Citalopram 20 Mg Vs Lexapro

My doctor just switched me from Lexapro 20 mg to Citalopram 20 mg for cost reasons as I do not have coverage. It's only been a week and I'm feeling weepy at the drop of a hat...what is the difference in the drug and am I on the right "switch over" dosage? Thanks. ML

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Both of these medications are manufactured by Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. However Lexapro is noted by a number of sources to be a cleaner, improved version of Citalopram. It is the active isomer of racemic Citalopram.
Many user reviews I've come across report that Citalopram compared to Lexapro just makes them feel tired and "drugged", per say; while Lexapro allows you to be more mobile. Do you feel like this is a true statement, based on the equal dose you've been taking?

Additional information I gathered states the following (regarding differences between the two):
"Among the SSRIs, there are more similarities than differences. Although all SSRI drugs have the same mechanism of action, each SSRI has slightly different pharmacological and pharmacokinetic characteristics. This leads to differences among the SSRIs in their half-lives, clinical activity, side effects, and drug interactions. There are differences between SSRIs that could be clinically significant. Also, SSRIs have very different molecular structures."

As far as "the right dosage" goes, that is probably something you should discuss with the doctor who prescribed them to you, as the correct dosage can vary from each individual. Personally, from what I've read online, Citalopram isn't as effective as Lexapro and is also less desirable to take than Lexapro, so I would "think that" the 20mg dose may not be equivalent to 20mg dose of Lexapro. Just my thoughts.

I hope the above information helps!

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