LEXAPRO 1
Lexapro®
(LEX-a-pro)
Escitalopram oxalate (ES-sigh-talo-pram OX-a-late)
Consumer Medicine Information (CMI)
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet contains answers to some
common questions about Lexapro.
It does not contain all the information
that is known about Lexapro. It does
not take the place of talking to your
doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and
benefits. Your doctor has weighed
the risk of you using this medicine
against the benefits he/she expects it
will have for you.
If you have any concerns about
using this medicine, ask your
doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine.
You may need to read it again.
What Lexapro is used
for
Lexapro is used to treat depression.
It belongs to a group of medicines
called selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRIs). They are thought
to work by their actions on brain
chemicals called amines which are
involved in controlling mood.
Depression is longer lasting or more
severe than the "low moods"
everyone has from time to time due
to the stress of everyday life. It is
thought to be caused by a chemical
imbalance in parts of the brain. This
imbalance affects your whole body
and can cause emotional and physical
symptoms such as feeling low in
spirit, loss of interest in activities,
being unable to enjoy life, poor
appetite or overeating, disturbed
sleep, often waking up early, loss of
sex drive, lack of energy and feeling
guilty over nothing.
Lexapro corrects this chemical
imbalance and may help relieve the
symptoms of depression.
Lexapro may also be used to treat
patients who may avoid and/or are
fearful of social situations.
Lexapro may also be used to treat
patients who have excessive anxiety
and worry.
Lexapro may also be used to treat
irrational fears or obsessional
behaviour (obsessive-compulsive
disorder). Obsessive-compulsive
disorder involves having both
obsessions and compulsions.
Obsessions are unwanted thoughts
that occur over and over again.
Compulsions are the ongoing need to
repeat certain actions as a result of
these thoughts.
Your doctor, however, may prescribe
it for another purpose.
Ask your doctor if you have any
questions about why it has been
prescribed for you.
This medicine is only available with
a doctor's prescription.
Lexapro is not addictive. However, if
you suddenly stop taking it, you may
get side effects.
Tell your doctor if you get any side
effects after stopping Lexapro.
Before you take it
When you must not take
it
Do not take Lexapro if you are
allergic to it, to any medicine
containing escitalopram, or any of
the ingredients listed at the end of
this leaflet.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction
may include shortness of breath,
wheezing or difficulty breathing,
swelling of the face, lips, tongue or
other parts of the body, or rash,
itching or hives on the skin.
Do not take Lexapro at the same
time as the following other
medicines:
• pimozide, a medicine used to
treat mental disorders
• monoamine oxidase inhibitors
(MAOIs), such as phenelzine,
tranylcypromine and
moclobemide which are also used
for the treatment of depression.
One day must elapse after you
have finished taking
moclobemide before you start
taking Lexapro. If you have taken
any other MAOI you will need to
wait 14 days. After stopping
Lexapro, you must allow 14 days
before taking any MAOI
including moclobemide.
Taking Lexapro with MAOIs
may cause a serious reaction with
a sudden increase in body
temperature, extremely high
blood pressure and severe
convulsions. Your doctor will
LEXAPRO 2
know when it is safe to start
Lexapro after the MAOI has been
stopped.
Do not take it after the expiry date
printed on the pack.
If you take it after the expiry date has
passed, it may not work as well. The
expiry date refers to the last day of
the month.
Do not take it if the packaging is
torn or shows signs of tampering.
Before you start to take
it
Tell your doctor if:
1. you have allergies to any other
substances such as foods,
preservatives or dyes.
2. you are pregnant or intend to
become pregnant.
Medicines like Lexapro have been
shown to reduce the quality of sperm
in animal studies. Theoretically, this
could affect fertility but impact on
human fertility has not been observed
as yet with Lexapro.
Do not take Lexapro if you are
pregnant unless you and your doctor
have discussed the risks and benefits
involved.
Make sure your doctor and/or
midwife know you are on Lexapro.
