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How Lexapro Works

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Lexapro is unique in that it was created based on an advanced technique. Lexapro was developed by isolating the medicinal component of CELEXA® (citalopram HBr), a molecule known as an isomer.

Lexapro is from the family of drugs known as selective serotoninA neurotransmitter that is believed to influence mood. SSRIs help relieve the symptoms of depression by increasing the available supply of serotonin in the brain. reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs. Lexapro helps to restore the brain's chemical balance by increasing the supply of a chemical messenger in the brain called serotonin. Lexapro appears to relieve the symptoms of depression and anxiety by increasing serotonin with minimal effect on many of the other chemicals in the brain.


How SSRIs Work

The brain chemistry of depression and anxiety is not fully understood. However, a growing body of evidence supports the view that people with these disorders have an imbalance of the brain's neurotransmitters. These are chemicals in the brain that allow nerve cells to communicate. One of these neurotransmitters is serotonin. An imbalance in serotonin may be an important factor in the development of depression and anxiety.

  • Serotonin is released from one nerve cell and passed to the next. In the process, some of the serotonin released is reabsorbed by the first nerve cell
  • SSRIs block the reabsorption of serotonin into the first nerve cell
  • It is this blocking action that causes an increased amount of serotonin to become available at the next nerve cell
  • This is how SSRIs affect the balance of serotonin in the brain

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