Stalopam 5 mg Tablet

Composition of Stalopam 5 mg Tablet

Stalopam 5 mg Tablet contains Escitalopram Oxalate (5mg). It belongs to the Antidepressant class of medicines.

Uses of Stalopam 5 mg Tablet

• This medicine is used in the treatment of depression
• anxiety
• obsessive compulsive disorder
• nerve pain and migraine prevention.

Key benefits

• Effective for depression and anxiety disorders
• Also relieves nerve pain and prevents migraine
• Usually taken once a day

How Stalopam 5 mg Tablet works

Escitalopram restores the balance of the chemical messengers in the brain that regulate mood, sleep and the way pain is felt.

How to take Stalopam 5 mg Tablet

Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water. Do not chew, crush or break it unless your doctor has told you to. Take it with or after food, at the same time each day. Taking it at about the same time each day helps you remember. Follow the dose and the duration written on your prescription.

Take it exactly as your doctor prescribed. Do not change the dose or stop early on your own.

Missed dose and overdose

If you miss a dose

Take it as soon as you remember. If your next dose is almost due, skip the one you missed — never take two doses together to catch up.

If you take too much

An overdose of this medicine can cause fits, dangerous heart rhythm disturbance and coma, and is particularly dangerous with the older tricyclic medicines. Do not wait for symptoms to appear — go to the nearest emergency department and take the pack or strip with you.

Side effects of Stalopam 5 mg Tablet

Most side effects of Stalopam are mild and settle as the body adjusts. Reported side effects include:

• Nausea
• Dry mouth
• Drowsiness or difficulty sleeping
• Headache
• Weight change
• Reduced sexual desire
• Constipation

Stop the medicine and seek help immediately for a rash, swelling of the face or lips, wheezing or difficulty breathing. Tell your doctor about any side effect that persists or worries you.

Safety advice for Stalopam 5 mg Tablet

Warnings and precautions

These medicines take two to four weeks to begin working, and longer for the full effect. Stopping at two weeks because nothing has changed is the commonest mistake. Never stop suddenly. Abrupt withdrawal causes dizziness, electric-shock sensations, irritability and flu-like symptoms — your doctor will reduce the dose gradually. Tell your doctor or go to hospital immediately if thoughts of harming yourself appear or worsen, particularly in the first weeks or after a dose change, and especially in anyone under twenty-five. Seek urgent care for agitation with fever, shivering, a racing heart, muscle twitching or confusion, particularly if more than one medicine affecting serotonin is being taken. Side effects are usually worst in the first fortnight and then settle.

Do not take Stalopam if

Not for anyone with a known allergy to this medicine or to any ingredient in the pack. Must not be combined with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, or started within the gap your doctor specifies after one.

Interactions with other medicines

Tramadol, triptans for migraine, linezolid, St John's wort and other antidepressants can together raise serotonin dangerously. Anti-inflammatory painkillers and blood thinners increase the bleeding risk when combined with this group.

How to store Stalopam 5 mg Tablet

Store below 30°C in the original pack, away from direct sunlight and moisture. Keep out of the reach of children.

Expert advice for Stalopam 5 mg Tablet

Give it a fair trial of several weeks, and keep your review appointments. Take it at the same time each day — at night if it makes you drowsy, in the morning if it disturbs sleep. Talking therapy alongside medicine works better than either alone for most people.

Manufacturer and class

Manufacturer:

LUPIN LAB

Therapeutic class:

Antidepressant

Drug class:

Antidepressant