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Lexapro
The Road Back Program. Step by step procedure of
how to taper off or quit taking Lexapro and eliminate Lexapro withdrawal side
effects.
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Lexapro: Full Lexapro Description
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Source:
FDA
Lexapro: Increased Risk of
Neonatal Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
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Source:
FDA ALERT [7/2006]
Lexapro: Patient Information
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Source:
FDA
Lexapro: Lexapro News
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Partial Lexapro description:
Pharmacokinetics
The single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics
of Lexapro are linear and dose-proportional in a dose range of 10 to 30
mg/day. Biotransformation of Lexapro is mainly hepatic, with a mean
terminal half-life of about 27-32 hours. With once-daily dosing, steady
state plasma concentrations are achieved within approximately one
week. At steady state, the extent of
accumulation of Lexapro in plasma in young healthy subjects was 2.2-2.5
times the plasma concentrations observed after a single dose. The tablet and
the oral solution dosage forms of Lexapro oxalate are bioequivalent.
Absorption and Distribution
Following a single oral
dose (20 mg tablet or solution) of Lexapro, peak blood levels occur at
about 5 hours. Absorption of Lexapro is not affected by food.
The absolute bioavailability of citalopram is about 80% relative to an
intravenous dose, and the volume of distribution of citalopram is about 12
L/kg. Data specific on escitalopram are unavailable.
The binding of Lexapro to human plasma proteins is approximately 56%.
Metabolism and Elimination
Following oral administrations of Lexapro, the
fraction of drug recovered in the urine as Lexapro and S -
demethylcitalopram (S-DCT) is about 8% and 10%, respectively. The oral
clearance of
Lexapro
is 600 mL/min, with approximately 7% of that due
to renal clearance.
Lexapro is metabolized to S-DCT and S-didemethylcitalopram
(S-DDCT). In humans, unchanged
Lexapro is the predominant compound in
plasma. At steady state, the concentration of the
Lexapro metabolite S-DCT
in plasma is approximately one-third that of
Lexapro. The level of S-DDCT
was not detectable in most subjects.
In vitro
studies show that
Lexapro is at least 7
and 27 times more potent than S - DCT and S-DDCT, respectively, in the
inhibition of serotonin reuptake, suggesting that the metabolites of
Lexapro do not contribute significantly to the antidepressant actions
of
Lexapro. S-DCT and S-DDCT also have no or very low affinity for
serotonergic (5-HT1-7) or other receptors including alpha- and
beta-adrenergic, dopamine (D1-5), histamine
(H1-3), muscarinic (M1-5), and benzodiazepine
receptors. S-DCT and S-DDCT also do not bind to various ion channels
including Na+, K+,
Cl-, and Ca++ channels.
A full description can be found
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Source:
FDA
To visit the Lexapro manufactures site
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Other Lexapro info from the FDA
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Study Of Drug
Therapy For Compulsive Buying Yields A Puzzle
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine say they are puzzled
by findings from their new study indicating that an antidepressant, which
previously showed promise in treating a behavioral disorder known as compulsive
buying, did not result in a sustained benefit for the patients who took it.
The medication is Lexapro, a commonly prescribed
antidepressant sold under the brand name Lexapro. In the study, researchers
found no difference in the relapse rate of people with compulsive-buying
disorder when they continued to take Lexapro compared with those who had
been switched to a placebo. Those results are perplexing to lead author Lorrin
Koran, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences emeritus, because he
had done a similar study in 2003 that found compulsive-buying patients improved
stably after taking another antidepressant medication, citalopram, in which Lexapro is the active ingredient.
"It was a shock that, when we did the trial again with the active
ingredient, it didn't work exactly the same way. It should have," said Koran,
who also led the 2003 study. The results of the latest double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial will be published in the April issue of the Journal of
Clinical Psychopharmacology.
Koran said the unexpected result from the new study may in part be
due to the small number of participants in the double-blind phase of the trial,
which involved just 17 subjects whose buying behavior had markedly improved in
the initial stage of the trial when they were all taking Lexapro. Of the
nine randomly assigned to take a placebo in the later part of the trial, six
relapsed, while five of eight continuing on Lexapro relapsed.
But the study size is likely not the only factor influencing the
outcome of the trial.
"I don't think we're dealing with one pure biological disorder,"
said Koran. "We're dealing with a behavior that has different biological roots
in different people and therefore we may have had very different groups of
people in the two studies."
