Citalopram side effects: can they last?

Creator: Morten Skov
Published: 2026-10-09T00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: PSSD Support, Patient Support

Most citalopram side effects ease. Sexual problems are common, and the UK leaflet warns they have sometimes continued after stopping. This is called PSSD.

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By Morten SkovPublished 9 October 2026Updated 22 October 2026

Poster: Citalopram side effects: can they last? The UK leaflet says sexual problems “have continued after stopping treatment”.

Citalopram’s common side effects include feeling sick, sweating, poor sleep and sexual problems, such as a low sex drive or trouble reaching orgasm. Most ease after a couple of weeks, but the UK leaflet warns sexual problems have sometimes continued after stopping, a condition called post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD).

PSSD is more than sexual problems. Its core is a lasting change in genital sensation, often numbness, and the 2022 diagnostic criteria also describe emotional numbing, problems with thinking and changes in other senses.

The NHS page on citalopram doesn’t mention that warning. Citalopram’s heart risk was measured to the millisecond, but no reliable figure exists for how often its sexual side effects outlast the tablets.

The story in 3 lines

Sexual problems, such as a low sex drive, are a common side effect of citalopram (NHS).
The UK leaflet warns they have sometimes continued after stopping (leaflet).
No reliable figure exists for how often this happens after citalopram. Patients call it PSSD (Healy and Mangin, 2024).

Press: contact@sidefxhub.com

Roy Whaley took citalopram briefly when he was 22. Sixteen years later, he told The New York Times, his penis still felt almost as if it had been injected with a local anaesthetic. His sex drive had gone, and orgasms brought no pleasure.

Over the years, doctors kept suggesting the problem was psychological. One note in his records, from 2009, called citalopram “exceptionally unlikely” to be the cause. “We feel very neglected,” he said.

What are the most common side effects of citalopram?

The UK leaflet lists these as the most common:

feeling sick
sweating and a dry mouth
headaches
sleeping badly, or feeling sleepy
feeling weak

The leaflet says these are often mild. Some can also be signs of the illness itself, and may fade as you get better.

The leaflet lists sexual problems as common, too. In men that means a lower sex drive and trouble with ejaculation and erections. In women it means a lower sex drive and not being able to reach orgasm.

Four oval tablets on a dark surface beside a one cent coin: two coral-coloured 20 mg tablets on top and two white 40 mg tablets below, each shown front and back — Generic citalopram, 20 mg (coral) and 40 mg (white), beside a US cent. Photo: Citalopram20-40.jpg by Elbreapoly, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

How common are sexual side effects on citalopram?

They’re common. Studies that ask about sex directly tend to find more of them. In one large US study, everyone took citalopram and filled in a questionnaire that asked about sex.

About half reported a lower sex drive. There was no placebo group, though, and depression can dull desire too.

The trials behind the US label recorded far fewer than that. The label itself says its figures “may underestimate” the real rate, because patients and doctors may be reluctant to talk about sex.

Whether these problems can outlast the tablets is a different question. If you only have 90 seconds, watch Joanna Moncrieff, a professor of psychiatry at University College London. She isn’t talking about citalopram alone, but she explains what people describe after stopping antidepressants in general.

Professor Joanna Moncrieff on PSSD, for the PSSD Network, June 2026. She talks about sexual problems and emotional blunting reported months or years after stopping.

Can citalopram side effects last after stopping?

The UK leaflet says the sexual ones sometimes have: “In some cases, these symptoms have continued after stopping treatment.” In 2019 the EU medicines regulator asked for that warning on ten SSRI and SNRI antidepressants, citalopram among them.

Patients and researchers call this PSSD. Under the 2022 criteria, its key sign is a lasting change in genital sensation, like Roy’s numbness. These are proposed criteria, written by researchers and clinicians, and not yet an official diagnosis.

For some people it has lasted years after stopping. Nobody knows yet who will be affected, or whether it will ease.

Andy was 23 when he was prescribed citalopram. Watch his interview with Moral Medicine to hear what it’s like when it doesn’t ease: he describes symptoms that have lasted more than 13 years and go far beyond sex. It’s 27 minutes, so start where you like.

Andy, interviewed by Moral Medicine, October 2024. Read Andy's story.

Does citalopram affect your heart?

