Treating Depression
It is important to remember that depression is a medical disease like any other. And, just as there are treatments for diabetes or heart disease, there are treatment options available for depression.
Find the Approach That's Right for You
Counseling,
or psychotherapy, often called "talk" therapy, comes in many forms. Its
goal is to help people develop new ways to cope with problems, and to
identify and understand more about depression and how to avoid it in
the future.
Antidepressant medicines work by helping to correct the imbalance of certain important chemicals in the brain. These medicines may take several weeks to be effective, but they work well and are generally safe. There are three main groups of antidepressants: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclics (TCAs), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). SSRIs, such as LEXAPRO, are the newest class of antidepressants. They help to relieve the symptoms of depression by increasing the available supply of serotonin, a substance in the brain believed to influence mood.
LEXAPRO Effectively Treats Depression with Few Side Effects
LEXAPRO® has been proven in clinical trials to be an effective and well-tolerated prescription medication that improves the quality and enjoyment of life for adults suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).1,2
LEXAPRO is a member of the group of prescription drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Because SSRIs show improved safety and have fewer side effects than older classes of antidepressant medications, SSRIs are increasingly prescribed by doctors as the first choice of therapy for depression.3
LEXAPRO has been prescribed to over 15 million patients in the U.S.4 With just one 10 mg tablet a day, LEXAPRO significantly improves the symptoms of depression and anxiety for many patients beginning at week 1 or 2, although it may take 4 to 6 weeks to feel LEXAPRO's full benefits.
LEXAPRO is a powerful medicine that is well tolerated. Results of head-to-head studies of LEXAPRO vs other drugs in its class suggest that 10 mg a day of LEXAPRO is better tolerated because it causes fewer side effects than the other drugs in its class.5,6 In studies of patients taking 10 mg a day of Lexapro, the number of people who stopped taking LEXAPRO due to side effects was comparable to those who took placebo (sugar pill) in the treatment of depression, and low in the treatment of GAD.1,7,8*
The most commonly reported side effects of LEXAPRO are nausea, insomnia, problems with ejaculation, somnolence, increased sweating, fatigue, decreased libido, and anorgasmia. Most of the side effects experienced by patients taking LEXAPRO are mild to moderate and go away with continued treatment, and usually do not cause patients to stop taking LEXAPRO. Furthermore, patients who were treated with LEXAPRO experienced no clinically important weight changes as a result of therapy.
*8% for LEXAPRO vs 4% for placebo in the comprehensive GAD safety database.
Talking to Your Doctor
If you are unsure how to talk to your doctor about your symptoms, see questions for your doctor to help you organize your thoughts, feelings, and questions so you can get the most out of your visit.
If you are not sure whether your depression is serious enough to visit a doctor, click here to learn more about seeing a healthcare professional.
References: 1. Burke WJ, Gergel I, Bose A. Fixed-dosed trial of the single isomer SSRI escitalopram in depressed outpatients. J Clin Psychiatry. 2002;63:331-336. 2. Data on file, Forest Laboratories, Inc. 3. National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United, States, 2004. With Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. Hyattsville, Maryland: 2004. 4. Wolters Kluwer Health, Lexapro Projected Unique Patient Counts Since Launch, May 2007. 5. Bielski RJ, Bose A, Chang CC, Keller MB. A double-blind comparison of escitalopram and paroxetine in the long-term treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Poster presented at: American College of Neuropsychopharmacology; December 7-11, 2003; San Juan, Puerto Rico. 6. Bielski RJ, Ventura D, Chang CC. A double-blind comparison of escitalopram and venlafaxine extended release in the treatment of major depressive disorder. J Clin Psychiatry. 2004;65:1190-1196. 7. LEXAPRO [package insert]. St Louis, MO: Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; 2005. 8. Goodman WK, Bose A, Wang Q. Escitalopram 10 mg/day is effective in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Poster presented at: 23rd Annual Conference of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America; March 27-30, 2003; Toronto, Canada
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of suicide. Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidality (suicidal thinking and behavior) in children, adolescents, and young adults in short-term studies of major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of antidepressants in children, adolescents or young adults must balance the risk to clinical need. Patients of all ages started on antidepressant therapy should be closely monitored and observed for clinical worsening, suicidality or unusual changes in behavior, especially at the beginning of therapy or at the time of dose changes. This risk may persist until significant remission occurs. Families and caregivers should be advised of the need for close observation and communication with the prescriber. Lexapro is not approved for use in pediatric patients.
Lexapro is contraindicated in patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), pimozide (see DRUG INTERACTIONS: Pimozide and Celexa), or in patients with hypersensitivity to escitalopram oxalate. As with other SSRIs, caution is indicated in the coadministration of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) with Lexapro. SSRIs and SNRIs (including Lexapro) and other psychotropic drugs that interfere with serotonin reuptake may increase the risk of bleeding events. Concomitant use of aspirin, NSAIDs, warfarin and other anticoagulants may add to the risk. Patients should be cautioned about these risks. SSRIs and SNRIs have been associated with clinically significant hyponatremia. Elderly patients or patients taking diuretics or who are otherwise volume-depleted appear to be at a greater risk. Discontinuation of Lexapro should be considered in patients with symptomatic hyponatremia and appropriate medical intervention should be instituted. The most common adverse events with Lexapro versus placebo (approximately 5% or greater and approximately 2x placebo) were nausea, insomnia, ejaculation disorder, somnolence, increased sweating, fatigue, decreased libido, and anorgasmia.
