Is it safe to take SSRI's with benzodiazepines?

Question

I'm taking the SSRI citalopram for depression / anxiety. But I think I need something stronger. I've been on citalopram for 3 weeks. How long does it take to start working? My anxiety has decreased, but not as much as I'd like.

Answer 1

SSRI's result could be seen between 1-4 weeks. If your anxiety has decreased,  you already experiencing improvement. So keep on the medication and look for another 5 weeks.

Maybe you could consider lexapro (escitalopram). it's a better solution than benzodiazepines

Answer 2

There are no studies available concerning citalopram's effects on benzodiazepine pharmacokinetics. Citalopram may take a while to work, users claim they were able to feel the maximum benefits from the drug after 6-8 weeks of taking it.

Answer 3

SSRIs for anxiety are used but do not always work. The drug manufacterers of Paxil and Zoloft have done the studies to receive the indication but to my knowledge the manufacturer of celexa (citalopram) never did the study. SSRis for depression can take 3-5 weeks to start working. I would give it a few more weeks to make sure that the effects have been maximized before changing the dose or adding additional therapy.

Benzodiazepine are safe to take with SSRis and are commonly used together. There is another medication called Buspar that is similar in effects to the SSRis but was designed for General Anxiety Disorder. It does not have the dependency potential that the Benzos have and may be an alternative to using a medication like Xanax or Ativan.

Answer 4

This combo is very safe and very frequently used.

Citalopram can take 2 to 6 weeks to kick in fully. SSRIs are not fast medications. If you're getting any sort of response from it, I'd hold off a little longer and see if it will kick in a little bit. Fewer meds is always better.