Elicea 5 mg and 10 mg film-coated tablets – escitalopram for depression and anxiety disorders

Elicea is an antidepressant containing escitalopram, which belongs to the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These medicines increase the level of serotonin in the brain – disturbances in the serotonin system are considered an important factor in depression and related disorders.

According to the leaflet, Elicea is used to treat depression (major depressive episodes) and anxiety disorders – panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In Serbia, 5 mg and 10 mg film-coated tablets are authorised in packs of 28 tablets. Improvement is usually felt after a few weeks.

What is Elicea used for and how is it taken correctly?

Key facts about the medicine

What is Elicea used for?

According to the leaflet, Elicea is used to treat:

• depression (major depressive episodes);
• panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (fear of open spaces);
• social anxiety disorder;
• generalised anxiety disorder;
• obsessive-compulsive disorder (compulsive thoughts that make you repeat certain actions over and over).

It may take a few weeks before you start to feel better – keep taking the medicine, and talk to your doctor if you do not feel better or feel worse.

How is it taken and dosed?

Take the medicine once daily, exactly as your doctor has told you. Usual doses in adults according to the leaflet:

• Depression: 10 mg once daily; your doctor may increase the dose to a maximum of 20 mg daily.
• Panic disorder: 5 mg once daily during the first week, then 10 mg daily; at most 20 mg daily.
• Social anxiety disorder: 10 mg once daily; your doctor may reduce the dose to 5 mg or increase it to a maximum of 20 mg daily.
• Generalised anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder: 10 mg once daily; at most 20 mg daily.

Swallow the tablet with enough water, with or without food; do not chew it, as it tastes bitter. Treatment usually continues for at least 6 months after you feel well again – if treatment is stopped too early, symptoms may return. Never change the dose without talking to your doctor.

Special patient groups

• Over 65 years: the recommended starting dose is 5 mg once daily; your doctor may increase it to 10 mg daily.
• Children and adolescents under 18: the medicine should normally not be used – they have a higher risk of suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts and hostility; the doctor may prescribe it only if this is judged to be in the patient’s best interest.
• Impaired kidney function: caution in severe kidney impairment.
• Impaired liver function and CYP2C19 poor metabolisers: no more than 10 mg daily.

Contraindications – when the medicine must not be used

Do not take Elicea:

• if you are allergic to escitalopram or any of the excipients;
• if you are taking MAO inhibitors, including selegiline (Parkinson’s disease), moclobemide (depression) and linezolid (antibiotic);
• if you have a congenital heart rhythm disorder or have had a heart rhythm disorder confirmed by ECG;
• if you are taking medicines for heart rhythm disorders or medicines that may affect heart rhythm.

Warnings and precautions

Tell your doctor if you have epilepsy (treatment is stopped if new or more frequent seizures occur), impaired liver or kidney function, diabetes (the medicine may affect blood sugar), low blood sodium, a tendency to bleed or bruise, are pregnant, are having electroconvulsive therapy, have coronary heart disease, heart disease or a recent heart attack, a slow heart rate or electrolyte disturbance (e.g. after severe diarrhoea, vomiting or diuretics), if you feel fast or irregular heartbeats, faint or feel dizzy on standing, or if you have glaucoma.

• Thoughts of self-harm: these may be stronger at the start of treatment, especially in people under 25 and those who have had them before – contact your doctor or go to hospital immediately. It may help to tell someone close to you about your illness and ask them to point out changes in your behaviour.
• Mania: some patients with manic-depressive illness may enter a manic phase (racing ideas, inappropriate elation, excessive activity) – tell your doctor.
• Restlessness: report any inability to sit or stand still in the first weeks of treatment to your doctor immediately.
• Sexual dysfunction: medicines of this group can cause sexual problems, which in some people continue after stopping treatment.
• Lactose: the medicine contains lactose.

Interactions with other medicines, food and drink

Tell your doctor or pharmacist about all medicines you are taking. According to the leaflet, it is particularly important if you take:

• non-selective MAO inhibitors (phenelzine, iproniazid, isocarboxazid, nialamide, tranylcypromine) – 14 days must pass after them before starting Elicea, and at least 7 days after Elicea before taking them; moclobemide, selegiline, linezolid;
• lithium and tryptophan; imipramine and desipramine; sumatriptan and similar migraine medicines and tramadol;
• cimetidine, lansoprazole, omeprazole, fluconazole, fluvoxamine and ticlopidine – they may increase escitalopram levels;
• St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum);
• acetylsalicylic acid, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, warfarin, dipyridamole and phenprocoumon – increased tendency to bleed;
• mefloquine, bupropion, tramadol, neuroleptics and other antidepressants – lowered seizure threshold;
• flecainide, propafenone, metoprolol, clomipramine, nortriptyline, risperidone, thioridazine and haloperidol – the dose may need adjusting;
• medicines that lower blood potassium and magnesium.

