Can you overdose on Lexapro (escitalopram)?
Yes, you can overdose on Lexapro. See the symptoms, why heart rhythm effects can be delayed, what to do, and what escitalopram is called in other countries.
Yes, you can overdose on Lexapro (escitalopram). Taking too much can cause drowsiness, vomiting, shaking, a fast heartbeat, seizures and dangerous changes in heart rhythm, and some of these can start hours later. Mixing it with alcohol or other drugs raises the risk. If someone took too much, call emergency services or poison control now, even if they seem fine.
At a glance
- The FDA label for Lexapro (revised October 2023) says seizures and heart rhythm problems after an overdose may be delayed, so it recommends prolonged heart monitoring.
- On August 24, 2011, the FDA warned that citalopram (Celexa), a close relative of escitalopram, can change the heart’s electrical activity in a way that can lead to a fatal rhythm.
- Health Canada’s Cipralex monograph (revised September 1, 2023) states that escitalopram causes “dose-dependent” QT prolongation, a measurable change in heart rhythm.
- The same medicine is sold as Lexapro in the US and Australia, Cipralex in Canada, and under brands such as Nexito, Stalopam and S Citadep in India.
- Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme lists 11 brands of escitalopram 10 mg tablets (checked October 2026).
What are the symptoms of a Lexapro overdose?
Lexapro is an SSRI antidepressant, like sertraline (Zoloft). Official labels in the US and Canada, plus MedlinePlus, list these overdose signs:
- Dizziness, sweating, nausea and vomiting
- Shaking (tremor) and strong sleepiness
- A fast or pounding heartbeat
- Confusion, agitation, or not waking up (coma)
- Seizures, which may be delayed
- Heart rhythm changes on an ECG (QRS and QTc prolongation), fast abnormal rhythms and torsade de pointes, which may also be delayed
- Serotonin syndrome (see below)
The Health Canada monograph for Cipralex says the symptoms seen most often are dizziness, sweating, nausea, vomiting, tremor, seizures and sleepiness. For warning signs that apply to any drug, see our guide to signs of an overdose.
An overdose is not peaceful or painless. It can mean vomiting, shaking, agitation and seizures, and a heart rhythm that needs watching in hospital for a long time. Serious cases can leave lasting harm. Help works: hospitals can monitor the heart, stop seizures and treat serotonin syndrome, and care works best when it starts early.
Why can a Lexapro overdose affect the heart?
The QT interval is the part of an ECG that shows the heart “resetting” between beats. When it gets too long, the heart can slip into a dangerous rhythm called torsade de pointes.
The FDA’s 2011 safety warning on citalopram said this rhythm “can be fatal” and that people with heart conditions or low potassium or magnesium are at particular risk. In 2012 the FDA said it was not changing escitalopram’s label, because the same findings were not seen with it. Health Canada took a different path: Canada’s Cipralex monograph now warns about QT prolongation, and lists women, people with low potassium and people who already have a long QT interval as being at higher risk.
The Canadian monograph also sets a limit: no more than 20 mg a day for adults and no more than 10 mg a day for people aged 65 and older. Never take more than your prescriber chose.
What regulators have said about escitalopram, citalopram and the heart
| Date | Regulator | What it said |
|---|---|---|
| August 24, 2011 | US FDA | Citalopram (Celexa) can prolong the QT interval, which can lead to a fatal rhythm |
| January 30, 2012 | Health Canada | Celexa advisory: abnormal rhythms “can be life threatening”; Cipralex information under review |
| March 28, 2012 | US FDA | Revised citalopram advice; no change planned for escitalopram |
| September 1, 2023 | Health Canada | Current Cipralex monograph: escitalopram causes dose-dependent QT prolongation |
| October 2023 | US FDA | Current Lexapro label: overdoses can cause delayed QRS and QTc prolongation and torsade de pointes |
What is serotonin syndrome?
Serotonin syndrome happens when too much serotonin builds up. It can be life-threatening. The FDA label lists signs such as agitation, hallucinations and confusion; a fast heartbeat, sweating, flushing and high temperature; shaking, stiff or twitching muscles and poor coordination; seizures; and nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
The risk is highest when escitalopram is mixed with other drugs that raise serotonin. The label names triptans for migraine, tricyclic antidepressants, fentanyl, meperidine, methadone, tramadol, lithium, tryptophan, buspirone, amphetamines and St. John’s wort. Read more in our tramadol overdose guide.
What should you do if someone took too much Lexapro?
- Call emergency services right away if the person has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing or can’t be woken. These are the signs MedlinePlus lists for calling 911.
- Otherwise, call poison control now, even if the person seems fine. Seizures and heart effects can be delayed.
- Keep the bottle or box and any other medicines, alcohol or drugs they may have taken, so you can tell responders what and when.
- Don’t make them vomit, and don’t give food, drinks or other medicines unless a professional tells you to.
- Stay with them. If they are drowsy but breathing, turn them on their side (the recovery position). Start CPR if they stop breathing and you are trained.
What if you took an extra dose by accident?
The NHS says that taking an extra dose of escitalopram “can be dangerous.” Call your pharmacist or poison control and tell them what you took and when. If you are told to go to hospital, don’t drive yourself, and bring the packaging.
If you missed a dose, take it when you remember unless it is nearly time for the next one. Never take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
What happens at the hospital?
