Side effects - Citalopram(Celexa) loss of interest?

[Kamuix]

SWIM has been on citalopram for about a month and a half(40mgs a day). just recently he started to notice a loss of interest in things he used to like doing for fun. thinking of those things doesn't give him the pull to do it anymore. everything just seems kind of... boring to him. he's finding it harder to have fun..

At first he was worried that maybe his drug use might of had something to do with(mostly just weed and alcy) but even when he thinks of drinking.. same thing.. he doesn't seem as interested in doing it anymore. than he looked it up and noticed that loss of interest was a possibly side effect.

Anyone else on this med have this problem or has had it? will it go away?

Thanks!

[Coconut]

This happened to my tree on citalopram and is currently happening to him on sertraline. One of the most marked effects he has noticed is a severe decrease in sexual interest, which he was struggling with anyway due to his inability to focus and pay attention during sex!

[Kamuix]

hmmm, aside from loss of interest do you also feel a loss of emotion in general? I'm starting to think my loss of interest is actually caused my a loss of emotion

[Coconut]

Originally Posted by Kamuix

hmmm, aside from loss of interest do you also feel a loss of emotion in general? I'm starting to think my loss of interest is actually caused my a loss of emotion

Following my tree's citalopram treatment his emotions were severely blunted. This is a very common side-effect of SSRIs.

[Man5onite]

SWIM believes that the major effects of "antidepressants", really comes from the moodblunting effect that they carry.
They are not moodbrighteners, and SWIM thinks that they make people more passive, with less feelings of both depression AND happiness.
And therefor, I don't think they can be called antidepressants, but rather moodblunteners..
SWIM is on 2(mirtazapine and escitalopram), and that is what they are doing to him..He doesn't say just because it happens to him , it will happen to all.
But being an active member o both psychmeds-forums and depression forums, and being around friends and family members on these drugs,it just seems that is what happens to most.

Lack of emotion and feelings(sadness, guilt, happiness, anxiety, anger) =antidepressant effect?
Just some thoughts...

[Coconut]

Originally Posted by Man5onite

SWIM believes that the major effects of "antidepressants", really comes from the moodblunting effect that they carry.
They are not moodbrighteners, and SWIM thinks that they make people more passive, with less feelings of both depression AND happiness.
And therefor, I don't think they can be called antidepressants, but rather moodblunteners.

Yes, exactly. Before starting on citalopram my tree was extremely emotional: anger, jealousy, despair. He used to sit at his desk every night and bawl his eyes out. He was once so enraged that he picked up his chair and chucked it at the wall beside his bed. The small hole is still there.

Once he came off it, he was barely able to feel emotion anymore, and this is coupled with/worsened by his chronic fatigue and ADD-like symptoms to create the zombie that exists today. Now he struggles to feel much of anything. He can't remember the last time he was angry - it feels as though his brain is just too tired to be bothered with emotion.

Originally Posted by Man5onite

Lack of emotion and feelings(sadness, guilt, happiness, anxiety, anger) =antidepressant effect?
Just some thoughts...

You're absolutely correct.

[ticc]

swim has been on citalopram for about 3-4 months, having the same problems kamuix. iv stopped taking it before for around about two weeks and i got really very moody(really bad mood swings) and strange jolts in my head.

[Jatelka]

^^^ The "electric shock sensations" and mood swings are a well recognised feature of SSRI withdrawal

It is recommended that these drugs are tapered from slowly.

See this...

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16763

for more on SSRI/SNRI withdrawal

[Jacquesy]

SWIM used to take those (the wimpy 20mg ones though) probably didn't take them regularly enough to notice the "getting worse before it get better" another one of SWIM friends talked about but maybe it'll even out after a while. SWIM just keeps a few around for when he wants to give his girlfriend a little extra, said it made him last for ever! he also preferred kanna as an antidepressant.