Depression Blog.com

I just started taking Lexapro less than six months ago. I started taking it for anxeity, but found it enflamed my anger and I associate it with a violent outburst, that was totaly out of character for me. Ultimately leaving me with a domestic violence charged and malicious mischeif for ripping up a shirt. I thought this drug was helping me, and I think it was in the begging I don't know if it works or not. When I first started taking it people said I looked happier, but since I've been of of it for about a month or so and I quit cold turkey with no complications, I am just as happy.

I've taken lexapro along with wellbutrin for about two years and although it has helped with my emotional ups and downs, it has made me very unmotivated and I think it has caused me to gain 50lbs. I never weighed this much in my life and I feel that it is because of the med. The DR. says to exercise more, I feel depressed gaining this weight and want to come off the med. anyone else have problems with thier weight?

Lexapro has contributed to the killing of my husband on January 14, 2005. Please warn others of the dangers of this drug without close medical supervision!!!!!

Lexapro has really helped me. Just a word of advice . . . I was experiencing occasional general anxiety disorder, so my doctor recommended 10mg of Lexapro daily. I was concerned about taking an antidepressant, so I consulted by doctor, cut the pills in half and have been taking 5mg per day. My anxiety has not been a problem at all since about 2 weeks after starting the medication (about 6 months now). Half the typical recommended dose is working great for me, with no side effects. My point is, you may want to try a lower-than-recommended dose to start, to see if it works (but consult your doctor).

"Lexapro has contributed to the killing of my husband on January 14, 2005. Please warn others of the dangers of this drug without close medical supervision!!!!!"

Come on now! I'm sorry to hear about your husband, but don't blame a treatment drug. Statistics say that 15% OF ALL depressives end their life in suicide (this includes the ones that aren't on anything). I'm going through a major depressive episode right now, and I'm on Lexapro. If I choose to end my life (which I won't), it will not be Lexapro's fault.

[moderator comment: some drugs may have undesired effects and some of them can be extreme. also, as you mentioned, some depressives end the wrong way. for you to imply that the person probably would have died anyway is rude and insulting. moreover its a real shame that you should make such a comment anonymously]

I actually like Lexapro. My doctor has started me on 10/mg's a day. I notice a loss of apetite, barely eating. I have only taken this for 4 days now, and I swear I feel the effects already. The bad effects are clenching of the jaw...I tremor a little too. I have no sensitivity when being intimate, so I am hoping that will soon change. I feel great in all honesty. I am constantly smiling and laughing. I feel great when I wake up in the morning and at night. I have no problems falling asleep, but I notice that every time I try to yawn, I feel a little nauseaus. Nothing I can't deal with though. My body recognizes this pill now, and so far within my first week, I can already see a change in my behavior. I naturally have bad outbursts, get easily defensive and angry at the tip of a hat. But since i have been taking Lexapro, those mood swings are slowly going away.

I have been on Lexapro for 1 1/2 years. Initially getting on it was tough for a week or two: dizziness, nausea, sleepiness.... I have been really happy with the effects it has had on my anxiety, panic attacks and short temper. At this point, after reading some of these feedbacks I feel compelled to come off of it for several reasons but fear not being on it! I realize that while I am not really anxious, I don't seem to be as responsible about obligations. I was always a passionate person in general about life but this has really dulled it. Since being on it I have continually let my bills slip, which I would never do before, among other things that I am very concerned about. I definitely have a difficult time concentrating and I have struggled constantly with my weight which really upsets me. I am preoccupied with being fat. My sex life has bottomed out as I could care less about it and prefer to avoid it which is unfair to my loving partner and an absolute opposite of my previous behavior. I feel trapped. Last time I tried to come off of it over a 2 week period, I yelled and swore constantly. I have really enjoyed being free of the anxiety but can't seem to be happy with the side effects. I'm thinking of trying a holistic approach.

I have now been taking Lexapro 10mg for 9 days already. I take one pill every morning at 9:00am. I need some advice though. I'm particularly having trouble with my sex life. No desire, not even close to having an orgasm, and its so frustrating. Does anyone know if Viagra for women would negatively interact with Lexapro? For those who have been taking this for months, does anyone get those feelings back? Or is everyone still having trouble trying to orgasm. This is the only obvious side effect that I have noticed. I don't want to stop taking this pill, because it's working in a positive way for me. Any kind of feedback would definetly help! I feel hopeless at this point.

I've been taking 10mg for about 6 weeks. I experienced calmness the first couple of weeks, but have experienced neck and shoulder tension, clinched jaws, headaches and loss of my sex drive.

I've been on Lexapro since October 2004 for Anxiety & Depression. It has worked wonders for my anxiety and depression. The only side effect has been insomnia. It usually takes about 3 hours to fall asleep after I first lie down to bed. My doctor gave me Sonata to help me sleep, but the "groggy" feeling the next day was too much for me. The doc then switched me to Remeron (Which I HATE with a passion), but this caused me to sleep 14 hours a day and was drugged up all day. So, I finally came back to Lexapro as it is the ONLY drug so far that has helped both my anxiety and depression. I started at 10mg, but I've decided to cut back to 5mg. Maybe this will help my insomnia. Only time will tell. But I do recommend this drug if others are not helping you. There seems to be little side effects and the pros outweigh the cons.

I had been on Lexapro for almost 1 year. I started out on 10 mg and after a few weeks it tappered off so my Dr. put me on 20 mg. I started having pain in my chest so Dr. put me on Welbutrin also thinking it was panic attacks. So after about 4 months of taking both, I got off the Lexapro I just cannot take the sexual side effects anymore and neither can my husband. For the last 6 days I feel light headed, dizzy and I feel like I am being shocked. It is driving me crazy. I thought it would get better and it just seems to be getting worse. I thought this was nonaddictive? I think not. I was seriously misinformed!!!

I have been on medication for ten years. celexa and now lexepro have been great. I am concerned about the inability to have a non-clitoral orgasm (ie vaginal). I recognize there may be other issues here, but i am just wondering if i can pin point it on the meds. i am also on wellbutrin, which, in contrast, raises one's sexual appetite. ( i highly highly recommend it). I am worried bc everone seems to be on such low doses and i take 40mg every day, plus 200 mg of wellbutrin. i see a doctor. still, should i be alarmed?

I've been on Lexapro for depression and anxiety since August. I started on 10mg and for the first week I had nausea, the sweats and my panic attacks were happening several times a day. These side affects gradually wore off. I didn't see any difference at all so in November my GP upped my dosage to 15mg and also gave me Xanax. At Christmas-time, I ran out of tablets and couldn't get any because my GP hadn't given me a repeat prescription. I was so ill for the week. I was dizzy all the time and I couldn't see properly. Everything looked white and I felt like I was dreaming. It was impossible to leave the house and I missed a lot of work. When I did get the tablets a week later I had all the effects that I had when I first started taking them except much worse. Today, I went to see my psychiatrist and as I've been on these tablets for 7 months with no effect he prescribed me 20mg which is the strongest dosage. If this doesn't work I don't what I'm going to do. I can't face the withdrawal symptoms again.

After reading most of the comments about Lexapro I must say I was very surprized. This medication seemed to work the best of all the SSRI's I have been perscribed to. I have also experienced the side effects of exhaustion and dizziness (every so often though not too frequent). Despite this I have not experienced side effects such as when I was on Effexor (Do Not Ever Take It). Effexor gave me tremors, almost hallucinatory feelings of anxiety, dry mouth, apathy, and decreased sexuality. Lexapro affects libido in me to some degree, but not too greatly. The weirdest thing about the the compasison between many of these posts and my own seems to be the withdrawl effects of this medication. For a time for various reasons I would take the medication irregularly stopping and starting it as needed. On a whole, either coming back on the medication or off it I have not experienced many withdrawl side effects mentioned here, however Effexor withdrawl was horrible. I am begining to think Lexapro might be the best of the SSRIs for me so far, but am begining to give up on antidepressants. It seems the majority do share often horrible side effects which seem almost as life disrupting as the depression itself. On a side note, though unfortunately your doctor can't perscribe this (many will disagree, I'm sure). LSD has been the only thing to completely help my depression with one dose lasting an entire week of positive mood effect with none ill side effects experienced by me with different antidepressants. However anyone intending to take LSD should research about the drug, it's current illegality, and also be very careful since every individual more or less reacts differently to it. There's my 2 cents.

