My doctor has recommended i start taking citalopram for my anxiety. is it addictive? i have had two episodes of sever anxiety over the past year. i am hoping this new medication will help.

Citalopram : Citalopram is not considered addictive. It belongs to ssri class antidepressants and abrupt discontinuation of citalopram (as well as other similar drugs) may cause a discontinuation syndrome. Symptoms are: dizziness (exacerbated by movement), lethargy, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever, chills, sweating, malaise, incoordination, insomnia, vivid dreams, muscle aches, "electric shock"-like sensations, visual discoordination, anxiety, irritability, confusion, slowed thinking, disorientation and rarely, aggression, impulsivity or manic-like behavior. This syndrome is most likely to occur 1-7 days after the drug was stopped or its dose drastically reduced, and typically disappears within 3 weeks or less. Therefore, if it becomes necessary to discontinue citalopram after prolonged use it should be withdrawn gradually. A recommended rate of the dose decrease is approximately 25% of the original dose per week. If these symptoms appear, a good strategy is to restart the drug and taper it more slowly.

Hello. : Hello. Citalopram (celexa) is not addictive. However, like all medications in it's class if you abruptly quit taking it, you can have side effects. So, we recommend that it be tapered off under a doctor's supervision when the decision is made to stop the medication. I hope that the Celexa (citalopram) works well for you.