When taken during pregnancy,
particularly in the last three months
of pregnancy, medicines like
Lexapro may affect the general
condition of your newborn baby and
may increase the risk of a serious
condition in babies, called persistent
pulmonary hypertension of the
newborn (PPHN), making the baby
breathe faster and appear bluish.
These symptoms usually begin
during the first 24 hours after the
baby is born. If this happens to your
baby, you should contact your doctor
and/or midwife immediately.
If you take Lexapro near the end of
your pregnancy there may be an
increased risk of heavy vaginal
bleeding shortly after birth,
especially if you have a history of
bleeding disorders. Your doctor or
midwife should be aware that you are
taking Lexapro so they can advise
you.
If used during pregnancy Lexapro
should never be stopped abruptly.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for
advice before taking any medicine.
3. you are breast-feeding or
planning to breast-feed.
Do not take Lexapro if you are
breast-feeding unless you and
your doctor have discussed the
risks and benefits involved. It is
not recommended that you breast-
feed while taking Lexapro as it is
excreted in breast milk.
4. you have, or have had, the
following medical conditions:
• a tendency to bleed or bruise
easily, or if you are pregnant (see
‘Before you start to take it’)
• diabetes
• heart disease, especially long QT
syndrome or other conduction
disorders
• conditions causing changes in the
levels of sodium, potassium or
magnesium in the blood
(electrolytes)
• kidney disease
• liver disease
• bipolar disorder (manic
depression)
• a history of seizures or fits
• restlessness and/or a need to
move often
• eye problems, such as certain
kinds of glaucoma (increased
pressure in the eye).
5. you are receiving
electroconvulsive therapy.
If you have any of the above medical
conditions, your doctor may perform
additional tests, such as an ECG to
check your heart and blood tests to
check sodium, potassium and/or
magnesium levels.
Do not give Lexapro to a child or
adolescent.
There is no experience with its use in
children or adolescents under 18
years old.
Lexapro can be given to elderly
patients over 65 years of age with a
reduced dose.
The effects of Lexapro in elderly
patients are similar to that in other
patients.
If you have not told your doctor
about any of the above, tell them
before you use Lexapro.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking
any other medicines, including any
that you buy without a
prescription from your pharmacy,
supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines and Lexapro may
interfere with each other. These
include:
• bupropion, a medicine helping to
treat nicotine dependence
• medicines used to treat reflux and
ulcers, such as cimetidine,
omeprazole, esomeprazole and
lansoprazole
• medicines known to prolong
bleeding, e.g. aspirin or other
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs)
• ticlopidine and warfarin,
medicines used to prevent blood
clots
• mefloquine, an anti-malaria
medicine
• sumatriptan, and similar
medicines, used to treat migraines
• Medicines used to relieve pain
(e.g. tramadol and similar
medicines)
• medicines affecting the chemicals
in the brain
• medicines that reduce the level of
sodium, potassium or magnesium
in the blood, e.g. diuretics ('fluid
tablets')
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• some heart medications, e.g.
flecainide, propafenone,
metoprolol
• Antiarrhythmic medicines, used
to treat irregular heartbeats, e.g.
amiodarone, disopyramide,
sotalol
• Antifungal medicines e.g.
fluconazole, voriconazole
• Some antibiotics, e.g.
azithromycin, clarithromycin,
erythromycin, roxithromycin,
amphotericin, gentamicin
• Antihistamine medicines, used to
relieve the symptoms of allergy
(such as hay fever) or colds and
'flu, e.g. terfenadine, loratadine,
diphenhydramine
• tryptophan, an amino acid
• lithium used to treat mood swings
and some types of depression
• antipsychotics, a class of
medicines used to treat certain
mental and emotional conditions,
e.g. risperidone, thioridazine and
haloperidol
• tricyclic antidepressants, e.g.
imipramine, desipramine
• St John's Wort (Hypericum
perforatum), a herbal remedy
• any other medicines used to treat
seizures, depression, anxiety,
obsessive-compulsive disorder or
pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder
These medicines may be affected by
Lexapro or may affect how well it
works. You may need to use different
amounts of your medicines or take
different medicines. Your doctor will
advise you.