It can. The UK prescribing information says citalopram lengthens the QT interval, the time the heart takes to recharge between beats, and more so at higher doses.

If that interval runs too long, a rare but life-threatening rhythm becomes more likely. The leaflet says a fast, irregular heartbeat or fainting needs medical advice at once.

A heart study measured the effect at different doses. Then, in 2011, the UK medicines regulator capped the dose at 40 mg a day, or 20 mg for people over 65.

As far as we can find, nobody has run a study like that for sexual problems after stopping. We think it needs one.

What can I do if I have side effects?

These medicines help many people. If you have side effects, that’s a decision for you and your prescriber. Don’t stop suddenly: the leaflet says stopping quickly can bring dizziness and sleep problems, and the dose is usually lowered gradually.

If sexual problems, numbness or feeling flat haven’t lifted after stopping, tell your GP. Many people say it took time to be taken seriously. Write the basics down first: “Citalopram 20 mg from January 2023, last tablet March 2024. Genitals numb since April.”

Three questions for your GP

Could citalopram explain what I still feel, even after stopping?
What else should we rule out?
Can this go on my record as a suspected side effect?

You could start with: “The leaflet says sexual problems have sometimes continued after stopping. I think that's happening to me.”

Bring the leaflet line. You can report it without a doctor agreeing.

Report it: it helps everyone

A doctor’s note helps you. A report to the medicines regulator helps everyone else: it is how patterns get noticed.

No proof needed. A suspicion is enough, even years after stopping.
Where: the Yellow Card scheme in the UK, MedWatch in the US.
Use the right words. If symptoms continued after stopping, write Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (MedDRA 10086208).

Our reporting guide walks you through it

Do citalopram side effects go away? Most ease after a couple of weeks, says the NHS, as your body gets used to the medicine. Sexual problems are different: the leaflet warns they have sometimes continued after stopping. Nobody knows how many people with PSSD fully recover: the researchers David Healy and Dee Mangin wrote in 2024 that this “has never been properly investigated”.

Can citalopram make you feel emotionally numb? It can: the UK leaflet lists “reduced emotions, indifference” among its common side effects. Many patients call this emotional blunting. The 2022 criteria for PSSD list emotional numbing as a possible feature after stopping, too.

Is citalopram the same as escitalopram? Not quite. Citalopram (Cipramil, Celexa) is an equal mix of two mirror-image molecules, and escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex) is one of them on its own. The 2019 EU warning about sexual problems after stopping covers both, and our Lexapro article has more.

Roy’s doctor believes him now, he said, partly because of that warning from European regulators. If your symptoms haven’t lifted, take that warning to your own doctor.

Sources

Cipramil 20 mg film-coated tablets, patient information leaflet, last revised January 2025. Electronic Medicines Compendium. Sections 2 (sexual problems after stopping), 3 (doses and stopping) and 4 (side effects).
Cipramil 20 mg film-coated tablets, summary of product characteristics, text revised November 2023. Section 4.4 (QT prolongation and sexual dysfunction) and section 5.1 (QTc study in healthy volunteers).
NHS, Side effects of citalopram, last reviewed 26 June 2026.
Celexa (citalopram), US prescribing information, revised October 2023. DailyMed. Section 6.1, on sexual dysfunction: figures “may underestimate their actual incidence”.
MHRA, Citalopram and escitalopram: QT interval prolongation, Drug Safety Update, December 2011.
European Medicines Agency, PRAC, new product information wording, signals adopted at the 13-16 May 2019 meeting, EMA/PRAC/265221/2019. The wording is for ten medicines: citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, milnacipran and venlafaxine.
Perlis RH, Laje G, Smoller JW and colleagues. Genetic and clinical predictors of sexual dysfunction in citalopram-treated depressed patients. Neuropsychopharmacology 2009;34(7):1819-28. STAR*D: 799 of 1,473 participants treated openly with citalopram for up to 14 weeks reported decreased libido; no placebo group.
Healy D, Bahrick A, Bak M and colleagues. Diagnostic criteria for enduring sexual dysfunction after treatment with antidepressants, finasteride and isotretinoin. Int J Risk Saf Med 2022;33(1):65-76.
Healy D, Mangin D. Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction: barriers to quantifying incidence and prevalence. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci 2024;33:e40.
The New York Times, After antidepressants, a loss of sexuality, by Azeen Ghorayshi, 9 November 2023. Subscription required.
Videos: Moral Medicine, Andy’s 13 year battle with PSSD, 5 October 2024, 27 minutes; PSSD Network, Professor Joanna Moncrieff on PSSD, June 2026, 1:29.
Picture: Citalopram20-40.jpg by Elbreapoly, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; converted to WebP.

