Depression Blog.com

I have been on Lexpro for 2 years now (20mg). During that time I tried to go off it and id so for 6 weeks. Then I went back on because of Trama that occurred in my life. However during the 6 weeks off I lost 2 really good friends because I was such a bitch and was so agressive with everyone. I didn't even like myself.

I feel that I had great results from taking Lexapro mentally. I had GAD really bad! I still feel that it has helped me. However I have had a serious weight gain and at first related it to menopause and the hormones I was given. I have now been off the hormones for 6 weeks and now I am attempting to get off the Lexapro. Some of the syptoms mentioned I have had muscle aches and pains that I have found myself medicationg for that. The neck thing became very serious and I was sent to a neurolists for it and was prescribed otc drugs to reduce the swelling in my neck. Until reading this sight I never related any of these other complaints to taking Lexapro. I also was prescribed a sleeping aide Ambien because I couldn't sleep. I have been off that for 6 weeks. The clenched jaw is terrible but again I related that to my anxiety disorder.

I beleive that Lexapro did help me with my anxiety. However these other side effects has also caused other anxiety in my life. I now weigh 175lbs (I did weigh 145) and I am 48 year old female going throuh menopause. I have chosen to quit Lexapro because of the recent research I have been doing and finding out about the weight gain side effect. This is my 7 day without Lexapro (I did ween for 1 week to 10mg then evryother day 10) I currently feel like my head is in a fog and my vision is strange. I have cried for the last 2 days off and on. I am sleeping very good though and I feel like I am sobering up all the time. However I have noticed that my appetite has decreased. Over the last 7 days I have had the shakes, nasuea, dizziness which for the most part is gone with occassional bouts. My plan is to tough this out and to continue to get myself off. Can anyone tell me how long it took to reduce these withdraws? I really do not remember having all this before when I was off for 6 weeks.

Hi. I just spoke with my doctor and thought I'd follow up my recent post with what he said about my concerns. While he is a doctor, and a reputable one at that, I can't say for sure that he's 100% right. This is just one more opinion to take into account.

In regard to my not being able to fully ejaculate after 3 days on Lexapro he said that it is possible that that side affect will go away with time --but we'll have to wait and see, nothing is for sure. If it doesn't improve he said we will change the med or add a small dose of Wellbutrin to counteract those affects. This came as no surprise since I'd read about that on here --love this site!

In regard to taking an omega-3 suppliment he said that there are no known interactions at this time and that, if anything, studies are showing that omega-3 may actually help depression too, although this isn't proven yet.

Okay, about the weight gain conern... he said that Lexapro does have a reputaion of causing weight gain, however, he personally has not seen this with his patients and, if we look at the bigger picture, Lexapro is known to have less of these side effects than other anti-depressants.
So, as you'd expect, we are going to take a wait and see approach and make ajustments later if needed.

I definitely feel a lift in my depression already so that much is very good.
My thoughts and prayers go out to all of us that stuggle with this and I genuinely appreciate the personal accounts shared here.
Thank-you and best of luck!

my fiance has been on lexapro for about 6 months now, and it seems to be causing VERY violent outbursts in him. as long as i've known him his never been violent, but now he's very quick tempered, quick to swing from one mood extreem to the other, and quick to lash out and strike me or even choke me sometimes. this is not a drug that should be taken. it has done less to help him, and more to damage him. he's now about fifty steps further behind depression recovery than he was before he started taking lexapro. this is not a safe drug.

I was searching the web to find information on the possible results of suddenly stopping Lexapro and came across these postings. I was placed on Lexapro nearly a month ago. The only physical side effect that I noticed was that I experienced extreme irritability the first two days of my menstrual cycle. I had never before had irritability associated with my period. The slightest thing made me angry and just generally in a pissed off mood. I was very unapproachable. I am normally an extremely friendly and jovial person. I attribute this mood change to the drug.

I was forced to stop taking it suddenly when I was hospitalized for four days. I was hopsitalized for Pelvic Inflammation - The reaction of the body to infectious, allergic, or chemical irritation, which in turn causes tissue irritation, injury, or bacterial infection characterized by pain, redness, swelling, and sometimes loss of function. The reaction usually begins in the uterus and spreads to the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and other areas in the hipbone region of the body. Pelvic Inflammation is a noted side effect of Lexapro I found on the following website. It's definitely worth checking out (side effects are listed towards the bottom of the website):

http://www.psychdrugtruth.com/

To date it has been a week since I have taken the medication with only 8 pills left in the bottle. Since stopping the only disturbing side effect I can see is that I am having weird dreams. In all honesty I might have had other side effects but I did under Laproscopic Surgery so general muscle aches could be associated with that and not withdrawal from the drug. This might sound like an odd side effect to some. I normally do not remember my dreams. I sleep pretty much through the night, but for the past couple of days I have been dreaming endlessly and when I wake up I am aware that I was dreaming. I actually find myself knowing I am dreaming and actively waking myself up. The dreams are causing me to wake up every 2-3 hours, resulting in unproductive sleep. I am also very hot when I wake up, sometimes sweating (Night Sweats). In addition to the night sweats I am extremely fatigued and kind of foggy in the head, which again could be attributed to the hospitalization and surgery. I would like to know if anyone else has had such an experience upon stopping Lexapro "cold turkey" or what other possible side effects I might possibly see.

