Lexapro vs. Xanex
Lexapro (escilatopram) and Xanax (alprazolam) are medications approved by the FDA to treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and depression.
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Warnings
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Lexapro has an FDA Black-box warning for the risk of suicidal thinking among pediatric and adolescent users. Drug manufacturers must now contain this warning on their products. It also has an FDA warning regarding the risk of developing a dangerous condition called Serotonin Syndrome upon discontinuation of the medication. Symptoms of this syndrome include nausea, severe dizziness, electric shock like feelings in the brain, difficulty concentrating and headaches to name a few.
Patients taking Xanax are also at an increased risk for developing withdrawal symptoms. There is also an increased risk for dependence, so patients taking Xanax should be monitored closely by a physician.
Dosing
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Xanax is typically administered in doses from 0.5mg to 2mg. It advised that patients try to take the lowest possible dose to meet their needs to prevent dependency. According to DIOne, a medication management system used by hospitals, dosage should be slowly decreased when stopping therapy for example, decreasing by no more than 0.5 mg every three days. It may be helpful to some patients to reduce their dose at a slower rate.
Lexapro is typically administered in a total dose of 10-20 mg/day.
It is a good idea to gradually increase the dose to a therapeutic level at the point where the patient's symptoms of depression are subsiding. The slow increase will help minimize the initial side effects from starting these medications. -
Similar Side Effects
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Both drugs have similar side effects that include nausea, dry mouth, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, somnolence, dizziness, fatigue, insomnia, muscle twitching, excessive yawning, faintness, flushing, weight changes, sleep abnormalities, increased sweating, decreased libido and erectile dysfunction.
Lexapro Side Effects
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Additional side effects include tingling of extremities, light-headed feeling, migraine, tremor, vertigo, shaking, disequilibrium, tics, restless legs, carpal tunnel syndrome, involuntary muscle contractions, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, increased or decreased weight, hot flushes, fever, chest pain, abdominal pain, indigestion, flatulence, heartburn, toothache, gastroenteritis, abdominal cramping, and gastroesophageal reflux.
Xanax Side Effects
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Other side effects associated with Xanax include marked drowsiness, lightheadedness, depression, headache, confusion, nervousness impaired coordination, irritability, memory impairment, cognitive disorder, anxiety, confusion, increased libido, change in libido, weakness, agitation, dream abnormalities, and fear.
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