This information does not replace medical advice. Talk to your doctor before you make any decision about your treatment.

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Citalopram: what the official texts say, country by country

For the SSRI antidepressant citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil), the product information we read in the United Kingdom says there have been reports of long-lasting sexual dysfunction where symptoms continued after SSRIs or SNRIs were stopped. This is known as post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD). The EU medicines regulator set the wording of this warning in 2019 for ten medicines, citalopram among them, and a government answer in Parliament says UK product information for all SSRIs was updated in 2019 to carry it.

This is a record of what each text says and of the date it prints. A text is quoted in its own words, or summarised where the row says so. It is not a comparison of countries. All medicines and countries

Citalopram: the official texts, country by country (32 texts read)

Citalopram: what each text says about sexual side effects, and about side effects that continue after stopping.
Country or region	What the text says	Document	Dates
United Kingdom	Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.4 Special warnings and precautions for use · Sexual dysfunctionSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs/serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) may cause symptoms of sexual dysfunction (see section 4.8). There have been reports of long-lasting sexual dysfunction where the symptoms have continued despite discontinuation of SSRIs/SNRI.On record since 2019, according to a government answer in parliament, 13 May 2025. That document is about the whole class of medicines. It does not name citalopram. Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effects · Psychiatric disorders · CommonAgitation, libido decreased, anxiety, nervousness, confusional state, abnormal orgasm (female), abnormal dreams, apathy Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effects · Psychiatric disorders · UncommonAggression, depersonalisation, hallucination, mania, libido increased Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effects · Reproductive system and breast disorders · CommonImpotence, ejaculation disorder, ejaculation failure Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Undesirable effects · Reproductive system and breast disorders · Not knownFemale: Metrorrhagia, postpartum haemorrhage2 Male: Priapism Galactorrhoea The same text also says4.8 Undesirable effectsAdverse effects observed with citalopram are in general mild and transient. They are most frequent during the first one or two weeks of treatment and usually attenuate subsequently. A table cell or list line is shown whole, as the text prints it. Some of them also name side effects that are not sexual.	Text for professionals Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC): Cipramil 20 mg film-coated tabletsCipramil 20 mg film-coated tablets, Lundbeck Limited · Read in a compendium of product information: emcAlso on record: patients' leaflet, with such a sentence; 3 related documents, with such a sentence	Text revisedNov 2023Checked14 Oct 2026
European Union	Sexual side effects that continue after stopping3. Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRI); selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) – Persistent sexual dysfunction after drug withdrawal (EPITT no 19277) · Summary of product characteristics · 4.4. Special warnings and precautions for use · Sexual dysfunctionThere have been reports of long-lasting sexual dysfunction where the symptoms have continued despite discontinuation of SSRIs/SNRI.On record since 2019, according to EMA, 11 June 2019. Sexual side effects that continue after stopping3. Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRI); selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) – Persistent sexual dysfunction after drug withdrawal (EPITT no 19277) · Package leaflet · 2. What you need to know before you take [Invented name] · Warnings and precautionsIn some cases, these symptoms have continued after stopping treatment.On record since 2019, according to EMA, 11 June 2019. The wording is for ten medicines: citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, milnacipran and venlafaxine. This is wording for national product texts. There is no single EU product text for this medicine.	Document from the regulator New product information wording – Extracts from PRAC recommendations on signals. Adopted at the 13-16 May 2019 PRACRead on the regulator's site: European Medicines AgencyAlso on record: 1 more related document, with such a sentence	Published11 Jun 2019Checked14 Oct 2026
