Lexapro is an antidepressant that is a member of the family of medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Lexapro helps to restore the brain's chemical balance by increasing the available supply of serotonin, a substance
in the brain believed to influence mood.
How Does Lexapro Work?
Lexapro is the newest member of the family of antidepressant medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Lexapro helps to restore the brain's chemical balance by increasing the available supply of serotonin, a substance in the brain believed to influence mood.
Evidence suggests an imbalance of serotonin, a chemical messenger in the brain, is an important factor in the development and severity of depressive symptoms, such as sad mood, fatigue, lack of pleasure, etc.
Lexapro appears to work by increasing the available supply of serotonin. Here's how:
- The chemical messenger serotonin is released from one nerve cell and passed to the next.
- Lexapro blocks the reabsorption of serotonin by the first nerve cell. This increases the amount of serotonin available for the next nerve cell.
- In depression, too much serotonin is reabsorbed by the first nerve cell. This decreases the amount of serotonin available for the next nerve cell.
- By correcting the imbalance of the supply of serotonin, LEXAPRO improves symptoms of depression.
Because LEXAPRO appears to relieve depression by increasing serotonin levels with minimal effect on many of the other chemicals in the brain, it may cause relatively few and mild side effects, which generally tend to go away with continued treatment.
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