Lexapro is a drug for treating depression. It 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 serotonin reuptake inhibitors (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.
The brain chemistry of depression and anxiety is not fully understood. However, evidence suggests that people with these disorders have an imbalance of neurotransmitters, the chemicals in the brain that enable 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.
SSRIs work as follows:
•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
Lexapro has been proven to be an effective treatment for depression. In controlled studies, it significantly improved the symptoms of depression for many patients.
In clinical trials in depression, the number of people who stopped taking their medicine due to side effects was about the same for people taking Lexapro at 10 mg per day as it was for those taking a placebo (sugar pill).
Lexapro is generally prescribed for the acute and maintenance treatment of Major Depression Disorder (MDD) in adults as well as adolescents aged 12-17. It is also used for the acute treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in adults.
Lexapro should not be taken by patients that are already monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). MAOIs are a class of powerful antidepressants that are typically only prescribed when other classes of antidepressant drugs have failed. This is to their potentially lethal interaction with certain diets as well as other medications the patient might be taking. Lexapro shoud not be used in combination with an MAOI or within 14 days of discontinuing one. Nor should any MAOIs be taken within 14 days of discontinuing Lexapro.
Lexapro should be used with caution on patients with severe renal impairment and/or diseases that alter metabolism or hemodynamic responses. For pregnant women or nursing mothers, it should only be used if the potential benefits justify the risk to the fetus or child.
The most frequent side effects reported with Lexapro are nausea, insomnia, problems with ejaculation, drowsiness increased sweating, fatigue, decreased libido, and anorgasmia(difficulty achieving orgasm during sexual intercourse).
Patients taking Lexapro typically have mild to moderate side effects which tend to go away with continued treatment. One study of patients taking 10-mg of Lexapro showed that these side effects usually do not cause patients to stop taking Lexapro. In that study, only 4% of patients stopped taking Lexapro due to the side effects, as compared with 3% of the patients taking a placebo.