A Prospective Study: Does Citalopram Increase the Reflux Symptoms?

Objective: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) induce some adverse effects on gastrointestinal system. We aimed to investigate the role of citalopram, a well-known SSRI, on the reflux symptoms. Methods: Seventy patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were included to the study. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were measured with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), version II, respectively. Participants were divided into two groups: Group 1 (n=35) treated with only esomeprazole + sodium alginate and Group 2 (n=35) who were classified as moderate-severe depression and/or anxiety treated with esomeprazole + sodium alginate + citalopram. Results: At the beginning, BDS and BAS were significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (both p<0.001) and BAS and BDS were significantly decreased with the treatments in both groups (both p<0.001). Moreover, the numbers of the patient who said the reflux symptoms improved were significantly higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 (p=0.001). Conclusions: The administration of citalopram to patients with GERD caused the distribution of recovery of the reflux symptoms. This relation should be taken into account when managing depression in the patients with severe reflux symptoms.