Does Citalopram (Celexa) cause weight gain?
The honest answer from the FDA-approved label for Citalopram (Celexa)— what the trials actually reported, not the “every drug makes you gain weight” folklore.
What the label reports
In the label's Weight Changes section, patients treated with citalopram in controlled trials experienced a weight loss of about 0.5 kg compared with no change for placebo patients. The adverse-reaction listing notes both decreased and increased weight as frequent metabolic events, but the controlled-trial finding the label reports is a small mean weight loss versus placebo.
Frequently asked questions
Does Citalopram cause weight gain?
The label's picture is above. Citalopram's weight effect is can cause weight loss — read the summary rather than the folklore, and track your own trend.
How much weight can Citalopram cause?
The label reports what the trials found (above) and does not hand out a single number that applies to everyone — weight change depends on dose, duration, your starting point, and why you are taking the drug. If your weight is changing in a way that bothers you, that is a specific, fixable conversation with your prescriber, not a reason to quit abruptly.
Does the weight come off after stopping Citalopram?
Often at least partly, when the drug's effect on appetite or metabolism was the cause — but that is individual, and some weight tracks lifestyle rather than the drug. Never stop a medication just to lose weight without talking to the prescriber first; for several of these drugs abrupt stopping has its own risks.
More guides for Citalopram
Source
Citalopram — DailyMed FDA label (§8.1 Pregnancy; Adverse Reactions, Weight Changes) ↗
Other drugs: Amitriptyline · Amlodipine · Bupropion · Duloxetine · Escitalopram · Fluconazole · Fluoxetine · Gabapentin · Ibuprofen · Levothyroxine · Metformin · Mirtazapine · Naproxen · Olanzapine · all drugs.
The weight information is what the drug’s FDA-approved label reports from its trials. This is general reference information, not medical advice, and weight change is individual — do not start or stop a medication to change your weight without your prescriber.