What is Depression?
Anyone, regardless of age, race, gender, or socioeconomic status,
can suffer from depression. Depression influences people's attitudes
toward themselves, others, and life in general. It takes away feelings
of well-being and may change a person's thinking and behavior.
Depression is often a misunderstood or unrecognized problem. It is
not a weakness or a personality flaw. It isn't anxiety or worry about
an important test or problems at work, and it's not just a day or
two of being moody or having the blues. Depression is a real medical
condition that affects millions of people every year.
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What Are the Signs of Depression?
There are several signs and symptoms that help a healthcare professional
determine if a person has depression. These include:
- Depressed or irritable mood most of the day—nearly every
day
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities (such as hobbies,
work, or being with friends) most of the day—nearly every
day
- A sudden change in weight or appetite
- Inability to sleep or sleeping too much
- Agitation or restlessness
- Constant fatigue or loss of energy
- Frequent feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Frequent thoughts of death or suicide
Important: if you or someone you know has thoughts
of suicide, seek professional help immediately through your healthcare
provider, or call 411 to get the phone number for the nearest local
suicide hotline. One doesn't need to have all these signs and symptoms
to have depression. Symptoms will vary from person to person and may
even change in the same person from time to time.
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What Causes Depression?
Depression is caused by an imbalance of certain chemicals in the
brain. Other things that may cause a person to be depressed—or
to be more likely to become depressed—include:
- Life experiences such as divorce, death of a spouse, loss of a
job, or serious financial problems
- Abuse of alcohol or other drugs
- Certain medications and diseases
- Hormonal changes in women after childbirth or at menopause
- A family history of depression
- Sometimes the cause of a person's depression is not known. Whatever
the cause, there are treatment options available.
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How Does Lexapro Improve Depression?
Lexapro is an antidepressant that is the newest member of the family
of medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Lexapro helps to restore the brain's chemical balance by increasing
the available supply of serotonin, a substance in the brain believed
to influence mood. Lexapro appears to relieve depression by increasing
serotonin levels without affecting many of the other chemicals in
the brain, which may lead to fewer and milder side effects.
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How Lexapro Should Be Taken
Lexapro is easy to take. It should be taken once a day, at any time
of day, with or without food. For best results, Lexapro should be
taken every day—and prescriptions should be filled ahead of
time to avoid missing a dose.
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Taking Lexapro with Other Medications
Lexapro can be taken with most other medications. An exception is
another family of antidepressants called monoamine oxidase inhibitors
(MAOIs),* such as Nardil® (phenelzine sulfate tablets, USP)†
and Parnate® (tranylcypromine sulfate).‡ Lexapro and MAOIs
should not be taken together or within 14 days of each other. In addition, Lexapro should not be taken if you are also taking the medication pimozide. Before
taking Lexapro, it is important for patients to tell their healthcare
providers if they are taking any other medications, including over-the-counter
medications, herbal remedies, diet supplements, etc.
* Certain drugs for depression, psychiatric or emotional conditions,
or Parkinson's disease.
†Nardil is a registered trademark of Parke-Davis.
‡Parnate is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline.
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What to Expect from Lexapro
For many patients, relief from symptoms such as depressed mood or
anxiety symptoms associated with depression may begin after taking
Lexapro for 1 or 2 weeks, but most people can expect to feel the full
benefits of Lexapro in 4 to 6 weeks.
For the greatest benefit, Lexapro should always be taken exactly
as prescribed by a healthcare provider. It is important to continue
taking Lexapro even after relief from depression begins. People don't
suddenly become depressed, and full recovery takes time. Healthcare
providers may recommend continued Lexapro treatment even if symptoms
are improving or resolved, to help keep the depression from coming
back.
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Does Lexapro Cause Side Effects?
Lexapro is well tolerated by most people. The most frequent side
effects reported with Lexapro are nausea, insomnia, problems with
ejaculation, drowsiness, increased sweating, and fatigue. Most of
the side effects experienced by patients taking Lexapro are mild and
transient, and they usually do not cause patients to stop taking Lexapro.
People taking Lexapro generally do not suffer from agitation, nervousness,
or anxiety any more than people not taking Lexapro. Furthermore, patients
who were treated with Lexapro experienced no clinically important
weight changes as a result of therapy. Patients should be sure to
talk with their healthcare provider promptly if they have any side
effects when taking Lexapro . A simple adjustment in dose may be all
that is required. For more detail, please see the Important Safety
Information on the last page of this brochure.
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What Else Can Patients Do to Aid Recovery?
Patients should make sure to keep follow-up appointments with their
healthcare providers, who need to know how therapy is going and may
want to change the treatment plan.
While healthcare providers should be the main source of support in
depression treatment, talking to close friends or family members can
sometimes be very helpful.
A healthcare provider may suggest that a patient see a mental health
therapist in addition to taking Lexapro.
A therapist can provide valuable advice on how to cope with the challenges
of life and help a patient to understand their depression.
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Lexapro is Prescribed with Confidence
Lexapro is an effective and well-tolerated therapy for the treatment
of depression. Healthcare providers and patients alike can feel confident
knowing that relief from depression is possible with Lexapro.
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