Citalopram

INDICATIONS AND USAGE Citalopram Oral Solution is indicated for the treatment of depression. The efficacy of Citalopram Oral Solution in the treatment of depression was established in 4 to 6 week, controlled trials of outpatients whose diagnosis corresponded most closely to the DSM-III and DSM-III-R category of major depressive disorder ( see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY ). A major depressive episode (DSM-IV) implies a prominent and relatively persistent (nearly every day for at least 2 weeks) depressed or dysphoric mood that usually interferes with daily functioning, and includes at least five of the following nine symptoms: depressed mood, loss of interest in usual activities, significant change in weight and/or appetite, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation or retardation, increased fatigue, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, slowed thinking or impaired concentration, a suicide attempt or suicidal ideation. The antidepressant action of Citalopram Oral Solution in hospitalized depressed patients has not been adequately studied. The efficacy of Citalopram Oral Solution in maintaining an antidepressant response for up to 24 weeks following 6 to 8 weeks of acute treatment was demonstrated in two placebo-controlled trials ( see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY ). Nevertheless, the physician who elects to use citalopram oral solution for extended periods should periodically re-evaluate the long-term usefulness of the drug for the individual patient.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Citalopram Oral Solution should be administered once daily, in the morning or evening, with or without food. Initial Treatment Citalopram Oral Solution should be administered at an initial dose of 20 mg once daily, with an increase to a maximum dose of 40 mg/day at an interval of no less than one week. Doses above 40 mg/day are not recommended due to the risk of QT prolongation. Additionally, the only study pertinent to dose response for effectiveness did not demonstrate an advantage for the 60 mg/day dose over the 40 mg/day dose. Special Populations 20 mg/day is the maximum recommended dose for patients who are greater than 60 years of age, patients with hepatic impairment, and for CYP2C19 poor metabolizers or those patients taking cimetidine or another CYP2C19 inhibitor ( see WARNINGS ). No dosage adjustment is necessary for patients with mild or moderate renal impairment. Citalopram Oral Solution should be used with caution in patients with severe renal impairment. Treatment of Pregnant Women During the Third Trimester Neonates exposed to Citalopram Oral Solution and other SSRIs or SNRIs, late in the third trimester, have developed complications requiring prolonged hospitalization, respiratory support, and tube feeding ( see PRECAUTIONS ). When treating pregnant women with Citalopram Oral Solution during the third trimester, the physician should carefully consider the potential risks and benefits of treatment. Maintenance Treatment It is generally agreed that acute episodes of depression require several months or longer of sustained pharmacologic therapy. Systematic evaluation of Citalopram Oral Solution in two studies has shown that its antidepressant efficacy is maintained for periods of up to 24 weeks following 6 or 8 weeks of initial treatment (32 weeks total). In one study, patients were assigned randomly to placebo or to the same dose of Citalopram Oral Solution (20 to 60 mg/day) during maintenance treatment as they had received during the acute stabilization phase, while in the other study, patients were assigned randomly to continuation of Citalopram Oral Solution 20 or 40 mg/day, or placebo, for maintenance treatment. In the latter study, the rates of relapse to depression were similar for the two dose groups ( see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY ; Clinical Efficacy Trials ). Based on these limited data, it is not known whether the dose of citalopram needed to maintain euthymia is identical to the dose needed to induce remission. If adverse reactions are bothersome, a decrease in dose to 20 mg/day can be considered. Discontinuation of Treatment with Citalopram Oral Solution Symptoms associated with discontinuation of Citalopram Oral Solution and other SSRIs and SNRIs have been reported ( see PRECAUTIONS ). Patients should be monitored for these symptoms when discontinuing treatment. A gradual reduction in the dose rather than abrupt cessation is recommended whenever possible. If intolerable symptoms occur following a decrease in the dose or upon discontinuation of treatment, then resuming the previously prescribed dose may be considered. Subsequently, the physician may continue decreasing the dose but at a more gradual rate. Switching Patients To or From a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI) Intended to Treat Psychiatric Disorders At least 14 days should elapse between discontinuation of an MAOI intended to treat psychiatric disorders and initiation of therapy with Citalopram Oral Solution. Conversely, at least 14 days should be allowed after stopping Citalopram Oral Solution before starting an MAOI intended to treat psychiatric disorders ( see CONTRAINDICATIONS ). Use of Citalopram Oral Solution with Other MAOIs, Such as Linezolid or Methylene Blue Do not start Citalopram Oral Solution in a patient who is being treated with linezolid or intravenous methylene blue because there is an increased risk of serotonin syndrome. In a patient who requires more urgent treatment of a psychiatric condition, othe…