Thanks!

QD

I started taking Lexapro after being advised by another physician (not my Primary Care Manager) that Lexapro didn't have the weight gain that Paxil had. I switched as soon as I could. On Paxil, I gained 20 pounds. I have been taking Lexapro for about two years now. While on Lexapro, and Paxil, it took so much to make me cry. There were times when I should have been crying over a horrible ordeal, but I couldn't. I felt I was losing touch with my feelings. I felt like I was ready to get off it, but remembering the feelings of missing a dose or two...the tremors..(shocking/jolting through your body). I hated it! I figured I'd just have to suffer through it like anything else. I have been off Lexapro for over a week now. The jolting is about to drive me nuts. I keep having to tell myself it's just a side affect. It almost makes me feel something is wrong with me. I can't believe this drug can do this to you. I am only hoping it will not last that long. I don't know if I'm getting used to it, or if the side effects are wearing off. I hope it doesn't last too long. What a way to keep people "hooked" though. Who wants to feel like this?

Well I am back I have now been off the Lexapro for 2 weeks and I am experiencing other sid eeffects. It is like each day I have weird feelings. They are tolerable but I keep telling myself This will pass! My nerve's in my finger tips feel like they are going to explode. The jolting everyone is speaking of I now understand. I am dizzy all the time and my stomach is upset. My bones ache and I just feel plain awful all the time these days. If there is anyone out there that has been successful can they tell us how long before they stopped having these withdraw sypmtons? Thank you

Hey everybody. About the delayed or inhibited ejaculation side effect, what I was told to do is cut back the dosage, like if you take 10mg just take half the pill for a few days and during that time you may be able to function more normally. I will say that side effect didn't seem like a bad thing at first but it will frustrate the hell out of you eventually!

I was on lexapro for about 6 months total to help stabilize my mood (anxiety and depression issues). Unfortunately it seemed like when I was on this drug it completely prevented me from being anxious or depressed at all...almost like my emotions were cut off and that's not normal either. I can't remember if I was able to feel any intense emotions during those 6 months...happiness, anger, sadness, joy...all of those were blunted I think. But eventually I had to wean myself off because I didn't like that cloud, it seemed to be affecting my judgement. Some serious life issues had been happening and when I came off the med, all those emotions regarding those events and issues came flooding in as my mind replayed what had been going on. While I was on it sometimes it was like watching somebody else's life thru their eyes...like a bystander...you just don't react to things normally. And for some people that is WORSE off.

Does anybody know about a link between lexapro (or cipralex which is apparently the same) and joint pain or chronic arthritis? My sister developed chronic arthritis after starting to take cipralex. It is just becoming worse and we don't know what to do. Taking her off cipralex suddenly is also not recommended. It just seems that the doctors have no clue.

My Dr. prescribed Lexapro to me for mild depression, anexity, and I was having trouble sleeping.I've been trying to get pregnant for awhile now.One of my questions to the Dr. was will this medication effect the baby if I was to conceive. His response was no.He said that when I became pregnant that he would take me off this medication.

I only took it for 4 days.My first day on Lexapro I felt like a zombie all I wanted to do was lay around.I had no energy.I felt my heart racing,nausea,loss of appetite,I had severe leg cramps,my feet & legs kept shaking,and dry mouth.

On the second day I kept thinking what my Dr. said to me...don't stop taking it that it will take atleast 2 weeks before I would feel the effects of this medication.So I took another pill thinking I would get better.Instead I was getting worse.I still had all the symptoms from day one plus some more.On the second day I had dirrhea,lower back pain,pain in my joints,tremors, sweating,extreme fatique,severe headaches on the left side of my head,and the worst part was I was having trouble sleeping at night.

On the third day my husband decided to stay home from work so we could go out to eat that evening.This was something that we had planned to do for a week. The worst part was I didnt want to go anywhere all I wanted to do was stay at home.This isn't like me. I'm a very outgoing person. I told my husband how I was feeling. He suggested that I stop taking Lexapro.That evening we went out to eat.I couldn't eat a thing.My symptoms were still the same plus I started having blurred vision,sensitive to loud noises,ringing in my ears,trouble breathing,my jaw was hurting from grinding my teeth at night in my sleep,and I didn't want to have sex at all.I was being very mean to my husband and my dog.This was not like me at all.

