What’s the difference between Lexapro and Xanax? Lexapro (escitalopram) and Xanax (alprazolam) are used to treat anxiety disorders. Lexapro is also used to treat depression. Xanax is also used to treat panic attacks. Lexapro and Xanax belong to different drug classes. Lexapro is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and Xanax is a benzodiazepine. Side...
What are the differences between Lexapro and Prozac? Lexapro (escitalopram) and Prozac (fluoxetine) are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants used to treat depression. Lexapro is also used to treat generalized anxiety disorder. Prozac is also used to treat bulimia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Prozac is also prescribed in...
What are monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)? How do they work (mechanism of action)? MAOIs were the first class of antidepressants to be developed. They fell out of favor because of concerns about interactions with certain foods and numerous drug interactions. MAOIs elevate the levels of norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine by inhibiting an enzyme called monoamine...
What’s the Difference Between Lexapro and Ativan? Lexapro (escitalopram) and Ativan (lorazepam) are used to treat anxiety. Lexapro is also used to treat depression. Ativan is also used to treat insomnia and panic attacks, used along with other medications to prevent nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy, administered before anesthesia for sedation, used for prevention and...
What is nefazodone, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Nefazodone is an oral antidepressant drug. Nefazodone affects chemicals in the brain that nerves use to send messages to one another, called neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters that are released by nerves are taken up again by the nerves that release them for reuse. Many experts...
Lexapro vs. Paxil Lexapro (escitalopram) and Paxil (paroxetine) are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants used to treat depression. Lexapro is also used to treat anxiety disorders. Side effects of Lexapro and Paxil that are similar include nausea, headaches, diarrhea, difficulty sleeping (insomnia), drowsiness, dry mouth, increased sweating, and changes in appetite. Antidepressants such as...
What is imipramine, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Imipramine is an antidepressant medication of the tricyclic class. Medications in this class are often referred to as tricyclic antidepressants or TCAs. Depression is defined as an all-pervasive sense of sadness and gloom. In patients with depression, abnormal levels of chemicals in the brain...
What’s the Difference Between Lexapro and Cymbalta? Lexapro (escitalopram) and Cymbalta (duloxetine) are used to treat depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Cymbalta is also used to treat pain from diabetic neuropathy and fibromyalgia, and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Lexapro and Cymbalta belong to different drug classes. Lexapro is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and Cymbalta...
What is Lexapro (escitalopram)? How does it work? Escitalopram is an oral drug that is used for treating depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Chemically, escitalopram is similar to citalopram (Celexa). Both are in a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a class that also includes fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft)....
What is desipramine, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Desipramine is an oral antidepressant, a member of the tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) family which also includes amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep), and imipramine (Tofranil). Depression is an all-pervasive sense of sadness and gloom. It is believed that in some patients with depression, abnormal levels of neurotransmitters...