Escitalopram
Escitalopram (Lexapro) is an SSRI antidepressant for depression and generalised anxiety disorder. This shelf carries one product: Lexapro tablets in 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg strengths.
Key points
- Benefit can take several weeks to build. Stopping the medicine in steps reduces the risk of withdrawal symptoms.
- Serotonin syndrome and changes in mood or behaviour, including suicidal thoughts, are safety points to watch in the first weeks of treatment.
- Lexapro is the brand-name version of escitalopram, marketed by Forest Laboratories.
How does escitalopram work?
Escitalopram sits in the SSRI class of Antidepressants. It blocks the reabsorption of serotonin in the brain, leaving more of this neurotransmitter available between nerve cells. This change in serotonin signalling is the basis for its use in Major Depressive Disorder and Generalised Anxiety Disorder.