In the 2003 study, 24 patients were all initially given citalopram
for the open-label portion of the study, during which they all knew they were
taking citalopram. Fifteen of those patients reported marked improvements in
their buying behaviors. For the second portion of that trial, these 15 patients
were randomly assigned to take either citalopram or a placebo without knowing
which one they were taking. Of seven patients who continued taking the
medication, all seven maintained their improvement, while five of the eight
patients receiving a placebo relapsed.
People suffering from compulsive buying disorder are preoccupied
with shopping for unneeded items and are frequently unable to resist purchasing
them. The problem is not a simple lack of willpower, said Koran, who described
it as being as real a disorder as other impulsive behaviors such as alcoholism
and pathological gambling. Sufferers of the disorder commonly wind up with
closets or rooms filled with unwanted purchases, amassing thousands of dollars
of debt in the process and often damaging their relationships by lying to loved
ones about their purchases.
A recent nationwide, random-sample telephone survey conducted by
Koran and his colleagues indicated that compulsive buying appeared to affect
nearly 6 percent of the U.S. population, with nearly equal proportions of men
and women affected.
Koran said a larger double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
is needed to reach a conclusive result regarding the effectiveness of
Lexapro in treating patients with compulsive buying disorder.
He suggested future clinical trials might be able to yield more
information if they were combined with imaging studies of the patients' brains.
He cited recent work by Brian Knutson, PhD, assistant professor of psychology
and neuroscience, whose recent imaging studies suggest that scientists might be
able to directly visualize brain activity related to compulsive purchases.
"We would look for a difference in the brain activation patterns of
those who respond to the drug vs. those who don't," said Koran.
The inconclusive nature of the results from the latest trial of
Lexapro should not discourage anyone suffering from compulsive buying from
seeking treatment, since several types of treatment seem to be helpful, Koran
emphasized.
Other co-authors include Hugh Brent Solvason, MD, PhD, assistant
professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; Nona Gamel, clinical research
manager; and Emily Smith, clinical research coordinator.
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by
Stanford University Medical Center.
Lexapro side effects and Lexapro withdrawal side effects
- Lexapro withdrawal - Anorexia No longer having a desire to eat.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Apothous Stomatitis Painful red and swollen
open sores on a mucus membrane of the mouth commonly called a canker sore.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Ataxia Loss of the ability to move the body
with coordination.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Arterial Fibrillation A condition of abnormal
twitching of the muscles in the blood vessels that moves the oxygenated
blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The unusual twitching is
rapid and irregular and replaces the normal rhythm of contraction of the
muscle, which sometimes causes a lack of circulation and pulse.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Blood Cholesterol Increased An abnormal
condition where there is a greater amount in the blood of the oily/fatty
substances known as cholesterol. Cholesterol is a necessary part of living
cells (along with proteins and carbohydrates). Because cholesterol only
slightly dissolves in water, it can build up on the walls of the blood
vessels, therefore blocking/decreasing the amount of blood flow, which
causes blood pressure to go up. If not corrected, this condition is
associated with coronary artery disease.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Blood Creatinine Increased A greater than
normal number of creatinine or muscular chemical waste molecules in the
blood. Creatinine plays a major role in energy production in muscles.
Since creatinine levels are normally maintained by the kidneys, Blood
Creatinine Increased is an indicator of kidney malfunction or failure.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Blood in Stool The blood that is in your bowel
movement usually comes from any place along your digestive tract (from your
mouth to your anus). The stool can appear black and foul-smelling (usually
from the upper part of your digestive tract) or red or maroon-colored
(usually from the large intestine area). Hemorrhoids are the usual cause
for blood in the bowels.
8. Lexapro withdrawal - Bundle Branch Block Right These are
specialized cells in the upper right heart chamber and are the hearts
pacemaker. They send electrical signals to the heart that keeps it beating or
contracting regularly. Normally the signal goes to the lower heart chambers at
the same time through the bundle of His (hiss) on both the left and right sides
of the heart, so the lower chambers contract at the same time. When the bundle
is damaged on the right side, the signal does not fire at the same time as the
left, which changes the pace of blood flow. This can lead to a person fainting.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Cardiac Failure A heart disorder where the
heart does not function as usual and may completely stop working.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Cardiac Failure Congestive The body is asking
for the heart to supply more blood than it is capable of producing and
maintaining. Normally, a body can tolerate an increased amount of work for
quite some time. The condition is characterized by weakness, shortness of
breath, and a fluid build-up in the body tissues causing swelling.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Cold Sweat The skin is clammy and moist and
you feel chilled. This is a reaction to a shock or pain as well as to fear
and nervousness.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Colitis A condition where the large intestine
becomes irritated from the use of the drug.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Coronary Artery Disease A condition where the
blood vessels that mainly carry the blood away from the heart become clogged
up or narrowed usually by fatty deposits. The first symptom is pain
spreading from the upper left body caused by not enough oxygen reaching the
heart.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Dehydration An extreme loss of water from the
body or the organs of the body as in sickness or not drinking enough fluids.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Diplopia The condition where a person is
looking a one object and instead of normally seeing just the one object he
sees two. This is also call double vision.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Diverticulitis There are pouches or sacs on
the inside of the intestines that look like fingers. This increases the
area for the body to absorb nutrients as they pass through the intestines.
