AboutDr Alan Galbraith Expertise I can answer most questions on most drugs. Answers can be given in either technical or layperson terminology. My main areas of interest are psychiatric, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular drugs.
Experience I have been a university lecturer/head of department for almost thirty years, but am now retired. My research interests were alcohol, smoking and cardiovascular disease.
Organizations Institute of Biology, London.
Publications Author of "Fundamentals of Pharmacology" 5th Edition published in November 2007 by Pearson Education, Australia.
Question Hello! I have a problem: I am currently on 20 mg. Citalopram (Celexa) p/day for depression, but am experiencing awful, awful jaw clenching and jaw pain, as well as moderate constipation. Aside from these side effects, this medication has worked for me. But I cannot go on with the side effects, especially the jaw pain...it is simply horrible. I am wondering if you know of several other antidepressants (relatively inexpensive, that has been around a while) that are of another class of antidepressants than Citalopram that would not have the side effects of jaw clenching/pain and constipation. Thank you so very much! Any information you can give me would be so very helpful! I appreciate you!
Answer Dear Alice
Although some people have complained of constipation from using citalopram the incidence is not much more than with a placebo. I would treat this by increasing fibre and fluid in the diet rather than change to another antidepressant.
The jaw pain leaves me mystified as I can see no reference to this as having been reported as an adverse effect. One can never discount effects as being due to drug but I would think it unlikely that this is due to the citalopram. The only way to determine what is happening here is to have this evaluated to see if it is has another cause or if it is related to the citalopram by withdrawing the drug. There are several other antidepressant classes that could be tried but you would have to talk this over with your prescriber.