United States	Sexual side effects, as listed5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS · 5.10 Sexual DysfunctionUse of SSRIs, including CELEXA, may cause symptoms of sexual dysfunction [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)]. In male patients, SSRI use may result in ejaculatory delay or failure, decreased libido, and erectile dysfunction. In female patients, SSRI use may result in decreased libido and delayed or absent orgasm. The same text also says5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS · 5.10 Sexual DysfunctionWhen evaluating changes in sexual function, obtaining a detailed history (including timing of symptom onset) is important because sexual symptoms may have other causes, including the underlying psychiatric disorder. This text has no sentence about sexual side effects continuing after the medicine is stopped. This text names sexual side effects in several places that this row does not show. Together those passages are too long to reproduce here. The document link in this row opens the text. That they are not shown says nothing about how common these side effects are. On 14 October 2026 we searched the labels in openFDA, the FDA's open database. A sentence about sexual dysfunction continuing after stopping stood on none of the 320 labels in that database that name citalopram.	Text for professionals CELEXA (citalopram) tablets, for oral use: Full Prescribing InformationCelexa film-coated tablets 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg, Allergan, Inc. · Read in the government's medicines database: DailyMedAlso on record: patients' leaflet, with no such sentence	Text revisedOct 2023Checked14 Oct 2026
Canada	Sexual side effects that continue after stopping7. Warnings and Precautions · Reproductive Health · FunctionSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may cause symptoms of sexual dysfunction. Patients should be informed that there have been reports of long-lasting sexual dysfunction where the symptoms have continued despite discontinuation of SSRIs. Sexual side effects that continue after stopping8. Adverse Reactions · 8.2. Clinical Trial Adverse Reactions · Male and Female Sexual Dysfunction with SSRIsFurthermore, there have been reports of long-lasting sexual dysfunction where these symptoms have continued despite discontinuation of SSRIs. The same text also says8. Adverse Reactions · 8.2. Clinical Trial Adverse Reactions · Male and Female Sexual Dysfunction with SSRIsThis is a difficult area to study because patients may not spontaneously report symptoms of this nature, and therefore, it is thought that sexual side effects with SSRIs may be underestimated. This text names sexual side effects in several places that this row does not show. Together those passages are too long to reproduce here. The document link in this row opens the text. That they are not shown says nothing about how common these side effects are.	Text for professionals Product Monograph Including Patient Medication Information: CELEXA®, citalopram hydrobromide, TabletsCelexa tablets 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg, Lundbeck Canada Inc. · Read in the regulator's own database: Drug Product DatabaseAlso on record: patients' leaflet, with such a sentence; 2 related documents, with such a sentence	Text approved1 Dec 2025Checked14 Oct 2026
Australia	Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.4 Special warnings and precautions for use · Sexual dysfunctionSection 4.4 of Australia's product information for Cipramil has a warning headed sexual dysfunction. It says there are reports of sexual dysfunction that lasted a long time, with symptoms going on after SSRIs or SNRIs were stopped.Summarised, not quoted, because of the TGA's access terms. The regulator's site asks readers to accept its terms before it shows this text.	Text for professionals AUSTRALIAN PRODUCT INFORMATION – CIPRAMIL (CITALOPRAM HYDROBROMIDE) FILM-COATED TABLETSCIPRAMIL, Lundbeck Australia Pty Ltd · Read in the regulator's own database: TGA eBSAlso on record: patients' leaflet, with such a sentence	Text revised4 Aug 2025Checked14 Oct 2026
New Zealand	Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.4 Special warnings and precautions for use · Warnings · Sexual dysfunctionSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)/serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) may cause symptoms of sexual dysfunction (see Section 4.8 Undesirable effects). There have been reports of long-lasting sexual dysfunction where the symptoms have continued despite discontinuation of SSRIs/SNRI. This text names sexual side effects in several places that this row does not show. Together those passages are too long to reproduce here. The document link in this row opens the text. That they are not shown says nothing about how common these side effects are.	Text for professionals New Zealand Data Sheet, CipramilCipramil 20 mg film-coated tablets, Pharmacy Retailing t/a Healthcare Logistics · Read in the regulator's own database: MedsafeAlso on record: patients' leaflet, with such a sentence; 2 related documents, with such a sentence	Text revised7 Nov 2025Checked14 Oct 2026
Germany	Sexual side effects that continue after stopping2. Was sollten Sie vor der Einnahme von Cipramil beachten? · Warnhinweise und VorsichtsmaßnahmenIn bestimmten Fällen blieben diese Symptome nach Beendigung der Behandlung bestehen.Original text: German. Our translation:In certain cases these symptoms continued after treatment was ended. Sexual side effects, as listed4. Welche Nebenwirkungen sind möglich? · Häufig (kann bis zu 1 von 10 Behandelten betreffen)Störungen der Sexualfunktion, wie Ejakulationsstörungen, ausbleibende Ejakulation, Impotenz, Minderung des sexuellen Interesses, bei Frauen OrgasmusstörungenOriginal text: German. Our translation:Disorders of sexual function, such as ejaculation disorders, absent ejaculation, impotence, reduced sexual interest, and in women orgasm disorders Sexual side effects, as listed4. Welche Nebenwirkungen sind möglich? · Nicht bekannt (Häufigkeit auf Grundlage der verfügbaren Daten nicht abschätzbar)Männer: Schmerzhafte ErektionenOriginal text: German. Our translation:Men: painful erections The same text also says4. Welche Nebenwirkungen sind möglich?Die Nebenwirkungen sind im Allgemeinen leicht und klingen gewöhnlich nach wenigen Behandlungswochen ab. Sie sollten auch wissen, dass viele dieser Symptome auch auf Ihre Krankheit zurückzuführen sein können und daher abklingen, wenn Sie beginnen, sich besser zu fühlen.Original text: German. Our translation:The side effects are generally mild and usually subside after a few weeks of treatment. You should also know that many of these symptoms may also be due to your illness and will therefore subside when you begin to feel better. This is the copy in a compendium of product information. The regulator's database asks visitors to accept its terms first, which we did not do.	