I have only been taking Lexapro for two days. I am taking it for anxiety/depression. The first day I felt more anxious and had a panic attack. I was grinding my teeth and had dry mouth. I couldn't sleep and felt like I was crazy. The second day I actually felt like I was seeing things. I had a panic attack while driving. I feel MUCH MUCH worse from taking Lexapro. The side effects are HORRIBLE!!! I am going off it A.S.A.P.

My wife and I seperated recently, and I started a new job after losing a couple due to marriage related anxiety and stress.

The doctor started me on 10mg/day of Lexapro, which I took for nine days. During that time I ate like crazy, and was extremely outgoing and talkative to everyone around me. So far so good I guess, although not really my normal self.

After about a week I guess, I started getting numbness in the base of my right thumb. I didn't associate it with the Lexapro until just now after reading this blog.

Anyway, I've never been consistent at staying on meds; I don't like the idea of needing them. After nine days I quit cold turkey. This last week has been the worst of my life.

The second day after stopping, I had MAD hallucinations all night. Ok, you may know what the definition of a hallucination is, but I guarantee you that you have NO idea what they are until you have had one, specifically drug induced.

I knew I was hallucinating part of the time I was in them; everything was so real. I even read part of a book in one of them. Some of them were EXTREMELY violent and bizarre. Nothing I've ever thought of before...

Here I am a week later, can't sleep at night, numb throughout body, and now have a cold. However, not a normal cold. I had my sleeves pushed up a minute ago, and after pulling them down my arms feel like there are rings of fire on them.

This drug is INSANE and way too powerful. Maybe it "works" for some people, but I say find the real cause of your depression. I doubt it's a so called chemical imbalance. Probably your lifestyle, relatinoships, or spiritual life.

I started out taking 10 mg of Lexapro, and with in a week, I felt my depression lift. I had been mildly depressed for most of my life due to childhood trauma, but it had gotten serious for me when I was 19, so I saw a therapist. After a year of therapy and not feeling better, I got on Lexapro. I had never felt that good in my life!!! I was fun, confident, and made new friends. AFter about 4 months though, it seemed to stop working. The doc said to raise it to 20mg, so I did, and I felt back to normal. My side effects, however, included constipation, and complete, total, 110% decline in any flicker of interest in sexual activity (which sucked because in all my newfound happiness I finally found a great boyfriend). I'm talking no libido, no hint of arousal, nothing. Orgasm? Ha! Not even possible, which sucked too, because I had never had one before (still haven't), and finally found a guy I probably could have had one with. So, my doc tried me on 150mg of Wellbutrin to supplement the Lexapro. With no change in libido, we tried 300mg. All it did was make me irritable and bitchy. And talk about road rage! So I got off the wellbutrin, and doc said another SSRI might not have the same side sex effects as Lexapro but should work as well. I weened myself off Lexapro (I didn't have any bad physical withdrawals, I just emotionally felt a little stirred up), and got on Zoloft. After a month, I felt no return of sex drive and a return of the depression, so I switched back to 20 mg of Lexapro. I really haven't felt good since. The Lexapro has recently stopped working, and I feel tired ALL the time. I just want to sleep away the day, and I am in fear that my lackluster attitude will cause problems in my relationship. Several weeks ago, the doc said to try 30 mg. Mistake! I felt more depressed and lower than I had my whole life, even worse than the depression I had before I started taking anything! After two weeks on 30mgs, I found this site (God Bless you all!), and found Lexapro had stopped working for others too. So on my own decision, I'm back down to 20mg, and I feel a little better, but still tired. I am debating on whether or not to just get off the drug completely, or try another. I just want to be happy and have a fulfilling sex life, which I have not had in over a year now.

Thank you all for your honest opinions, they have helped me in the struggle I face.

i took lexapro for6mn. i really liked it.Here recently i've been trying to ween off of it.it's been really tough; bad headaches, confusion, and restlessness.

I've been on Lexapro for about a year and on other SSRIs (most recently Zoloft) for about six years prior. The Zoloft stopped working, so the doctor prescribed 10 mg of Lexapro, then 20, then 30. I had only mild side effects, but it wasn't really helping my depression, either. After awhile, the doctor also prescribed 100 mg of Lamictal to even out the depression. I was having bad days and then I was having really bad days. I'm not sure if it's helping or not. One of the side effects of the Lexapro is not really caring about anything, so the doctor also prescribed 150 mg of Wellbutrin, thinking it would "kick start" my motivation. I had been on Wellbutrin before and had experienced really bad anxiety, but the doctor said the Lexapro would counteract the anxiety. Well, it didn't and I started having anxiety attacks again, so I went off the Wellbutrin a couple of months ago, but I'm still having the anxiety attacks. The doctor also prescribed Ambien and it does help me sleep. Since my depression is still not improving, the doctor recently increased the Lexpro dosage to 40 mg. I haven't heard about anyone who is on that high of a dosage. After a couple of weeks on the increased dosage, the side effects I was having increased about fourfold: incredible fatigue, severe headaches, etc. I also started getting dizzy. One day I was just a little dizzy and didn't think much about it. By the next day it was so bad I had to hang on to the walls. I was also so nauseous that I didn't even want to drink water and I was having really bad chills. I couldn't get in to see the doctor then, so I cut the dosage back to 30 mg myself about 10 days ago and I'm beginning to feel better; not so tired and today is my first day without a headache, but I'm still a little dizzy. I finally got in to see the doctor today and he told me I should go back to the increased dosage; that the side effects would go away with time and that my depression would improve. I'm obviously reluctant to do that, but I really would like to feel better. My depression has caused the break-up of a 24-year marriage, the loss of a 10-year career, and I'm in danger of losing another job if it doesn't improve soon. I should also say that the doctor who is prescribing the medication is a psychiatrist (the third one I've seen in the last six years) and I am also seeing a psychotherapist on a regular basis. What else can I do?

I have been taking Lexapro for about a year for situational depression. At first, I was prescribed 10 mg & I thought it was helping. However, in additional to the usual weight gain & lack of interest in sex, over time I began to have severe neck & back spasms, shortness of breath, muscle twitches, other weird joint symptoms, more problems sleeping but increased fatigue, and less & less motivation. It became more of a struggle to leave the house & I didn't want to socialize with friends of do any of the things I normally enjoyed. I returned to the doctor, who said the neck pain wasn't caused by lexapro and he upped the dose to 20 mg. I have been taking it for 6 wks and none of the negative symptoms have resolved at all. I think I feel more depressed than I did in the beginning. I am going to taper off the drug, starting today. After reading other entries here, I wondered if anyone has had an problems with joint severe pain & zero motivation level while taking Lexapro. If so, please reply. Also, if anyone has tapered off successfully, I would like to know how long it took. Thank you for the opportunity to talk about this.

This is my 3rd day on 5 mg Lexapro. I am experiencing burning in my knees, which I attribute to oxalate effects.

Here's the thing -- one so values the comments of others, but each individual's physiology is unique, making it difficult to generalize.

Moreover, the few times I have turned to these discussions for information, there is a preponderance of negative results. That is logical because if one were not experiencing ill effects, one would not be seeking assistance.

For me, I had reached the point where my physical symptoms, going undiagnosed, plus my level of anxiety, caused a 'nothing to lose' mentality. But I cannot discount anything I have read here.

I had been diagnosed with hypertension just prior to going this Rx route. I was hoping the Lexapro would give my body and mind some relief so that I could achieve homeostatis, so I have not started taking the diuretic as yet.

I am not anti-drug, but have preferred using herbal preparations. (St. John's Wort gave more negative side effects than I would have believed). I wonder now, about obtaining an older generation anti-anxiety medication. I sure do need something, there is a physiological imbalance -- of that I am personnally certain.

My main concern with Lexapro is lethargy and weight gain. My doctor told me that all antidepressants cause you to have the munchies, and I have found that to be true. I feel hungry most of the time and have to fight it. Otherwise, it has helped, but I would like to be free of it.

Okay...well I'm reading these posting's and I see a lot of various opinions on this drug. I think that is Lexapro is the right drug for you, you will experience mild side effects, if any, in the beginning and they will later subside.(as early within a week) So far Lexapro has been good for me. I also think that if you are being prescribe antidepressants by your physician, or obgyn, that is a big big big big problem. Phychiatrist are trained to know when they evaluate us if we even need an antidepressant, and which one they think would be best for us. I think that as soon as you experience side effects that really effect you you should say something to your physchiatrist, but PLEASE DO NOT let a regular doctor prescribe your antidepressants!! This is a VERY VERY bad idea. It is also bad to just take antidepressants on your own. We all need talk therapy just as well to truthfully feel better so we are not on these drugs for the rest of our lives!!! While taking an antidepressant, you should be monitored by your phychiatrist, and meet with him/her atleast once a month. Talk therapy is really a must, and once again you should not take drugs on your own or have another type of doctor prescribe you these medications!!!! We will live on these drugs forever if we do not seek help from trained phychologist/phychiatrist!!!

