switched lex for celexa

[ajg33]

hey all
my doc switched me from 20mg of lexapro to 40 mg of celexa this morning for insurance purpose. i have a great doc who i trust. he said the switch will be fine that the 2 drugs are basically the same except one molecule? has anyone else done this switch? any input would be great!
thanks all
best wishes
Anthony

[Paxiled]

I did the switch.  Didn't notice much difference in effect -- neither worked for me very well -- but the side effects were a bit different.  If anything, contrary to what I had heard, the Celexa has had fewer side effects.  So they don't feel the same, but my guess is, if Lex works for you, Celexa probably will as well but it's not a guarantee, they do feel different.

[GettingOlder]

They are very similar medications, although there are some important differences between the two.
Celexa was available first and is a mixture of R and S enantiomers of citalopram. Lexapro is just the S enantiomer of citalopram.
Depression research has shown that the S enantiomer of citalopram is much more active as an antidepressant than the R enantiomer, which is why Lexapro (just the S enantiomer) was developed.