Did Citalophram start my DES?

[MNJen]

I started taking citalophram 6/08 after several boughts of insomnia due to severe depression from a bad pregnancy. It helped me greatly & I weaned myself off 6/09.
A few months later I started feeling depresses again but did not go back on. Started noticing vision changes & finally in November went to the eye doc because of blurred vision & eye pain. Had severe dry eye & inflammation.

Have been on anti-inflammatory & eye drops. After a month of this, I started taking the citalophram again as I am really depressed & one of my DES symptoms, the cold/menthol feeling is gone.

Although my eyes are still dry I am wondering if the citalophram started the whole DES. I am going to stop it for a few days & see if the cold/menthol symptom comes back (although my mood is better so I am a little hesitant).

Anyone have any thoughts/ideas?

I am wondering if there is an alternative for citalophram that doesn't have anything to do with dry eye.

Thanks.

[alisonW]

Hi there,

It's really hard to say what started it all for you. Could be the medication, could be hormone changes from pregnancy, could be the stress, or a combination of all of them.

As for the citalopram, I know that the literature for the drug does mention dry mouth as a possible side-effect and whenever that is listed, there is typically the coinciding chance for dry/drier eyes as well.

I took it for a year and saw no change in my DES at all. None for the better or worse. (I began taking it years after my eye problems began.) I actually have considered going on it again because it did not negatively effect my eyes and am worried that another anti-depressant might.

You could definitely go off for a while to see if there is any improvement in your eye symptoms or not. Take care.