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Will Citalopram Show Up In A Drug Test?

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Posted on Wed, 9 Nov 2016
Question: Will citalopram (celexa) show up in a drug screen? How long does it take to get out of your system?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Michelle Gibson James (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
not usually looked for

Detailed Answer:
Hi, thanks for using healthcare magic

Most drug screens are for: (1) amphetamines (2) benzodiazepines, (3) opiates (eg hydrocodone, oxycodone) (4) cannabinoids - marijuana (5) barbituates

Citalopram is not usually specifically tested for. Some medications can cause a person to get false positive results for one of the above eg the antihistamine , brompheniramine can sometimes cause a person to show positive for amphetamines

Though zoloft can cause a false positive result as well, this is not known to occur with celexa.

Celexa is not known to cause false positive drug results and it is not usually one of the drugs looked for.

It has a half life of 24 to 48 hours. The half life is the time it takes for the amount of drug in the body to decrease by half.
It can take 3 to 5 half lives for a drug to be mostly gone from the body.

this means that it would take 3 to 10 days for most of this drug to be eliminated.

I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Michelle Gibson James (14 hours later)
Does it matter how long you've taken the prescription? (ie, does it take longer for medication to get out of your system if you've taken it for over a year) my prescribed dosage is 10 mg. Thanks! Again, referencing citalopram.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Michelle Gibson James (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
would not affect elimination but would affect withdrawal symptoms

Detailed Answer:
HI

Length of time would not play a big role in elimination but affect withdrawal symptoms

The presence of liver or very severe kidney disease would affect how it is eliminated. In persons over 65, because of a slower metabolism, it is also slower.

It is very important to remember that these medications should be discontinued along with your doctor to avoid withdrawal symptoms. The medication is usually tapered off with medical approval, not stopped suddenly to avoid these symptoms (more likely the longer taking meds)

Please feel free to ask anything else
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Michelle Gibson James

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 16808 Questions

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Will Citalopram Show Up In A Drug Test?

Brief Answer: not usually looked for Detailed Answer: Hi, thanks for using healthcare magic Most drug screens are for: (1) amphetamines (2) benzodiazepines, (3) opiates (eg hydrocodone, oxycodone) (4) cannabinoids - marijuana (5) barbituates Citalopram is not usually specifically tested for. Some medications can cause a person to get false positive results for one of the above eg the antihistamine , brompheniramine can sometimes cause a person to show positive for amphetamines Though zoloft can cause a false positive result as well, this is not known to occur with celexa. Celexa is not known to cause false positive drug results and it is not usually one of the drugs looked for. It has a half life of 24 to 48 hours. The half life is the time it takes for the amount of drug in the body to decrease by half. It can take 3 to 5 half lives for a drug to be mostly gone from the body. this means that it would take 3 to 10 days for most of this drug to be eliminated. I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions