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Escitalopram (Lexapro)

SSRIprescriptionoral · inferred

S-enantiomer of citalopram and the most selective SSRI. Clean pharmacological profile with fewer drug interactions than most SSRIs.

Projected serum levels — 10 mg, once daily

Escitalopram (Lexapro)
Escitalopram (Lexapro) modeled serum levels, 10 mg once daily over 15 days Population-based pharmacokinetic estimate. Steady state reached after approximately 4 days. 0 5 10 15 20 Day 0 Day 4 Day 8 Day 11 Day 15 Time on a regular schedule ≈ steady state · day 4
Escitalopram (Lexapro) modeled serum levels with a loading dose of 23.8 mg, then 10 mg once daily The first dose is larger so levels approach steady state faster. 0 5 10 15 20 Day 0 Day 4 Day 8 Day 11 Day 15 Time on a regular schedule

Maintenance schedule: 10 mg once daily (oral).

Loading schedule: 23.8 mg on day 1, then 10 mg once daily — reaching therapeutic levels sooner.

Modeled steady state after ~4 days: peak ≈ 16.8 mg, trough ≈ 10.8 mg body load. Population-based estimate over 15 days for a 10 mg dose at a 70 kg reference body mass — the interactive app scales curves to your doses, timing, and body mass.

Key facts

Category
SSRI
Route modeled
Oral
Model confidence
inferred
Half-life
30 h
Common dose
10 mg
Suggested maximum
20 mg/day
Reference dose range
5–20 mg (single dose)
Suggested cadence
once daily
Validated against
20 mg oral — Cmax 0.021 mg/L at 5 h

Documented interactions

  • danger
    1P-LSD (1-Propionyl-LSD) + Escitalopram (Lexapro) Serotonin risk

    1P-LSD (1-Propionyl-LSD) and Escitalopram (Lexapro) both have serotonergic activity. Risk of serotonin syndrome (hyperthermia, rigidity, autonomic instability, altered mental status).

  • danger
    25I-NBOMe + Escitalopram (Lexapro) Serotonin risk

    25I-NBOMe and Escitalopram (Lexapro) both have serotonergic activity. Risk of serotonin syndrome (hyperthermia, rigidity, autonomic instability, altered mental status).

  • danger
    2C-I (2,5-Dimethoxy-4-iodophenethylamine) + Escitalopram (Lexapro) Serotonin risk

    2C-I (2,5-Dimethoxy-4-iodophenethylamine) and Escitalopram (Lexapro) both have serotonergic activity. Risk of serotonin syndrome (hyperthermia, rigidity, autonomic instability, altered mental status).

  • danger
    2C-B (4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine) + Escitalopram (Lexapro) Serotonin risk

    2C-B (4-Bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine) and Escitalopram (Lexapro) both have serotonergic activity. Risk of serotonin syndrome (hyperthermia, rigidity, autonomic instability, altered mental…

  • danger
    4-AcO-DMT (Psilacetin) + Escitalopram (Lexapro) Serotonin risk

    4-AcO-DMT (Psilacetin) and Escitalopram (Lexapro) both have serotonergic activity. Risk of serotonin syndrome (hyperthermia, rigidity, autonomic instability, altered mental status).

  • danger
    5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) + Escitalopram (Lexapro) Contraindicated

    Combining 5-HTP with SSRIs can cause serotonin syndrome.

Serum checks 205 modeled interaction pairings for escitalopram (lexapro) across your whole stack — absorption conflicts, enzyme inhibition, and nutrient depletion included.

Research behind this entry

  1. Escitalopram in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, flexible-dose study Davidson JR et al. · Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 2004 DOI

    RCT found escitalopram (10-20 mg/day) significantly reduced anxiety symptoms by week 1 and achieved robust efficacy for generalized anxiety disorder over 8 weeks.

  2. Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs for the acute treatment of adults with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis Cipriani A et al. · Lancet, 2018 DOI

    Landmark network meta-analysis of 522 trials ranked escitalopram as one of the most effective and acceptable antidepressants, with the best balance of efficacy and tolerability.

2 published studies referenced in the app, each with a plain-language summary.