What can be added to Lexapro (escitalopram) 20mg for a patient with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) who is requesting a dose increase?

Management of Inadequate Response to Lexapro 20mg in MDD and GAD

For a patient on escitalopram 20mg requesting an increase due to inadequate response in MDD and GAD, augment with bupropion rather than increasing the escitalopram dose, as the FDA-approved maximum is 20mg and augmentation strategies show equivalent efficacy to switching with better tolerability. 1, 2

Dose Optimization Considerations

• Escitalopram 20mg is the FDA-approved maximum daily dose for both MDD and GAD, with no evidence supporting higher doses in the labeling 1
• One pilot study explored doses up to 50mg in treatment-resistant MDD, showing 35% remission rate but declining tolerability above 40mg, with 20% discontinuing due to adverse events 3
• Increasing beyond 20mg is off-label and not recommended as first-line management given lack of robust efficacy data and tolerability concerns 3

Recommended Augmentation Strategy

Add bupropion as augmentation therapy based on the following evidence:

• Moderate-quality evidence shows augmenting citalopram (escitalopram's parent compound) with bupropion produces greater reduction in depression severity compared to buspirone augmentation 2
• Bupropion augmentation has lower discontinuation rates due to adverse events compared to buspirone (moderate-quality evidence) 2
• Bupropion is particularly advantageous as it addresses both MDD and can reduce apathy, with an activating profile 2
• Start bupropion at 37.5mg every morning, increase by 37.5mg every 3 days to target dose of 150mg twice daily; give second dose before 3 PM to minimize insomnia 2

Alternative Second-Line Options

If bupropion is contraindicated or not tolerated:

• Switch to a different SSRI/SNRI (venlafaxine, sertraline, or another agent with different mechanism per Neuroscience-based Nomenclature) - moderate-quality evidence shows no difference in response between switching strategies 2
• Augment with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) - low-quality evidence shows similar outcomes to pharmacologic augmentation with potentially fewer adverse events 2
• Consider buspirone augmentation (though less effective than bupropion for depression severity) 2

Important Clinical Caveats

• Ensure adequate trial duration: The current 20mg dose should have been administered for at least 4 weeks before considering treatment modification 2
• Assess for treatment-resistant depression criteria: If this represents failure of two different mechanism antidepressants at adequate doses for ≥4 weeks each, the patient meets criteria for TRD and may require specialist referral 2
• Screen for bipolar disorder before augmentation, as antidepressant intensification without mood stabilization can precipitate mania 1
• Avoid benzodiazepines as first-line augmentation despite their efficacy in GAD, given chronicity of both conditions and risk of dependence 4, 5

Monitoring Plan

• Reassess symptoms at 4-6 weeks after augmentation initiation using validated scales (MADRS, HAM-A) 6
• If partial response (25-49% improvement), continue current regimen and reassess at 8-12 weeks 2
• If inadequate response (<25% improvement), switch to alternative antidepressant with different mechanism rather than adding third agent 2
• Both MDD and GAD are chronic conditions requiring long-term treatment; plan for maintenance therapy of several months to years once remission achieved 1, 4