Effexor XR vs. Celexa

• Are Celexa and Effexor XR the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Effexor XR?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Celexa?
• What Is Effexor XR?
• What Is Celexa?
• What Drugs Interact with Effexor XR?
• What Drugs Interact with Celexa?
• How Should Effexor XR Be Taken?
• How Should Celexa Be Taken?

Effexor XR (venlafaxine hydrochloride extended-release) and Celexa (citalopram hydrobromide) are antidepressants used to treat depression.

Effexor XR is also used to treat panic and social disorders.

Effexor XR and Celexa are different types of antidepressants. Effexor XR is a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSNRI) and Celexa is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

Common side effects of Effexor XR include:

• nausea,
• constipation,
• insomnia,
• dizziness,
• asthenia,
• drowsiness,
• dry mouth,
• nervousness,
• strange dreams,
• blurred vision,
• changes in appetite or weight,
• decreased sex drive,
• impotence,
• difficulty having an orgasm, and
• increased sweating.

Tell your doctor if you have unlikely but serious side effects of Effexor XR including:

• easy bruising or bleeding,
• decreased interest in sex,
• changes in sexual ability,
• muscle cramps or weakness, or
• shaking (tremors).

Serious side effects of Effexor XR include clinical worsening of symptoms and suicide risk, especially in younger patients. Tell your doctor if you experience worsening depression or thoughts of suicide while taking Effexor XR.

Common side effects of Celexa include:

• constipation,
• nausea,
• diarrhea,
• upset stomach,
• decreased sexual desire,
• impotence,
• difficulty having an orgasm,
• dizziness,
• drowsiness,
• tiredness,
• sleep problems (insomnia),
• dry mouth,
• increased sweating or urination,
• weight changes, and cold symptoms such as stuffy nose,
• sneezing, sore throat, or
• cough.

Effexor XR (venlafaxine hydrochloride extended-release) is an antidepressant used to treat patients with major depressive disorders such as panic and social disorders. Effexor XR is available as a generic.

Celexa is a prescription medicine used to treat depression. It is important to talk with your healthcare provider about the risks of treating depression and also the risks of not treating it. You should discuss all treatment choices with your healthcare provider. Celexa is also used to treat Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Talk to your healthcare provider if you do not think that your condition is getting better with Celexa treatment.

Effexor XR may interact with other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold or allergy medicines, sedatives, narcotics, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicines for seizures or anxiety), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cimetidine, ketoconazole, linezolid, lithium, haloperidol, tramadol, L-tryptophan, warfarin, almotriptan, frovatriptan, sumatriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, other antidepressants, or other drugs.

Do Not take Cymbalta if you:

• take a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI). Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are not sure if you take an MAOI, including the antibiotic linezolid or intravenous methylene blue.
• Do not take an MAOI within 5 days of stopping Cymbalta unless directed to do so by your healthcare provider.
• Do not start Cymbalta if you stopped taking an MAOI in the last 14 days unless directed to do so by your healthcare provider.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines that you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Cymbalta and some medicines may interact with each other, may not work as well, or may cause serious side effects.

Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take:

• triptans used to treat migraine headache
• medicines used to treat mood, anxiety, psychotic or thought disorders, including tricyclics, lithium, buspirone, SSRIs, SNRIs or MAOIs
• tramadol and fentanyl
• amphetamines
• cimetidine
• the antibiotics ciprofloxacin, enoxacin
• medicine to treat irregular heart rate (like propafenone, flecainide, quinidine)
• theophylline
• the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) (like ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin).
• over-the-counter supplements such as tryptophan or St. John's Wort
• thioridazine (Mellaril). Mellaril together with Cymbalta can cause serious heart rhythm problems or sudden death.

Ask your healthcare provider for a list of these medicines if you are not sure.

Do not take Cymbalta with any other medicine that contain duloxetine.

The recommended dose of Effexor XR for most patients is 5 mg taken orally twice daily.

Take Celexa exactly as prescribed. Your healthcare provider may need to change the dose of Celexa until it is the right dose for you.

Celexa may be taken with or without food.

If you miss a dose of Celexa, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of Celexa at the same time.

If you take too much Celexa, call your healthcare provider or poison control center right away, or get emergency treatment.