Escitalopram (Oral Route)

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Before Using

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of escitalopram in children and teenagers with depression 12 years of age and older. However, safety and efficacy have not been established in children less than 12 years of age.

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of escitalopram in children with generalized anxiety disorder. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of escitalopram in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related liver problems, which may require an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving escitalopram.

Pregnancy

Breastfeeding

Studies in women breastfeeding have demonstrated harmful infant effects. An alternative to this medication should be prescribed or you should stop breastfeeding while using this medicine.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

• Clorgyline
• Furazolidone
• Isocarboxazid
• Lazabemide
• Linezolid
• Methylene Blue
• Metoclopramide
• Moclobemide
• Phenelzine
• Selegiline
• Tranylcypromine

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Abciximab
• Aceclofenac
• Acemetacin
• Acenocoumarol
• Alclofenac
• Almotriptan
• Ancrod
• Anisindione
• Antithrombin III Human
• Apazone
• Ardeparin
• Aspirin
• Benoxaprofen
• Bivalirudin
• Bromfenac
• Bufexamac
• Carprofen
• Certoparin
• Cilostazol
• Citalopram
• Clometacin
• Clonixin
• Clopidogrel
• Dalteparin
• Danaparoid
• Defibrotide
• Dermatan Sulfate
• Desirudin
• Desvenlafaxine
• Dexketoprofen
• Dextromethorphan
• Diclofenac
• Dicumarol
• Diflunisal
• Dipyridamole
• Dipyrone
• Droxicam
• Duloxetine
• Eletriptan
• Enoxaparin
• Eptifibatide
• Escitalopram
• Etodolac
• Etofenamate
• Felbinac
• Fenbufen
• Fenoprofen
• Fentiazac
• Floctafenine
• Flufenamic Acid
• Fluoxetine
• Flurbiprofen
• Fluvoxamine
• Fondaparinux
• Frovatriptan
• Heparin
• Ibuprofen
• Indomethacin
• Indoprofen
• Isoxicam
• Ketoprofen
• Ketorolac
• Lornoxicam
• Magnesium Salicylate
• Meclofenamate
• Mefenamic Acid
• Meloxicam
• Milnacipran
• Nabumetone
• Nadroparin
• Naproxen
• Naratriptan
• Nepafenac
• Niflumic Acid
• Nimesulide
• Oxaprozin
• Oxycodone
• Oxyphenbutazone
• Parnaparin
• Paroxetine
• Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium
• Phenindione
• Phenprocoumon
• Phenylbutazone
• Pirazolac
• Piroxicam
• Pirprofen
• Prasugrel
• Propyphenazone
• Proquazone
• Rasagiline
• Reviparin
• Rizatriptan
• Salicylic Acid
• Salsalate
• Sertraline
• Sibutramine
• St John's Wort
• Sulindac
• Sumatriptan
• Suprofen
• Tapentadol
• Tenidap
• Tenoxicam
• Tiaprofenic Acid
• Ticlopidine
• Tinzaparin
• Tirofiban
• Tolmetin
• Tramadol
• Vilazodone
• Warfarin
• Zolmitriptan
• Zomepirac

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Cimetidine
• Cyclobenzaprine
• Desipramine
• Ginkgo
• Hydrocodone
• Ketoconazole
• Lamotrigine
• Lithium
• Metoprolol
• Telaprevir

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Bipolar disorder (mental disease with cycles of elation and depression), history of or
• Bleeding problems or
• Hyponatremia (low sodium in the blood) or
• Seizures, history of—May make these conditions worse.

• Diseases affecting metabolism or diseases involving blood circulation—Caution should be used in patients with these medical problems.

• Drug abuse, history of—Potential for increased dependence on medicine.

• Heart disease (unstable) or
• Myocardial infarction (heart attack), recent history of—The effects of escitalopram in patients with these conditions are not known.

• Kidney disease, severe or
• Liver disease—Use with caution. The effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.

• Mania or hypomania, history of—Use of escitalopram may activate these conditions.

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