Patient leaflet Gebrauchsinformation: Information für PatientenCipramil 20 mg, Filmtabletten, Lundbeck GmbH · Read in a compendium of product information: PatientenInfo-ServiceAlso on record: text for professionals, with such a sentence; text for professionals, could not be opened; related document, with such a sentence	Text revisedJan 2026Checked14 Oct 2026
France	Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.4. Mises en garde spéciales et précautions d'emploi · Dysfonction sexuelleDes cas de dysfonction sexuelle dont les symptômes se sont prolongés malgré l’arrêt du traitement par des ISRS/IRSN ont été rapportés.Original text: French. Our translation:Cases of sexual dysfunction in which the symptoms continued despite stopping treatment with SSRIs/SNRIs have been reported. Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Effets indésirables · Affections psychiatriques · FréquentAgitation, baisse de la libido, anxiété, nervosité, confusion, anorgasmie chez la femme, rêves anormauxOriginal text: French. Our translation:Agitation, decreased libido, anxiety, nervousness, confusion, anorgasmia in women, abnormal dreams Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Effets indésirables · Affections des organes de reproduction et du sein · FréquentChez l’homme : impuissance, troubles de l’éjaculationOriginal text: French. Our translation:In men: impotence, ejaculation disorders Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Effets indésirables · Affections des organes de reproduction et du sein · Fréquence indéterminéeGalactorrhée Chez la femme : métrorragie, hémorragie du post-partum3 Chez l’homme : priapismeOriginal text: French. Our translation:Galactorrhoea In women: metrorrhagia, postpartum haemorrhage3 In men: priapism The same text also says4.8. Effets indésirablesLes effets indésirables observés durant le traitement par citalopram sont en général d’intensité peu sévère et transitoires et sont plus fréquemment observés durant la première voire les deux premières semaines du traitement et s'estompent par la suite en intensité et en fréquence.Original text: French. Our translation:The adverse effects observed during treatment with citalopram are in general mild in intensity and transient, are seen more often during the first week, or even the first two weeks, of treatment, and then fade in intensity and in frequency. The text itself prints no date of revision. A table cell or list line is shown whole, as the text prints it. Some of them also name side effects that are not sexual.	Text for professionals Résumé des Caractéristiques du ProduitSEROPRAM 20 mg, comprimé pelliculé sécable, LUNDBECK SAS · Read in the government's medicines database: Base de données publique des médicamentsAlso on record: patients' leaflet, with such a sentence	Updated by the regulator22 May 2025Checked14 Oct 2026
Italy	Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.4 Avvertenze speciali e precauzioni di impiego · Disfunzione sessualeSono stati segnalati casi di disfunzione sessuale a lungo termine con persistenza dei sintomi dopo l’interruzione dell’uso di SSRI/SNRI.Original text: Italian. Our translation:Cases of long-term sexual dysfunction have been reported, with the symptoms persisting after the use of SSRIs/SNRIs was stopped. Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Effetti indesiderati · Disturbi psichiatrici · ComuneAgitazione, riduzione della libido, ansia, nervosismo, stato confusionale, orgasmo anormale (donne), disturbi dell’attività oniricaOriginal text: Italian. Our translation:Agitation, decreased libido, anxiety, nervousness, confusional state, abnormal orgasm (women), disturbed dreaming Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Effetti indesiderati · Patologie dell’apparato riproduttivo e della mammella · ComuneImpotenza, disturbi di eiaculazione, mancata eiaculazioneOriginal text: Italian. Our translation:Impotence, ejaculation disorders, failure to ejaculate Sexual side effects, as listed4.8 Effetti indesiderati · Patologie dell’apparato riproduttivo e della mammella · Non notaGalattorrea Donne: metrorragia, emorragia postpartum2 Uomini: priapismoOriginal text: Italian. Our translation:Galactorrhoea Women: metrorrhagia, postpartum haemorrhage2 Men: priapism The same text also says4.8 Effetti indesideratiGli effetti indesiderati osservati con citalopram sono in generale, di lieve entità e di tipo transitorio. Essi si manifestano soprattutto nella prima o seconda settimana di terapia, per poi attenuarsi successivamente.Original text: Italian. Our translation:The adverse effects observed with citalopram are in general mild and transient. They appear mostly in the first or second week of treatment and then lessen. The text itself prints no date of revision. A table cell or list line is shown whole, as the text prints it. Some of them also name side effects that are not sexual.	Text for professionals Riassunto delle caratteristiche del prodottoSeropram compresse rivestite con film, Lundbeck Italia S.p.A. · Read in the regulator's own database: Banca Dati FarmaciAlso on record: patients' leaflet, with such a sentence	Made available by the regulator25 Oct 2025Checked14 Oct 2026
