Mental Health Celexa (citalopram) and hallucinations?

[vienna]

I recently got prescribed a low dose of Celexa, maybe 3 weeks ago. I've never been on an SSRI before, or any medication for that matter. I was in a mental institution against my will for suicide/extreme depression and bipolar disorder. They gave me celexa and it made me feel so much better, but the past week I've been feeling overly tired, out of it, and zoning out frequently. The tiredness is so severe that in school i can barely keep my eyes open, even when I'm walking down the hallway and I will fall asleep at around 5 pm if I don't force myself to stay awake. I also don't feel like myself, I feel like a zombie and like I have no emotions. I can't concentrate or think straight barely and I just lack common sense ever since this started happening.

Today when I was on the bus I was looking forward at the seats facing the opposite way, and I saw this guy that I always see on the bus. He was listening to music with his eyes closed. I was zoning out myself, i was closing my eyes and trying to sleep and about 10 minutes later, i looked up and he wasn't there. There was no way he could have gotten off of the bus because we were on the expressway not anywhere near the exit from the time I saw him to the time I looked up. I also never saw him get on the bus. Is this a hallucination? I've never had visual hallucinations before, however I have had audio hallucinations in the past, but not very often. I dont think I have Schizophrenia but it does run in my family. Can it be a side effect of the citalopram?

Also, when I tell my psychiatrist about these side effects, can she prescribe me another med or no? I was going to ask for one because I'm starting to get depressed/suicidal again

thanks

 

[King-Anubis]

Hello!

This is going to sound a strange question, but do you have any symptoms besides depression and, I assume, hypomania or mania? I ask because I was put on citalopram a few years back (at the time an undiagnosed schizophrenic) and it worsened my psychosis by some considerable margin. I'm not saying you are psychotic, but these drugs can aggravate psychotic symptoms. And if you do have bipolar, then there a chance that you could possible experience a 'mixed episode', where elements of depression (such as lethargy, suicidal ideation and the likes) can occur at the same time as some manic symptoms (hallucinations, and the likes)

Either way, when you go to your doctors certainly tell them about your hallucinations as it may be the manifestation of some other psychological disorder. As you've only been on the drug for a few weeks they may well changed your medication to something more suitable. From my experience citalopram is sort of the 'first line' for many non-psychotic disorders so there are many, many more you can try.

Best of luck!