Escitalopram (Lexapro)
Shares rank 5 of 11 antidepressants by recommenders
People recommend it for helping them function and get through depression. Critics report sexual side effects, nausea, vivid dreams and, in one case, emotional blunting.
People recommend it for helping them function and get through depression. Critics report sexual side effects, nausea, vivid dreams and, in one case, emotional blunting.
10 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 6
- criticize it
- 4
- approval share
- 60%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 6 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 1.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Helps get through depression
“I'm not sure if I'd be actually functional or even be here if it weren't for these meds.”
Comment from 28 Aug 2026 in “Doctors are finally learning to manage antidepressant withdrawal” “If he is really in a heavy depression, he should be on Escitalopram.”
Comment from 15 Jul 2026 in “Prioritize mental health, and why communication is so important” “It got me through a rough patch”
Comment from 27 Aug 2026 in “Doctors are finally learning to manage antidepressant withdrawal” Makes daily life better
“I'm not sure if I'd be actually functional or even be here if it weren't for these meds.”
Comment from 28 Aug 2026 in “Doctors are finally learning to manage antidepressant withdrawal” “It has made my life so much better, and that of a lot of friends, too.”
Comment from 29 Jan 2026 in “Vitamin D and Omega-3 have a larger effect on depression than antidepressants”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Nausea, paranoia and vivid dreams
“my ideation kicked into 6th gear, with paranoia, nausea, and insanely intense and vivid dreams every night”
Comment from 28 Aug 2026 in “Doctors are finally learning to manage antidepressant withdrawal” “bupronion has less scary side effects than e.g. escalitopram”
Comment from 28 Aug 2026 in “Doctors are finally learning to manage antidepressant withdrawal”
Other antidepressants people recommend
The four most recommended other antidepressants, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
See all 11 antidepressants, rankedWhat people said
9 of the 10 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I'm not sure if I'd be actually functional or even be here if it weren't for these meds.”
“my ideation kicked into 6th gear, with paranoia, nausea, and insanely intense and vivid dreams every night”
“bupronion has less scary side effects than e.g. escalitopram”
“It got me through a rough patch”
“If he is really in a heavy depression, he should be on Escitalopram.”
“It has made my life so much better, and that of a lot of friends, too.”
“Then it plateaued and a year later, left me anhedonic.”
“it simply put me in a position mentally to change habits and patterns of thinking in a sustainable way.”
“my libido was a bit reduced but mainly it became harder to orgasm”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.