Spain	Sexual side effects that continue after stopping4.4. Advertencias y precauciones especiales de empleo · Disfunción sexualSe han notificado casos de disfunción sexual de larga duración en los que los síntomas persisten a pesar de la suspensión del ISRS/IRSN.Original text: Spanish. Our translation:Cases of long-lasting sexual dysfunction have been reported in which the symptoms persist despite the SSRI/SNRI being stopped. Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Reacciones adversas · Trastornos psiquiátricos · FrecuenteAgitación, disminución de la libido, ansiedad, nerviosismo, estado de confusión, mujeres: orgasmos anormales, sueños anormalesOriginal text: Spanish. Our translation:Agitation, decreased libido, anxiety, nervousness, confusional state, women: abnormal orgasms, abnormal dreams Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Reacciones adversas · Trastornos del aparato reproductor y de la mama · FrecuenteImpotencia, trastornos de la eyaculación, insuficiencia eyaculatoriaOriginal text: Spanish. Our translation:Impotence, ejaculation disorders, ejaculation failure Sexual side effects, as listed4.8. Reacciones adversas · Trastornos del aparato reproductor y de la mama · No conocidaGalactorrea Mujeres: metrorragia, hemorragia posparto2 Hombres: priapismoOriginal text: Spanish. Our translation:Galactorrhoea Women: metrorrhagia, postpartum haemorrhage2 Men: priapism The same text also says4.8. Reacciones adversasLas reacciones adversas observadas con citalopram son generalmente de intensidad leve y transitoria. Son más frecuentes durante la primera o las dos primeras semanas del tratamiento, y posteriormente, normalmente, van desapareciendo.Original text: Spanish. Our translation:The adverse reactions observed with citalopram are generally mild in intensity and transient. They are most frequent during the first one or two weeks of treatment, and afterwards they normally fade away. A table cell or list line is shown whole, as the text prints it. Some of them also name side effects that are not sexual.	Text for professionals Ficha técnicaSeropram 30 mg comprimidos recubiertos con película, Lundbeck España, SA · Read in the regulator's own database: CIMAAlso on record: patients' leaflet, with such a sentence; related document, with such a sentence	Text revisedOct 2023Checked14 Oct 2026
Brazil	Sexual side effects, as listed9. REAÇÕES ADVERSAS · Distúrbios psiquiátricos · ComumAgitação, diminuição da libido, ansiedade, nervosismo, confusão, sonhos anormais, orgasmo anormal em mulheresOriginal text: Portuguese. Our translation:Agitation, decreased libido, anxiety, nervousness, confusion, abnormal dreams, abnormal orgasm in women Sexual side effects, as listed9. REAÇÕES ADVERSAS · Distúrbios do sistema reprodutor e mamas · ComumImpotência, alterações da ejaculação, falha da ejaculaçãoOriginal text: Portuguese. Our translation:Impotence, ejaculation disorders, ejaculation failure Sexual side effects, as listed9. REAÇÕES ADVERSAS · Distúrbios do sistema reprodutor e mamas · DesconhecidoGalactorréia Mulheres: metrorragia, Hemorragia pós-parto² Homens: priapismoOriginal text: Portuguese. Our translation:Galactorrhoea Women: metrorrhagia, postpartum haemorrhage² Men: priapism The same text also says9. REAÇÕES ADVERSASAs reações adversas observadas com citalopram são em geral moderadas e transitórias. As reações adversas são mais frequentes durante a primeira ou segunda semana de tratamento e, geralmente, diminuem de intensidade e frequência com a continuação do tratamento.Original text: Portuguese. Our translation:The adverse reactions observed with citalopram are in general moderate and transient. Adverse reactions are most frequent during the first or second week of treatment and generally decrease in intensity and frequency as treatment continues. This text has no sentence about sexual side effects continuing after the medicine is stopped. This is the holder's own copy. The regulator's database refused our requests (it blocks by country; we asked from Denmark). The originator product's text could not be opened. This is the text of another product, the one named in this row. A table cell or list line is shown whole, as the text prints it. Some of them also name side effects that are not sexual.	Text for professionals DENYL® bromidrato de citalopram: bula para o profissional de saúdeDenyl comprimidos revestidos 20 mg, Cristália Produtos Químicos Farmacêuticos Ltda. · Read on the holder's own site: Cristália Produtos Químicos Farmacêuticos Ltda.Also on record: 1 more text for professionals, could not be opened; 2 patients' leaflets, with no such sentence; patients' leaflet, could not be opened	Last change listed10 Jul 2026Checked14 Oct 2026
India	We could not open this text on 14 October 2026: this regulator publishes no database of such texts. This says nothing about what the text contains.	Text for professionalsWe tried: cdsco.gov.in/opencms/opencms/en/Notifications/Prescribing-Information/	Tried14 Oct 2026

