Lexapro Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Lexapro Tablet is a prescription antidepressant containing escitalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It is used to treat major depressive disorder in adults and adolescents 12 years and older, and for the acute treatment of generalized anxiety disorder in adults. It works by increasing serotonin levels in the brain to help improve mood and reduce anxiety. Lexapro carries a boxed warning about increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior, especially in children, teens, and young adults.

What is Lexapro Tablet

Lexapro is a prescription antidepressant that belongs to a group of medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It contains the active ingredient escitalopram and is used to treat depression and anxiety.

Lexapro Tablet uses

• Treating major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults and adolescents 12 years and older
• Acute treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults

Benefits of Lexapro Tablet

• Helps restore chemical balance in the brain to improve mood and emotional well-being
• May ease early symptoms such as low energy, poor motivation, and sleep problems
• Generally causes fewer side effects and drug interactions than older classes of antidepressants

How Lexapro Tablet works

Lexapro is thought to work by blocking the reabsorption (reuptake) of serotonin, a brain chemical, by nerve cells. This raises the amount of serotonin available between nerves, which is believed to help improve mood and reduce anxiety.

Lexapro Tablet dosage

Take Lexapro exactly as prescribed by your doctor and follow all directions on your prescription label. Take the medicine at the same time each day, with or without food. If using the liquid form, measure it carefully with a dosing syringe or medicine dose-measuring device, not a kitchen spoon.

It may take up to 4 weeks before your symptoms improve; keep taking the medicine as directed and tell your doctor if symptoms do not improve. Do not stop using Lexapro suddenly, as this can cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms; your doctor will guide you on tapering the dose.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, but skip it if it is almost time for your next dose; do not take two doses at once. Tablets may be split using the score line, but ask your doctor or pharmacist before chewing or crushing them. Try to take Lexapro at the same time each day to keep a steady level of the drug in your body.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablets (5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg)
• Oral solution (1 mg per mL)

Side effects of Lexapro Tablet

Common

• Painful urination
• Dizziness, drowsiness, tiredness, weakness
• Feeling anxious or agitated
• Increased muscle movements, feeling shaky
• Sleep problems (insomnia)
• Sweating, dry mouth, increased thirst, loss of appetite
• Nausea, constipation, diarrhea
• Yawning
• Nosebleed, heavy menstrual periods
• Decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm

Serious

• Allergic reaction: skin rash or hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, feeling impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, or more depressed, or thoughts of suicide or self-harm
• Blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights
• Racing thoughts, unusual risk-taking behavior, extreme happiness or sadness
• Pain or burning when urinating
• In children: slow growth or weight gain
• Low sodium levels: headache, confusion, slurred speech, severe weakness, vomiting, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady
• Severe nervous system reaction: very stiff muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, feeling faint
• Serotonin syndrome: agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

Warnings and precautions

• Do not use Lexapro if you also take pimozide or citalopram (Celexa), or within 14 days before or after using an MAO inhibitor, due to the risk of a dangerous drug interaction.
• Young adults have a higher risk of suicidal thoughts when they first start taking an antidepressant. Watch closely for mood or behavior changes, especially in the first few months of treatment.
• Lexapro can cause a serious, potentially life-threatening reaction called serotonin syndrome, especially when combined with other serotonergic medicines.
• Lexapro may cause sexual side effects in both men and women, including changes in sex drive and difficulty reaching orgasm.
• Do not give Lexapro to children under 7 years old with GAD or under 12 years old with MDD.
• Do not stop taking Lexapro suddenly without talking to your doctor, as this can cause withdrawal symptoms.
• Lexapro has a boxed warning, the FDA's most serious type of warning, about an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior, especially in children, teens, and young adults.
• Ask your doctor about taking Lexapro if you are pregnant. Taking an SSRI in late pregnancy may cause complications in the baby, but stopping the medicine could cause your depression to return. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant.
• If you are breastfeeding, watch for drowsiness, agitation, feeding problems, or poor weight gain in your baby and tell your doctor if you notice these signs.
• Tell your doctor if you have kidney disease before taking Lexapro. No dose change is needed for mild to moderate kidney problems, but caution is needed with severe kidney impairment.
• Tell your doctor if you have liver disease. A lower dose is usually recommended for patients with liver problems.
• Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Lexapro, as it can worsen anxiety, depression, and side effects like drowsiness.
• Avoid driving or doing hazardous activities until you know how Lexapro affects you, since it can impair your reactions.

Storage

• Store Lexapro at 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C); brief exposure to 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C) is permitted.
• Keep the Lexapro bottle closed tightly.
• Keep Lexapro and all medicines out of the reach of children.

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as a skin rash or hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Seek medical help immediately if you notice symptoms of serotonin syndrome, including agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, a fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
• Call your doctor right away if you have blurred or tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or see halos around lights, since this could signal a serious eye problem.
• Call your doctor at once if you have racing thoughts, unusual risk-taking behavior, or extreme mood swings, which could be signs of mania.
• Contact your doctor immediately if you have symptoms of low sodium levels, such as headache, confusion, slurred speech, severe weakness, vomiting, loss of coordination, or feeling unsteady.
• Get medical help right away if you notice any new or worsening thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or sudden changes in mood or behavior.
• If you think you have taken too much Lexapro, contact your doctor or a poison control center right away, or seek emergency care.

Alternatives

• Sertraline
• Citalopram
• Duloxetine