On the fourth and final day of taking this medication my face started burnng like I had a sunburn.I was feeling confused and the worst part was I thought I was seeing things move.So I decided to get on the internet and research this drug......

I was tatally shocked as to what I learned..This medication can cause you to be infertile and cause birth defects.I go back to my Dr. in 4 weeks.I will express to him how mad I am that he would prescribe something to me that can cause me to be infertile espically since I've been trying to conceive for awhile now.One thing I've learned from this exerience is that I will never try another antidepressant again. I will handle what Im going through on my own.Im glad that I only took it for 4 days. I can't imagine going through the withdrawal symptoms that I've read about.

I've been off this medication for 2 days now.Im still experiencing blurred vision,nervousness,insomnia,and leg tremors.I pray with time that I will start to feel better.My advise to anyone thinking about taking Lexapro is please research before you do..I hope my story helps others..Good luck to all..God bless you..

I've been on lexapro 10mg for over a year now and I've recently noticed the changes the medication has had on me, in the begining it seemed as thou everything was working as it should, I felt relief from all my symptomns which had led me to taking this medication, but in all honesty whose to say that the effects of lexapro wasnt "all in my head" Just like the whole placebo theory, we will give you a sugar pill, tell you its an anti depressant and see if you yourself mentally make your brain think everything is changing for the better. But it seems about 4months ago things started to take a turn for the worst,or maybe i was just finally letting myself see what was really happening. My anxiety has never been as bad, I cant even sit as a passanger in a car without intense panic attacks, Im always on edge and terrifed of every and any little thing that comes my way, a passing car, a person on the street, I always feel very threatened like everyone and everything might kill me or someone i love. I noticed that I'm now very codependent, as before i usually would be found on my own, independent and loving it now i cannot even walk into a store by myself becuz of some intense fear/anxiety. no kidding even if it means taking my 10 year old sister with me. I just dont know whats going on this isnt me, these werent my symptoms but now suddenly I gained a whole new set of problems, I jus wanna go back to the way it was before medication becuz at least that was me with my faults and all becuz this medication has seemed to make me into someone im not. I feel like over a year almost 2 years is enough time to give a medication time to work or not work and also enough time for myself to review the ups and downs the effects of the medication has had on me. I cant say that anything has changed for the better from lexapro but whose to say I dont need a higher dosage since i am only on 10mg, Im so torn between completely stopping all my medicatons, but i guess a part of me doesnt trust my own judgement and is scared that I'll be making a mistake while at the same time I feel as thou maybe turning to this medication was an even bigger mistake. And on top of all of that is it possibly the adderrall that is causing all this since i am on adderrall xr 20mg but even thats a whole nother story wtih a whole nother set of problems, Adderrall in its self has caused me to lose my memory first long term now even my short term is going, I dont eat, I dont sleep to often, I grind my teeth at night, Im manic hyper and intense all day, my heart beat is so hard it hurts sometimes, i sweat so bad, i have a dry mouth all the time and ill want to have something to drink but its like the idea of putting anything into my mouth and stomache makes me ill so i jus get less healthier every passing day. I feel like medication just isnt for me. Im not here to bash medication or people taking it I jus think I could probably cope with my problems on my own without a chemical affair making things worse. But I need help. So if anyone has any suggestions of stories anything that might narrow my decision down on wether i should stop this chemical affair with adderrall and lexapro or just take a different aproach all i know is this isnt me and i want to get myself back. Its like having someone elses brain and heart and health. And I guess my hope for medication is wearing thin becuz I was on Paxil, Effexor, and Zoloft which caused me to overdose and get myself a one way ticket into a mental ward for awhile, also caused me to go psycho and get a knife and chase someone around my house wiht it, which is something obsurd cuz thats not me. So after all this trail and error with no good results of effective results can you really blame me for feeling like maybe this medication all together jus isnt for me. maybe im stronger than i think, maybe just maybe my faith alone in my self and god will get me throu this better than any drug....cause it hurts when you discover one's worse and one's better to suffer or cause others to and you can live by your conscience but now guilt is a concept
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There are many similar reports here so I will try to keep it short. I first started taking SSRI's five years ago at age 19. Since then I have been on and off a number of different ones, and each has had it's own unique set of positive effects, side effects and negative withdrawl effects. I was first perscribed Paxil for what the doctor told me was general anxiety disorder. At the time I was ready to take anything to help me relax and maybe take the edge off my life. Paxil was quite an experience. On the positive side, I felt like it almost made me manic at times. During these times I felt very happy and care free and it made even more animated (and obnoxious). This happened maybe once a week or so. The rest of the time I felt it did a good job of evening out my moods. The anxiety was relieved a great deal and I no longer had severe violent outburts, which was probably the best thing it did for me. If I were to stop here, it would probably sound like a pretty good drug, but this is only half the story. The side effects were quite pronounced. The inability to orgasm is what I remember most as well as reduced sex drive. Although that was not a problem when I was with a girl, only when I was sitting at home alone. Also I began to sweat horribly, which was not welcome because I am a very active person and love to exercise and after five minutes I was covered in sweat.
As many of you have mentioned, my doctor and pharmacist never even discussed with me the possible withdrawl effects. They were a complete surprise when I first started to feel them, and that is inexcuseable for the doctor not to warn you about that.
So I decided I was cured after a year and a half on Paxil and stopped taking it. The withdrawl effects were the standard dizziness, headache, and fatigue. They lasted maybe a week after quitting cold turkey.
Next came the Celexa. I decided I wasn't cured after all and wanted to try something with slighty less side effects. So the verdict on Celexa: sexual side effects less pronounced, appetite side effects were stronger. Sometimes felt like it was impossible to get full, just kept wanting to eat and eat. Celexa did not seem to produce the manic highs I got from Paxil, and it did not seem as effective at treating depression. Although, I cannot say for sure if this was the medicine or my body getting used to the drug. But increrased dosage did not do much but increase negative side effects...Withdrawl from Celexa seemed to last a bit longer than Paxil, at about two weeks of withdrawl effects but were very similar in the way they felt.
Finally I switched to Lexapro because my doc said it had the least side effects of any SSRI yet. That much is true, the sexual side effects (even at 20mg a day) are barely noticable in comparison to the other two. Not to say that they don't exsist, but compared to Paxil and Celexa they might as well not be there. I don't really get any appetite changes and only occasional diahrrea (probably my fault). I feel like I have finally reached a point in my life where I can stop SSRI's and be alright without them. Wow did I pick the wrong drug to try to kick quickly. Lexapro has treated me to by far THE WORST withdrawl effects. I feel absolutly horrible. All the normal dizziness, but with some major headache and awful hot flashes to go with it. What makes the really mad is that I cannot even exercise right now. The withdrawl effects are so bad, I just feel nasty after five minutes of exercise and have to stop. This is not at all what I expected considering the side effects were so slight, I thought withdrawl would be less pronounced too, but boy was I wrong. I even lowered the dose to 10mg for a month and now just switched to 5. Even that method did not seem to help withdrawl off this stuff.