Brand names

These are the brand names of citalopram we saw in the official lists, compendia and regulators' pages we opened on or after 14 October 2026. A country may have more.

Celexa: United States, Canada
CTP 30: Canada
Cipramil: United Kingdom, New Zealand, Germany, Brazil
Seropram: France, Italy, Spain
Celapram: New Zealand
Elopram: Italy
Frimaind: Italy
Ricap: Italy
Sintopram: Italy
Kaidor: Italy
Return: Italy
Prisdal: Spain
Citalvir: Spain
Alcytam: Brazil
Città: Brazil
Denyl: Brazil
Maxapran: Brazil
Nypram: Brazil
Procimax: Brazil

What is not known

No reliable figure exists for how often PSSD happens. (source)
One study of health records gives an estimate for men, counted through prescriptions for erection medicines. (source)
It is not known how many people fully recover. (source)
None of the product texts we read says how long the sexual dysfunction can last. (source)

Code and reporting

In a report to a medicines regulator, the term is Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (MedDRA code 10086208). Where to report, country by country

Every row in this table was checked on or after 14 October 2026. To quote this record, name SIDEfxHUB and give this page's address. All medicines and countries · The whole record as a file: JSON · CSV · How these texts are checked

You may reuse this record under CC BY 4.0 if you credit SIDEfxHUB and give this page's address. The licence covers our compilation, not the texts quoted in it, in the original or in our translation, and not the article above.

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Report it: it helps everyone

Sources

640+ people have joined the registry.
Join them, then report your side effects.

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Brand names

What is not known

Code and reporting