Fast Facts About Lexapro
What is Lexapro?
- Lexapro is a member of a class of medicines called selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
- Lexapro has been prescribed to over 15 million U.S. adults for depression, anxiety, or both.4
- Lexapro works by helping to restore the brain's chemical balance;
it increases the available supply of serotonin, a substance in the
brain believed to influence mood.5
Lexapro for Depression
- Lexapro at a dose of 10-mg per day is effective in the treatment
of depression2,5:
- In one study for the treatment of depression, Lexapro was shown
to be as effective as Effexor® XR (venlafaxine HCl) but significantly
better tolerated.6
- In clinical trials, the number of people who stopped taking
their medicine due to side effects in the treatment of depression
was comparable for people taking Lexapro at 10-mg per day and
people taking placebo.2
- The efficacy, tolerability and safety of Lexapro in the treatment
of depression is based on several clinical trials involving more
than 1,100 patients, including men and women, ages 18-65, with moderate-to-severe
depression.7
Lexapro for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Lexapro at a dose of 10-20 mg per day is effective in the treatment
of GAD3,4,5:
- In clinical trials, Lexapro at 10-20 mg per day significantly
improved symptoms when compared to placebo.3
- In a separate head-to-head study with Lexapro 10-20 mg/day and
Paxil 20-50 mg/day, patients taking either drug showed symptom
improvement, and side effects were similar. However, 55% of patients
taking Lexapro experienced remission, vs 46% of those taking Paxil.8
- In clinical trials, the number of people who stopped taking
their medicine due to side effects in the treatment of GAD was
low (8%) for people taking Lexapro at 10 – 20 mg/day.5
- The efficacy, tolerability and safety of Lexapro in the treatment
of GAD is based on three positive, controlled studies involving
approximately 850 patients, including men and women, ages 18-80,
with moderate-to-severe anxiety.7
Taking Lexapro
- Lexapro can be taken every day along with most other medicines.5
(Always tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription medicines
or over-the-counter remedies you take on a regular basis)
- Lexapro is well tolerated. Most of the side effects experienced
by people taking Lexapro are mild to moderate and go away with continued
treatment.5
- The most common adverse events reported in clinical trials were
nausea, insomnia, ejaculation disorder, somnolence, increased sweating,
fatigue, anorgasmia and decreased libido.5
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