The reality is that the very medicine that’s most often prescribed to help on your road to recovery can sometimes make your life more complicated.

Lexapro is many doctors’ go-to drug when it comes to depression. It’s sad and ironic that while a person’s depression is being treated by this highly effective drug, this drug’s abuse and misuse can also pull one down deeper into the well of sadness and despair.

However, if depression has become a part of your life, it is imperative to learn all you can about this condition and about Lexapro, as your doctor may prescribe it for your treatment.

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What Is Escitalopram (Lexapro)?

Lexapro is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It is a type of drug that is used to regulate the part of the brain that controls emotions. In fact, it is one of the more commonly prescribed antidepressants to treat depression.

Lexapro is taken orally and is usually in tablet form. It can also come as a liquid solution. Whatever the form may be, Lexapro can be taken once a day with or without food.

Lexapro can also help with anxiety among adults or adolescents who are at least 12 years old.

Common side effects to Lexapro include constipation, decreased sex drive, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, fatigue, heartburn, nausea, ringing in the ears, sleep problems, and weight changes.

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How Is Escitalopram (Lexapro) Used?

Lexapro is commonly used to address anxiety and clinical depression. Anti-depressants are the first-line treatment versus severe depression.

As an SSRI, medication can help by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain. In Lexapro’s case, it helps by restoring the balance of the chemical serotonin in the brain.

Serotonin acts as a messenger chemical between the nerve cells in the brain to provide a positive influence on a person’s mood, emotions, and even sleep. Serotonin is known as the ‘happy chemical,’ because it helps to boost up your wellbeing. Lexapro may be recommended for mild to moderate depression, as a complement to psychotherapy and as the sole treatment of depression that cannot be addressed with psychotherapy.

Just please note that it is not advisable to suddenly stop from taking Lexapro. Instead, it is advised to have a doctor supervise a gradual decrease in dosage for several weeks. A sudden stop in the consumption of Lexapro could result in mood changes including agitation and irritability. A sudden stop in taking Lexapro could also cause dizziness, numbness, or a tingling in the hands or feet

Also, a patient must have already successfully stopped taking Lexapro for at least two weeks before starting with another set of drug treatment for anti-depressants.

Lexapro, as with any other SSRIs, is not a magic tablet that can change the chemical imbalance of your brain immediately. Instead, its full effect should not be expected until some two to four weeks after the start of medication. It is important to remember this so that you do not suddenly stop taking the medication, thinking that it is ineffective.

It is best to monitor and observe yourself or your loved one when being treated with Lexapro, particularly in the first few days or weeks. During this time, possible side effect symptoms may occur while your body is adjusting to the drug.

Some of these side effect may include constipation, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, trouble sleeping, and increased sweating. If these symptoms do not dissipate or worsen, your doctor may decide to discontinue use of the drug.

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Escitalopram (Lexapro) Addiction

Persons recovering from the substance use disorder are often prescribed with Lexapro. Doctors also prescribe Escitalopram (Lexapro) for treating the major depressive disorder (MDD).

MDD, which is also referred to as clinical depression or simply depression is a medical condition when a person experiences the very strong feeling of sadness that cannot be shaken off and does not dissipate even after a long time.

Escitalopram can help with alcohol addiction treatment because it can reduce alcohol cravings.

What is not generally known is that both abusers of alcohol and people suffering from MDD have an imbalance in their brain’s serotonin levels that Lexapro, as a serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor, can easily manage.

Thus, since escitalopram is useful in fighting alcohol cravings, doctors can prescribe it as a primary or as supplementary medication for depression as well.

Of course, it should be made clear that Lexapro is not a cure for alcohol addiction. Only that the overlapping serotonin imbalance found in both MDD and those who abuse alcohol can both be minimized via Lexapro.

Another point that should also be emphasized is that patients taking Lexapro medication should be closely observed because this drug is powerful and the connection between it and addiction to alcohol plus serotonin has not been fully understood.

For example, there are times when the response is the opposite as anticipated. In other words, instead of reducing alcohol cravings or minimizing depression symptoms, Lexapro can act to increase both.

There have also been a few instances when persons developed alcohol addiction while they were medicating with Lexapro and the alcohol cravings promptly went away when the medication was halted.

The Importance of Aftercare

Lexapro is a very potent drug and long-term use can result in physical dependence. Even stopping your medication has to be properly supervised to prevent withdrawal symptoms, also known as discontinuation syndrome. In the drug’s packaging, a reminder against suddenly stopping your medication is clearly emphasized.

Experts are unclear why there are some persons who have a strong reaction to a sudden stop in taking antidepressants. One theory is that since antidepressants restore mood-regulating chemicals in the brain, particularly with the neurotransmitter serotonin, an abrupt stop does not give the brain a chance to adjust. Whatever the reason, it is not easy to dismiss that your brain establishes a relationship with Lexapro and that a sudden stop is not advisable.

Symptoms can range from simple headaches, dizziness and other flu-like symptoms; to nausea, diarrhea, chills,and shivers, insomnia, vertigo; to anxiety, confusion, excessive dreaming, brain “zaps” or a feeling in the skin akin to being mildly electrically charged.

A doctor needs to supervise tapering off of Lexapro, as this decreases the chances for severe withdrawal symptoms.

Lexapro usually stays in your body for at least a week after you have stopped your medication. But this may also still depend on the dosage prescribed and the length of time you have been taking the drug. There are some who say that their brain only learns to adjust to having no Lexapro in their system after three long months.

Want more information about how Chapters Capistrano can help? Feel free to call 949-276-2886 and one of our addiction specialists will help get the information and help you need.