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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

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Citalopram Was Prescribed After Two Memory Testing Sessions. Need To Take This Drug So Early?

I was given a prescription for Citalopram 10 mg.. I read some information about it and now I am very leary of taking it. I hesitate to take any type of mind altering drug and I feel that this falls in that category. My father has dementia and as a precautionary measure, I am going throught the analysis testing for potential problems. After 2 short session of memory testing, the drug was prescribed. I just don't feel good about the early prescribing.
What are your thoughts?
Mon, 30 Sep 2013
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Internal Medicine Specialist 's  Response
Dear friend,

I am Dr. (Col) R Karanwal, M.D. (Internal Medicine), Consultant Physician, for your assistance.

Thanks for reposing your faith in me and post your query on this website. I fully appreciate your concerns.

If you had visited my Clinic for consultation, my course of action would have been :-

1. Firstly, do you suffer from depression (mental stress, sleep disturbances, lethargy, difficulty in concentrating, disinclination to work etc..)?

2. If the answer is no, I would strongly advise you NOT to take anti-depressants, merely based on findings of memory testing.

Please feel free to revert back to me in case of further clarifications, if any.

I am confident that you will benefit from the advice.

May I assure you that I am always available for your assistance. My endeavor would always be to give you a sound medical advice, to the best of my knowledge and vast experience.

HAVE A NICE DAY AND A SPEEDY RECOVERY.

Fond Regards,

Dr.(Col) R Karanwal
MBBS; M.D. (Internal Medicine)
Consultant Physician


(PLEASE NOTE :- My opinion/advice is based SOLELY on the details provided by you.)
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Psychiatrist Dr. Vikas Gaur's  Response
Hello,

Your doctor has probably ruled out the possibility of dementia in your case by conducting a memory test.

A patients suffering from depression may sometimes present with symptoms like poor attention span, poor concentration, forgetfulness etc. I guess, your doctor think that your current symptoms are probably because of depression and that is why he or she has prescribed you an antidepressant Citalopram.

Citalopram is a SSRI antidepressant and a frequently used medicine for treating depression. It is not a mind altering drug, it simply acts on some neurotransmitters in brain like serotonin. It is usually well tolerated by most patients and I don't think there is any reason to worry about this medicine specially when your doctor is prescribing it to you. Most likely, your doctor will continue it for few months depending on the response and then will taper it down slowly if you respond well to it.

I hope this helps,

Kind regards

Vikas
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Citalopram Was Prescribed After Two Memory Testing Sessions. Need To Take This Drug So Early?

Dear friend, I am Dr. (Col) R Karanwal, M.D. (Internal Medicine), Consultant Physician, for your assistance. Thanks for reposing your faith in me and post your query on this website. I fully appreciate your concerns. If you had visited my Clinic for consultation, my course of action would have been :- 1. Firstly, do you suffer from depression (mental stress, sleep disturbances, lethargy, difficulty in concentrating, disinclination to work etc..)? 2. If the answer is no, I would strongly advise you NOT to take anti-depressants, merely based on findings of memory testing. Please feel free to revert back to me in case of further clarifications, if any. I am confident that you will benefit from the advice. May I assure you that I am always available for your assistance. My endeavor would always be to give you a sound medical advice, to the best of my knowledge and vast experience. HAVE A NICE DAY AND A SPEEDY RECOVERY. Fond Regards, Dr.(Col) R Karanwal MBBS; M.D. (Internal Medicine) Consultant Physician (PLEASE NOTE :- My opinion/advice is based SOLELY on the details provided by you.)