aripiprazole vs escitalopram
Side-by-side comparison of aripiprazole and escitalopram. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
In addition, no dosage adjustment is necessary for substrates of CYP2D6 (e.g., dextromethorphan, fluoxetine, paroxetine, or venlafaxine), CYP2C9 (e.g., warfarin), CYP2C19 (e.g., omeprazole, warfarin, escitalopram), or CYP3A4 (e.g., dextromethorphan) when co-administered with aripiprazole.
Recommendation: No changes to your medication doses are needed when using these two drugs at the same time.
Abilify
Lexapro
Aripiprazole (Abilify) is a medicine used to treat certain mental disorders and mood problems. It can help to improve your mood, thinking, and behavior.
Escitalopram is a medicine used to treat depression and anxiety. It helps to balance chemicals in your brain.
Aripiprazole is used to treat schizophrenia in adults and teens. It also treats irritability in children with autism. Additionally, it can treat Tourette's disorder.
Escitalopram is used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults and children 12 years and older. It also treats generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults. This medicine can help improve your mood and reduce feelings of worry.
Aripiprazole works by affecting the levels of certain chemicals in the brain. These chemicals, like dopamine and serotonin, can affect mood and behavior. By balancing these chemicals, aripiprazole helps to reduce symptoms of mental health conditions.
Escitalopram is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It works by increasing the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a chemical that helps regulate mood.
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Constipation
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- • Problems with ejaculation (mostly delayed ejaculation)
- • Feeling sick to your stomach (nausea)
- • Increased sweating
- • Feeling tired (fatigue)
- Gaining weight 7,698
- Feeling worried or nervous 4,995
- Feeling tired 4,188
- Thinking about suicide 3,991
- Feeling sad or hopeless 3,952
- Feeling tired 9,199
- Feeling sick to your stomach 9,160
- Head pain 7,114
- Loose stools 6,710
- Feeling worried or nervous 6,446
Aripiprazole may increase the risk of death in elderly patients who have psychosis related to dementia. It is not approved for this use. Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens, and young adults. Watch closely for worsening mood or suicidal thoughts.
Antidepressants can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teenagers, and young adults. Watch closely for worsening depression or suicidal thoughts. Escitalopram is not approved for use in children younger than 7 years old.
If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, talk to your doctor. Aripiprazole may cause withdrawal symptoms or other problems in newborns if taken during the third trimester. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take aripiprazole during pregnancy.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Taking escitalopram during pregnancy, especially later in pregnancy, may cause problems for the newborn. There is a pregnancy registry, call 1-844-405-6185.
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How to Read This aripiprazole vs escitalopram Comparison
aripiprazole is classified in the Atypical Antipsychotic drug class, while escitalopram sits within the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, aripiprazole has 24,824 submissions while escitalopram has 38,629. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to aripiprazole does not affect the levels of escitalopram in your body.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between aripiprazole and escitalopram - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.