What is Zoloft and what is Celexa? And what are they used for?

Depression is a deadly mental condition that affects one in every four women. One out of ten men are also affected by depression. To treat this mental condition, doctors and healthcare professionals prescribe a number of antidepressants among which Zoloft and Celexa are the strongly recommended groups.

Zoloft is an antidepressant that falls under the group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs. Zoloft works by affecting chemicals in the brain that becomes unbalanced and cause depression, anxiety, or even obsessive-compulsive disorders. Doctors also use Zoloft in the treatment of panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Celexa or citalopram was the first of these drugs that was introduced in Europe in the 1980’s. Celexa is also a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that has a separate chemical structure to that of other SSRIs. Celexa had been prescribed for several years by many doctors so that their patients can come out of depression. Celexa and Zoloft have a minimum side effect and thus are commonly used.

Celexa should not be consumed 2 weeks before or after using another antidepressant –the MAO inhibitor. This is because the MAO inhibitors include tranylcypromine sulfate and phenelzine sulfate. If you have a combination of these two drugs there could be a fatal reaction.