Monday, November 5, 2012

Lexapro Approved for Adolescent Depression

 Without going into my whole story about this drug and the events that lead me up to the point of taking it, I will just say my piece about it and move on. At the risk of sounding cliche, it is a miracle drug. It completely changed my life, for the better. I really cant even begin to say all the specific things it helped me change about myself. I'm not normally the type of person who will get on the Internet and give kudos to a product of any kind, but with this I am. Look into it!
The Forest Laboratories antidepressant Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate) has been approved to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) in people aged 12 to 17, the company said Friday in a news release.

Some 2 million teens in the United States have had a bout of MDD in the past year, the company said.

Approved for adults in 2002, Lexapro is among a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It was evaluated in treating adolescent depression in two placebo-controlled studies, the news release said.

According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Justice Department last month filed a complaint against Forest, alleging that the drug maker had inappropriately promoted Lexapro for use by children. Forest has denied the complaint's allegations, the wire service said.

Lexapro and similar antidepressants include an FDA "black-box" label warning stating they show an increased risk compared to a non-medicinal placebo of "suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults in short-term studies of major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders."

The warning advises that anyone considering the use of Lexapro or any other antidepressant in a child, adolescent, or young adult "must balance this risk with the clinical need."
I'm a 33 YO female, and this is my first time being on any kind of anti-depressant. I've been on Lexapro 10mg for about a month now. I noticed an immediate increase in energy, and even felt a little jittery. The doctor said it typically takes 2-3 weeks for it to fully kick in, but some people notice a change within 24-48 hours, which was me. I have decreased appetite and a lot of foods upset my stomach, so I'm eating less as well. Subsequently, I've lost some weight (which I like since I need to lose some!) I feel like doing things again and actually have some sort of sex drive, which had been completely absent for a while with the depression. I'm sleeping better, and it's easier to get out of bed. So far, so good.

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