[moderator comment: change is often internal. if people do not want to change and do not expect to change then odds are rather great that most drugs will not by themselves make people instantly better.

as you suggested many doctors recommend combatting depression from multiple angles. if you are not talking to people and have no outlets then it is a bad situation.

I was exceptionally depressed by my environment, but even when the environment changed a bit of the depression stayed.

I have found doing things like running weblogs and talking to people has helped me a ton.]

Okay...I'm writing another post- about weight gain- antidepressants may cause a change in your appetite, and if you do not normally exercise and watch your food intake, you probably won't notice this. What happens when you eat too much??? You gain weight. The drug I guess could be put to blame for increasing your appetite, or craving for certain foods but it is NOT the cause of the weight gain. The eating too much is. Also a lot of people when they are depressed have suppressed appetites, so when they start to feeling better they may start eating more again.

[moderator comment: a portion of this post is short sighted or intentionally bogus.

you can't forget that things that change your personal drive levels effect your activity levels.

when I was absuredly pissed at the world I worked out for about 3 hours a day. as I became more content with life I did not have the same drive.

thats one factor.

the other factor is that the antidepressants do make some people naturally lazy. I do not know about you, but I have had periods of time where my serotonin levels were so high that I was too lazy to do much of anything.

even taking natural supplements can over time lead to serotonin levels that are too high. surely some SSRI drugs do the same since their biofeedback mechanisms are more resistant to allowing your serotonin levels to fall.]

I have been on lexapro for about 7 weeks now and i really like the effect it has on me ive been a lot happier but my neck is always soar and my head hurts constantly my head feels foggy and its hard for me to motivate myself i think im going to slowly stop taking the med but im scared of the withdraw symptoms are they really THAT bad?

[moderator comment: talk to your doctor about what you intend to do. it may be better to slowly taper instead of trying to stop cold turkey]

I have been on Lexapro for about 7 and a half weeks and every morning when I wake up I have very bad headaches. I am also in a huge daze till about an hour and a half after being awake. My dreams every night seem to be so vivid, and no matter how much sleep I get, I am still very tired in the mornings. It's almost as if I am trying so hard to be this hero in my dreams that when I become awake I am still so very exhausted. I can easily remember 5-6 different dreams i have every night. I've been keeping a record of it, to see a pattern. My psychiatrist, said welcome to "serotonin". This med is known for making our dreams feel so realistic. I just want to know why suddenly after being on lexapro for 7 weeks, I am waking with these huge migraines. does anyone know why?

[moderator comment: serotonin and melatonin go in a day night cycle. one of the potential problems with some of the SSRI drugs is that they may boost your serotonin levels to where there is too much serotonin and not enough meletonin at night

I am not a doctor but I believe when you are in REM your serotonin levels in the synapse is typically rather low. if you have too much serotonin then maybe that is not only making it harder to sleep but also may make dreams more vivid.]

Has anyone been off the Lexapro long enough to know when the weight will start coming off?

I've now been taking the Lexapro for six days. The headache and neck soreness is not present today. The physiological short-circuiting feeling I've had for months is gone. I am not responding to mild irritations with either the anger or the anxiety I had been experiencing. Others have mentioned feeling 'flat'. I've gotta tell ya, that for me, feeling 'flat' is a welcome rest. But in fact I am not emotionally flat...it is the absence of the intensity of emotions that seems due to the drug. I feel that not only my mind, but my body is getting a break. My costochondritis, which had been severe, has lessened. You should know that I only take 5 mg in the morning. Again, for me, taking Lexapro for now, is not only astoundingly easy, (I swore I'd weather through anything sans an Rx), but the effects were almost immediate, which, I suspect, reflects the extreme to which I'd become stressed, and way, way out of homeostatis. Perhaps those experiencing side effects might try the lower dose if OK with whoever dispensed? One more thing -- it has been good that I have not had dreams, nor remembered many things -- I was not happy when, this AM, I completely flashed on a very ugly experience -- and I will say that should this continue, I would stop the medication as I cannot afford an on-call therapist, which indeed, I would need if I re-experience traumatic events due to the drug. Yes. No one should be taking anything without a truly, appropriately-trained professional. Not only is psyche involved, there's all that biology. Take care

OK. Evening of day 7 on the 5 mg Lexapro. I feel panic-level anxiety. I haven't had this type of anxiety for 19 years. Also feel vague and quite out of sorts...rather weak. There is nothing external to account for this. Having the sensation of not being able to catch my breath is totally unacceptable.

You would think, wouldn't you, that in year 2005, the sciences would have sufficiently explored the endocrine system, brain chemistry, etc. enough to have more suitable drugs available. I would hate to think that something has been developed but it would work too well, and perhaps be too inexpensive, for it to be on the market. But that sort of thinking is either paranoic, or way too politically involved to be helpful to any of us.

I suspect there's a valium in my immediate future.

In my recent posts I omitted two vital contributing factors: I have health problems and have been unable to obtain a thorough physical exam. This is largely due, I am sure, to the MD's perception of the olde "all in your head" syndrome. This is not helpful, as you all know. I have had cancer. You would think that on this basis alone physical symptoms would be ruled out objectively. But no. And if you do what you should and keep at the business of finding an MD who will take a scientific diagnostic approach, then one is accused of doctor-hopping, or some such nonsense.

Moreover, the prescribing practitioner wanted to see me this week, but there were no openings in her schedule. The 'regular' therapist, who I had seen only twice, had not advised me when we first met that she would be gone for this entire week as well.

Being left to one's own, rather worn-out, resources, entirely new to the daily medication scenario, and with the combination of anxiety/depression and situational difficulties which so many of us taking Lexapro are experiencing, is, (while a testimony to tremendous inner strength despite how we feel), in a word, absurd.

Truly, the drug alone is only a minor part of our road to the healthy minds and bodies we seek.

I have been taking Lexapro for OCD for approx 7 months, (and started the weening process yesterday - I'm ready to come off of it!) Since I've been using Lexapro, I have frequent unpleasant/disturbing dreams - I never had "nightmares" prior to my use of Lexapro, so I am thinking it's related?? Anyways, as for the OCD - I still have as bad as before - doc wanted to up my dose, but I chose not to! The only positive thing.. My husband has noticed my mood and temper is a lot better since I've been using Lexapro.

OK. Yesterday, on day 8 of the 5 mg Lexapro, I simply felt 'overly full' of the drug, if you will allow that. I had found I needed to take a 2.5 mg diazepam the evening before, as although the Lexapro continued to hold down intensity, I felt anxious again. I awoke feeling very calm, and yet in touch. I was not exhausted, nor did my psyche feel ever so slightly 'frozen' as it had been since beginning the Lex, and I had some energy.

But wanting to give the drug a fair trial, and not knowing if this rather serene feeling I was experiencing was due, in fact, to the drug, I ended up taking the 5 mg dose. It fogged me out again. I had to lie down.

This morning, I decided to half the 5 mg, and take that amount. That seemed better throughout the day. However, this evening, I feel as though there's some short-circuting...as though there are withdrawal symptoms, which I would not expect after only 9 days.

I know that it is unwise to experiment with lower doses, and not to follow the proscribed plan. But I also know when I've had enough. (Oh, would that I could speak directly to the prescribing practitioner).

It seems quite clear that if I were to stay on the 5 mg Lex, I would need to balance it with the diazepam, which I do not want to do. Under pre-Lex circumstances, I would take maybe a total of two, 5 mg diazepam in one month, if any.

Can it be said once more? One must have a knowledgeable, and accessible practitioner.

Well, I stopped taking the Lex as of yesterday, and won't be taking it today. I am, however, going to write to the company to see if they have researched 3-day use at peak anxiety periods. Would a serotonin 'jolt' for 3 days, give one 6 more stable days, without the drug?

As I 'said' before -- I needed something to interrupt the high anxiety, physical symptoms, (which may or may not be fibromyalgia), and the Lex did that. What a relief. On a daily basis though, I felt strange...that 'flattened' feeling. And dreams and memories returning - best supressed. Or worked with - but that brings me back to needing a therapist who is available on a regular basis.

I'm certain that my anxiety has served to keep the traumas, grief, etc. manageable. It is not acceptable.

For those of you who have noted sexual effects - taking the Lex seems to have 'reminded' me that part of my human-ness is that I am a sexual being. Something I had 'forgotten'.

