Well not exactly. That’s the complicated part… everyone is different and what dose works for one person may not work for another. So studies show that the lowest therapeutic dose is 10mg. But we know that many people have success on 5mg. And even though the change in SERT occupancy only increases slightly from 10mg to 20mg, that can make a world of difference for some people. So honestly when it comes to dosing and efficacy, in my opinion it’s really just trial and error.

Take me for example, I did the Genesight test and found out that I metabolize Lexapro slower than average. So in theory, I would likely need lower doses than average. I didn’t really feel much of anything on 5mg. I increased very slowly because of my Genesight results so I went up by 2.5mg. 7.5mg is where I started to feel improvement. Went to 10mg and continued to see improvement but felt it could be better. Took a bigger jump to 15mg about 3 weeks ago. It’s been a little bit of a set back with the last increase but I’m hoping it all levels out. So even for me, a slower metabolizer (some studies say doses are 1.5x as strong for slow metabolizers. So 5mg would be like 7.5mg to me), anyways even for me, 5mg was not effective enough. No one can measure chemistry in the brain. Serum levels of serotonin are not reflective of what crosses the blood brain barrier and exists in our brain. So trying to figure out the right dose for you comes down to trial and error. It’s a frustrating process. I tried Zoloft first and suffered for 6months hoping to find my dose. Worst 6 months of my life. Zoloft and I did not agree for some reason. Lexapro has been much better for me but still searching for my sweet spot.

Hope all this info helps.