Escitalopram What is it, what is the use and side effects

Escitalopram is a medication used in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. ¿You know how Escitalopram acts in the body? In this Psychology-online article, we will talk about that substance, its mechanism of action and its effects. Keep reading to know What is the Escitalopram, what is it for and the side effects.

1. What is the Escitalopram
2. What is the Escitalopram for
3. What are the side effects of Escitalopram?

What is the Escitalopram

Escitalopram is one of the most recent medications used in the treatment of depression. It's about a Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRs).

It is a medication that acts on the serotonergic system in the individual's brain increasing the level of serotonin. That means that the use of this medicine Increase the amount of serotonin Available in the body and thus exert its effects on the regulation of humor.

Alterations of the serotonergic system are considered an important factor in the development of depression and related diseases. In the following article, we talk about the relationship between serotonin and depression.

The escitalopram, in addition to being used in treatment, is also used to prevention of depression relapse.

According to studies, antidepressant drugs continue to be effective in treatments. Even when they are associated with psychotherapy, the success of treatment increases even more.

In case you ask yourself when the effects of the Escitalopram begin to notice and how to know if the Escitalopram is taking effect, we recommend you consult the following article:

• Why antidepressants take effect
• How to know if the antidepressant works

What is the Escitalopram for

Escitalopram is indicated for the treatment of depression and anxiety. We will understand a little more about them to understand what Escitalopram feels and why it is used.

Depression

Depression (major depressive episodes) is a disorder that alters the individual's mood, with symptoms of sadness, loss of interest, anger, frustration, negative thoughts are predominant. Major depressive episodes refer that symptoms interfere with a long period of time in the individual's life.

Anxiety disorders

The anguish disorder, also appointed as panic disorder, is a type of anxiety disorder in which the individual has strong concern in suffering a crisis of anguish, that is, in the crisis the person feels an intense and abrupt fear and malaise accompanied of various symptoms, such as, fear of dying or fear of losing control.

In the same way that agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder, that refers to a fear or anxiety in seeing in situations or places that there is no way to escape, where there will be no help available if the person feels intense anxiety.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is a disorder in which the individual suffers anxiety, insecurity, shame for fear of the opinion of others. In daily interactions, either in school, at work, or in other situations, the individual suffers from presenting the symptoms said above and ends up having his affected life.

Generalized anxiety disorder

In generalized anxiety disorder the individual seems to have a constant, persistent and intense concern for certain issues. It is a disproportionate reaction, thoughts are recurring and there is a difficulty in dealing with uncertainty situations.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

The obsessive-compulsive disorder refers to the presentation of insistent and recurring thoughts by the individual, these thoughts are obsessive, that is, the person fails not to think about it, and therefore, they generate anxiety. There is also the presence of rituals, which are certain behaviors that are repeated compulsively. The individual performs them with the intuit of recipienting his anxiety.

What are the side effects of Escitalopram?

As a large part of medicines, the use of Escitalopram can lead to some side effects, although not all people suffer the effects and generally those may disappear in a few weeks of use. Attention should also be paid when using the medication combined with another. The doctor should be notified in case the individual uses other medications, since the interaction of the escitalopram with another remedy can cause some adverse reaction. For all these reasons, it is extremely important to say that the side effects must be communicated to the doctor and, in certain cases, the hospital must be used immediately. Let's quote The side effects that can occur with the use of Escitalopram:

• Nausea
• Headache
• Nasal mucus (sinusitis)
• Decrease or increase in appetite
• Anxiety
• Agitation
• Nervousness
• Difficulty getting to sleep
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Tremors
• Sudden muscle contractions
• Unusual bleeding
• High fever
• Swelling (skin, tongue, lips, face, swallowing)
• Picor on the skin
• Dry Boca
• Difficulty urinating
• Diarrhea
• Threw up
• Constipation
• Seizures
• Yellowish skin
• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• Thoughts of injuring or committing suicide
• Increase in sweating
• Muscle and joint pain
• Increase or reduction of weight
• Sexual alterations (erection problems)
• Hallucinations
• Mania

Whenever you are using any medication and feel side effects, talk to your doctor or mental health professional, it is important that they know to be able to adjust the dose to reduce the effects, in addition to effectively administering the treatment.

This article is merely informative, in psychology-online we have no power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Escitalopram: What is it, what is the use and side effects, We recommend that you enter our category of Psychopharmaceuticals.