I have been on Lexapro for 2 months and I've gained 12 pounds. I'm so depressed that I decided to cut my 10mg. down to 5mg. for this week, and then I am cutting the med off entirely. Granted this has worked for my mood changes and my behavior, but now I'm feeling so emotional because of how much weight I have put on in a short amount of time. I used to be 98lbs. and now I'm peeking at 112lbs. My metabolism was so fast in the past and now it has slowed down completely. I am changing my own dose. When I told my doctor how much weight I gained she told me to eat better foods. Well it certainly has not made a difference.

I started taking Lexapro five months ago for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. The only side effect was a complete disinterest in sex (this would be a perfect drug for women to slip their womanizing husbands). My anxiety was perfectly under control until I started to notice that my jaw is clenched all the time and that I am having the most vivid and disturbing dreams. I also notice that I am craving alcohol (I have maybe four drinks in an entire year) and coffee constantly, and I am slowly but surely gaining weight, about two pounds a month. Sitting in a traffic jam yesterday made me want to jump out of my car and kill somebody. I have always been known for being a real sweetheart; now I hate all mankind and am very confrontational. I have even decided to become an agnostic after being born and raised in a Christian family of ministers and missionaries. I have an appointment with my psychiatrist today and will ask him about weaning myself from Lexapro. Post Traumatic Stress is probably best treated by psychotherapy, not drugs.

I took Lexapro (10mg) to control depression for exactly a year and besides the common side effects like nausea, and moderate weigh gain I would say it worked pretty well. I wasn't too happy about gaining weigh and I felt that my depression/anxiety was under control so I decided to get off the medication a month ago under my doctor's supervision. I decreased the dose to 5 mg a day for two weeks and then stop taking it. A week after this, I was getting electric zaps and mini-shocks every five minutes. It was a little bit scary but I knew this "shocks" would go away soon, and they did. Unfortunately three weeks later I fell into depression again and have anxiety at night that sometimes I cannot sleep for hours. Sadly I must admit that depression runs in my veins (my mother and uncle suffer from it and take medication ) so I will have to depend on it probably the rest of my life. It is sad, but I rather stay on medication for years than ruin my life and the ones I love. My doctor is deciding what medication I should take, and I'm crossing my fingers that it will work the way Lexapro did.
I only wanted to share my experience with this medication and if you are a person who does not really care about gaining some weight, then Lexapro is right for you. It really worked well for me, except for the weigh issue.

Claudia

Well, I just got back from the Doctor; he agreed that perhaps it is time to wean myself off of Lexapro and see how I feel about my anxiety. I will post again during the weaning process and share my experiences. I have been on 10mg. for 5 months. I hope I don’t get the brain shivers; it sounds like a wretched experience.

I have been taking Lex for almost 1 year now and am starting to wean off of it. I LOVED this medication up until now. I stumbled across this blog and have found it very interesting. Since I started weaning I have turned into such a b***ch. I started taking Lex for anxiety and mild depression. I would say that it worked really well. Weaning off it was just a natural progession. However, now I feel dizzy, headachey, cranky, hungry, and unmotivated. I am hoping it is just the side effects of tapering off. I am scared that this means I need to stay on Lex forever. I am going to talk to my counsler and try to figure this out. But man it REALLY sucks.

I took two doses of Lexapro 10mg each. I hate it and will never take it again. It was prescribed for anxiety. It is horrible. I have had awful diarreah and have COMPLETELY lost my appetite. I am not hungry or thirsty for anything. I have to force myself to eat. I am small anyways, and can not afford to lose weight. I also yawn excessively and feel like a zombie. All I want to do is sleep. I only took two doses and two days later I still do not have an appetite and am still having side effects. It is not worth it!!!

My girlfriend has been on Lexapro for about 6 months. Honestly she seems more upbeat in general but it hasnt been easy on me. I think it's working too well, she's become almost robotic emotionally, she never cries anymore, NEVER. Romance has all but disappeared from our relationship, all she talks about is work. When we do have sex, she's now rarely able to have orgasms so of course she's losing interest in that too.

She originally started taking it for anxiety/panic. Lexapro fixed that but now I really miss my romantic panicky emotional girlfriend.
-S

I hope that posting my experience with this med will help somebody....anybody who has been given this med!!
First of all, After reading through several comments, I would have to conclude that it isn't whether or not this drug works (it seems to work for some) but rather who determines (doctor or psychiatrist)you should be taking it. There is no way a medical doc should be prescribing this med!!
I was given this med 6 1/2 weeks ago and taken off of it by the ER Doc this past weekend, and confirmed by the psychiatrist when I was almost put in the psych ward yesterday evening for the even worse withdraw symptoms!!!!! If you are having a problem with this med, any problem at all, quit reading this e-mail and get help immediately!!!
I have never been on an antidepressant in my life, and after visiting the medical doc 7 weeks ago for fatigue and night sweats I thought were due to my thyroid condition (and we now know were), he some how convinced me I must be depressed and having anxiety or panic attacks at night. I reluctantly took the med and it has destroyed my life for the past 6 1/2 weeks!! I am only glad I had some shred of dignity and sense left to get help before my used to be sweet and sensitive self ripped someone's head off and shoved it up their @$$!! This drug has given me horribly vivid dreams that I would just love for someone to analyze!! I could not tell after a while what was real and what was not. I would have conversations in my dreams that I would swear took place the next morning and it would take me a while to realize it was a dream. I would have a very vivid dream that I had been awake and getting ready for work only to wake up and realize I in fact had not and was now 2 hours late.
I gained 14 pounds since I started this med and am now suffering from depression due to weight gain. This past weekend I nearly went postal on my own family who I love with everything I have and like I said, somehow had enough sense to know that this is not who I am.
The past few days without this med have been so difficult, and I can only hope it gets better. The Psychiatrist can not even comprehend why I was put on this med without an extremely thorough evaluation medically. Now I have to be concerned with the possibility of some residual damage and the possible need for additional meds to bring me off of this one. This has been horrible. And the one thing I do have to note is the fact that I contacted my dr's office 8 times with concerns about going out of my mind and was ignored until my husband created scene and the ER doc contacted them.
I would love to share more of my story with anyone who would like to hear it. I am better today than yesterday, although the headache I have has lasted for three days now and considering yesterday I wished I would never wake up again!! Please, if you are experiencing anything like this, stop reading the e-mail and get help!! I now have to be treated by a psychiatrist for the time being for something I never had a problem with anyway.

I'm 21 and I've been on Lexapro for almost four months now, and I feel pretty ok, I have GAD and I'm constantly worried about my health, every little tweak I think i'm a goner. Since taking the Lexapro I feel a little better, It definetly effects the sex drive though.
If anyone says that withdrawl on lexapro isn't something to worry about, they're lying. If I miss a day of taking it, I feel nauseous and my head throbs for hours on end. It also made me extremely fatigued when I forget to take a dose.

All in all, I guess I'm ok with lexapro since it did stop the panic attacks after all.

I've been taking lexapro on and off for about three years now. I only tried it after years of counseling and therapy because I could not control my emotions or my thoughts. I take 10 mg a day, except when I run out before payday, when I either borrow some from my mother or just go without. The only side effect I've ever noticed is increased chance of dizziness when I stand up too quickly.
When I first started taking it, I wanted to go off it, but my mom made me stick it out. I thought it was making me anxious, but really for the first time I could remember, I was actually caring about what happened. I thought it was making me hyper and excitable, but really for the first time I could remember, I was able to be happy.
Lexapro is not for everyone, and no-one should try chemical therapy alone. It is not like some anti-depressants that make one happier, rather it evens out one's moods. This can make a person become manic or more depressed. I think that medicine should be tried only after everything else, and that if one medicine doesn't work, another should be tried.

Lexapro is what's best for me, and I would rather take it the rest of my life than be depressed, but I think it should be one option of many, not a wonderdrug. I wish that everyone who takes it would have it work as well for them as it does for me, but since that's not possible, I hope everyone here gets the help they need, whether it be medicine, counseling, therapy, or anything else, or a mix of anything that they need.

I have been taking Lexapro (10 mg) for about 6 weeks now and I am glad I stuck with it. I have read many other posts where people wanted off of it several days after taking it. I can understand, because at first the drug scared the crap out of me, but I told myself I could not live with panic attacks anymore so I continued. I am so happy that I did. My depression has diminished and I am a new person. I am caught up on all of my housework and my office has never been perfectly organized until now. I highly recommend this treatment for sufferers of depression and/or GAD.

