Lexapro Dosage/Direction for Use

Safety of daily doses above 20 mg has not been demonstrated.
Lexapro is administered as a single daily dose and may be taken with or without food.
Major depressive episodes: Usual dosage is 10 mg once daily. Depending on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to a maximum of 20 mg daily.
Usually 2-4 weeks are necessary to obtain antidepressant response. After the symptoms resolve, treatment for at least 6 months is required for consolidation of the response.
Panic disorder with or without agoraphobia: An initial dose of 5 mg is recommended for the first week before increasing the dose to 10 mg daily. The dose may be further increased, up to a maximum of 20 mg daily, dependent on individual patient response.
Maximum effectiveness is reached after about 3 months. The treatment lasts several months.
Social anxiety disorder: Usual dosage is 10 mg once daily. Depending on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to a maximum of 20 mg daily.
Usually 2-4 weeks are necessary to obtain symptom relief. Treatment for 3 months is recommended to consolidate response. Long-term treatment of responders for 6 months has been shown to prevent relapse and can be considered on an individual basis; treatment benefits should be re-evaluated at regular intervals.
Generalised anxiety disorder: Usual dosage is 10 mg once daily. Depending on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to a maximum of 20 mg daily.
Treatment for 3 months is recommended to consolidate response. Long-term treatment of responders for 6 months has been shown to prevent relapse and can be considered on an individual basis; treatment benefits should be re-evaluated at regular intervals.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): Usual dosage is 10 mg once daily. Depending on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to 20 mg daily.
Long-term treatment of patients responding to a 16-week open treatment phase has been studied for at least 24 weeks in patients receiving 10 or 20 mg/day. As OCD is a chronic disease, patients should be treated for a sufficient period to ensure that they are symptom free. This period may be several months or even longer.
Elderly patients (>65 years of age): Initial treatment with half the usually recommended dose and a lower maximum dose should be considered (see Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics under Actions).
Children and adolescents (<18 years): Lexapro should not be used in the treatment of children and adolescents under the age of 18 years, see Precautions.
Reduced renal function: Dosage adjustment is not necessary in patients with mild or moderate renal impairment. Caution is advised in patients with severely reduced renal function (CL_CR less than 30 ml/min) (see Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics under Actions).
Reduced hepatic function: An initial dose of 5 mg daily for the first two weeks of treatment is recommended. Depending on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to 10 mg daily (see Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics under Actions).
Poor metabolisers of CYP2C19: For patients who are known to be poor metabolisers with respect to CYP2C19, an initial dose of 5 mg daily during the first two weeks of treatment is recommended. Depending on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to 10 mg daily (see Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics under Actions).
Discontinuation symptoms: When stopping treatment with Lexapro, the dose should be gradually reduced over a period of at least one to two weeks in order to avoid possible discontinuation symptoms (see Precautions and Adverse Reactions).