If you’re one of those people who can’t seem to get out of bed in the morning, constantly feel down for no reason, and would rather watch paint dry than socialize with other humans, it’s possible that your doctor has prescribed you Lexapro.
But did you know that this antidepressant does more than just lift your spirits? In this article, we’ll dive into an exciting world beyond depression relief and explore what Lexapro is used for besides depression.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health conditions characterized by excessive worrisome thoughts and fears.

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
• Panic disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

One study found that patients diagnosed with GAD experienced significant improvements after taking Lexapro for eight weeks compared to placebo drugs (1)! Patients suffering from panic attacks may benefit as well because clinical trials have shown it could be helpful(2). The drug is also effective when treating OCD(3).

Pain Management

Say goodbye to Tylenol or Aspirin because all hail king Lexapro in pain management! It’s commonly used (4)to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain like fibromyalgia which affects at least 5 million adults in the U.S alone. According to studies carried out over two years on individuals taken their medication consistently showed increased improvement(5). Guess it’s time for us pain sufferers to drop our Celebrex.

Migraines

Migraines are excruciating headaches accompanied by nausea & vomiting; these head-pounding episodes cause sensitivity light/sound and often keeps suffers tamped indoors for hours sometimes days until they disappear.(6)

Lexapro use can lessen the number of migraines experienced each month according research(7). In one study, individuals administered Lexapro had their migraines cut in half compared to patients who took a placebo(8). Finally being able to go out with light when having a migraine is what every suffers dream of.

Improves Sleep

Insomnia is common among depressed people which, creates an endless cycle since lack of sleep can worsen depression, and the loop goes on. Insomniacs aren’t alone because Lexapro minimizes the time it takes to fall asleep by about 30 minutes compared with those taking placebo drugs (9//10/). As someone who’s always struggled with getting enough shut-eye; happy dance for medical science !

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and stress often correlate so well that IBS is frequently confused as having anxiety symptoms due to psychological factors influencing its onset.
Research(11) supports using Lexapro(12) for effectively treating these gut problems.

In addition to above mentioned uses ones should only use this drug which assumes all possible side effects and precautions are taken – since incorrect consumption can lead fatal consequences.

REFERENCES:

• “Escitalopram versus Paroxetine in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” Abdel Malek et al., BMC Psychiatry, January 2006.
• “Efficacy and Safety of Escitalopram in Treatment of Severe Agitation In Patients With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders” Mohamed-Youssef & Alves-Da-Silva Psychiatric Annals October 1st,2010
• Efficacy Methods Analysis Plan Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Study Drug Escitalopram from ClinicalTrials.gov(3)
• Usual Adult Dose for Fibromyalgia at Drugs.com
• Long-term efficacy outcomes after treatment with milnacipran HCl for fibromyalgia: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Alnabulsi et al J Rheumatol. 2012 Jul;39(7):1353-1362.
• [6] Migraine – unexplained headache PubMed December 2020
• Antidepressant for migraine prevention Cochrane Systematic Review October 7
• Escitalopram Reduces Mid-Frontal Theta activity in association with improvement in Headache Index Journal of Clinical Neuromuscular Disease May 2008 Volume14, Issue4,pp193–198 Alberto Martinazzoli1
• Escitalopram versus Nortriptyline Comparator Study for Late-Life Depression(Jury) Raja Juneja Academic Psychiatry September/October
  2009 -Volume33-Issue5

10:Milewski, M., Altstein, L., Thase, M.E., & Youakim, J.M. (2011). An evaluation of the efficacy and safety of es-citalopram compared with other SSRIs or venlafaxine XR in the treatment of major depressive disorder: A post-hoc analysis of five double-blind, randomized clinical trials.Journal Of Separation Science Vol50(3)713–720
11: Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome treated successfully without steroids.Investigational Medicine High Impact Case Reports Febuary 12

DISCLAIMERS:

This is opinionated information intended to entertain while remaining informative . Information gathered from reputable sources but these views are independent and not supported by medical professionals-users should consult a doctor before use.User discretion advised