Lexapro Dosages: Your GoodRx Guide
Key takeaways:
Lexapro (escitalopram) is a prescription medication that’s FDA-approved to treat anxiety and depression. The recommended starting dosage for adults and children is 10 mg by mouth once daily.
Your prescriber may raise your Lexapro dose if needed. But adults should wait at least 1 week after starting Lexapro before this happens. And children need at least 2 to 3 weeks before raising their dose. The maximum recommended Lexapro dosage is 20 mg per day.
Lexapro is available as a lower-cost generic. You can find it for as low as $9.51 at certain pharmacies with a free GoodRx discount.
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Table of contents
Lexapro (escitalopram) is a prescription medication that’s approved to treat certain mental health conditions. It belongs to a class of medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs work by raising serotonin levels in the brain.
Lexapro is available in two different dosage forms. It comes in 5 mg, 10mg, and 20 mg tablets, as well as an oral solution that contains 5 mg of Lexapro per 5 mL (1 teaspoonful).
Here, we’ll look at the FDA-approved Lexapro dosages for adults and children. But keep in mind that your prescriber may suggest a different dosage than described below based on your specific medical needs. It’s important to follow your prescriber’s instructions when taking Lexapro.
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What’s the typical Lexapro dosage for adults?
The typical Lexapro dosage depends on your age and what condition you’re treating. Your other medical conditions could also play a role in your dose.
You should take Lexapro around the same time every day, and you can take it with or without food. Sometimes you can manage Lexapro side effects with when and how you take it. For example, if Lexapro makes you drowsy, taking it at night may lessen this side effect during the day. Or, if Lexapro upsets your stomach, take it with food.
Don’t stop taking Lexapro all at once — stopping it too fast can cause withdrawal symptoms. If you’d like to stop taking Lexapro, talk to your healthcare team first. They can give you directions to slowly lower your dose and stop taking it safely.
Lexapro is FDA approved to treat both major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder in adults.
Major depressive disorder
Lexapro is a first-choice medication to treat the symptoms of depression.
The recommended Lexapro dosage for adults living with depression starts at 10 mg once a day. After 1 week, your prescriber may raise your dose based on your response. The maximum recommended dose is 20 mg daily.
Generalized anxiety disorder
The recommended Lexapro dosage for adults living with anxiety is 10 mg once a day. If your anxiety symptoms haven’t improved after 1 week, your prescriber may decide to raise it to up to 20 mg once a day. Lexapro dosages over 20 mg daily aren’t recommended.
What’s the typical Lexapro dosage for children?
Lexapro is FDA approved to treat depression in adolescents 12 to 17 years of age. It’s also approved for anxiety in children ages 7 and older.
The same general guidelines apply to children and adolescents taking Lexapro. You should take it around the same time every day, either with or without food. And you shouldn’t stop taking it all at once. Your healthcare team can give you a safe way to lower your dose over time to stop taking Lexapro safely if it’s appropriate.
Major depressive disorder
The approved Lexapro dosage for adolescents living with depression is 10 mg once a day. Your prescriber may raise the dose if needed, but this should happen at least 3 weeks after starting Lexapro. Your prescriber will let you know if and when it’s safe to try a higher dose. The maximum recommended dose is 20 mg once daily.
Generalized anxiety disorder
The Lexapro dosage for anxiety in children ages 7 and older starts at 10 mg once daily. After 2 weeks, your prescriber may raise the dose to 20 mg daily if your child’s symptoms haven’t improved. Doses over 20 mg daily aren’t recommended.
Are there any dosage adjustments for medical conditions?
If you have certain medical conditions, you may need a different dosage of Lexapro. Remember that sometimes you may take a different dose of Lexapro than what’s mentioned here. Your prescriber will consider your age and health conditions to determine the best dose of Lexapro for you.
Dosage for people with kidney problems
Your body gets rid of Lexapro through your kidneys. For most people with mild or moderate kidney problems, Lexapro is still OK to take. But if you have severe kidney problems, you may need to avoid taking Lexapro.
Dosage for people with liver problems
Your liver helps break down Lexapro and remove it from your body. Liver problems can slow down this process, which can raise Lexapro levels in your body. If you have liver issues, you can still take Lexapro. But more than 10 mg per day isn’t recommended.
Dosage for people 65 years and older
Older bodies don’t clear Lexapro as quickly and seem to be more sensitive to Lexapro side effects. It’s fine to take Lexapro if you’re aged 65 or over. But the suggested dose is 10 mg once a day — higher doses aren’t recommended.
What happens if you miss a dose of Lexapro?
If you miss a dose of Lexapro, take it as soon as you remember. But if it’s almost time to take your next dose, you should skip the missed dose and take the next one as scheduled. Don’t take two doses at the same time.
If you miss more than one dose of Lexapro, talk to your prescriber or pharmacist about how to get back on schedule safely. This may also be a sign that you need extra help remembering to take your medication. A medication reminder app for your phone can be a useful tool if you’re having trouble.
What should you do if you take too much Lexapro?
If you take an extra dose of Lexapro by mistake, it’s unlikely to cause serious problems. But you may experience more side effects, like insomnia, nausea, or diarrhea. Talk to your healthcare team if you’re having symptoms — they’ll tell you how best to manage them.
Taking large doses of Lexapro can cause dangerous side effects. This includes serotonin syndrome, a condition that happens when serotonin levels in your brain are too high. Symptoms can include confusion, agitation, or a fast heart rate. Too much Lexapro can also cause irregular heartbeats and changes to your blood pressure, which can be fatal if not treated.
If you or a loved one takes too much Lexapro, it’s best to contact your prescriber right away or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. They may recommend emergency care based on the symptoms you’re experiencing.
How to save on Lexapro
There are ways to save on Lexapro, which is available as both a brand-name and generic medication. GoodRx can help you save over 95% off the average retail price of the generic version. Generic Lexapro’s price at certain pharmacies is as low as $9.51 with a free GoodRx discount.
The bottom line
Lexapro (escitalopram) is a prescription medication approved to treat depression in adults and adolescents ages 12 and older. It’s also approved for anxiety in adults and children ages 7 and older. The typical Lexapro dosage starts at 10 mg by mouth once daily. But you may need to take up to 20 mg daily if the 10 mg dose doesn’t help your symptoms. Lexapro dosages over 20 mg daily aren’t recommended. You and your healthcare team can work together to find the best Lexapro dosage for you.
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References
Allergan. (2023). Lexapro [package insert].
Koshy, P., et al. (2023). T-wave inversion after Escitalopram overdose: A case report. Cureus.
Landy, K., et al. (2022). Escitalopram. StatPearls.
MedlinePlus. (2023). Escitalopram.
Mullish, B. H., et al. (2014). Review article: Depression and the use of antidepressants in patients with chronic liver disease or liver transplantation. Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
PharmGKB. (2023). Annotation of FDA label for Escitalopram and CYP2C19.
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