Most people suffer from several disorders such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, and many others. To treat these mental conditions people use various medications. Among those two common medications are Lexapro and Adderall. Lexapro helps to get relief from anxiety, depression, etc. On the other hand, Adderall is to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Narcolepsy. Both treat mental health conditions but they differ from each other. So, we are discussing a Lexapro vs Adderall comparison and analyzing them briefly in this blog!
Comparison: Lexapro and Adderall
Here are some differences between Lexapro and Adderall drugs.
What is Lexapro?
Lexapro is a brand-name medicine that falls under the family of antidepressant medicines. This branded medicine contains escitalopram oxalate as a generic variant. This generic drug falls in the category of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Lexapro drug belongs to the Schedule IV Controlled Substances Act. This drug is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating certain mood and mental disorders like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This disorder is a psychological disorder that can be caused by emotions, thinking patterns, behavioral problems, etc.
Lexapro medicine is also used to treat many off-label problems like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), insomnia, etc. These disorders can be treated by several other medicinal compounds such as Paxil (paroxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Prozac (fluoxetine), and many more.
What is Adderall?
Adderall is a brand-name medication for the combination of two generic variants dextroamphetamine and amphetamine. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this drug for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in individuals. ADHD disorder can cause unusual hyperactivity levels and impulsive behavior.
It is a prescription-only drug and belongs to the CNS stimulant drug class which can be used to treat ADHD conditions. This drug is categorized as a Schedule II medicine by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Function: Lexapro vs Adderall
Lexapro medicine helps to increase the level of serotonin chemicals by the nerves in the brain. Serotonin is a chemical compound that acts by helping to carry information between nerve cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the central nervous system (CNS) of the brain
The Adderall medication acts by balancing the level of dopamine and norepinephrine (neurotransmitters) in the brain and can help ignore distractions, pay attention, and control impulsive behaviors in patients. It helps by increasing the amount of the neurotransmitters to help better ADHD conditions.
Dosage Strengths and Forms
Lexapro comes in two different forms one is an oral tablet and the second is an oral solution form. The dosage strength is as follows:
Oral Tablet Form
Oral Solution Form
- 1 mg/ml
2) Adderall medicine is available in two forms such as immediate-release tablet and extended-release capsule form. The dosage forms of Adderall medicine along with strengths are:
Immediate-Release Tablet Form
- Adderall 5 mg
- Adderall 7.5 mg
- Adderall 10 mg
- Adderall 12.5 mg
- Adderall 15 mg
- Adderall 20 mg
- Adderall 30 mg
Extended-Release Capsule Form
- Adderall XR 5 mg
- Adderall XR 10 mg
- Adderall XR 15 mg
- Adderall XR 20 mg
- Adderall XR 25mg
- Adderall XR 30 mg
Half-Life
Lexapro Medicine half-life is considered to be 27-32 hours.
Adderall to get affects up to 9 to 14 hours in the healthy patient’s body.
Uses: Lexapro vs Adderall
Lexapro drug is used to treat several other psychological problems which include depression, major depressive disorder (MDD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). All of these health problems can be treated with many other medicines, including Lexapro. It is also used for various other off-label medical problems which are obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), insomnia, and many other complications
Adderall medicine is used for the treatment of daytime sleeping disorder (called narcolepsy) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children (who are older than 4 years). This drug is a higher effective medicine, which helps patients to get relief from the symptoms of ADHD and narcolepsy.
Side Effects of Both Drugs
Here is a list of some mild to severe side effects that are associated with Lexapro and Adderall medicines.
Lexapro
- Abdominal pain
- Headache
- Confusion
- Slurred speech
- Sweating
- Vomiting
- Loss of coordination
- Lightheaded feeling
- Abnormal bleeding
- Allergic reactions
- Unusual dreams
- Chest pain
- Decreased concentration
- Swelling in the eye
- Heartburn
- Unusual risk-taking behavior
- Severe weakness
- Changes in heartbeat
- Muscles stiffness
- Fever
- Tremors
Adderall
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Agitation
- Blurred vision
- Insomnia
- Dry mouth
- Constipation
- Stomach pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Unpleasant taste in the mouth
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Increased blood pressure
- Increased heart rate
- Palpitations
- Tremors
- Loss of interest in sexual activity
- Fever
- Hair loss
- Difficulty having an orgasm
Precautions of Adderall and Lexapro Drug
- Use this medication as prescribed by your doctor and avoid overdosing.
- Avoid doing any task that requires a lot of attentiveness.
- Women, Avoid taking these medications if they are pregnant. It may cause harmful effects on the mother and also the baby.
- Read the product label and carefully follow the instructions, before using Lexapro and Adderall medicines.
Conclusion
In this blog, we covered the uses, side effects, dosage, and precautions of both medications. Both medications work differently but they also have some similarities. Taking Adderall and Lexapro at the same time may cause some serious side effects.