I started taking Lexapro after I my thyroid was removed and the Levoxyl made me feel disconnected from my body and I wanted to sleep 13 or more hours a day. I had no suicide or self injuring thoughts. I realized something was wrong when my kid got major scholarship money and I felt nothing. Lexapro is wonderful for me. I have been on it for 6 weeks. I compulsive eat less and have lost a three pounds. I am happy and smiling most of the time, I wake up feeling good, sometimes a little to good: sometimes almost deliriously happy.

Anger-many people mentioned anger problems. I had those years ago but worked hard to recover get over them. . I had to learn to walk away when my mouth was running or tell people that I needed a time out when my anger was out of hand. I also needed to learn the difference between anger and rage. ( anger is when if you see someone kicking your car you call the cops, rage is when you pull out a baseball bat and nail him afew times. Anger is self protection and ok, rage is just overkill.)
Anger to me is just like a drug. I get high off of it. Maybe that is what is going on for you. Since I am not accustomed to being happy I seem to want just a little more happiness when I feel good. And anger can be an empowering high. Lexapro is not causing anger in me but I can see how it would heighten it for me. I had a tire fall off my car while on Lexapro, while driving 70 miles and hour. To me, I seemed a little to grateful that Just 20 miles earlier I had taken over driving the car from my 18 year old.
I told everyone I met about it. It seems that Lexapro heightens the emotions that I have. Before Lexapro I had no emotions.I suspect it is more for people having no emotions rather then bad emotions

My sex drive is back and in full swing. I do need to drink a little more water or I get dizzy.

This is my second attempt with lexapro. I first started with 10mg and felt so extremely weird and flat only lasted 4 days. Stopped taking it and went through one of the worst depressions of my life for about a month. On advice from my doctor on cutting it in half and sticking it out for two weeks I finally did. The first 5 days were horrible but now going on my second week I feel great. No more panic attacks, over-obsessing on everything and my depression is gone. I finally feel like I have hope again. So anyone who is skeptical about taking it I found it to be wonderful for me and the side effects are gone and my sex drive is the same as always. So good luck and just to let anyone curious about this I am having a good experience with it.

I was prescribed Lexopro 10 mg for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in 2004. Lexapro was like a miracle drug for me.I felt so good. The anxiety stopped. A bomb could have been dropped on me and I would have laughed at it. I was at peace with the world. I went on shopping sprees like the movie "Pretty Woman". I spent $100,000 in five months. I bought groceries like I thought their would be none tomorrow. I felt like Julia Roberts in the movie "Pretty Woman" in a shoe store. I left with 8 pair of shoes. Not cheapies, either.I didn't stop there...clothes,purses, jewelry,etc. When I tired of buying for me , I bought for family and friends, and a few strangers. The doctor renewed my prescriptions even until now. I do not have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder anymore. I have depression and sudden un-explained crying spells. I have headaches and very vivid nightmares.I have chills at night and hot sweats in the day. I seem to go through life in slow motion. What happens...happens, I could care less since being on Lexapro. Lexapro is a good drug for what it is given to do. I don't beleive that this drug should be given on a long term basis. My doctor has not said to stop taking Lexapro. Advised me to set up an appointment with a Phychiatrist today. I did. The Phychiatrist could be heard, over my un-controlable crying, saying, " I can see you in three weeks. Are you going to be okay?" Hello...in three weeks, I will be over this problem or three weeks worse ! I don't know how I "happened" on this web site but, I am glad that I did. Now , I know that I must begin in the morning reducing the dosage of Lexapro for the next three weeks until I have weaned off completely. Thank you for all of your testamonies. So many of your symptoms were mine as well. I will write again in three weeks to let you know the results of weaning off Lexapro.

I started taking lexapro about 2mths ago for mild depression. The first day I took it was HELL! I thought I was going crazy. I wanted to give it a chance though so I continued to take the 10mg I was prescribed. It did work at first and I was alot more myself, but that started to change after a few weeks so my Dr increased it to 20. I want off of it. I have gained weight and cannot take it off. I feel tired all of the time and have almost fallen asleep driving. My Dr. wants me to exercise, but I have no motivation to since I'm always tired. It doesn't make me constantly hungry I just cant seem to lose any weight even though I'm eating ALOT less. As for sex it is non-existent. There is no feeling what so ever when my husband and I try to have sex. Luckily my husband is understanding, but I want off. I didn't take one today since I decided to try to get off them this morning, but I am quite scared after reading others effects when trying to come off. Does anyone know of any medication for depression that doesn't have such serious side effects? What about Welbutrin?

I have been on Lexapro 10mg for a week now, it is the first time I have ever taken an antidepressant.

I am 22 and have been seeing a psychiatrist for Mixed Anxiety Depression Disorder. Basically I would have panic attacks where my heart would race continually and then I felt like ending my life and made a few attempts.

I tried to do some research on this drug as I began taking it so I could be prepared. All I found, however, were people saying some very scary and worrying things all over the internet. I think people in my position need to know that doctors prescribe this drug for a reason: it is the most tolerable drug in its class of SSRI's which mean less side-effects for you.

I got so worried reading some of these things people said on all different websites, but at the end of the day I decided to see how it was affecting me. Basically, I have had very very few problems. The ONLY side effect I have noticed is feeling like I am continually stimulated (ie like I've had a bit too much coffee). Too much energy, a bit restless when I have nothing to do with all that energy. But that's it. Sexually, I have experienced no problems other than taking longer to reach orgasm. That was my main concern as it was exactly what my doctor had warned me of. Speaking with another friend, in his late 30s, on a similar drug, he has never had problems sexually on that drug either.

The point of this post is, for anyone who is in a position where they are suffering anxiety or depression and have the opportunity to take this medication, the choice is yours. Just know that for every one person who has had a problem with a drug, there is probably another 5 people who had no problems with it at all. It can be very scary reading all these posts, and while they are valuable to you making an informed decision, you need to look at the actual evidence, clinical trials and inform yourself about what the drug will ACTUALLY do to you. It's a game of balance, but just see how it affects you, don't take anyone else's pain on board.

That's all I have to say.

MY WIFE COMMITTED SUICIDE WHILE ON LEXAPRO. SEEMS PRETTY STUPID BUT SOMEONE TELL ME WHY A DOCTOR WOULD PRESCRIBE A DRUG WITH SUICIDAL SIDE-EFFECTS TO A PERSON WHO IS ALREADY DEPRESSED? IT SEEMS TO ME THAT DOING SO WOULD PUSH THE ALREADY DEPRESSED PERSON OVER THE EDGE. I WOULD LOVE TO GO AFTER THE FDA AND THE MANUFACTURERS AND THE DOCTORS PRESCRIBING THESE "KILLER" DRUGS.

After reading all the posts here, I have decided not to take Lexapro or any other AD, ever. I am going to taper off The low dose Elavil(25mg.) and Mirtazapine 30 mg. I take at night. Helps me sleep TOO much, and daytime is terrible with anxiety and depression, but I prefer to work through these with a therapist. The side effects nentioned in your posts are scary. And In my humble opinion, psychiatrists are really pill pushers, and can only do two things.. give more anti-depressants at higher doses, and get rich on the misery of their victims, us patients.
One last thing.. I learned from bitter experience that any benzo ( klonipin, ativan, xanax etc.,) are extremely addictive and coming off them is HELL. Just my experience, that's all. LOOK into it.

I was just prescribed this today. I have a lot of pressure on me w/ several family events, am easily annoyed/irritated, snappy at times. I used to work out regulary but don't really anymore. I am wondering if I should just try getting the endorphins flowing again through exercise, b/f taking Lexapro 10mg??? This forum has pretty much scared me to death. I've taken one pill at this point. If I don't take anymore, do you think I'm ok? I realize it's person-specific, but I need an answer. Do I take or not take? Ugh. That is the question!

I was just prescribed this today. I have a lot of pressure on me w/ several family events, am easily annoyed/irritated, snappy at times. I used to work out regulary but don't really anymore. I am wondering if I should just try getting the endorphins flowing again through exercise, b/f taking Lexapro 10mg??? This forum has pretty much scared me to death. I've taken one pill at this point. If I don't take anymore, do you think I'm ok? I realize it's person-specific, but I need an answer. Do I take or not take? Ugh. That is the question!

