Lexapro 20 mg

Lexapro (Escitalopram) is used to treat depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Escitalopram is in a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It works by increasing the amount of serotonin, a natural substance in the brain that helps maintain mental balance.

How to use:
Lexapro comes as a tablet and a solution (liquid) to take by mouth. It is usually taken once a day with or without food. To help you remember to take escitalopram, take it at around the same time every day, in the morning or in the evening. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take escitalopram exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Your doctor may start you on a low dose of escitalopram and increase your dose after 1 week.
It may take 1 to 4 weeks or longer before you feel the full benefit of escitalopram. Continue to take escitalopram even if you feel well. Do not stop taking escitalopram without talking to your doctor. If you suddenly stop taking escitalopram, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as mood changes,irritability, agitation, dizziness, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, anxiety, confusion, headache, tiredness, and difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually.

Side effects:

• very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, overactive reflexes;
• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, feeling unsteady, loss of coordination;

Less serious Lexapro side effects may include:

• drowsiness, dizziness;
• sleep problems (insomnia);
• mild nausea, gas, heartburn, upset stomach, constipation;
• weight changes;
• decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm; or
• dry mouth, yawning, ringing in your ears.

Overdose:
If you suspect that you are suffering from an overdose of this drug, you are probably in need of emergency medical attention. Alert your local poison control centre as soon as you can and if possible, you should take your drug container with you. Inform your personal physician of this. The average Lexapro overdose symptoms are:

•  Tremor
•  Nausea
•  Vomiting
•  Dizziness
•  Drowsiness
•  A fast heartbeat
•  Sweating

Missed Dose:
In order to get the best results from you treatment with Lexapro, you must try to take this antidepressant medication (the prescribed doses of this drug) on a regular basis and at the same time each day. However, if you happen to forget to take one of your scheduled doses, you should take it as soon as you remember to. Then try to evenly space the rest of the day in order to take the reminder of your prescribed doses within equal time intervals. If it is time for another dose, you should skip the one that you have missed.