escitalopram vs fluvoxamine
Side-by-side comparison of escitalopram and fluvoxamine Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
Lexapro
Luvox
Escitalopram is a medicine used to treat depression and anxiety. It helps to balance chemicals in your brain.
Fluvoxamine is a medicine that can help treat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). It belongs to a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
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.
Fluvoxamine is used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD involves having constant, unwanted thoughts or behaviors that you feel the need to repeat. These thoughts or actions can cause you distress and interfere with your daily life.
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.
Fluvoxamine works by increasing the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a chemical that helps regulate mood. By increasing serotonin, fluvoxamine can help reduce the symptoms of OCD.
- • Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- • Problems with ejaculation (mostly delayed ejaculation)
- • Feeling sick to your stomach (nausea)
- • Increased sweating
- • Feeling tired (fatigue)
- • Abnormal ejaculation
- • Loss of appetite
- • Problems having an orgasm
- • Weakness
- • Diarrhea
- Feeling tired 9,199
- Feeling sick to your stomach 9,160
- Medicine not working 8,597
- Head pain 7,114
- Loose stools 6,710
- This medicine is interacting with another medicine 215
- This medicine is not working 135
- Feeling sick to your stomach 117
- Sleepiness 114
- Feeling worried or nervous 103
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.
Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions in children, teenagers, and young adults. Tell your doctor right away if you have any sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings, especially if they are new, get worse, or worry you. Watch for suicidal thoughts or actions. Families and caregivers should also be aware of these risks.
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.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Fluvoxamine may cause problems for the baby if taken during pregnancy. Fluvoxamine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby.
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How to Read This escitalopram vs fluvoxamine Comparison
escitalopram is classified in the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) drug class, while fluvoxamine sits within the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) class. Because both drugs share the same classification, they are often considered interchangeable in theory — but clinical outcomes rarely track that cleanly. 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, escitalopram has 40,780 submissions while fluvoxamine has 684. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume — not per-patient risk — so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. 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 escitalopram and fluvoxamine — 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.