Does citalopram cause dry mouth?

[addick]

It only has a mild anticholinergic effects. It might be due to the role of serotonin in the ENS. It also has antihistamine effects. As you can probably tell, I have done some research on this. But I am not qualified to interpret this research.

I ask because, if it does cause dry mouth, that would mean an increased risk of dental health problems.

[johannes]

Hi addick,

as long as I am pharmacist I never came across someone who was on citalo having had lost his/her teeth at all.
Patients on the latter have a clear speech, always, and they always were able to pronounce their necessities, definitely.
Dry humour may be increased by other drugs, but well....the Germans may be different ;-)

P.S: Just ask the relevant manufacturer who should have a PV-system in place???!???

[bobbin]

It only has a mild anticholinergic effects. It might be due to the role of serotonin in the ENS. It also has antihistamine effects. As you can probably tell, I have done some research on this. But I am not qualified to interpret this research.

I ask because, if it does cause dry mouth, that would mean an increased risk of dental health problems.

Mild dry mouth was reported fairly often during the manufacturer's clinical trials, but I have never come across anyone with a severe dry mouth due to citalopram. I think it's something which occurs initially in some patients and then wears off. As you said, it might be due to the role of serotonin in the ENS. It is not a major problem with citalopram. Acute anxiety can cause a dry mouth, which is often noticed during public speaking.

Citalopram has almost no affinity for cholinergic receptors. In practice, it is not anticholinergic. It has an extremely weak antihistamine effect but this will not cause a dry mouth. The only reason that some of the older antihistamine drugs cause dry mouth is because they are also anticholinergic. Diphenhydramine (Nytol) is an example.

Amitriptyline, an antidepressant with potent anticholinergic properties, has been associated with dental decay. Citalopram has not.