Be careful when using Advil or Motrin with Lexapro. It can (sometimes, not in everyone) lead to increased bruising and other bleeding with some patients when mixed with Lexapro. I experienced this when taking Advil for headaches when I was also on Lexapro.
Both Advil and Motrin use ibuprofen as a painkiller, which is classified as an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug). Other common NSAIDS include Aleve (naproxen) and aspirin. All of these to some extent can cause increased bleeding. This could mean bruises when you only slightly bump something, giving unexplained bruises around your body, but it is much more serious with stomach bleeding.
My doctor recommended Tylenol (acetaminophen) while I am still on Lexapro. Tylenol is not an NSAID, and may work well for headaches but less for monthly cramps.
Also, remember that larger dosages of the a drug increases the chance for side effects or interaction with other drugs. The 5 mg Lexapro dose listed in the previous post is half the normal starting dose of 10 mg and some people take 20 mg a day. Check with your doctor first, and keep that in mind if you do use Advil or Aleve from time to time with his/her approval, you should not take more than the dose on the bottle and be on the alert since side effects sometimes affect one person more than another.
Lexapro does have warnings about interactions with other antidepressants or antipsycotics, and you should trust your doctor for your specific case.
All of these warnings are listed in the fine print that comes with Lexapro- it is worth taking the time to read if you are taking the medication or have recently been prescribed it. Lexapro's fine print is available in .pdf version on their website. It also comes in every Lexapro sample box.
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