Some combinations of medicines
may increase the risk of serious side
effects and are potentially life
threatening.
Your doctor or pharmacist has more
information on medicines to be
careful with or avoid while taking
Lexapro.
How to take it
How much to take
Your doctor will decide what dose
you will receive.
The standard dose for this medicine
is 10 mg per day. This may be
increased by your doctor to 20 mg
per day.
The recommended maximum dose in
elderly patients is 10 mg per day.
It is recommended that patients with
liver disease receive an initial dose of
5 mg daily for the first two weeks.
Your doctor may increase the dose to
10 mg daily.
Your doctor may have prescribed a
different dose.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if
you are unsure of the correct dose
for you.
They will tell you exactly how much
to take.
Follow the instructions they give
you.
If necessary, you can divide the 10
and 20 mg tablets by firstly placing
the tablet on a flat surface with the
score facing upwards. The tablets
may then be broken by pressing
down on each end of the tablet, using
both forefingers.
The 10 and 20 mg tablets can be
divided into equal doses.
If you take the wrong dose, Lexapro
may not work as well, and your
condition may not improve.
How to take it
Swallow the tablets whole with a
full glass of water.
Do not chew them.
When to take it
Take Lexapro as a single dose
either in the morning or in the
evening.
Take Lexapro with or without
food.
How long to take it
Continue to take Lexapro even if it
takes some time before you feel any
improvement in your condition.
As with other medicines for the
treatment of these conditions it may
take a few weeks before you feel any
improvement.
Individuals will vary greatly in their
response to Lexapro. Your doctor
will check your progress at regular
intervals.
The duration of treatment may vary
for each individual but is usually at
least 6 months.
In some cases, the doctor may decide
that longer treatment is necessary.
Continue taking your medicine for
as long as your doctor tells you,
even if you begin to feel better.
The underlying illness may persist
for a long time and if you stop your
treatment too soon, your symptoms
may return.
Do not stop taking this medicine
suddenly.
If Lexapro is stopped suddenly you
may experience mild, but usually
temporary, symptoms such as
dizziness, pins and needles, electric
shock sensations, sleep disturbances
(vivid dreams, inability to sleep),
feeling anxious or agitated,
headaches, feeling sick (nausea),
vomiting, sweating, tremor (shaking),
feeling confused, feeling emotional
or irritable, diarrhoea, visual
disturbances, or fast or irregular
heartbeats.
When you have completed your
course of treatment, the dose of
Lexapro is gradually reduced over a
couple of weeks rather than stopped
abruptly.
Your doctor will tell you how to
reduce the dosage so that you do not
get these unwanted effects.
If you forget to take it
If you miss a dose and remember
in less than 12 hours, take it
LEXAPRO 4
straight away, and then go back to
taking it as you would normally.
Otherwise, if it is almost time for
your next dose, skip the dose you
missed and take the next dose
when you are meant to.
Do not take a double dose to make
up for the dose you have missed.
If you are not sure what to do, ask
your doctor or pharmacist.
If you have trouble remembering
when to take your medicine, ask
your pharmacist for hints.
If you take too much
(overdose)
Immediately telephone your
doctor, or the Poisons Information
Centre (Tel: 0800 764 766) or go to
Accident and Emergency at your
nearest hospital, if you think you
or anyone else may have taken too
much Lexapro.
Do this even if there are no signs of
discomfort or poisoning.
You may need urgent medical
attention.
Symptoms of an overdose may
include dizziness, low blood
pressure, nausea (feeling sick),
vomiting, agitation, tremor (shaking)
and rarely convulsions and coma.
While you are taking it
Things you must do
If you are about to be started on
any new medicine, remind your
doctor and pharmacist that you
are taking Lexapro.
Tell any other doctors, dentists and
pharmacists who treat you that
you are taking this medicine.
If you become pregnant while
taking Lexapro, tell your doctor
immediately.
Persons taking Lexapro may be
more likely to think about killing
themselves or actually trying to do
so, especially when Lexapro is first
started, or the dose is changed. Tell
your doctor immediately if you
have thoughts about killing
yourself or if you are close to or
care for someone using Lexapro
who talks about or shows signs of
killing him or herself.