Update from May 26th. I am in my two weeks of withdrawal from Lexapro. I decided to go "cold turkey" on Lexapro instead of gradually weaning off of the drug. I am a nurse. I thought I could handle this. I reccommend that "cold turkey" is not the way to rid your body of this medication,especially, if one has been on the drug for a long time. You may think that you are strong. Not only was I strong but also, very knowledgeable about the side-effects/withdrawals of drugs. I was treading on dangerous grounds in my ignorance of the possible effects of withdrawal. Each individual reacts differently. The problem with sudden cestation of Lexapro or any long term drug is that the symptoms of withdrawal is not perdictable. Please,please work with your physician if you are taking that big step of stopping a medication. Lexapro was beneficial and necessary at the time that my doctor prescribed the drug for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. My husband and I were diagnosed with cancer...both terminal. I lived to become his sole caregiver for 2 1/2 years. I am cancer free for three years. I survived Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast. Life just got better. Getting off Lexapro gives me more perspective and insight on life. I am free at last.

I had been on this medication for 8 months , gainded 30 pounds , lost sex drive , didn't care what happened : which in a way was ok so I could better handle the daily experiences in my life and there are many experiences to handle with a Mother with alzheimers many etc's . I wanted to sleep all of the time . No energy but only a few bad dreams that I remember . I took myself off Lex about two weeks ago - don't know if I am happier or sad about that decision . I want my sex drive back while I am young enough to enjoy life .
Thanks

oooooooookay.......

I've been on lexapro for all of two weeks... and I feel nothing. The only thing I notice is the weird hallucinating. I hallucinate out the corner of my eye all day long. SO.. there's that.

I have taken lexapro for 2 years. I'm 27 had a girlfriend that caused severe problems and just up and left one day hence the reason I went on meds.. Anyway, I think I took the drug too for too long, I quit cold turkey and I'm three weeks now with no pill. Honestly, as a former college athlete , I finally have all my energy back , it's amazing! I really quit lexapro because I thought it made me not give a shit about anything. I honeslty am shocked at my athletic energy..

I've been taking lexapro now for six month's. I had some side effects but now they are not that bad. I started on 10mg and now have gone up to 20mg. I definately noticed a change. A good one for the most. I did read that in studies going from 10 up to 20mg. did not show a substantial difference, but I do feel one. My major side effect has been my sex drive. I am 32 and don't think this is right. But I deal with it and can perform. Reaching orgasm takes a bit, but not like when I was on Celexa?

Overall, it has been a definate help for me. However, counseling and talking with those who are in similar situations are tools that aid in the drugs effectiveness. I do belive that the pill alone will not solve all your problems. It has really helped me, but I am able to deal with things in a more rational way. Don't give up!
Give it a chance....

I wonder do you thino lexpro will help my mood swing very well? because i got very badly emoition so wha should i tell my doctor to give me?

Does anyone know if Lexapro can cause wild and vivid dreams?

About a month ago my gf broke up with me and it causted me to plung into deep depression to where I couldn't focus on anything and I cried all the time. My father is on lexapro and gave me some 10mg tablets to get me through this. I'm a firm believe in dealing with ones problems with out the use of medication if you can, but I ran into something that was ruining me and I coudln't get out. This is my first time using any time of antidepresant. I took my first one last night and there is no more pain. I am able to focus on my school and I'm up beat for the first time in a month. I only plan on using it for a few weeks so I can finish out this summer semester and study for the mcat, while my ex leaves my head.
The only thing I've noticed is that I have no sex drive at all, which is fine with me for right now.

My problem is I know I shoudlnt' be doing this without the supervision of a medical professional, but I only plan on being on it for about 3 weeks and then taper off. I'm only taking 10mg tablets once a day and I was told to take half of that for a week or two to kinda taper off.

Can anyone give me some advise?

I have been on Lexapro 10 mg for almost 3 months. After a few rough weeks it helped tremendously. I felt like I had a new lease on life, after being depressed much of my life, and after trying Effexor and Wellbutrin which did not help. Lately, I have begun to feel less good, depressed, blunted, calmer but not happier, not at all like what I first felt. After feeling like this drug suppressed my appetite, and actually not being a big eater for years, just now I am starting to feel empty, like I have to eat, off and on all day. I am extremely worried about gaining weight because that alone will depress me. I am going to discuss with my doctor but believe I should come off this drug. I will not go cold turkey, after reading all these posts. If anyone has experienced this appetite boost after initially feeling just the opposite, or having Lexapro just stop working after 3 months, please share. Hang in there everybody.

i need help desperatly,, i am ready to end it, over 20 years of pain and deppression, this last episode has lasted over a year,,, i have been on many different antidepresants,, just weened of latest so-called miricel drug,, felt like zombie and itched all the time,, it was cymbalta,,, heart raced on 30 droped down to 20 not much change,,, can anyone tell me about using combo thraphy,, like lexepro and paxil

Advice about Lexapro:
I gotta get this off my chest. Especially since I came here looking for logical reading regarding antidepressants.

1. These are serious drugs. Take them seriously. You do not take antidepressants for "stress relievers". And you if do so, you're an idiot.

2. Do not take any prescription or non-prescription drug without researching it fully first. Especially antidepressants. Your body is your responsiblity. Doctors are not gods. DO YOUR RESEARCH.

3. If you do not realize by now that giving a severely, chronically depressed person an antidepressant makes them more suicidal because it gives them energy to carry out what is already planned, you're an idiot. Lexapro specifically did not cause your loved one to commit suicide. ANY antidepressant will do this.

4. If you are seeing a general practioner and they want to prescribe you antidepressants of any kind, change doctors immediately.

5. Do not take antidepressants without being in talk therapy and without being under the care of a psychiatrist.

6. Please be aware that antidepressants are messing around with your brain chemistry - this is serious business and different for every person. Don't do this lightly. DO YOUR RESEARCH. A good link: www.crazymeds.org

7. ALL antidepressants have side effects, including Lexapro. In fact, the "side effects" from taking the drug are side effects from changing the level of seritonin or seritonin uptake in your brain. Everyone is different and only you know your body. If you are sensitive to taking meds, then you will be even more sensitive to antidepressants.

8. DO YOUR RESEARCH. After 28 years of being suicidally, chronically, and severely depressed (I've had depression and anxiety produced audio and visual hallucinations) here are the books I can recommend:
CommonSense Rebellion - Bruce Levin
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therpay - David Burns
Undoing Depression - Richard O'Connor
The Noon Day Demon - Andrew Solomon
Darkness Visible - William Styron

9. Take medication for depression as a last resort. Not a first step. I waited 28 years before taking my first pill 7 days ago.

10. DO YOUR RESEARCH. This is your body, not your doctor's. And it's your responsibility, not your doctor's.

In my next post, I will detail my dealings with Lexapro so far.

Lexapro is a more fast acting and more potent of a drug than other antidepressants. Usually within the first two weeks you will know if its working and these are my psychiatrist words but my research backed them up. The side effects a LIGHLY more mild than other anti's.

I've had chronic, severe suicidal depression since I was 9 (I'm now 36). I've had two reprieves that last 2-4 years. The first were my junior and senior years of college and the second was 2 years ago. I've now gotten so I can feel the "crash" coming and this is the second time I have tried anti-depressants and about the fourth time I've been in talk thereapy. My first anti was Zoloft which didn't do anything. I've had one near fatal suicide attempt at 16 and experienced audio and visual hallucinations when I was 10. My depression has grown up with me so to speak.

I hold a mid-level, mid-paying manager position in a high stress environment and am currently attending graduate school majoring in Executive Leadership.

I begain taking Lexapro 7 days ago and have just today upped the dose to 10 mg. Started at 5 mg for 7 days. So far, I really like it. The first day I experienced a mild headache and pretty severe insomnia. I also experienced "seeing" shapes and colors when I closed my eyes. I immediately changed my dosage times to the AM. The sleeplessness resolved itself slowly and the last two nights I dreamed for the first time in 2 years. A sign that my neurons were 'soaking' in more seritonin. So far, these are the only side effects other than feeling a little more up and very gradually gaining more energy.

Today is a Saturday and I chose to up my dose today in order to offset any side effects on the weekend. I did nap this afternooon rather heavily for 3 hours. Hard to determine if this was due to the drug or just sleep debt. AT this moment, I am still fairly tired, but again I have a tremendous sleep debt built up in my system.

I would adivse taking Lexapro in the AM (as soon as you get up) and if you are the midst of changing doeses to this when you do not have to work the next day.

I will post again in 7 days and let everyone know how its going.

Have now upped the dosage and am doing great. Very few side effects - increased appetite as expected which isn't exactly my cup of tea but my emotions have leveled and my anxiety has decreased. I feel I can handle things better and little slights that used to knock me to my knees are now taken in stride. My decision making skills are gaining ground and getting back to where they should be.