I guess I didn't do a good job of keeping it short, but here are my final thoughts:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consider some sort of psycho therapy before you just jump into using SSRI's. You have to understand that the pharmacutical companies give big incentives to the doctors who move the most of their product, so even if the doctor really wants to help you, chances are he is goinna write you a scrip for the stuff right away because then "everyone wins". But SSRI's are not just a drug you can take when you feel like it. Once you start taking this stuff, the only way to stop is to go through some seriously painful weeks. IT IS A BIG COMMITMENT, don't take it lightly.
The newest forms of SSRI's have by far the fewest negative side effects while you are taking them, but they also have the strongest withdrawl effects when you decide to stop.
Finally I just want to stress how impotant it is to FIND THE RIGHT DOCTOR/PSYCHOLOGIST. After six years and four doctors I have finally found someone who really wants to help me instead of just wanting to line his pockets with more money. This has been the most important factor in my treatment and I have made the biggest strides in my life thanks to a good relationship with my psychologist. If you go to a DOC and he gives you a perscription to SSRI's within the first few minutes of talking to you, good luck, because you will be on your own with a drug that is VERY hard to stop.

I've been off of Lexapro for 5 months now. I took it for 9 months and went from 123lbs to 143 lbs with out a change in diet or exercise. I've been an athlete all my life and a fitness instructor for 25 years. Never have I had a weight problem until I went on this medication. I am not eating more, in fact I've cut my calorie intake to 1400 per day (down from 2000 that I consumed before Lexapro). I work out hard 6 days a week including swimming, biking and weight training. When will the weight come off? Or will it?

I am contemplating going off of Lexapro due to hormonal side effects. I have been taking this med since April 2003 after taking Zoloft for about 11 years. I have experienced some of the effects mentioned here with the fatigue and of course the dizziness. Over the past year I have also begun to have my period every two weeks and have acne on my chin that so far has not been able to be treated with any topical medication from my dermatologist. My periods are now cycling regularly, however I am experiencing weight gain (after losing 90lbs over two years). I have been splitting my dose in half and taking 10mg in the morning and 10mg in the afternoon to see if it would help with the acne-to no avail. I will see my psychiatrist on Monday and I hope I can convince her that SSRI's are not working for me. I am scared of coming off of this med since I already experience the dizziness and electrical shock feeling when I forget to take it on time.
I have been on several other meds as adjuncts to the Zoloft, but I had side effects with every one of them as I am very drug sensitive. I was in talk therapy for over 7 years which helped a lot but I find it rather rediculous when the meds keep me so flat that I do not even have the appropriate emotions to go along with the stuff that is coming up in therapy.
This board has really helped me tonight to take the next step in trying to get well. I wish everyone here the hope that they will continue to strive to understand their conditions and look for ways to help themselves.
Oh on another note, I read tonight on another website where people ask a therapist for advice, the therapist who responded said that aloe vera juice can help with some of the cns problems we experience when going through withdrawl. I will let you know if it helps.