WARNINGS WARNINGS-Clinical Worsening and Suicide Risk Clinical Worsening and Suicide Risk Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), both adult and pediatric, may experience worsening of their depression and/or the emergence of suicidal ideation and behavior (suicidality) or unusual changes in behavior, whether or not they are taking antidepressant medications, and this risk may persist until significant remission occurs. Suicide is a known risk of depression and certain other psychiatric disorders, and these disorders themselves are the strongest predictors of suicide. There has been a long-standing concern, however, that antidepressants may have a role in inducing worsening of depression and the emergence of suicidality in certain patients during the early phases of treatment. Pooled analyses of short-term placebo-controlled trials of antidepressant drugs (SSRIs and others) showed that these drugs increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults (ages 18 to 24) with major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age 24; there was a reduction with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults aged 65 and older. The pooled analyses of placebo-controlled trials in children and adolescents with MDD, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or other psychiatric disorders included a total of 24 short-term trials of 9 antidepressant drugs in over 4,400 patients. The pooled analyses of placebo-controlled trials in adults with MDD or other psychiatric disorders included a total of 295 short-term trials (median duration of 2 months) of 11 antidepressant drugs in over 77,000 patients. There was considerable variation in risk of suicidality among drugs, but a tendency toward an increase in the younger patients for almost all drugs studied. There were differences in absolute risk of suicidality across the different indications, with the highest incidence in MDD. The risk differences (drug vs. placebo), however, were relatively stable within age strata and across indications. These risk difference (drug-placebo difference in the number of cases of suicidality per 1,000 patients treated) are provided in TABLE 1. TABLE 1 Age Range Drug-Placebo Difference in Number of Cases of Suicidality per 1,000 Patients Treated Increases Compared to Placebo <18 14 additional cases 18 to 24 5 additional cases Decreases Compared to Placebo 25 to 64 1 fewer case ≥65 6 fewer cases No suicides occurred in any of the pediatric trials. There were suicides in the adult trials, but the number was not sufficient to reach any conclusion about drug effect on suicide. It is unknown whether the suicidality risk extends to longer-term use, i.e., beyond several months. However, there is substantial evidence from placebo-controlled maintenance trials in adults with depression that the use of antidepressants can delay the recurrence of depression. All patients being treated with antidepressants for any indication should be monitored appropriately and observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, and unusual changes in behavior, especially during the initial few months of a course of drug therapy, or at times of dose changes, either increases or decreases. The following symptoms, anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity, akathisia (psychomotor restlessness), hypomania, and mania, have been reported in adult and pediatric patients being treated with antidepressants for major depressive disorder as well as for other indications, both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric. Although a causal link between the emergence of such symptoms and either the worsening of depression and/or the emergence of suicidal impulses has not been established, there is concern that such symptoms may represent precursors to emerging suici…

CONTRAINDICATIONS The use of MAOIs intended to treat psychiatric disorders with citalopram or within 14 days of stopping treatment with citalopram is contraindicated because of an increased risk of serotonin syndrome. The use of citalopram within 14 days of stopping an MAOI intended to treat psychiatric disorders is also contraindicated ( see WARNINGS and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ). Starting citalopram in a patient who is being treated with MAOIs such as linezolid or intravenous methylene blue is also contraindicated because of an increased risk of serotonin syndrome ( see WARNINGS and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ). Concomitant use in patients taking pimozide is contraindicated ( see PRECAUTIONS ). Citalopram Oral Solution is contraindicated in patients with a hypersensitivity to citalopram or any of the inactive ingredients in Citalopram Oral Solution.

Drug Interactions Serotonergic Drugs Based on the mechanism of action of SNRIs and SSRIs, including citalopram hydrobromide, and the potential for serotonin syndrome, caution is advised when citalopram is co-administered with other drugs that may affect the serotonergic neurotransmitter systems, such as triptans, lithium, opioids, amphetamines, or St. John’s Wort ( see WARNINGS ; Serotonin Syndrome ). Triptans There have been rare postmarketing reports of serotonin syndrome with use of an SSRI and a triptan. If concomitant treatment of citalopram with a triptan is clinically warranted, careful observation of the patient is advised, particularly during treatment initiation and dose increases ( see WARNINGS ; Serotonin Syndrome ). CNS Drugs Given the primary CNS effects of citalopram, caution should be used when it is taken in combination with other centrally acting drugs. Alcohol Although citalopram did not potentiate the cognitive and motor effects of alcohol in a clinical trial, as with other psychotropic medications, the use of alcohol by depressed patients taking citalopram is not recommended. Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) See CONTRAINDICATIONS and WARNINGS and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION . Drugs That Interfere with Hemostasis (NSAIDs, Aspirin, Warfarin, etc.) Serotonin release by platelets plays an important role in hemostasis. Epidemiological studies of the case-control and cohort design that have demonstrated an association between use of psychotropic drugs that interfere with serotonin reuptake and the occurrence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding have also shown that concurrent use of an NSAID or aspirin may potentiate the risk of bleeding. Altered anticoagulant effects, including increased bleeding, have been reported when SSRIs and SNRIs are co-administered with warfarin. Patients receiving warfarin therapy should be carefully monitored when citalopram is initiated or discontinued. Cimetidine In subjects who had received 21 days of 40 mg/day citalopram, combined administration of 400 mg/day cimetidine for 8 days resulted in an increase in citalopram AUC and C max of 43% and 39%, respectively. Citalopram 20 mg/day is the maximum recommended dose for patients taking concomitant cimetidine because of the risk of QT prolongation ( see WARNINGS and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ). Digoxin In subjects who had received 21 days of 40 mg/day citalopram, combined administration of citalopram and digoxin (single dose of 1 mg) did not significantly affect the pharmacokinetics of either citalopram or digoxin. Lithium Co-administration of citalopram (40 mg/day for 10 days) and lithium (30 mmol/day for 5 days) had no significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of citalopram or lithium. Nevertheless, plasma lithium levels should be monitored with appropriate adjustment to the lithium dose in accordance with standard clinical practice. Because lithium may enhance the serotonergic effects of citalopram, caution should be exercised when citalopram and lithium are co-administered. Pimozide In a controlled study, a single dose of pimozide 2 mg co-administered with citalopram 40 mg given once daily for 11 days was associated with a mean increase in QTc values of approximately 10 msec compared to pimozide given alone. Citalopram did not alter the mean AUC or C max of pimozide. The mechanism of this pharmacodynamic interaction is not known. Theophylline Combined administration of citalopram (40 mg/day for 21 days) and the CYP1A2 substrate theophylline (single dose of 300 mg) did not affect the pharmacokinetics of theophylline. The effect of theophylline on the pharmacokinetics of citalopram was not evaluated. Sumatriptan There have been rare postmarketing reports describing patients with weakness, hyperreflexia, and incoordination following the use of a SSRI and sumatriptan. If concomitant treatment with sumatriptan and a SSRI (e.g., fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, citalopram) is clinically warranted, appropriate observatio…

