US Brand Name: Lexapro A link here will take you to the official website for the drug. Other Brand Names: Cipralex (UK, Ireland and various European countries) Generic Name: escitalopram oxalate Other Forms: Oral solution Class: Antidepressant, specifically SSRI. Read up on these sections if you haven't done so already, because they cover a lot of information about multiple medications that I'm not going to repeat on many pages. I'm just autistic that way about not repeating myself. FDA Approved Use: Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Off-Label Uses: Panic, Bipolar Depression, ADD/ADHD, OCD, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Lupus, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, Eating Disorders, Autistic Spectrum Disorders Lexapro's pros and cons: Pros: Better effects and lower chances for side effects than other SSRIs. When side effects do strike they tend to be less harsh. Rave reviews from the Panic/Anxiety community. Cons: The dosage is such that discontinuation can be more difficult than with other SSRIs. Not because Lexapro is more addictive, it's not. Paxil (paroxetine hydrochloride) holds that honor (for true SSRIs, Effexor (venlafaxine hydrochloride) is not a true SSRI). It's just that you don't have many dosage options with Lexapro. The same goes with its use in bipolar, making it way too easy to trigger mania. Although to be fair, fewer people in the bipolar community reported manias when starting Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate) than with other SSRIs. Lexapro's Typical Side Effects: The usual for SSRIs - headache, nausea, dry mouth, sweating, sleepiness or insomnia, and diarrhea or constipation, weight gain, loss of libido. Most everything but the weight gain and loss of libido usually goes away within a couple of weeks. The odds are just lower than the other SSRIs and the effects less severe, even the weight gain and sexual problems tend to be not as bad with Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate). When Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate) does hit you sexually it tends to be anorgasmia, i.e. you can't cum, no matter how much romance and/or porn is involved. For tips on how to cope with these side effects, please see our side effects page. These aren't all the side effects possible, just the most popular ones. Lexapro's Not So Common Side Effects: Lethargy, apathy, and generally not giving a damn. I've also read several accounts of jaw tightening and clenching. These may or may not happen to you don't, so don't be surprised one way or the other. </B>Lexapro's Freaky Rare Side Effects: Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate) hasn't been on the market long enough for the really freaky side effects to come out, so we're stuck with uncontrolled eye movement and excessive discharge of breast milk when there shouldn't be any breast milk at all. As in for both men and women. It's noted that in the clinical trials someone on Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate) complained that their muscle tone increased. There's no pleasing some people. You aren't going to get these. I promise.
I took lexapro for a year, every month i would go to my doctor and he would prescribe me more, it didnt work nor did any of the other medications that he prescribed and gave me more of... pot is the only thing that stabilizes my bipolar......