Is Escitalopram a drug of choice for social generalized anxiety disorder?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have bipolar disorder. I take tablets Lithium 1350 mg, and Zyprexa 5 mg. My doctor prescribed 50 mg of Zoloft and raised to 75 mg, but I felt no benefits after two months. Recently with the help of a therapist, we found out that I also have a social generalized anxiety disorder and symptoms of OCD. Is Lexapro a good choice for me?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thank you for your query.

In addition to bipolar disorder, you have been found to have social generalized anxiety disorder and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) symptoms as you are already on tablet Zoloft (Sertraline), which is a good choice in treating these conditions. If you do not have any benefits with 75 mg, discuss with your doctor about gradually increasing it further, usually 100 mg once daily. The maximum dose of Zoloft is 200 mg once daily. But still, we need to be cautious with increasing the dosage of Zoloft and other SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) as they can potentially cause manic symptoms. So your doctor will prefer lower doses of SSRIs. Tablet Lexapro (Escitalopram) is from the same family of medications as Zoloft. If tablet Zoloft is not helpful even at higher doses, discuss with your doctor about switching it.

I hope this has helped you. Thank you.