Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking escitalopram as follows:
- Escitalopram takes some time to fairly balance the chemicals in the brain, before any improvement in mood and behavior are noted. It could take about 3 – 6 weeks to see this change in mood. So, do not discontinue taking the medication without consulting your physician, as you failed to see the improvement with depressive symptoms immediately after taking the medication.
- Escitalopram use can sometimes increase the risk for deterioration and worsening of clinical symptoms of mood disorders. Continue taking escitalopram, as recommended, even if your mood feels better. Discontinuing the medication abruptly, without your physician’s recommendation, can result in disruption of chemical balance in the brain, resulting in worsening of mood disorder and severe withdrawal symptoms. During withdrawal, individuals can present with complaints such as, feeling low, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, gross appetite changes, impulsiveness, agitation, aggression, hallucinations, mania, and suicidal thoughts. Report any deterioration of symptoms of mood disorder and withdrawal symptoms immediately to your physician, so that, a dose change or change in plan of care could be considered.
- As the balance between the chemicals in the brain has to be finely regulated to help relieve the anxiety and depressive symptoms and experience feelings of well-being, the dose of escitalopram also needs to be finely regulated, in order to accomplish this goal. Your physician could change the dose of escitalopram, based on the response and side-effects developed. Maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments and be accommodative to the plan of dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
- Notify your doctor of any unresolved and worsening anxiety and depressive symptoms or continuing unpleasant side-effects, so that, your dosage on the medication could be revised.
- If you miss a dose, try taking it at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the dose scheduled. Do not take an extra dose to try making up for the missed dose. Notify your doctor and other health care personnel regarding your dose noncompliance.