These sacs become irritated and swollen and end up trapping waste that would
normally be eliminated, causing pain and constipation.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Dysarthria The inability to control the mouth
muscles when forming words so the words are not clearly spoken and heard.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Dyslipidemia The normal fat metabolism in the
blood is interfered with.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Dysphagia Trouble swallowing or the inability
to swallow.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Ecchymosis When a blood vessel breaks and
creates a purple discoloration of the skin.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Edema An abnormal build up of excess fluids in
the cells, tissues, and the spaces between the tissues creating swelling.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Edema Peripheral The abnormal build up of
fluids in the tissues of the ankles and legs causing painless swelling in
the legs, ankles, and feet. If you squeeze the swollen area it leaves an
indentation on the skin for a few minutes.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Ejaculation Delayed The man is not able to
release sperm either during sexual intercourse or with manual stimulation in
the presence of his sexual partner in spite of his wish to do so.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Ejaculation Dysfunction A condition where the
man has one or more of the following symptoms: He is not able to have an
erection, not able to have an orgasm, has a decreased interest in sex, is
sexually inhibited, or it is painful to ejaculate sperm.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Erectile Dysfunction Incapable of having
sexual intercourse. Even though a man desires sex he is inhibited in his
sexual activity and is unable to have or maintain an erection of the penis.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Erythema a skin redness caused by the swelling
with blood of the tiny blood vessels of the skin as in burns.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Erythematous Rash Redness of the skin from the
swelling of the tiny blood vessels with skin irritation (itching, burning,
tingling, pain) and breakouts (eruptions).
- Lexapro withdrawal - Esophageal Stenosis Acquired The tube that
moves food from the mouth to the stomach narrows.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Exfoliative Dermatitis The unusual and not
normal condition of scaling and shedding of the skin cells. The skin is
usually red colored.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Face Edema The tissues of the face become
swollen.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Feeling Jittery A physical sensation of
nervous unease.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Gastric Irritation An inflamed and sore
stomach.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Gastric Ulcer An open, irritated, and infected
sore in the wall of the stomach.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Gingivitis Sore, swollen and red gums in the
mouth that bleed easily.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Glaucoma The delicate nerve to the eye, the
optic nerve, becomes easily damaged with the build-up of excess fluid
pressure within the eyeball. The first sign of glaucoma is loss of
peripheral (side) vision. It can progress to total blindness.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Hepatic Steatosis Excessive amounts of fat in
the liver.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Hyperhidrosis The triggering of an excess of
sweat being produced on the soles of the feet, the palms, or the underarms
which can cause embarrassment or losing grip on a pen or other items.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Hyperkeratosis An abnormal enlargement of the
skin tissues causing the skin cells to increase in size.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Hyperlipidemia An abnormally high number of
fat cells in the blood.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Hypertriglyceridemia Too many triglycerides in
the blood.
Triglycerides are three fatty
acids bound together in one molecule stored by the body and available to create
high levels of energy when used.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Hypoesthesia A partial loss of sensation or
general loss of awareness.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Impaired Gastric Emptying The contents of the
stomach are not passed into the intestines as normal due to the stomach
losing the muscular strength to do so.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Increased White Blood cell Count This is an
increase in the number of cells in the blood that are responsible for the
removal of bacteria and other unwanted particles. They fight disease and
infection by enclosing foreign particles and removing them. An example of a
disease that would increase white blood cell count would be Leukemia.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Insomnia Not able to fall asleep or sleeping
for a shorter time than desired, thus not being able to properly rest and
feeling un-refreshed. As a result, a person can become irritable, have
difficulty concentrating and feel a lack of energy. This can be caused by
stimulants such as by caffeine or drugs or by mental anxiety and stress.