Doing very well!

A month ago I was admitted to the ER with a full blown panic attack, given a shot of attivan and released. I'm in the military, and thus have to follow their care plan.. which resulted in a followup with a social worker 2 weeks later! I still have not seen a psycologist, but the corpmsan (and enlisted man with no formal medical training) decided to put me on 20mg Lexapro. Bad idea! I have taken 3 days worth and can hardly type this message. I have had fever, chills, tremors, mood swings, drowsiness, hyperactivity, sleep problems, zero sexual interest, burning feeling in many parts, loss of feeling/tingling, confused, disoriented, dizy, headache, constipation, mouth sores and more. This is obviously a case of blatent incompentance on the part of the military health care system. What can I do? I have a wife and child at home, no money to pay an outside doc. I'm thinking of cutting my 20mg pills in half or just stopping. Help!

Nothing has yet changed my opinion of SSRI's. They are all dangerous for some people. Stamford Medical Center in California found in a study, a gene which makes a small group of people very susceptible to dangerous and serious side-effects from this kind of drug. My own sister committed murder while on Paxil in 2002. It was a horrible tragedy for her and the victim...our mother. My sister had never shown a tendency toward violence until she went on this drug. She was and is very ill. Our lives have been a living nightmare ever since.

HOW CAN YOU PEOPLE BE SO FOOLISH AND
BUY THIS GARBAGE BY FDA/DOCTORS, ETC.
THESE DRUGS ARE TOTALLY UNNECESSARY
AT BEST, AND DANGEROUS AND DEADLY AT WORST

What's a typical "chronically depressed" person to do for pete's sake? Forgive my jest. I'm just so damn frustrated. I started 10mgs of Lexapro four nights ago and my renowned NY Dr. would like me to up it to 20mgs along w/ 1mg of klonipin for anxiety and depression every night. I have been on zoloft 75mgs for nearly 8 years. Eight years!! and for naught. I think it was force of habit. It did nothing. I do seem to feel a bit better already, although slightly dizzy here and there. I'm 44, never took pills or meds. Live a clean life, eat healthy, work out daily, no drinking, or smoking. I'm quite afraid to continue with these meds between the addictive qualities and worrying about weight gain. (The Zoloft didn't seem to have that effect on me.) I don't need to end up 2 months down the road still feeling like I'm dragging all day, 10 lbs heavier and addicted to klonipin.

(ftr...I do now also take for migraines topomax 150mgs ...I feel like Ive become a professional pill taker since I've hit 40, sigh) any responses or advice would be helpful.

Lexapro has impacted my daily life greatly. I can actually sit down and watch a movie and anxiety attacks have erradicated. I have been taking it for a month now 10/mg day. I would like to note that when I wake in the morning I feel a little anxiety but that is lesser of a problem than before.

be very careful. Your doc may prescribe too much too quick. You want to take the lowest dose and get feedback about you demeanor. You want to know how you feel, but you want to know what others think of your personality shift. I was taking it for mild axiety which stemmed. From ADD and my inability to control it. Once I got up to 20mg a day, I felt fine. I felt so fine that I work about 4hours less a day, did not care if my wife had left me and had no idea of the impact everyone (including my 7year old little girl) had by my supossed solution to a problem. Before I got off, I had reached a period of not even valuing my life. I have tryed most anti-depression and anxiety mediction and would love to talk to someone similar to me who finds the medications available - as they do alter (you see how I don't say fix) the initial problem they create such a shift in so many other areas. I would like to of something I have not tryed and talk about it with someone similar to me. This would stop the usual 2-3 week testing period again. My physician will never know the effects, so it is hard at this point to understand.

Does anyone know of Lexapro causing women to have a missed period? Anyone who could answer that question would be of great help,thanks.

I have also stopped having my period on lexapro. My doctor told me that it was not the lexapro but I cannot find any other reason.

I have been slowly lowering my dosage of lexapro from 10mg to 5mg for about 2 weeks and now I am completely off. The last few days my heart has been pounding in my chest. I am trying to stay calm but it is freaking me out a bit. Has anyone else had this problem?

Hi, just stopped taking lexapro 4 weeks ago(gradually). I stopped because i as taking a beta block and then 3 lots of anitbiotics, I was worried toomuch medication would be bad(so the lexapro was first to go). Well, I had bad hot sweats, aching body and the weirdest electric shocks through my body for about 2weeks and extremely tired. I also had the most strangest chest infection, respitory thing(hence the 3 lots of anitbiotics). I'm feeling better now bit I'm too scared to go back on lexapro because it gave me insomnia for about 8 weeks and jaw tension. Anyway, I know i've got some anxieties, I might start exercising and see if that helps. (walking).

Just wanted to add that I was only taking 5 mg of the darn thing. And I also have had a racing heart and shaking hands whilst on it. It did help my anxiety and impatience for a while though. Guess you gotta weigh things up.

i have been on lexapro for six days now. and i am not feeling any relief right now i still feel panicky and jittery. what should i do? i have been on paxil cr for a year and got off suddenly because they never had my perscription in. i really need some help for this problem.

In comment on themes contained in several posts, I want to caution that everyone's experience is unique as is one's physiological makeup. No one here should read a blog and assume that the same will apply to them. I have been on Prozac for 3 years. I have gained 30 pounds during that time but the drug has been affective in helping with depression and obsessive compulsive behavior.

Recently, I switched to Lexapro. My Dr. said that Lexapro is the least likley of the SSRI group to cause weight gain (with Paxil being the most likely). He cautioned though that there is really no evidence that any of the SSRIs actually cause the weight gain, rather age, change in exercise activity and diet habits may be equal culprits. Yet, I hope to lose weight from the switch.

Also, I find it odd that people write about side effects they are experiencing after only a few days of the drugs. Lexapro, as with all SSRIs, takes about 3-5 WEEKS to take full effect. I am not a DR., but I suspect that some people are claiming ill effects that should be attributed to the anxiety and depression itself and not the drug since the drug has not had time to take effect.

Finally, I have found that a combination of diet, medication, exercise, sunlight, spirituality and work fulfillment is what really gets results. You must nurture all aspects of your life. Good luck to everyone.

I started taking Lexapro about a month ago after being weaned off Paxil CR (which I had taken for several years and gained about 50 lbs). The first week on Lexapro gave me an acute migraine which sent me to the minor emergency clinic. I continued to have headaches on a daily basis and have been told to stop taking Lexapro.

I have been taking Lexapro for about a year now. Recently, I upped the dosage to 20 mg/day. The transition was a little shaky - I got a little sweaty, and had trouble concentrating. But that all went away.

I'm a little concerned about many of the messages here, because I don't think most of them are very informative. Personally, I think Lexapro is great...FOR ME. Besides clenching my jaw a lot, I don't experience any of the negative side effects.

You may experience it differently. In fact, you almost CERTAINLY will. Telling people "Lexapro sucks! Don't ever take it!" is not helpful. Neither is "Wow! Lexapro is the best thing that's ever happened to me!" because it’s not going to be the same for everyone. Everyone’s brain will react differently, so take peoples' comments for what they are worth. Know that there is a good possibility that you may experience some of the side effects they experience. You won’t know until the drug starts affecting YOUR brain chemistry.

It’s also important to recognize a fact about the Internet: most people who come to comment on message boards come to complain and vent. Like my doctor said, "For every one positive message board about Lexapro (or any medication) there are 5 negative ones."

SSRI's, like many medications, are trial and error. If you experience negative side effects on Lexapro that you are unable to handle, talk to your doctor about trying something else.

Again, take the comments here for what they are, peoples' OWN experiences on Lexapro.

Does anybody have anything good or positive to say about this drug?? Good Lord........ I just started it tonite. I have to say, after reading these remarks, Iam afraid to go to sleep and Iam afraid Iam going to have panic attacks tomm. Please tell me someone has something good to say.

I have recently started on 10mg of Lexapro per day, which I've been taking at 8 in the morning following food. I have had the Lexapro for 10 days.

So far I have been quite tired and dizzy during the day, but I find it also affects my sleep - I seem to sleep somewhat lightly and wake early. This may be adding to my tiredness. However, the medication does seem to be lifting some of the underlying 'fog' of fatigue and I don't feel as 'down'.

My question is whether I can expect the tiredness during the day and disturbed sleep to lift in the next week or two. Should I take it at night and, if so, is it better with or without food?

Thank you for any experience you can offer!

