Lexapro and Lactose intolerance - a phase IV clinical study of FDA data

Summary:

Lactose intolerance is reported as a side effect among people who take Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate), especially for people who are female, 60+ old, also take Cymbalta, and have Rheumatoid arthritis.

The phase IV clinical study analyzes which people have Lactose intolerance when taking Lexapro. It is created by eHealthMe based on reports of 82,231 people who have side effects when taking Lexapro from the FDA, and is updated regularly.

What is Lexapro?

Lexapro has active ingredients of escitalopram oxalate. It is often used in depression. eHealthMe is studying from 91,464 Lexapro users. Check the latest studies of Lexapro.

What is Lactose intolerance?

Lactose intolerance (inability to digest lactose) is found to be associated with 439 drugs and 1,066 conditions by eHealthMe. Check the latest studies of Lactose intolerance.

On Apr, 26, 2026

82,231 people reported to have side effects when taking Lexapro.
Among them, 38 people (0.05%) have Lactose intolerance.

Could Lexapro cause Lactose intolerance?

Among these 38 people:

What is the gender of people who have Lactose intolerance when taking Lexapro? *

female: 61.76 %
male: 38.24 %

What is the age of people who have Lactose intolerance when taking Lexapro? *

What are other drugs people take besides Lexapro? *

What are other side effects people have besides Lactose intolerance? *

Weakness: 18 people, 47.37%
Pain: 18 people, 47.37%
Diarrhea: 16 people, 42.11%
Bone Pain: 14 people, 36.84%
Injury: 14 people, 36.84%
Bursitis (inflammation of a bursa, typically one in the knee, elbow, or shoulder): 14 people, 36.84%
Neuropathy Peripheral (surface nerve damage): 13 people, 34.21%
Irritable Bowel Syndrome: 12 people, 31.58%
Neck Pain: 12 people, 31.58%
Osteoarthritis (a joint disease caused by cartilage loss in a joint): 12 people, 31.58%

What are the existing conditions these people have? *

Rheumatoid Arthritis (a chronic progressive disease causing inflammation in the joints): 11 people, 28.95%
Multiple Myeloma (cancer of the plasma cells): 7 people, 18.42%
Pain: 4 people, 10.53%
High Blood Pressure: 3 people, 7.89%
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (a condition in which stomach contents leak backward from the stomach into the oesophagus): 2 people, 5.26%
Osteoporosis (bones weak and more likely to break): 2 people, 5.26%
Crohn's Disease (a condition that causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract): 2 people, 5.26%
Breast Cancer: 1 person, 2.63%
Drowsiness: 1 person, 2.63%
Drug Exposure During Pregnancy: 1 person, 2.63%

* Approximation only. Some reports may have incomplete information.

Do you take Lexapro and have Lactose intolerance?

- Check whether Lactose intolerance is associated with a drug or a condition
- Predict drug outcomes for up to one year with AI
- Get an AI agent to monitor your drugs continuously

Related studies:

Effectiveness of, long term effects of, and alternative drugs to Lexapro:

Lexapro (91,464 reports)

Browse all side effects of Lexapro:

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Browse all the drugs that are associated with Lactose intolerance:

Lactose intolerance (439 drugs)

Browse all the conditions that are associated with Lactose intolerance:

Lactose intolerance (1,066 conditions)

Related publications that referenced our studies

O’Brien FE, O’Connor RM, Clarke G, Donovan MD, Dinan TG, Griffin BT, Cryan JF, "The P-glycoprotein inhibitor cyclosporin A differentially influences behavioural and neurochemical responses to the antidepressant escitalopram", Behavioural brain research, 2014 Mar .
O’Brien FE, O’Connor RM, Clarke G, Donovan MD, Dinan TG, Griffin BT, Cryan JF, "The P-glycoprotein inhibitor cyclosporin A differentially influences behavioural and neurochemical responses to the antidepressant escitalopram", Behavioural brain research, 2014 Mar .

How the study uses the data?

The study uses data from the FDA. It is based on escitalopram oxalate (the active ingredients of Lexapro) and Lexapro (the brand name). Other drugs that have the same active ingredients (e.g. generic drugs) are not considered. Dosage of drugs is not considered in the study.

How to use the study?

DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting your doctor. If there are any serious or long term adverse effects discovered in the study, discuss the study with your doctor to ensure that proper medication management will be in place if applicable.

Who is eHealthMe?

With medical big data and proven AI/ML algorithms, eHealthMe provides a platform for everyone to run phase IV clinical trials. We study millions of patients and 5,000 more each day. Results of our real-world drug study have been referenced on 800+ peer-reviewed medical publications, including The Lancet, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and Nature. Our analysis results are available to researchers, health care professionals, patients (testimonials), and software developers (open API).

WARNING, DISCLAIMER, USE FOR PUBLICATION

WARNING: Please DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting a physician since doing so could be hazardous to your health.

DISCLAIMER: All material available on eHealthMe.com is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment provided by a qualified healthcare provider. All information is observation-only. Our phase IV clinical studies alone cannot establish cause-effect relationship. Different individuals may respond to medication in different ways. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. The use of the eHealthMe site and its content is at your own risk.

If you use this eHealthMe study on publication, please acknowledge it with a citation: study title, URL, accessed date.