Lexapro (Escitalopram Tablets)

• Tell all of your health care providers that you take Lexapro. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.
• Avoid driving and doing other tasks or actions that call for you to be alert until you see how this medicine affects you.
• Do not stop taking Lexapro all of a sudden without calling your doctor. You may have a greater risk of side effects. If you need to stop this medicine, you will want to slowly stop it as ordered by your doctor.
• Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Lexapro.
• Talk with your doctor before you use other drugs and natural products that slow your actions.
• In depression, sleep and appetite may get better soon after starting this medicine. Other low mood signs may take up to 4 weeks to get better.
• This medicine may raise the chance of bleeding. Sometimes, bleeding can be life-threatening. Talk with the doctor.
• Some people may have a higher chance of eye problems with Lexapro. Your doctor may want you to have an eye exam to see if you have a higher chance of these eye problems. Call your doctor right away if you have eye pain, change in eyesight, or swelling or redness in or around the eye.
• This medicine can cause low sodium levels. Very low sodium levels can be life-threatening, leading to seizures, passing out, trouble breathing, or death. Talk with the doctor.
• Use with care in children. Talk with the doctor.
• This medicine may affect growth in children and teens in some cases. They may need regular growth checks. Talk with the doctor.
• If you are 65 or older, use this medicine with care. You could have more side effects.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan on getting pregnant. You will need to talk about the benefits and risks of using Lexapro (escitalopram tablets) while you are pregnant.
• Taking this medicine in the third trimester of pregnancy may lead to some health problems in the newborn. Talk with the doctor.
• Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding. You will need to talk about any risks to your baby.

All drugs may cause side effects. However, many people have no side effects or only have minor side effects. Call your doctor or get medical help if any of these side effects or any other side effects bother you or do not go away:

• Dizziness.
• Upset stomach.
• Loose stools (diarrhea).
• Hard stools (constipation).
• Dry mouth.
• Not able to sleep.
• Sweating a lot.
• Feeling tired or weak.
• Feeling sleepy.
• Yawning.

These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.

• Store at room temperature.
• Store in a dry place. Do not store in a bathroom.
• Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.
• Check with your pharmacist about how to throw out unused drugs.

• If your symptoms or health problems do not get better or if they become worse, call your doctor.
• Do not share your drugs with others and do not take anyone else's drugs.
• Keep a list of all your drugs (prescription, natural products, vitamins, OTC) with you. Give this list to your doctor.
• Talk with the doctor before starting any new drug, including prescription or OTC, natural products, or vitamins.
• This medicine comes with an extra patient fact sheet called a Medication Guide. Read it with care. Read it again each time this medicine is refilled. If you have any questions about Lexapro, please talk with the doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
• If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this medicine or any other medicine. Only the healthcare provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right for a specific patient. This information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about Lexapro. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to this medicine. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from the healthcare provider. You must talk with the healthcare provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using Lexapro.

Review Date: October 4, 2017