I was on lex about 8 months ago for extreme mood swings and axiety. I loved it! My husband could tell the difference in my attitude after a few days (along with NO sex drive- which was the worst)I quit cold turkey and experienced some dizzieness and a druken feeling. My mood swings and anxiety is gotten worse so I have decided to get back on it. When I first tried lex I had no side effects!!!It was wonderful. I'm on day two now and I already feel very panicky, sleeplessness and severe sweaty palms. Wondering why sideeffects now and not before.Will the side effects last?Please, I need some input

The only advice I have for the previous post is call your doctor, if you have not already. I don't think you should have such exacerbated symptoms after taking for only two days. Good luck

It has helped me, reading others feelings about this drug! My temper has been so bad since on this drug like I could really hurt someone if they get on my nerves ! And my sex drive is No longer ! Its not worth these effects ! I have become a aweful person on this drug. I rather deal with the anxiety ! ANd I am always tired ! Been on it for 5 months and Its has made my life worse. Have had 4 extreme cases of panic attacks because the rage.

I have been on Lexapro for approx three years. It has made a huge difference in my life. I have experienced depression all of my life. I felt the effects of Lexapro only two hours after taking my first 10mg dose. I still take that dosage. My only problem with it is weight gain. I have been the same size and weight for most of my adult life. I have gained 25 lbs. since I began taking Lexapro. I would like to know what to do about it. Any suggestions?

I was wondering if anyone has heard that lexapro might cause birth defects? The official web site and everything I've read said no, but my daughter was on lexapro for the first eight weeks of her third pregnancy and the child was born with multiple problems. Her first two children were born healthy with no problems at all and there is no family history of congenital defects. I would appreciate any feedback.

My name is Eric Solorio and I am 42 years old. I have been on Lexapro for about 2 years now. Hopefully what I write will be of some use to all of you out there. I have been battling depression since I was young, probably 12 or 13 years of age. Back then depression or any mental ailments were looked upon negatively by society. Depression has affected my personal life very much. I was not a stable individual, but through practice I had repressed a lot of my feelings. So on the outside Eric was funny, but on the inside I wanted to die. It wasn't long after my devastating divorce 8 years ago (by the way which was my fault)that I started acting out my frustrations I had been holding inside of me all that time. It was at that time I started to seek help in the matter. I was on a medication called Paxil. While it had some minor side effects, it didn't seem to help. I lost my job, hence my insurance benefits as well. I went cold turkey off of Paxil with some amazing side effects such as looking at someone, turning my head and watching their face kind of faze along. Not long after, I got a new job with benefits. I went to a new doctor who recommended Lexapro. It started at 5mg and there was an exhilarated feeling in the first week, kind of euphoric. Some of my problems didn't go away so my doctor boosted me up through time to 20mg. That is some really potent stuff. I did have the side affects of diarreha, wieght gain (from 185 to 240) some complacency, almost no emotions and yes ejaculation issues. It has leveled me out! I did also receive another medication 300mg of Wellbutrin XL, to help counter some of the side effects. I tried once to get off the Lexapro. I thought that I no longer needed it. Bad idea! I was not prepared for some of the issues regarding withdrawals of this medication. Emmotions started pouring out of me such as wanting to cry at almost anything and then EXTREME anger for the stupidest most minute of things. Went back onto Lexapro. After a while, about two weeks before me writing this feedback, I decided to get off Lexapro for GOOD! I was tired of not losing weight even though I did not eat much. I wanted to change my look for my wife instead of this overweight man that I am. Guess what!! The withdrawal effects came back and so did the anger issue. Today I started reading this feedback page this day when my anger came back, my emmotions overwhelming me, my family crying because they do not understand what is going on. I am getting back on Lexapro!!! Regardless of weight, sexual, emmotional issues, I love my family very much!!!!! If being on this medication means side effects for the sake of my FAMILY being happy, then I will take my family being happy. If this medicine works for you TAKE IT! Always do research before taking any medication. Do not think someone else can offer you the cure all!! You have to take personal responsibility and seek help. I know how hard it is. I have had the knife to my throat and the belt around my neck trying to kill myself. Sometimes you may feel overwhelmed. This medicine may not be for everyone, but if it works, TAKE IT!!! If another one works take that!!! An for those people who are cruel in their opinion of others whom they think whine too much, I don't think the power of JUDGEMENT or AUTHORITY was granted to you so keep it to yourself. Try to be helpful. Some of us do have a sickness. Depression is just as much a sickness as diabetes or other ailments. The mind is a just as much a part of the body as it is generated by the physical workings of our body, just as blood is pumped automatically without our control, breathing and electrical elements of our nervous system. Sorry, I do not mean too preach. I had, just this morning, come to the realization that I may be on this medicine for the rest of my life. I wish I didn't have to, but until something better comes along to help this is what I have to do!!

