Adults. The most commonly observed adverse reactions in Lexapro patients (incidence of approximately 5% or greater and approximately twice the incidence in placebo patients) were nausea, ejaculation disorder (primarily ejaculatory delay), insomnia, fatigue, decreased libido, and anorgasmia.
Common side effects of Lexapro include nausea, sexual side effects, and insomnia. For some people, these go away as your body gets used to the medication. More serious side effects of Lexapro are rare. These include suicidal thoughts or behaviors, abnormal bleeding, and serotonin syndrome.
But even with SSRIs, side effects are still very common. Research shows that nearly 40 percent of people taking SSRIs reported experiencing side effects of some kind.
A study from 2000 surveyed patients who had been taking SSRI medication for 75 to 105 days. They found that 86% reported one side effect, while 55% experienced one or more. Both studies suggest that SSRIs can produce side effects in a significant percentage of individuals who use them.
SSRIs are the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants. This is because they're effective and well-tolerated antidepressants with little side effects. With many SSRIs available as generic products, this medication class typically costs less. SNRIs and bupropion are also common choices for similar reasons.
SSRIs are usually the first choice medicine for depression because they generally have fewer side effects than most other types of antidepressant.
What are the most common antidepressant medications? Sertraline, also known by the brand name Zoloft, used for multiple mental health and mood disorders, is the most prescribed antidepressant dispensed to U.S.
Most people will only experience a few mild side effects when taking SSRIs. These can be troublesome at first, but they'll generally improve with time.
During 2015–2018, 13.2% of adults aged 18 and over used antidepressant medications in the past 30 days. Use was higher among women (17.7%) than men (8.4%). Antidepressant use increased with age, overall and in both sexes—use was highest among women aged 60 and over (24.3%).
Bottom Line. Lexapro is an effective antidepressant that may have less potential for adverse effects than other SSRI antidepressants.
Each person will experience slightly different side effects, but the most common side effects are drowsiness, headache, insomnia, nausea, and vomiting. These effects may emerge during the first weeks of starting Lexapro. If the starting dose of Lexapro is too high, these side effects may be even worse.
Lexapro has an average rating of 8.2 out of 10 from a total of 518 reviews for the treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. 78% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 9% reported a negative experience.
When you first start taking Lexapro, it's normal for some people to experience side effects like trouble sleeping and an upset stomach. Changing when or how you take it — morning instead night, with food instead of without food — can help make a difference.
In fact, you may even feel worse initially. When you start taking Lexapro, you may find that your anxiety symptoms get worse before getting better. You may experience increased jitteriness and an increase in your anxiety for the first two weeks on Lexapro treatment.
The length of time it takes for Lexapro treatment to start working can vary. It's common for some symptoms — like improved energy, sleep, and appetite — to improve within a week or two.
Gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances are the most frequently reported side effects. Individually, postmarketing surveillance studies suggest that fluvoxamine is associated with the highest frequency of GI disturbances, while anxiety, agitation, and insomnia are most often reported with sertraline and fluoxetine.
You Still Feel Depressed or Anxious After Several Months
If you haven't noticed any improvements after using an antidepressant for two months or longer, it may be a sign that your medication isn't right for you, or that you need to adjust your dosage.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
This class includes sertraline, citalopram, escitalopram, paroxetine, fluoxetine and fluvoxamine. SSRIs are: the most commonly prescribed antidepressants in Australia. often a doctor's first choice for most types of depression.
Buspirone. This anti-anxiety medication may treat short- or long-term anxiety symptoms. Buspirone (BuSpar) works much more slowly than benzodiazepines and may not treat all types of anxiety disorder, but it causes fewer side effects and has a lower risk of dependency.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most prescribed type of antidepressant and include: Fluoxetine. Citalopram. Sertraline.
A review of over 87 studies compared multiple SSRIs for the treatment of panic disorder. Zoloft was one of the most effective SSRIs with the lowest risk of side effects. Prozac was also effective but had a higher risk of side effects.
Yes, escitalopram (Lexapro) is one of the first-choice options for the treatment of depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) because of how well it works and how safe it is.