Posted by McPac on June 24, 2003, at 16:52:18
In reply to Re: CALEB, Re: Celexa Users/SSRI Users/Anybody!!! , posted by Caleb462 on June 24, 2003, at 9:35:36
Hi Caleb!
"Well... yes. Let me see if I can explain this right... ok Celexa contains citalopram. It contains both the S- and R-enantiomers of the chemical. 50% of a celexa pill is the S- enantiomer and 50% is R-enatiomer. So 40 mg of Celexa would be 20 mg S, and 20 mg R. The R-enatiomer is inactive. Lexapro removes the R-enatiomer and leaves only S-citalopram. So instead of taking 40 mg of Celexa to get 20 mg of S-citalopram, you simply take 20 mg of Lexapro.
Understand? Sorry if it isn't explained well.
So anyway... there should be no difference in side effects whether you are taking 40 mg Celexa or 20 mg Lexapro - either way you are taking 20 mg of S-citalopram.
The whole "less side effects" is based on the assumption that R-citalopram causes additional side effects. Which I find unlikely. R-citalopram has no affinity for the serotonin uptake pump, thus it causes no serotonergic side effects nor does it cause any theraputic effect. If R-citalopram causes any side effects, they would have to be mediated through some other action - and no action has been discovered.
So basically, the only advantage with Lexapro is that you are removing 10 or 20 mg of inactive material from the pill... I say, who cares?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>You explain that stuff VERY well! Thank you so much for your time...it sure helps me to be able to understand the rationale....mucho appreciato, lol!
poster:McPac
thread:236481
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030624/msgs/236724.html