All mentions of suicide or violence
must be taken seriously.
Occasionally, the symptoms of
depression may include thoughts of
suicide or self-harm. It is possible
that these symptoms continue or get
worse until the full antidepressant
effect of the medicine becomes
apparent. This is more likely to occur
if you are a young adult, i.e. 18 to 24
years of age, and you have not used
antidepressant medicines before.
Patients and care givers should pay
attention for any of the following
warning signs of suicide-related
behaviour while taking Lexapro.
Tell your doctor immediately, or
even go to the nearest hospital for
treatment:
• thoughts or talk of death or
suicide
• thoughts or talk of self-harm or
harm to others
• any recent attempts of self-harm
• increase in aggressive behaviour,
irritability or agitation
Do not stop taking this medicine or
change the dose without consulting
your doctor, even if you experience
increased anxiety at the beginning
of treatment.
At the beginning of treatment, some
patients may experience increased
anxiety which will disappear during
continued treatment.
Tell your doctor immediately if
you experience symptoms such as
restlessness or difficulty in sitting
or standing still.
These symptoms can occur during
the first weeks of treatment.
Contact your doctor as soon as
possible if you suddenly experience
an episode of mania.
Some patients with bipolar disorder
(manic depression) may enter into a
manic phase. This is characterised by
profuse and rapidly changing ideas,
exaggerated gaiety and excessive
physical activity.
Sometimes you may be unaware of
the above-mentioned symptoms and
therefore you may find it helpful to
ask a friend or relative to help you to
observe the possible signs of change
in your behaviour.
Medicines like Lexapro may cause
symptoms of sexual dysfunction
(see section "Side effects").
In some cases, these symptoms have
continued after stopping treatment.
Things you must not do
Do not give the tablets to anyone
else, even if they have the same
condition as you.
Do not take Lexapro to treat any
other complaints unless your
doctor tells you to.
Do not stop taking Lexapro, or
lower the dosage, without checking
with your doctor.
Do not let yourself run out of
medicine over the weekend or on
holidays.
Suddenly stopping Lexapro may
cause unwanted discontinuation
symptoms such as dizziness,
headache and nausea. Your doctor
will tell you when and how Lexapro
should be discontinued. Your doctor
will gradually reduce the amount you
are using, usually over a period of
one to two weeks, before stopping
completely.
Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating
machinery until you know how
Lexapro affects you.
It may cause nausea, fatigue and
dizziness in some people, especially
early in the treatment. If you have
any of these symptoms, do not drive,
operate machinery, or do anything
else that could be dangerous.
LEXAPRO 5
Avoid alcohol while you are taking
this medicine.
It is not advisable to drink alcohol
while you are being treated for
depression.
Side effects
All medicines may have some
unwanted side effects. Sometimes
they are serious, but most of the time
they are not. Your doctor has
weighed the risks of using this
medicine against the benefits he/she
expects it will have for you.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as
soon as possible if you do not feel
well while you are taking Lexapro.
It helps most people with depression,
social anxiety disorder (social
phobia), generalised anxiety disorder
and obsessive-compulsive disorder,
but it may have unwanted side effects
in a few people.
The side effects of Lexapro are, in
general, mild and disappear after a
short period of time.
Tell your doctor if you notice any
of the following and they worry
you:
• decreased appetite or loss of
appetite
• dry mouth
• diarrhoea
• nausea (feeling sick)
• sleeplessness
• fatigue, sleepiness or drowsiness,
yawning
• increased sweating
• sexual disturbances (decreased
sexual drive; problems with
ejaculation or erection; women
may experience difficulties
achieving orgasm)
Tell your doctor as soon as possible
if you notice any of the following:
• agitation, confusion, panic
attacks*, anxiety, restlessness*
• dizziness
• dizziness when you stand up due
to low blood pressure*
• a fast heart rate or decrease in
heart rate or irregular heart beat
• low sodium levels in the blood
(the symptoms are feeling sick
and unwell with weak muscles or
feeling confused) *
• abnormal liver function tests
(increased amounts of liver
enzymes in the blood) *
• difficulties urinating*
• Increased blood levels of the
hormone prolactin*
• unusual secretion of breast milk*
• Bleeding disorders including skin
and mucous bleeding (e.g.
