A difference is Zoloft is also used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder ( OCD ), panic disorder , posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder ( PMDD ). However, it might not be a good choice if you have liver or heart problems. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. The table below compares the conditions each drug is approved to treat.The table below compares other key aspects of Zoloft and Lexapro.Both medications are available in most pharmacies in brand-name and generic versions. Warning.

If either Lexapro or Zoloft is administered regularly (i.e. Results of this meta-analysis suggested that Although escitalopram was significantly more effective than pooled SSRIs, it’s impossible to know whether escitalopram was more effective than sertraline. To learn about other options, check out this article on the Which is better for treating OCD or anxiety—Lexapro or Zoloft?Zoloft, but not Lexapro, is approved to help relieve the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. If administered at high doses, Zoloft functions as an SDRI (serotonin-dopamine reuptake inhibitor) such that it simultaneously The respective routes of metabolism and elimination half-lives for Lexapro and Zoloft differ. As for anxiety, Zoloft is approved to treat © 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. That said, no studies have suggested that one medication is more effective than the other for any neuropsychiatric condition.Lexapro and Zoloft are similar in aspects of: cost (inexpensive); dosing (same number of dosing increments); formatting (tablet and oral solution); onset of action (days to weeks); duration of action (~24 hours); primary mechanism of action (SSRI); side effects; and withdrawal (symptoms, duration, severity). daily) for weeks, months, or years – a user’s neurophysiology becomes adapted to its presence.Hypothesized adaptations to SSRIs like Lexapro and Zoloft include: downregulation of 5-HT1A autoreceptors; downregulation of endogenous serotonin production; desensitization of presynaptic 5-HT1A receptors; altered activation of secondary chemical messengers (e.g. Because there’s higher-quality evidence indicating that Lexapro is effective in generalized anxiety disorder (relative to the evidence for Zoloft) – and higher-quality evidence indicating that Zoloft is effective in OCD; PTSD; PMDD; social anxiety disorder; and panic disorder (relative to the evidence for Lexapro). Close. Both Lexapro and Zoloft are metabolized within the liver, however, Lexapro is metabolized by the enzymes CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 – and Zoloft is metabolized by the enzymes CYP2B6 and CYP2D6.Moreover, the respective elimination half-lives for Lexapro and Zoloft differ slightly at 27 to 32 hours (Lexapro) and 23 to 26 hours (Zoloft).

Lexapro is prescribed to treat depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Patients need to be aware of drug interactions with both Lexapro and Zoloft. Authors of this trial concluded that A systematic review and meta-analysis by Baldwin et al. Both Lexapro and Zoloft are sometimes prescribed “off-label” to treat conditions for which they haven’t received official FDA approval. Pooled data from 15 placebo-controlled trials suggest relative benefit (RB) of 1.3 for escitalopram and 1.8 for sertraline.Based on results of the meta-analysis, researchers concluded that Results of the meta-analysis revealed that escitalopram (at doses of 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg) appears significantly more effective than a placebo for the treatment of social anxiety disorder (SAD).