LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Lexapro: Taking Lexapro
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Do not use Lexapro if you are taking the related drug Celexa. Be sure to avoid MAO inhibitors when taking Lexapro. Although Lexapro does not interact with alcohol, the manufacturer recommends avoiding alcoholic beverages. If Lexapro is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Lexapro with the following: Carbamazepine (Tegretol); Cimetidine (Tagamet); Desipramine (Norpramin); Drugs that act on the brain, including antidepressants, painkillers, sedatives, and tranquilizers; Ketoconazole (Nizoral); Lithium (Eskalith); Metoprolol (Lopressor); Narcotic painkillers and Sumatriptan (Imitrex).
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Taking Lexapro with MAOIs may cause a serious reaction with a sudden increase in body temperature, extremely high blood pressure and severe convulsions. Your doctor will know when it is safe to start Lexapro after the MAOI has been stopped.
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Do not take Lexapro for 2 weeks before or after taking any drug classified as an MAO inhibitor. Drugs in this category include the antidepressants Marplan, Nardil, and Parnate. Combining these drugs with Lexapro can cause serious and even fatal reactions marked by such symptoms as fever, rigidity, twitching, and agitation leading to delirium and coma.
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Lexapro is well tolerated by most people. The most commonly reported side effects of Lexapro are nausea, insomnia, problems with ejaculation, drowsiness, increased sweating, and fatigue. Most of the side effects experienced by patients taking Lexapro are mild and go away with continued treatment, and usually do not cause patients to stop taking Lexapro.
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Before taking Lexapro, tell your doctor if you have liver disease, have kidney disease, suffer from seizures, or suffer from mania or have suicidal thoughts. You may not be able to take Lexapro, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above. Lexapro should not be taken during treatment with citalopram (Celexa). Also, if you have had an allergic reaction to citalopram (Celexa), you may ... have an allergic reaction to Lexapro. Do not take Lexapro without first talking to your doctor if you have had an allergic reaction to either medication in the past. Lexapro is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether Lexapro it will be harmful to an unborn baby.
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Lexapro can cause serious side effects. Only you can decide if this drug medication is the best means of treating depression symptoms. It is important for people currently taking antidepressants to discuss side effect concerns with their physician.
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Taking Lexapro