I have been on Lexapro for about 6 months. I suffer from panic disorder and have really bad anxiety attacks. I have never felt depressed in my life (or at least I thought) untill I went on Lexapro. I did not feel the positive side of this medication for about 2 months.... then voila I woke up in the morning and felt like a normal person. No Panic attacks and no sadness. I am always dizzy, and now am getting really horrible mood swings, and anger, and horrible PMS! I dont know what to do, am thinking of up-ing my 10 mgs to a higher dosage, or maybe switching?

I've been on on Lexapro now for 4 weeks. So far it appears to have changed my life, i'm only taking half dosage 5mg and hope that this doesn't need to be increased. I must say that I can consentrate a lot better, i'm a better mother and wife. I've never needed to use this type of treatment before, however I lost a baby a year ago and after trying to manage things via counselling, exercise etc, I realised that I needed to do more.
So on the basis of my experience so far i'm very happy, I hope I don't have the side effects which are discussed in these pages.

I started with Lexapro quite nervously, as I had had a bad relationships previously with both Wellbutrin and Effexor (nasty, nasty stuff). This, though, has actually helped smooth out my moods and I feel as if I can approach my concerns with clarity rather than with panic.

I'm disappointed that I cannot take it with Xanax, as it is my emergency remedy for panic attack...I fall asleep for two days and just am drained of all my energy.

My only noticeable side effect has been weight gain. I struggle with weight anyway, but this is a serious issue. And eating like a rabbit is, to me, so very unpalatalbe. Like a bumber sticker I saw, "Bacon is meat candy." I don't want to give up food in order to remain healthy.

But all in all, Lexapro has eased my depression significantly, although I still dance around the anxiety thing now and again.

~G

Hey everybody, I started taking Lexapro about 2 months ago. The first week I was very jittery early in the morning but had a good overall feeling. I was very talkative, energetic, was not hungary, and generally loved that week. The Next week was the same. My Boyfriend and I broke up right after I started taking it, he really was crazy and seriously needed medication himself. I upped my own dosage to 2 pills a day, without Doc's approval. My family noticed me acting funny, and requested that I drop it back down. A week or two went by and my X ended up beating me severely and then ripped out the console of my new suv and beat me with that. Well, of course, that was a major tramatic experience for me, as well as any any other half/A$$ normal person I know. I ended up dropping the intake down to 1 pill a day and I am no longer feeling weird. The only thing is that I am drinking every single night, at least a 6 pack. I will stay up late and just play on the computer and chill. Dreams are a major factor also. Ever since I got the Heck beat out of me, I have bad dreams that feel real and I wake up sweating. But I do take 30 Miligrams of Adderall daily, although I dont take it right. Its prescribed by two different Dr's so I dont even know if they interact with each other. I feel pretty normal now. Never really was all that depressed to begin with, I was just stressed over the boyfriend I had. I do recommend Lexapro, just a few words of advice......take your medicine right, dont decrease or increase without Doc's approval. I mean it could make you crazier than you already are, and we dont want that now do we!!

Can you take Lexapro and SAMe together? If so, what is a good starting dose for SAMe? My doctor wants to put me on 5mg. of Lexapro to start, although I am a 58 year old man and weigh 191 lbs. Does body size and weight matter in determining the proper dose of Lexapro or is 5mg. the standard starting dose? Thank you.

Hi im 37 years age and have been taking lexapro 20mg for approx 3 to 4 years.
I would like to know what tablets or liquids i can take for a very low sex drive.I have read about some but not sure if the are ok to take with lexapro,if you could help that would be greatly appreciated

Thanking you for your co-operation

Carolyn Phillips

I don't blog much on stuff but in case it might help someone decide to take lexapro or not here is my take. I got one of those 6 week free sample things from my doctor 10mg a day for 5 weeks and I felt good to be honest. My sex drive was diminished not vanquished but not there. But that was a good example of how I felt altogether....not there. The thing that makes me me seemed to not be there..its hard to explain but the personality that I love about me (Im totally narcissitic) seemed not there. I stopped and starting to feel myself and my wit and humor seems to return also...bottom line is exercise, limited drugs/alchol and better diet seems to work and the anti-depressant is for the lazy american who doesnt want to change lifestyle...anti-depressants may be needed for some people but for now not me.

Judging by these posts, Lexapro has serious side effects on one's spelling and grammar.

I have been on Lexapro for about 3 months now and it has definitely been a bumpy ride, as is usually the case with SSRIs I think? I am currently being treated for an anxiety disorder/depression, and initially I wasn't even having the tiniest thought about sex, which was very difficult for my husband. Things are much better now, but I find myself having to focus a LOT more during sex. Most of the horrible side effects have subsided (constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, etc) but I do take .5mg of Lorazepam to help with the occasional insomnia (The only thing about this is that I sleep for 12 hours and feel like a total zombie the next day). I am not "cured" but I am doing much better than before Lexapro. I do have trouble focusing now and I find myself to be grossly apathetic somedays, which is not like me at all. The main thing is to definitely see your doctor regularly. I am seeinig a therapist 2x/week and my doctor every 2 weeks to monitor my progress with Lexapro. Without their help I think I definitely would have given up on this drug after the first week. I will say that I felt the absolute best the week I had my wisdom teeth out because I was prescribed Vicodin and it made me feel AMAZING. Unfortunately Vicodin is extremely addictive...and luckily I ran out. Good luck to everyone and remember to just keep seeing your doctors and don't be afraid to tell them that you still feel like crap if that is the case.

i'm on day 2 of lexapro.

day 1, 10mg. incredibly high. brain felt on fire, mild hallucinations, metallic taste in mouth. manic, peppy, definitely on drugs. that psychiatrist was full of shit, "it'll take a week to feel it". ha! try 10 minutes.

day 2, over 27 hrs later. cut in half to 5mg. wow, this boosted me even higher. minutes after taking second pill, had crazy runny diarrhea. I'm manic as hell, won't be sleeping tonight.

this is one strong, strong drug. feels like e, like im coming on but never quite gets there, and doesn't let up.

on the one hand, i know im in for a rough ride, i can see all the sad stories of people not being able to kick. but, on the other hand, at least i'm not compulsively focused on my divorce and what she said and why im such a piece of shit. im just tripping on how freaking high i am! i can not BELIEVE that some of you do this for years and years, at 40, 50 mg. that is insane! you are so freaking HIGH!!! do you even know that? wow.

anyways, here i am. welcome me to the club, le club du crazy batshit big pharma tweekers.

My mother is 51 years old. She has been precribed to many different medicines for depression and all of them seem to have harmful effects making her even more depressed. Lexapro is one of these "anti-depressants" that only worsens depression. I advice anyone and everyone to stay away from this drug and to advise others to do the same. This needs to be taken care of before anymore people are harmed by it. It's a sad thing for a 17 year old to see her mom depressed but even more to see that the medicine that's suposed to be helping her is only hurting her and her loved ones.

I thought the joint pain, increased appetite, and weight gain were all my personal problems. Now I see that I am not alone. I have been on 10mg of Lex for about 11 months now, and I want to stop taking it. I tried around Thanksgiving to taper down to 2.5 mg but, after I had a meltdown on TG day I decided to go back up to 10mg.
I am going to taper down to 5mg for 2 weeks, and then to 2.5 for two-three weeks. I will definately see an acupucturist, and consult a Homeopathic doctor I know.
I was taking the drug for anxiety, and rages (which I believe are due to my post menapausal state).
I will post an update in a few weeks.
Ulan Dhor

After meeting with my dr. she decided to start me on Lexapro. I took it the next day, I spent most of the day yawning, and so sleepy. so my next dose I took tonight at 8. Do people who take this at night, find that they are groggy throughout the following day? How are people expected to live like that. I have a busy job with long hours and a baby at home....I can't nap!!!
any advise, other than Starbucks

I've been on Lexapro since September 07. I haven't noticed anything except weight gain. . .a bit of vivid dreaming lately, listlessness and blank stares . . . my reason for taking it were anxiety . . .but I hate gaining weight and will forfeit the pills starting tomorrow . . .I still don't know why I've gained eight pounds in these few months, never in my life has anything caused me go gain this, since puberty reaching my twenties, have I gained this kind of weight. Not a pill I highly recommend as it doesn't really do anything for me other than to make me a bit lazy/listless.

I was prescribed to Lexapro 20 mg and discontinued it when I found out I was pregnant. I started taking them in halves to "ween" my body off of them. Now I'm not taking any at all. I'm doing just fine with the depression part but I feel so dizzy from the time I wake up til the time I go to sleep. Its really starting to bother me. I can't do anything without feeling very dizzy. Do I just suffer through this time and wait to get better?? Any advice would be appreciated!!!