Citalopram - different brand - panicking!

I've been on Citalopram for years, and during this time I've had many different brands. However today I started a new brand that I don't remember having before. I'm feeling panicky because I'm yawning constantly, feeling quite spaced and almost having head zaps. Obviously I'm attributing this to a different brand and catastrophising. I made the mistake of googling...and found a multitude of reports citing horrible side effects from starting a new brand and this is making me worse.

Can anyone please reassure me or help me rationalise this. Surely the ingredients in citalopram can't be that different aside from the coating/colour maybe?

I noticed that too. I think they are all the same ingredients but just different manufacturers. I've been on them for 20 years for M.E x

So you had different symptoms or just noticed you were being given different brands?

The Cit will be the same I would think but there can be variations in what else is in with meds.

There should be legislation in place to guarantee medical quality. I couldn't find it for the UK when I was looking before but the US FDA brought their's in because tests found the variation in the main drug in a med was too wide. The US legislation doesn't cover the other ingredients though.

It would probably be best to ask a pharmacist if you have concerns.

I've changed brands and not noticed in some cases and felt different in others. It's always hard to judge if your anxiety means you are sensitive to the thought of changing brand, which I was earlier on.

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Originally Posted by scorpionwhispers

I'm feeling panicky because I'm yawning constantly, feeling quite spaced and almost having head zaps.

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Even if there were an issue with the new generic, and this is very unlikely, citalopram has the second longest half-life of all the antidepressants, about 35 hours, so any differences in potency, higher or lower, would not become apparent for 2-3 days.

Your symptoms are almost certainly being generated by anxiety, though there may be a small possibility you're reacting to another ingredient, a colour, die lubricant, filler, etc. However, these are fairly standard these days so you have probably been exposed to them before.

Who makes the new tablets and what were you taking before?

PS: Citalopram i also absorbed fairly slowly taking about 4 hours to reach peak plasma levels. How soon after taking the dose did the symptoms begin?

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Originally Posted by panic_down_under

Even if there were an issue with the new generic, and this is very unlikely, citalopram has the second longest half-life of all the antidepressants, about 35 hours, so any differences in potency, higher or lower, would not become apparent for 2-3 days.

Your symptoms are almost certainly being generated by anxiety, though there may be a small possibility you're reacting to another ingredient, a colour, die lubricant, filler, etc. However, these are fairly standard these days so you have probably been exposed to them before.

Who makes the new tablets and what were you taking before?

PS: Citalopram i also absorbed fairly slowly taking about 4 hours to reach peak plasma levels. How soon after taking the dose did the symptoms begin?

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Potency difference is very unlikely, all meds in the UK have to be fully tested before a licence is granted. For a generic to piggyback I would imagine they have to submit evidence of equivalence. I've read a few generic licences and noticed that is a key point in avoiding it being subjected to a new submission.

It's funny though, there are many people who have found a difference in how they feel. It's hard to separate their own sensitivity though.

I would say it is your own anxiety playing tricks on you because you've noticed it's a different brand. If the meds were given to you in plain wrapping every time I wonder if you would have felt like this?

The tablets are made by Medreich, not heard of them before and don't recognise the box. I've been on Citalopram for about 6/7 years so have had a wide range of makes of Citalopram but I can't remember feeling like this before. I feel so irritable and like there's a weight on my chest.

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Originally Posted by scorpionwhispers

The tablets are made by Medreich, not heard of them before

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Medreich is an Indian company which makes branded drugs under contract to most of the big pharmaceutical companies, plus a range of generics.

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I feel so irritable and like there's a weight on my chest.

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It's hard to see how just one dose could cause the symptoms you're having, but I suggest you discuss this with the pharmacist. In particular ask him/her to compare the other ingredients with whatever generic you were on before if that info is available.