Escitalopram

Escitalopram (S Citadep) is an antidepressant used to treat depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults and adolescents who are at least 12 years old.

Depression implies a depressed mood that interferes with normal activities, and includes symptoms: dejected mood, loss of interest in usual activities, noteworthy change in weight and appetite, insomnia or somnolence, psychomotor agitation, increased susceptibility to fatigue, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, slowed thinking or impaired concentration remaining importunate for at least 2 weeks or may be even longer.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by excessive anxiety and worry that is persistent for at least 6 months. During this condition a person finds hard to control himself. It is associated with symptoms such as restlessness, apprehension, fatigue, trouble concentrating, irritability, muscle strain, and sleep disorder.

Escitalopram should be administered once daily, in the morning or evening, with or without food. The dosage recommendations for the drug are as follows:

• Adolescents: The suggested dose of Escitalopram is 10 mg once daily. If the dose is increased to 20 mg, this should occur after a minimum of three weeks.
• Adults: The recommended dose of Escitalopram is 10 mg once daily. If the dose is increased to 20 mg, this should occur after a minimum of one week.

It is an established fact that severe episodes of major depressive disorder require several months or longer of continued pharmacological therapy. Nevertheless, the physician who prescribes the use of Escitalopram for extended periods should sporadically re-examine the long-term usefulness of the drug for each individual patient.

The precaution usually advised while prescribing a Escitalopram to a patient is to know if:

• There is history of manic depression, bipolar syndrome or epilepsy
• The patient is suffering from kidney or liver disorders
• The patient is already taking NSAID pain reliever, aspirins, warfarin or any diuretic to prevent drug interaction.
• The patient should avoid alcohol and smoking during the period of medicinal treatment.

The side-effects of administration of Escitalopram are nausea, insomnia, ejaculation disorder, fatigue, drowsiness, increased sweating, urinary tract infections, nasal congestion, increased anxiety, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness and on the whole extreme hyperactivity often leading to suicidal thoughts, impulsivity and violent streaks in behavior. It is ironic to note that a toxic effect of Escitalopram is the production of advanced condition of depression. It is due to the fact that it is an antidepressant in the category of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression or disquiet.