
Lexapro belongs to the SSRi (Selective Serotonin Reuptake inhibitors) group of drugs. It was developed for treating anxiety and major depressive disorder. Lexapro works by affecting specific chemicals in the brain which may get misbalanced and cause these illnesses. It may also be used for appliances other than described.
Lexapro must not be used I conjunction with MAOI (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor, e. g. Isocarboxazid (Marplan), rasagiline (Azilect), phenelzine (Nardil), tranylcypromine (Parnate) or selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam)). A person must wait for at least two weeks after stopping an MAOI treatment before starting taking Lexapro. Vice versa, after stopping taking Lexapro you must wait for at least two weeks before you can start MAOI treatment.
You must be under your doctor’s observation for at least the first 3 months of treatment.
Call your doctor immediately if you notice any new symptoms or worsening of the old ones, such as anxiety, sleeping problems, mood and behaviour changes, panic attacks, or if you feel irritable, aggressive, agitated, hyperactive, impulsive, restless, hostile, being more depressed or having suicidal thoughts.
Taking SSRI while pregnant may cause serious or life-threatening lung problems for your child. However, depression may come back if you stop your SSRI treatment during pregnancy period. Whether you plan a pregnancy or got pregnant while taking Lexapro, you must consult with your doctor before making a decision.
Also, you must be very careful if you breast-feeding a child. Lexapro can pass through the milk and harm your baby. You must not use it in such situation without consulting with your doctor.
It is not allowed to give Lexapro to persons aged under 18 without a doctor’s advice.
As mentioned before, you should not use Lexapro if you already use a MAO inhibitor, such as:
Use of Lexapro together with any of these will lead to serious and sometimes lethal reactions. You must wait a minimum of 2 weeks after stopping MAOI treatment before you can use Lexapro, and vice versa.
You must discuss with your doctor in advance if you are allergic to any drugs, or whether you have:
If any of these conditions apply to you, then you might not be able to use Lexapro or your dose must be adjusted accordingly.