I have been taking Lexapro for about three weeks - 5 mg per day for the first week and 10 mg thereafter. I have felt some relief from what my doctor says is GAD, but around the middle of week 2, my feet began to tingle and I am still experiencing numbness in one or both feet much of the time. Is this normal? My doctor says he doesn't think it's the Lexapro, that maybe it's a nerve in my back. I am past the 'swooshing' feeling in my head, and am sleeping pretty well. I do, however, have some abdominal pain. Also, I like to have a few beers several times a week. Why do all the instructions say to refrain from drinking alcohol? It seems to help take the edge off for me. I was just wondering if others have experienced what I am going through. Thanks.

i was prescribed lexapro 10mg for anxiety. i took it for 6 months, then decided i didnt need it anymore because i began to have anxiety attacks while being on it. i also gained 30lbs. i decided to wean myself off of it. i started taking half a pill everyday, then every other day, then every three days until i felt i was ready to stop it completely. the first week of being off lexapro was great.. then i started to experience those shocks, which scared me and made my anxiety worse. on top of that, i starting having horrible panic attacks.. worse than anything i've had before. i went back to my doctor and he wrote me a prescription for effexor, but i never got it filled because i dont want to have to depend on a drug like that for the rest of my life. he also wrote me a prescription for xanax, which i did get filled and take it on an 'as needed' basis. its been close to 2 months since i've been completely off of lexapro and im still having withdrawl symptoms and they're terrible. im also having a really hard time losing the weight that i've gained. i went on lexapro for generalized anxiety and i feel it led to the panic disorder i have now. i wouldnt recommend it to anyone. has anyone else experienced withdrawl symptoms for 2 months or more? im starting to get scared that they're never going to go away. i also dont want to have to take xanax for too much longer.

I started to take Lexapro about 2 weeks ago. I was thinking that the prozac I had been on for over a year and a half wasnt working anymore so my doctor gave me lexapro. I am having some weird feelings and reading all of this it has to be the lexapro. I want to get back on my prozac. I have the "rage" attacks with this and that isnt like me. When I was on the prozac i would just let things slide and I could deal with things but this lexapro seems to make me jumpy and aggitated at everything. Just in a bad mood even though i know it isnt right or doesnt make sense. my vision is also very blurry at times. i am 23 years old, would someoen please email me so i can have someone to talk to about this? I am going off this stuff tonight and calling my doctor monday to try to get back my prozac. please i need someone to talk to that understands. so i dont feel like a weirdo.

I am a 30 yr old woman who has suffered from depression and anxiety most of my life. I started taking lexapro after my second miscarriage, about 2 years ago. Lexapro really changed my outlook- I enjoyed life, almost floating through it. I never got mad at my husband, or upset about anything. I was almost non-chalant. One major side effect was loss of libido. I couldn't have cared less if I ever had sex again. I never had the weight gain commonly described. Actually, my experience, other than sexual effects, was wonderful. Recently, I decided to taper off the drug because I would like to want and enjoy sex again, as well as cry when the situation instigates. I was on 20mg, so I went to 10mg for 3 weeks, then to 5mg for a week and a half. I stopped completely last Sunday. I can say that I have been really depressed this week- crying a lot. I also have been very short tempered about everything. Almost to the point of raging. I have had some irrational thoughts, just negative spiraling thoughts about unrealistic situations. I have been very nauseous, as well as unable to sleep. Oh, I have woken up with headaches every single day. I'm going to continue working through the withdrawal, as I do not want to go back on lexapro, or any other drug. I know it will subside eventually. And actually, it has been nice to be able to cry. I will say, that it does make you feel like you are going crazy a bit. My advice, is to expect that you will feel depressed at first, but remember that it will level out.

just wanted to let everyone know that frequently (2-3x a week) I experience very vivid dreams that i never did prior to taking lexapro.

I've been taking 20mg for three months now and stand 6'5, weigh 275 lbs.

