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Escitalopram

Medication SSRI mental health
Aka: Lexapro, Cipralex
Brands seen in Singapore: Lexapro, Lepax, S-Oropram, Cilentra
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Depression, ocd, gad, social anxiety and panic (NHS)
When to take
Once a day · NHS: with or without food
Take with
Water · HealthHub: with or after food
Pros & cons
Pros
  • NHS: once a day, with or without food
  • Tablets, orodispersible tablets and drops exist (NHS)
  • Label ceiling is 20 mg once daily for adults
Cons
  • Prescription-only in SG — all 8 register rows
  • Nausea, poor sleep and sexual side effects (NHS)
  • Heart-rhythm risk — NHS and HealthHub both flag it
Sources
  1. NHS — Escitalopram (common brands: Cipralex), 'What escitalopram is for' (page last reviewed 18 June 2026) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Escitalopram can be used to treat mental health conditions such as: depression … obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) … generalised anxiety disorder … social anxiety disorder … panic disorder … It's a type of antidepressant called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).”
  2. NHS — Escitalopram, 'How to take escitalopram' (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Escitalopram comes as tablets you swallow, tablets you let dissolve in your mouth (orodispersible tablets) or liquid drops. You usually take escitalopram once a day. How much you need to take depends on why you're taking it”
  3. NHS — Escitalopram, administration and 'Food, drink and alcohol with escitalopram' (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “you can take escitalopram with or without food … You can eat and drink normally when taking escitalopram. It's best not to drink alcohol while taking escitalopram as it can increase the risk of side effects”
  4. NHS — Escitalopram, 'Who can and cannot take escitalopram' (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “it may not be suitable if you have: … heart rhythm problems … a bleeding disorder (especially bleeding in the digestive system) … kidney or liver problems … diabetes … epilepsy … glaucoma … had high moods caused by a mental health condition (mania) before”
  5. NHS — Escitalopram, common side effects (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Common side effects of escitalopram include: headaches … feeling sick (nausea) and being sick (vomiting) … sweating … diarrhoea or constipation … problems sleeping … sexual problems, such as low sex drive (loss of libido)”
  6. NHS — Escitalopram, serious side effects (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “a rare but life-threatening condition that causes a fast, irregular heartbeat, light-headedness and fainting (torsades de pointes) … internal bleeding … serotonin syndrome … feeling very low and having suicidal thoughts”
  7. NHS — Escitalopram, 'Taking escitalopram with other medicines, food and drink' (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “antidepressants called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as moclobemide and selegiline … medicines to treat heart rhythm problems … anticoagulants, such as warfarin … NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen … antihistamines … medicines used to treat stomach ulcers … St John's wort”
  8. HealthHub (MOH Singapore) — Escitalopram medication information leaflet, uses section (article last reviewed 25 May 2026) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Escitalopram belongs to a class of medications known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI). It is used to treat symptoms of depression … It may also be used to treat symptoms of anxiety”
  9. HealthHub (MOH Singapore) — Escitalopram leaflet, administration section (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Escitalopram should be taken with or after food … Take your medication according to the instructions stated on the medication label … Do not stop taking or adjust the dose of this medication without checking with your doctor”
  10. HealthHub (MOH Singapore) — Escitalopram leaflet, precautions section (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “You are taking any other medications … supplements such as St John's Wort … You have or have ever had: … Heart, kidney or liver disease … increased eye pressure (glaucoma), low sodium in the blood (hyponatremia) or bleeding problems … bipolar disorder … mania”
  11. HealthHub (MOH Singapore) — Escitalopram leaflet, 'IMPORTANT' box on under-25s (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The following changes have been observed in some patients particularly below the age of 25 years taking this medication: New or worsening thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life … Worsening agitation, restlessness, violent behaviour”
  12. HealthHub (MOH Singapore) — Escitalopram leaflet, food and medication interactions section (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Escitalopram as it can worsen the symptoms of your depression and cause excessive sleepiness.”
  13. HealthHub (MOH Singapore) — Escitalopram leaflet, rare but serious side-effects section (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Fast or irregular heartbeat, fainting episodes (signs and symptoms of an abnormal heart beating rhythm (e.g. prolonged QTc interval)) … Unusual bruising or bleeding … signs and symptoms of serotonin syndrome”
  14. DailyMed / FDA prescribing information (SPL) — Lexapro (escitalopram) tablets, Allergan Inc., Dosage and Administration; label effective 1 Oct 2023, retrieved via the openFDA drug-label API · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “dosage may be increased to the maximum recommended dosage of 20 mg once daily at an interval of no less than 1 week … The recommended dosage for most elderly patients and patients with hepatic impairment is 10 mg once daily”
  15. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg open dataset d_767279312753558cbf19d48344577084, full 5,511-row dump pulled 27 Aug 26 and filtered locally; 8 escitalopram rows) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “LEXAPRO TABLET 5 mg (Prescription Only); LEXAPRO TABLET 20 mg (Prescription Only); Lepax Film-Coated Tablet 10mg (Prescription Only); S-OROPRAM FC TABLET 10MG (Prescription Only); CILENTRA 10 ESCITALOPRAM OXALATE TABLET USP 10MG (Prescription Only)”
  16. HSA — forensic classification definitions used by the register (Prescription Only Medicine / Pharmacy Only / General Sale List) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Prescription-Only Medicine (POM): … can only be obtained from a doctor or from a pharmacist with a valid prescription”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.