ADVERSE REACTIONS The premarketing development program for citalopram included citalopram exposures in patients and/or normal subjects from 3 different groups of studies: 429 normal subjects in clinical pharmacology/pharmacokinetic studies; 4,422 exposures from patients in controlled and uncontrolled clinical trials, corresponding to approximately 1,370 patient-exposure years. There were, in addition, over 19,000 exposures from mostly open-label, European postmarketing studies. The conditions and duration of treatment with citalopram varied greatly and included (in overlapping categories) open-label and double-blind studies, inpatient and outpatient studies, fixed-dose and dose-titration studies, and short-term and long-term exposure. Adverse reactions were assessed by collecting adverse events, results of physical examinations, vital signs, weights, laboratory analyses, ECGs, and results of ophthalmologic examinations. Adverse events during exposure were obtained primarily by general inquiry and recorded by clinical investigators using terminology of their own choosing. Consequently, it is not possible to provide a meaningful estimate of the proportion of individuals experiencing adverse events without first grouping similar types of events into a smaller number of standardized event categories. In the tables and tabulations that follow, standard World Health Organization (WHO) terminology has been used to classify reported adverse events. The stated frequencies of adverse events represent the proportion of individuals who experienced, at least once, a treatment-emergent adverse event of the type listed. An event was considered treatment-emergent if it occurred for the first time or worsened while receiving therapy following baseline evaluation. Adverse Findings Observed in Short-Term, Placebo-Controlled Trials Adverse Events Associated with Discontinuation of Treatment Among 1,063 depressed patients who received citalopram at doses ranging from 10 to 80 mg/day in placebo-controlled trials of up to 6 weeks in duration, 16% discontinued treatment due to an adverse event, as compared to 8% of 446 patients receiving placebo. The adverse events associated with discontinuation and considered drug-related (i.e., associated with discontinuation in at least 1% of citalopram-treated patients at a rate at least twice that of placebo) are shown in TABLE 2. It should be noted that one patient can report more than one reason for discontinuation and be counted more than once in this table. TABLE 2: Adverse Events Associated with Discontinuation of Treatment in Short-Term, Placebo-Controlled, Depression Trials Percentage of Patients Discontinuing Due to Adverse Event Body System/Adverse Event Citalopram (N=1,063) Placebo (N=446) General Asthenia 1% <1% Gastrointestinal Disorders Nausea 4% 0% Dry Mouth 1% <1% Vomiting 1% 0% Central and Peripheral Nervous System Disorders Dizziness 2% <1% Psychiatric Disorders Insomnia 3% 1% Somnolence 2% 1% Agitation 1% <1% Adverse Events Occurring at an Incidence of 2% or More Among Citalopram-Treated Patients TABLE 3 enumerates the incidence, rounded to the nearest percent, of treatment-emergent adverse events that occurred among 1,063 depressed patients who received citalopram at doses ranging from 10 to 80 mg/day in placebo-controlled trials of up to 6 weeks in duration. Events included are those occurring in 2% or more of patients treated with citalopram and for which the incidence in patients treated with citalopram was greater than the incidence in placebo-treated patients. The prescriber should be aware that these figures cannot be used to predict the incidence of adverse events in the course of usual medical practice where patient characteristics and other factors differ from those which prevailed in the clinical trials. Similarly, the cited frequencies cannot be compared with figures obtained from other clinical investigations involving different treatments, uses, and investigators. The cited figur…