escitalopram vs lithium
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Side-by-side comparison of escitalopram and lithium. 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
Other Serotonergic Drugs Clinical Impact: Concomitant use of escitalopram and other serotonergic drugs (including other SSRIs, SNRIs, triptans, tricyclic antidepressants, opioids, lithium, buspirone, amphetamines, tryptophan, and St.
Lexapro
Lithobid, Eskalith
Escitalopram is a medicine used to treat depression and anxiety. It helps to balance chemicals in your brain.
Lithium is a mood stabilizer medicine. It helps to balance mood swings.
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.
Lithium is used to treat bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and concentration. Lithium helps to control the extreme highs (mania) and lows (depression) of this condition.
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.
Lithium affects the flow of sodium in nerve and muscle cells in the body. This helps to stabilize your mood. It may also affect other chemical messenger systems in the brain.
- • Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- • Problems with ejaculation (mostly delayed ejaculation)
- • Feeling sick to your stomach (nausea)
- • Increased sweating
- • Feeling tired (fatigue)
- • Tremor (shaking)
- • Nausea
- • Increased weight
- • Fatigue (feeling tired)
- • Vomiting
- Fatigue 9,196
- Nausea 9,164
- Headache 7,114
- Diarrhoea 6,709
- Anxiety 6,447
- Toxicity To Various Agents 2,179
- Drug Interaction 1,526
- Tremor 1,462
- Nausea 1,344
- Weight Increased 1,153
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.
Lithium levels in your blood need to be monitored closely by your doctor. Too much lithium can be toxic and cause serious side effects. Make sure to attend all scheduled blood tests.
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.
Lithium can harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Lithium can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing infant. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you are taking lithium.
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How to Read This escitalopram vs lithium Comparison
escitalopram is classified in the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) drug class, while lithium sits within the Mood Stabilizer 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, escitalopram has 38,630 submissions while lithium has 7,664. 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 both of these medicines increase a brain chemical called serotonin, and having too much can cause a serious reaction.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for escitalopram or lithium.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.