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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Eternalcreative/istockphotoThis article was reviewed by Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD.If you’ve been diagnosed with major depressive disorder or a form of anxiety, your mental health provider may prescribe the medication Lexapro.Lexapro is an antidepressant that can improve your mood and make symptoms of depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other mental health issues less severe, helping you to focus on recovery and enjoy a higher quality of life.Many antidepressants are associated with changes in weight, and Lexapro is no exception. For some people, Lexapro can cause weight loss, while for others, it may cause an increase in food intake and weight gain.Below, we’ve covered what Lexapro is, as well as why your mental health provider may suggest using this medication.We’ve also looked at the potential links between Lexapro and weight loss, weight gain and other changes in your appetite, eating habits and body composition.Finally, we’ve explained how you can maintain a stable, healthy weight while you take Lexapro or similar antidepressant medications.What Is Lexapro?Lexapro, which contains the active ingredient escitalopram, is an antidepressant that belongs to a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It’s available as a brand name medication and in generic form as escitalopram.Currently, Lexapro is approved by the FDA as a treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults.Like many other medications, Lexapro is also used off-label (i.e., for non-FDA-approved uses) to treat other conditions, includingsocial anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.It’s also used to treat some vasomotor symptoms (i.e., symptoms caused by fluctuations in the diameter of the blood vessels) that can develop during menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats and changes in blood pressure levels.Your mental health provider may recommend using Lexapro if you’ve been diagnosed with any of the conditions
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