I'm trying to find out if any one else has had swelling and pain in their hands. When I went to the Dr he increased the dosage it got worse and I just quit the med. Now it is a month later and my left hand is OK but my right hand still doesn't work. I have also noticed people saying they have memory loss from Lexapro. Does that go away? Help

I was on Lexapro 10mg for 7 months and I didn't have any noticeable side effects. I felt fine, I even lost 15 due to exercise and proper eating habits. I then lost my health insurance and when my Lex ran out I didn't get re-filled because I couldn't afford it. It's been 13 days, the withdrawl has been mild. The brain shocks have been insignificant, other than the brief zap(1 -1.5 sec) it has not impacted my overall performance. I was a bit moody around day 4-5, my libido started to get to back to normal around day 7-8. I have been exercising daily (a vigorous 1 hour bike ride) for the past several months and I'm not sure what, if any, impact it had on my usage of Lexapro or my withdrawl.

I have had the same experience that many others have had. I began taking Lexapro about a year and a half ago because of personal tragedies in my life. I have taken antidepressants before, but usually only for a short period of time, and only to "get through" difficult stages. It helped at first, but then, over time, the side effects (pounding heart and anxiety, primarily)became more troublesome than my mental state.

Well, now I know I would have been better toughing through my difficult time with meditation and yoga. I work in a managerial position, and I've been trying to get off this stuff for about 9 months now. Every time I taper down the suicidal thoughts, tremors, sweating, tightness in the head, and general irritability make me go back to the original dose.

I had a couple of weeks vacation, and was able to taper from 20 mg to 10, and I have tolerated 10 mg okay, but still have tremors, jaw tightness, and major irritability. Reading these posts help me to know that getting off this stuff is the right thing to do. I am going to go down to 5 mg tonight, and then in a month I am going to stop altogether. I only hope I can keep my job.

If you are considering taking this medication, I would urge you to look at Wellbutrin or even Prozac - both of which are like M&M's compared to this drug (IMHO). Once this drug has you, it is really hard to get off of it.

I've felt better/back to myself on Lexapro. Anyone else?

I guess I should elaborate. I have only had a few side effects. Weight gain, vivid dreams and memory loss. But I feel good, not as good as I did before I got "sick" (it all started with a panic attack that didn't go away.) I am happy, no anxiety, no depression, not a panic attack in 6 months. I guess I don't know why everyone else is miserable and I'm not experiencing anything negative.

Well I have been on lexapro 10mg, for over a year. Part of me is thank full for this drug, I am no longer irritable, and see life more happily. I notice though that I don't have that normal anxiety during situation where i could probably use it. Before going on the drug i was always pretty intense, and emotional, good and bad. NOw, i am more surface and react how i think i "should" act, rather than just feeling and reacting "normally". For example I have been able to sleep with four diferent guys in two weeks and really feel nothing good or bad about it. Now, that is not the real me, before going on SSRI's i was a virgin, till 21, i valued and respected myself. It really bugged me and I was like , why don't I care about sex, even during sex, I enjoy it to some degree, but rarely orgasm. I tried going off a few times, cold turkey without doctors guidance or tapering... and that was a bad scene. I got super depressed, more than i ever remember, and thought about killing myself, I was super negative and irritable. So i went back on in fear of losing my job. I felt better and more even kealed for sure... but now I am thinking about tapering off, I want to feel again and feel human. But still afraid of the irritability to come back. Before chossign to go on meds, I was in therapy for years for depressiona dn anxiety. I started with Paxil and that made me gain weight and feel tired all the time, than prozac for three months, bt that made me impulsive and especially driving I'd take very scary unneccesary risks while driving... not safe. So on to lexapro. I tried 15mg of lexapro once or twice, but got angry easily and almos paranoid like thinking people were putting me down, so i went back to 10mg and it went away thank god. here i am again thinking about going off, but scared to at the same time. It definitly numbs you, in an elusive way. But the sleepign around thing is alarming and out of character I think... Any advice would be greatly appreciated, even sharing your stories to see what others are or have gone through. Any advice about how to prevent going nutso once off... it sucks dealing with depression, it also sucks not feleing everything a "normal" person would too... thanks for reading....

KATTIE, I'VE BEEN TAKING 5 MG OF LEXAPRO FOR ABOUT
5 MONTHS TO GET MYSELF OUT OF A DEPRESSION. I FEEL GREAT NOW WITH THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT I PROCRASTINATE AND DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT MUCH.
I USED TO WORRY ABOUT ALOT OF THINGS WHICH CAUSED
ME TO BE IN A VERY BAD DEPRESSION. YOU SHOULD TRY
5 MG A DAY THIS WORKS GREAT. THE DEPRESSION WAS
THE WORST THING I COULD EVER IMAGINE SO DON'T STOP
TAKING THE LEX. ONCE YOU STOP YOUR BRAIN CAN FIGHT
THE DRUG'S EFFECTS IF YOU HAVE TO START AGIAN. I THINK YOU INHIBITIONS GET LOWERED SO THAT'S WHY
YOUR SEXUAL DRIVE IS HIGHER. I FEEL WAY MORE RELAXED WHICH HELPS WITH MY SEXUAL LIFE BUT HURTS
MY GENERAL MOTIVATION WHICH IS NOW A PROBLEM.
LATER BOYD

