That's why doctors have to spend so long in school, because if it were as simple as "this one is used to treat this, so it can be used with this to offset the insomnia" we could all be doctors. SWIY is grossly oversimplifying the body.

Cannabis and SSRIs can be combined safely, but have been known to increase anxiety 10-fold. This is probably due to the combination of excessive amounts of both serotonin (SSRI) and glutamate (cannabis) in the brain at the same time.

[hookedonem]

how you guys use cannabis to relieve the symptoms of anxiety i dont know that stuff sends me into a anxious paranoid episode everytime one uses it, im sure that stuff is the cause of my long term anxiety issues.....infact im almost certain!!

[vantranist]

SWIM had a seizure while on 20mg celexa after taking a large hit of MJ.

It was the only seizure hes ever had in his life.

Hookeddomen, SWIM feels the exact same as you. Its why he is quiting MJ.

[Guttz]

Swim has now been on citalopram for just about 2 weeks. In this time swim has used quite a bit of cannabis and has as well used Alcohol in the combination. Swim only notices very pleasant effects. The SSRI is making swim feel a lot more confident, it's helping swim keeping focus and it is also helping swim get energy in the mornings for those bad days at work. Swim can not say at all that this combination has has any bad effects on swim.

When only used with cannabis swim feels a better high then the regular cannabis high. It's more sedating, swim just generally feels a better high then he usually would. While under the influences of Alcohol swim feels the same effect as everyone else feels he assumes. Seeing he only gains confidence, becomes more stupid but then again. Swim also feels he is more confident in saying things he would not normally say under the influence of alcohol and is generally a lot more joy full under the influence of alcohol.

[Balatro_Diogenes]

My monkey got at the keyboard and typed this ALL BY HERSELF!

"I've been on Citalopram for 3+ months. Only twice have I partaken in the consumption of cannabis since I quit (just for now... had heart surgery, etc... currentely in recovery, so i've stopped smoking of all kinds) and it was magical for me.

It was surprisingly trippy (I couldn't help but notice the fractal nature of branches and most of nature almost a flashback of my last lsd trip), I was overwhelmed with good vibes, and experienced the inate ability to rant confidently.

This is coming from a guy who is usually social awkward and insanely paranoid."

Whatever will she do next?