bruising*) and a low level of
blood platelets*
• heavy vaginal bleeding shortly
after birth (postpartum
haemorrhage), see ‘Before you
start to take it’ section for more
information
• rash, itching, patches of
circumscribed swellings
• An increased risk of bone
fractures has been observed in
patients taking this type of
medicine*
These may be serious side effects of
Lexapro. You may need urgent
medical attention.
Tell your doctor immediately, or
go to Accident and Emergency at
your nearest hospital, if you notice
any of the following:
• Thoughts of harming yourself or
thoughts of suicide, see also
section "Things you must do"*
• serious allergic reaction
(symptoms of an allergic reaction
may include swelling of the face,
lips, mouth or throat which may
cause difficulty in swallowing or
breathing, or hives)
• high fever, agitation, confusion,
trembling and abrupt contractions
of muscles
(these symptoms may be signs of
a rare condition called serotonin
syndrome) *
• mania (i.e.: elevated mood and
associated symptoms) *
• hallucinations
• seizures, tremors, movement
disorders (involuntary
movements of the muscles) *
• fast, irregular heart beat with
feelings of dizziness, faintness,
loss of consciousness or difficulty
breathing
These are very serious side effects.
You may need urgent medical
attention or hospitalisation.
*The side effects marked with an
asterisk (*) are a number of rare side
effects that are known to occur with
medicines that work in a similar way
to Lexapro.
Tell your doctor if you notice
anything else that is making you
feel unwell.
Other side effects not listed above
may occur in some people.
Do not be alarmed by this list of
possible side effects.
You may not experience any of them.
After taking it
Storage
Keep Lexapro tablets in the blister
pack until it is time to take them.
If you take the tablets out of the box
or the blister pack, they may not keep
well.
Keep Lexapro tablets in a cool dry
place where the temperature stays
below 30°C.
Do not store it or any other
medicine in the bathroom, near a
sink, or on a windowsill.
Do not leave it in the car.
Heat and damp can destroy some
medicines.
LEXAPRO 6
Keep it where children cannot
reach it.
A locked cupboard at least one-and-
a-half metres above the ground is a
good place to store medicines.
Disposal
If your doctor tells you to stop
taking Lexapro, or the medicine
has passed its expiry date, ask your
pharmacist what to do with any
that is left over.
Return any unused medicine to
your pharmacist.
Product description
What it looks like
Lexapro comes in two types of
tablets:
• Lexapro 10 mg film-coated
tablets - oval, white, scored and
marked with "E" and "L" on each
side of the score on one side of
the tablet
• Lexapro 20 mg film-coated
tablets - oval, white, scored and
marked with "E" and "N" on each
side of the score on one side of
the tablet
A box contains 28 tablets.
Ingredients
Active ingredient(s):
• Lexapro 10 mg tablets - 10 mg
escitalopram (as oxalate) per
tablet
• Lexapro 20 mg tablets - 20 mg
escitalopram (as oxalate) per
tablet
Inactive ingredients (tablets):
• microcrystalline cellulose
• croscarmellose sodium
• opadry OY-S28849 (contains:
hypromellose, macrogol 400,
titanium dioxide).
• magnesium stearate
• colloidal anhydrous silica
• purified talc
Lexapro does not contain lactose,
gluten, sucrose, tartrazine or any
other azo dyes.
Manufacturer/Sponsor
Lexapro is made by H. Lundbeck
A/S, Denmark.
Distributed in New Zealand by:
Pharmacy Retailing t/a Healthcare
Logistics, 58 Richard Pearse Drive,
Mangere, Auckland 2022
Phone: 0800 540 555
This leaflet was prepared on
18 September 2023
"Lexapro" is the registered
trademark of H. Lundbeck A/S.