Do not take Elicea with class IA and III antiarrhythmics, antipsychotics (e.g. phenothiazine derivatives, pimozide, haloperidol), tricyclic antidepressants, certain antimicrobials (sparfloxacin, moxifloxacin, IV erythromycin, pentamidine, antimalarials, especially halofantrine) and the antihistamines astemizole and mizolastine. Drinking alcohol with the medicine is not recommended.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

• Pregnancy: do not take Elicea during pregnancy unless you have discussed the risks and benefits with your doctor. Use in the last three months may cause breathing difficulties, bluish skin, seizures, feeding problems, muscle stiffness or weakness, irritability and other symptoms in the newborn, as well as a rare condition called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). If used in pregnancy, it must not be stopped suddenly.
• Breast-feeding: the medicine is expected to pass into breast milk – do not take it while breast-feeding without agreeing this with your doctor.
• Fertility: in animal studies citalopram reduced sperm quality; an effect on human fertility has not been observed.

Driving and using machines

It is recommended that you do not drive or use machines until you know how Elicea affects you.

Possible side effects

Side effects usually disappear after a few weeks of treatment; some may also be symptoms of the illness itself.

• Contact your doctor or go to hospital immediately in case of unusual bleeding (including from the digestive tract), swelling of the skin, tongue, lips or face with difficulty breathing or swallowing, high fever with agitation, confusion, trembling and muscle jerks (serotonin syndrome), difficulty passing urine, seizures, yellowing of the skin and eyes, fast irregular heartbeat with fainting (torsade de pointes) and thoughts of self-harm.
• Very common (more than 1 in 10): nausea, headache.
• Common (up to 1 in 10): blocked or runny nose, decreased or increased appetite, anxiety, restlessness, abnormal dreams, difficulty falling asleep, sleepiness, dizziness, yawning, trembling, prickling of the skin, diarrhoea, constipation, vomiting, dry mouth, increased sweating, muscle and joint pain, sexual disorders, tiredness, fever, weight gain.
• Uncommon (up to 1 in 100): hives, rash, itching, teeth grinding, agitation, panic attacks, confusion, sleep and taste disturbances, fainting, dilated pupils, visual disturbance, ringing in the ears, hair loss, heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding, weight loss, fast heartbeat, swelling of arms or legs, nosebleeds.
• Rare (up to 1 in 1,000): aggression, depersonalisation, hallucinations, slow heartbeat.
• Not known: low blood sodium, dizziness on standing due to low blood pressure, abnormal liver tests, involuntary movements, painful erection, bruising and bleeding of skin and mucous membranes, angioedema, abnormal ADH secretion, milk leaking from the breasts, mania, QT prolongation; an increased risk of bone fractures has also been observed with this group of medicines.

Overdose, missed dose and stopping treatment

• Overdose: talk to your doctor or go to emergency services immediately, even if you have no symptoms, and take the pack with you. Possible signs include dizziness, trembling, agitation, convulsions, coma, nausea, vomiting, heart rhythm changes, low blood pressure and fluid/salt imbalance.
• Missed dose: if you remember before going to bed, take the tablet straight away and continue as usual the next day; if you remember during the night or the next day, skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose.
• Stopping treatment: do not stop until your doctor tells you; the dose is reduced gradually over several weeks. Stopping suddenly may cause dizziness, tingling and “electric shock” sensations, sleep disturbance, agitation, headache, nausea, sweating, restlessness, trembling, confusion, diarrhoea, visual disturbance and palpitations – usually mild and lasting up to two weeks, but longer in some people.

Related information

For questions about your treatment, dose adjustments and gradual discontinuation, talk to your psychiatrist or doctor, and ask your pharmacist about combining it with other medicines and herbal products.

Composition, pack and manufacturer

• Active substance: escitalopram – 5 mg or 10 mg per film-coated tablet, as escitalopram oxalate.
• Excipients: core – lactose monohydrate; crospovidone; povidone K30; microcrystalline cellulose; pregelatinised starch; magnesium stearate; film coating Opadry white 33G28707 – hypromellose; titanium dioxide (E171); lactose monohydrate; macrogol; triacetin.
• Pack: carton with 4 blisters (OPA/Al/PVC-Al) of 7 film-coated tablets – 28 tablets in total.
• Marketing authorisation holder: Krka-Farma d.o.o. Belgrade, Jurija Gagarina 26/V/II, Belgrade. Manufacturer: Krka, d.d., Novo Mesto, Šmarješka cesta 6, Novo Mesto, Slovenia.

Storage

• Store in the original package to protect from moisture, out of the sight and reach of children.
• Shelf life: 3 years; do not use after the expiry date on the pack.
• Return unused medicine to a pharmacy that collects unused medicines.

Frequently asked questions

When does Elicea start to work?

According to the leaflet, it may take a few weeks before you start to feel better. The medicine should be taken regularly even before improvement is noticeable; if you feel worse, talk to your doctor.

How long is Elicea taken?

As long as your doctor recommends – usually at least 6 months after you feel well again. Stopping too early may cause symptoms to return.

May I take St John’s wort or tryptophan with Elicea?

Not without your doctor’s advice. St John’s wort and tryptophan are listed in the leaflet as substances that interact with escitalopram and increase the risk of side effects.

What if I stop taking Elicea suddenly?

Withdrawal symptoms may occur – dizziness, tingling, sleep disturbance, agitation, nausea, sweating and others. That is why the doctor reduces the dose gradually over several weeks.

Sources

• ALIMS – Summary of Product Characteristics, Elicea® 5 mg and 10 mg film-coated tablets (SmPC, Serbian)
• ALIMS – Patient leaflet, Elicea® 5 mg and 10 mg film-coated tablets (PIL, June 2021, Serbian)

Sources checked on: 25 October 2026.