Hospital care for an escitalopram overdose is mostly about watching closely and treating problems as they appear. Depending on how the person is doing, the team may:
- Monitor the heart with an ECG for a long period, because the label warns rhythm problems can be delayed
- Give activated charcoal if the person arrives soon after the overdose
- Give medicines to stop seizures or calm severe agitation
- Treat serotonin syndrome, including cooling for a high temperature
- Get advice from a poison center or a medical toxicologist
To understand what an overdose does inside the body, read what is an overdose.
Which medicines and drinks are risky with Lexapro?
- MAOI antidepressants: never take them together or within 14 days of each other. This includes the antibiotic linezolid and intravenous methylene blue.
- Pimozide: must not be combined with Lexapro.
- Serotonin-raising drugs: tramadol, triptans, fentanyl, lithium, St. John’s wort and the others listed above.
- Bleeding risks: aspirin, NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, and blood thinners such as warfarin add to the bleeding risk of SSRIs. See our warfarin overdose guide.
- Alcohol: the FDA label says alcohol use with Lexapro “is not recommended,” and the NHS says it can make you sleepier. Alcohol also makes an overdose more dangerous. Read about alcohol overdose.
Before you start any new medicine or supplement, ask a pharmacist to check it against escitalopram.
Who is most at risk?
- People who mix drugs. Other serotonin-raising drugs add to the risk of serotonin syndrome, and alcohol adds to drowsiness.
- People with heart conditions, a long QT interval, or low potassium or magnesium.
- Older adults, who are also more likely to get low blood sodium on SSRIs. Signs include headache, confusion, weakness and unsteadiness that can lead to falls.
- Young people. Lexapro carries a boxed warning: antidepressants raised the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens and young adults under 24 in short-term studies.
- Children who find tablets. Keep all medicines locked away and call poison control right away if a child swallows any.
Don’t stop Lexapro suddenly. MedlinePlus lists withdrawal effects such as dizziness, nausea, irritability, tingling and trouble sleeping. Your prescriber can lower the dose slowly.
Escitalopram’s names around the world
Escitalopram is sold under different names, strengths and tablet designs in each country. That matters if you search for a brand that isn’t sold where you live, refill a prescription while traveling, or find a tablet from another country. We compared the official product information.
| Place | Main brand | Other names you may see | Tablet strengths | How the brand tablet looks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US and Puerto Rico | Lexapro (AbbVie) | Generics labeled “escitalopram” | 5, 10, 20 mg | White to off-white, round; marked “FL” and “5”, or “F”, “L” and “10” or “20” |
| Canada | Cipralex (Lundbeck) | Generics labeled “escitalopram” | 5, 10, 15, 20 mg | White; 5 mg round “EK”, 10 mg oval “EL”, 15 mg oval “EM”, 20 mg oval “EN” |
| Australia | Lexapro (Lundbeck) | LoxaLate, Lexam 10, Cilopam-S, Escit, APO-Escitalopram, Escitalopram Sandoz and others | 10, 20 mg | Escit: white, capsule-shaped, engraved “10” or “20” |
| India | No single main brand | Nexito (Sun Pharma), Stalopam (Lupin), S Citadep (Cipla), Feliz-S (Torrent), Rexipra (Intas) | 10 mg and others | Varies by maker |
A few differences stand out. Canada sells a 15 mg strength that the US label does not include. The US label approves Lexapro for some teens and children (depression from age 12, generalized anxiety from age 7), while Canada’s monograph says Cipralex is not for anyone under 18. Australia lists escitalopram as a Schedule 4 prescription-only medicine and approves it for OCD and social anxiety disorder too.
Method note: We compared the US FDA label for Lexapro (revised October 2023), Health Canada’s Cipralex product monograph (revised September 1, 2023), Australia’s PBS listing for escitalopram 10 mg and healthdirect, and, for India, brand and maker names from a major Indian online pharmacy, all checked on October 7, 2026. Brand lists are not complete, since many more generics exist in each country.
When you travel, carry your prescription with the generic name, escitalopram, written on it. A pharmacist abroad will know it by that name even if the brand is different.
How can you check a pill you think is Lexapro?
Generic escitalopram tablets look different from one maker to the next, so a new refill may not match your last one. To check, see pictures of escitalopram pills or use our pill imprint search. If you have a box from Canada, you can search the DIN with our NDC and DIN lookup.
A matching imprint does not prove a pill is real. Fake pills can copy real ones exactly, so get medicines only from a pharmacy. Learn more about how to spot fake pills, or read why your refill looks different.
Common questions
Can you die from a Lexapro overdose?
An overdose can be life-threatening. The FDA label reports seizures, coma and torsade de pointes, a heart rhythm the FDA says can be fatal. The risk is higher when other drugs or alcohol are involved, so always call for help right away.
What happens if I accidentally take two Lexapro pills?
Call your pharmacist or poison control and tell them what you took and when. The NHS warns that an extra dose of escitalopram can be dangerous. Don’t wait for symptoms, because some effects can be delayed.
Can you overdose on Lexapro and alcohol together?
Yes, and mixing makes an overdose more dangerous. The FDA label says alcohol use with Lexapro is not recommended. If someone has taken extra Lexapro with alcohol, call emergency services or poison control now.
Is Lexapro the same as Cipralex?
Yes. Both contain escitalopram. Lexapro is the brand name in the US and Australia, and Cipralex is the brand name in Canada. The tablets look different, and Canada also sells a 15 mg strength.
Is escitalopram the same as citalopram?
No, but they are closely related. Citalopram (Celexa) is a different medicine, and the FDA issued its 2011 heart rhythm warning about citalopram. Lexapro must not be taken by people who are allergic to either one.
