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Side Effects
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Overall Rating
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Pricing
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6.60
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7.00
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5.33
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Recommended By
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Average Purchase
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88% of reviewers
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$1.00
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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8
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3269
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Sun October 22, 2006
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Lexapro®
Generic Name: Escitalopram ess-sit-AL-oh-pram
Drug Class: Antidepressant, SSRI | | Contents | Description | This medicine is used to treat depression or anxiety. Your doctor may prescribe this medicine for other conditions as well.
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| | General Information | | This information is for educational purposes only. Not every known side effect, adverse effect, or drug interaction is in this database. If you have questions about your medicines, talk to your healthcare provider. Top of page
| | Proper use of this medicine | This medicine should be taken about the same time every day, morning or evening and can be taken with or without food. This medicine may take up to 4 weeks to reach full effect, but you may see symptoms of depression improving in as little as 1-2 weeks.
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| | Missed Dose | Take your next dose as soon as you remember. If it is time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular schedule. Do not double doses.
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| | Storage | Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture. Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed.
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| | Possible Side Effects | - dry mouth
- tremor or muscle spasms
- nervousness
- trouble sleeping
- headache, drowsiness
- nausea
- drowsiness
- insomnia
- headache
- increased sweating
- dizziness, lightheadedness
- changes in sexual function
- Unreported side effects are possible, talk to your healthcare provider if any other symptoms occur.
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| | Warnings/Precautions | - This medicine may cause drowsiness or dizziness.
- Alcoholic beverages can increase the effects of this medicine and should be avoided.
- Smoking cigarettes can decrease the effectiveness of this medicine.
- If you are planning to have surgery, let your doctor know.
- Do NOT take this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor [phenelzine (Nardil) or tranylcypromine (Parnate)] in the last two weeks.
- This medicine can increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in some children and teens. Parents of children taking antidepressants should watch for signs of worsening depression or unusual changes in behavior.
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| | Overdose | Seek medical attention immediately. U.S. residents can call the national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly.
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| | Drug Interactions | - If you are taking a tricyclic antidepressant, talk to your doctor before taking this medicine.
- St. John’s Wort should be avoided while taking this medicine due to the additive effects of serotonin.
- Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs:
- blood thinners (Coumadin)
- Do not take this medicine with thioridizine, or within 5 weeks of taking this medicine.
- Caution should be exercised when taking this medicine certain antibiotics, such as erythromycin, clarithromycin, or azithromycin.
- If you are taking medications for migraines such as Imitrex, talk to your doctor before starting this medicine.
- This medicine should not be taken with MAO inhibitors. If you think you are taking an MAO inhibitor talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
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| | Pregnancy/Nursing | If you plan on becoming pregnant, discuss the benefits versus the risks of using this medicine while pregnant. Because this medicine is excreted in the breast milk, nursing mothers should not breastfeed while taking this medicine.
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| | More Information | Antidepressant medications are used to treat a variety of conditions, including depression and other mental/mood disorders. These medications can help prevent suicidal thoughts/attempts and provide other benefits. However, studies have shown that a small number of people (especially children/teenages) who take antidepressants for any condition may experience worsening depression, other mental/mood symptoms, or suicidal thoughts/attempts. Therefore, it is very important to talk with a doctor about the risks and benefits of antidepressant medication, even if the treatment is not for a mental condition. Tell your doctor immediatley if you notice worsening depression, unusual behavior changes, (including possible suicidal thoughts/attempts), or other mental/mood changes. Be especially watchful for these symptoms when a new antidepressant is started or when the dose is changed.
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| Copyright 2006 PharmClips, Inc. All rights reserved. www.pharmclips.com | This information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects. This is general information and should not in any event be construed as specific instructions for individual patients. The publisher does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information or the consequences arising from the application, use, or misuse of any of the information contained herein, including any injury and/or damage to any person or property as a matter of product liability, negligence, or otherwise. No warranty, expressed or implied, is made in regard to the contents of this material. The reader is advised to check with their health care provider before making any changes in their drug regimen.
Last reviewed:
On 8 Aug 2006
By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.
