Escitalopram vs Escitalopram Oxalate: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Escitalopram | Escitalopram Oxalate | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | – | – |
| Brand names | Escitalopram Oxalate | Escitalopram |
| FAERS reports | 139,448 | 72,460 |
| Serious | 67% | 78% |
| Death outcome | 11,263 | 7,343 |
| Boxed warning | Yes SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in pediatric and young adult patients in short-term studie | Yes SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in pediatric and young adult patients in short-term studie |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Escitalopram | Escitalopram Oxalate | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serotonin syndrome | 1,668 · PRR 14.3 | 1,460 · PRR 23.8 | Labeled — boxed warning / Labeled — boxed warning |
| Major depression | 630 · PRR 14.1 | 434 · PRR 18.2 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Mite allergy | 274 · PRR 113.4 | 274 · PRR 218.9 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Urinary tract disorder | 249 · PRR 8.8 | 219 · PRR 14.8 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Respiratory symptom | 167 · PRR 9.5 | 161 · PRR 17.6 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Hyperreflexia | 171 · PRR 7.7 | 152 · PRR 13.1 | Labeled adverse reaction / Labeled adverse reaction |
| Clonus | 145 · PRR 8.3 | 135 · PRR 14.9 | Labeled adverse reaction / Labeled adverse reaction |
| Bronchial secretion retention | 117 · PRR 15.2 | 112 · PRR 28.0 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Physical deconditioning | 303 · PRR 20.6 | 295 · PRR 38.5 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Normochromic normocytic anaemia | 302 · PRR 16.7 | 286 · PRR 30.4 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Conjunctivitis allergic | 295 · PRR 37.8 | 288 · PRR 70.9 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Dust allergy | 275 · PRR 59.8 | 272 · PRR 113.8 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Mycotic allergy | 274 · PRR 72.3 | 271 · PRR 137.4 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Amaurosis fugax | 243 · PRR 44.0 | 242 · PRR 84.6 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Hypopnoea | 193 · PRR 8.8 | 172 · PRR 15.1 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Steroid dependence | 167 · PRR 36.6 | 167 · PRR 70.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome | 168 · PRR 14.0 | 165 · PRR 26.5 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Burns second degree | 171 · PRR 16.2 | 158 · PRR 28.6 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis | 160 · PRR 12.9 | 159 · PRR 24.7 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Neuritis | 163 · PRR 17.7 | 147 · PRR 30.5 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
Labeled signals distinctive to Escitalopram
- Sexual dysfunction — n=558, PRR 7.5 Labeled — boxed warning
- Depressive symptom — n=162, PRR 7.2 Labeled (related wording)
- Anorgasmia — n=158, PRR 9.2 Labeled adverse reaction
- Electric shock sensation — n=145, PRR 8.5 Labeled adverse reaction
Labeled signals distinctive to Escitalopram Oxalate
- Suspected suicide — n=212, PRR 13.4 Labeled (related wording)
- Genital hypoaesthesia — n=61, PRR 18.6 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Escitalopram or Escitalopram Oxalate?
Escitalopram has 139,448 FAERS reports and Escitalopram Oxalate 72,460. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (67% vs 78%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Escitalopram and Escitalopram Oxalate share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for serotonin syndrome, major depression, mite allergy, urinary tract disorder, respiratory symptom. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Escitalopram or Escitalopram Oxalate safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.