Mental stress can be communicated and relieved.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Irritable Bowel Syndrome A painful condition
where the either the muscles or the nerves of the lower intestines, are not
responding normally. This results in an alternating condition of diarrhea
followed by constipation, back and forth.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca A condition where
the outer coating of the eyeball is dry because of a decrease in the normal
amount of tears in the eye. As a result, the eyeball and inside of the
eyelid thickens and hardens sometimes causing the vision to be less sharp.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Leukopenia An unnaturally low number of white
blood cells circulating in the blood.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Loose Stools The bowel movement is runny
instead of formed.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Lower Abdominal Pain A hurtful irritation of
the nerve endings in the area of the hipbones housing the lower digestive
tract. Pain usually means tissue damage.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Lymphadenopathy The lymph nodes, where the
immune cells are located, become larger than is normal because of a high
concentration of white blood cells.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Macular Degeneration The gradual loss of
central vision, which is the sharpest vision while peripheral eyesight, is
unaffected.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Maculopathy An abnormal condition of the
yellow spot of the eye, which is located in the center of the inner lining
of the eyeball and connected to the main nerve to the eye and is responsible
for sharp vision.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Mania Unusually irrational, excessive and/or
exaggerated behavior or moods ranging from enthusiasm, sexuality, gaiety,
impulsiveness and irritability to violence.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Melena Abnormally darkly colored stools as a
result of hemorrhaging in the digestive tract where the blood has interacted
with the digestive juices creating the dark color in the bowel movement.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Micturition Urgency A sudden desire to urinate
usually followed by leakage.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Mood Swings An emotional shifting as from a
state of happiness to a state of depression for a period of time.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Myocardial Infarction The blood going to the
heart is delayed or stopped causing middle muscle tissue in the heart wall
to die.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Nasopharyngitis Irritation, redness and
swelling tissues in the nose and the tube leading from the mouth to the
voice box as well as the tubes leading to the ears.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Nephropathy An abnormally functioning or
diseased kidney.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Nervousness Jumpy, jittery, anxious, and
troubled with an irritable temperament.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Night Sweats The water-salt, waste product the
skin releases is called sweat or perspiration. With night sweats you
become wide awake in the middle of the night shivering and cold and wet with
your sheets/pajamas soaked in perspiration making it difficult to go back to
sleep.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Nightmare Dreams that make you afraid or leave
feelings of fear, terror, and upset long after waking up.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Orgasm Abnormal Unable to have an orgasm with
normal sexual stimulation.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Oropharyngeal Swelling A swelling in the area
from the soft part of the roof of the mouth to the back of the mouth.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Pain in Extremity A painful feeling in the
legs, arms, hands, and feet.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Pharyngolaryngeal Pain Pain in the area of the
respiratory tract (organs of breathing) from the throat to the voice box and
above the windpipe.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Photopsia A condition where a person see
lights, sparks or colors in front of your eyes.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Photosensitivity Reaction An exaggerated
sunburn reaction that is not normal in proportion to the amount of exposure
to the light.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Pollakiuria Urinating much more frequently
than normal as often as once every five to fifteen minutes.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Pressure of Speech A condition where the
individual cannot voice his ideas fast enough with the pressure of there
being not enough time to say it.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Pruritic Rash Extremely itchy, red, swollen
bumps on the skin.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Pyrexia Fever or the increase in body
temperature that is usually a sign of infection.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Retinal Detachment The thin layer lining the
back of the eyeball (the retina) detaches from the back of the eyeball.
This thin layer is like the film of a camera because it sends the images a
person views to the brain. When it detaches it causes a reduced ability to
see.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Rigors Shivering or shaking of the body as if
chilled, preventing normal responses.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Skin Ulcer An open sore or infected skin
eruption with swelling, redness, pus, and irritation.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Sleep Disorder These are a list of sleep
disorders such as teeth grinding, insomnia, jet lag, sleep walking,
abnormally falling asleep during the middle of a conversation after a full
nights rest, uncontrolled body motions keeping one awake, etc.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Suicide, Completed An attempted attack on
oneself that is life threatening results in death.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Where the
organs of breathing near the mouth such as the nose and sinuses, become
infected and are usually treated by antibiotics.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Urinary Hesitation Hard to start or hard to
continue emptying ones bladder.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Urinary Incontinence Urinating without
intending to do so because of a weakening of the muscles in the hip area
from the drug affecting the nerves or the drug blocking a persons thinking
process.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Urinary Retention The inability to completely
empty the bladder despite having the urge to do so. This can lead to
infections or damage to the urinary organs.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Urine Flow Decreased Dehydration of the body
causing a lesser flow of urine than normal with the body reabsorbing the
waste.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Urine Output Decreased A condition where the
output of urine produced in a 24-hour period is less than 500 ml.
- Lexapro withdrawal - Weight Decreased Unintentional weight loss.
- Lexapro withdrawal Weight Increased An unusual, usually rapid
weight increase.
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