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Monty_girl
Poohbah
Registered: December 2004
Posts: 1284
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Review Date: Thu June 15, 2006
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Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 8
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Positive aspects of this (pros):
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Less side effects then other SSRI I've tried
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Negative aspects of this (cons):
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Increased sweating
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This has been a wonder drug for me. It's help my depression and also anxiety. Started working quickly for me. I have been able to stay on this medication longer then any others due to less side effects.
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LMo
Elder
Registered: January 2003
Posts: 6646
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Review Date: Thu June 22, 2006
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Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: $1.00| Rating: 9
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Positive aspects of this (pros):
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Was terrific for reducing anxiety and nervous energy
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Negative aspects of this (cons):
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Intense drowsiness; incompatible with pregnancy
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I love Lexapro! Made me feel more like the "real me" than I've ever felt. I took it for anxiety, not depression, and it was wonderful. I'm normally very high-energy - speak quickly, think quickly, do things quickly -- and Lexapro really mellowed me out without making me stupid. My husband, who is very mellow to begin with, takes it for depression and it worked in the complete opposite way for him -- he is more alert and sharp than when he was not on meds.
Made me sleeeeeeeppppyy for the first two months I was on it -- almost to the point of interfering with my life. I can't take it now because I'm trying to get pregnant and it's a Class C drug. I'm now on Wellbutrin instead, but it's just not as good as Lexapro.
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tita
Member
Registered: May 2006
Posts: 220
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Review Date: Tue June 27, 2006
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Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 8
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Positive aspects of this (pros):
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It helps me
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Negative aspects of this (cons):
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no side effects
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I been on Lexepro for about 2 months,I like that I don't get any drug reactions
(Take alot of meds for Psyical reasons)also It took less time then other SSRIs to work.) I only had to wait for about a week for the med to work.
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alf0156
Member
Registered: August 2006
Posts: 60
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Review Date: Sat September 9, 2006
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Would you recommend this? No |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 1
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Positive aspects of this (pros):
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nothing
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Negative aspects of this (cons):
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nothing
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didn't do anything for me
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wi_fighter
Grand Magnate
Registered: April 2005
Posts: 3395
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Review Date: Wed September 13, 2006
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Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 10
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Positive aspects of this (pros):
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Decreased anxiety, increased mood
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Negative aspects of this (cons):
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None, except it wasn't the type of AD that my depression requires
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I was on this for several months at 20 mg. It worked very well on mood and any accompanying anxiety, but did nothing for my lack of motivation. As I have apathetic depression versus dysthymia, I need an activating AD. Lexapro is a calming AD. If you need a calming SSRI, this could very well be the one for you. Two thumbs up.
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eskielover
Poohbah
Registered: October 2004
Posts: 1435
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Review Date: Thu September 14, 2006
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Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 6
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Positive aspects of this (pros):
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Negative aspects of this (cons):
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added to migraine pain
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I was put on lexapro while in the hospital being treated for anorexia after the death of my Mother. My migraine headache treatment has them under control, so when I realized that I was experiencing migraine pain after taking this med, I immediately stopped taking it. I am overly sensitive to migraine pain caused by meds, so not willing to take a chance of having the migraine pain return.
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SerenitysWave
Poohbah
Registered: December 2005
Posts: 1289
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Review Date: Sun October 22, 2006
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Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 7
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Positive aspects of this (pros):
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worked well to relieve anxiety/panic attacks as well as self injury urges
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Negative aspects of this (cons):
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had to keep upping dosages
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Although it didnt fully work out for me, I did get relief for many of my symptoms of depression and anxiety. I would try it again if my current medication fails me. In all fairness to this medication I was also taking Wellbutrin at the same time.
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prodigiousgamer
Member
Registered: October 2006
Posts: 51
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Review Date: Sun October 22, 2006
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Would you recommend this? Yes |
Total Spent: Not Indicated| Rating: 7
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Positive aspects of this (pros):
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mild reduction in depression after 6 weeks; virtually no side effects
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Negative aspects of this (cons):
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not a very potent medication, works best with people with mild depression
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the best thing about lexapro is that i experienced almost no side effects. my doctor said that it is one of the safest SSRI's on the market. after 6 weeks on the medication i experienced a mild reduction in the depression. however i would not recommend this treatment to people with moderate to severe depression because Lexapro is not a very strong antidepressant.
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