I started taking lexapro after some general anxiety about interviews and school and such about three days ago. I had my first full fledged panic attack the day after I took it for the first time. I have never been so scared in my entire life. I woke up terrified to go to class but I made myself go and then I left class to go to the bathroom bc my heart was beating so fast and I was so got I felt like I was going to passs out. Once in the bathroom I could not leave, even the thought of walking out to get my stuff paralyzed me. It's now day three and my chest hurts from my heart beating so hard and I haven't left my house since that last attack bc I am terrified that it will happen again./ The only way i sleep is by taking xanex otherwise I am up all night worrying about everything, even being this way from now on and going crazy. I'm going to call my doctor but does this sound familiar to anyone else? Please I need serious advice on this. I am so scared!

KATIE- I NEVER LEFT ANY KIND OF FEEDBACK I JUST WANTED TO SEE HOW IT WORKED BEFORE I WHEN ON. BUT I WANTED TO ADD THAT IF YOU JUST CUT BACK YOU'LL DECREASE THAT OUT OF IT FEELING BUT STILL MAINTAIN YOUR BETTER MOOD. IT'S FUNNY THAT YOU THINK THAT FEELING INTENSE/EMOTIONAL IS GOOD & BAD BECAUSE I MISS THAT TOO. I USED TO BE TOTALY OBSESIVE WITH WINDSURFING AND GET REALLY CRAZY ABOUT GOING & NOT GOING WHEN IT WAS WINDY. I WAS OCD WITH MOST ANYTHING I WAS INTO. NOW I STILL AM BUT THE OCD IS CUT IN HALF.WHEN I WAS DEPRESSED I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO GO WINDSURFING. I DIDN'T EVEN CARE IF I LIVED. I WAS THINKING I COULD KILL MYSELF BY JUST SAILING WAY OUT INTO THE ATLANTIC.
I REALLY LOVE LIFE BUT DEPRESSION DISTORTS EVERYTHING. BESIDES I HATE BEING IN COLD WATER. DON'T PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO GET DEPRESSED BY STOPPING THE LEX. SOUNDS AS IF YOUR HAVING A NORMAL GOOD TIME. DON'T TAKE THE LEX FEELING FOR GRANTED LET IT WORK FOR YOU NOT AGAINST YOU.DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY. I THINK THAT SHOULD BE THE LEX THEME SONG. I REALLY NEED ADVICE ON NOT WORRYING. I THINK WORRY WAS MY DRIVING FORCE. WITHOUT WORRYING I HAVE ALMOST NO MOTIVATION. I USED TO WASH THE CARS ALL THE TIME NOW IT'S LIKE "FORGET A BOUT IT. THAT'S MY STORY. I DID NOTICE ON THESE BLOGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T GET MANY REPLIES WHICH PROBABLY GOES WITH THE TURF IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. LATER OCEANDUDE

9 months ago I stopped excercising, complained of body aches, didn't want to do anything but curl up under a blanket. After being cleared of any physical aliments, I was diagnosed with depression. I see a therapist and after 6 weeks of therapy decided I needed some help. So a Dr. gave me samples of 10mg of lexapro a day. After 6 weeks on this dose, I really didn't feel much difference in the depression and motativation. We doubled the dose and I have been taking 20 mg a day for 3 weeks. I am happier, and back at the gym, no wt gain yet, I am experimenting with when to take the dose because I do experience lathargy. I am trying 10mg in the am and 10mg in the pm. I am not looking forward to coming off of this because of what I have read so far, but for now it is working. I do hate the non-organism part because my husband and I are active sexual, so this has put a damper on things.

DEB-ASK YOUR DR. ABOUT WELLBUTRIN BECAUSE THAT ACTUALLY INTENSIFIES SEX AND WORKS FOR DEPRESSION.I ONLY TAKE 5MG OF LEXAPRO AND THIS WORKS WELL FOR
ME BUT IT MAKES ME VERY UNMOTIVATED ALL MORNING.I TRIED SPLITING MY ORIG. DOSE OF 10MG BETWEEN AM & PM BUT THE UNMOTIVATED FEELING LASTED ALL DAY. I FELT MEDICATED. NOW AT LEAST AFTER LUNCH I'M FEELING GREAT. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS THAT HUNGOVER MORNING SIDE EFFECT MAYBE I JUST NEED MORE SLEEP. WEEKENDS ARE GREAT FOR SLEEPING IN BUT GETTING UP AT 6AM FO WORK IS TOUGH.

I can't take this medication! Burning sensation in chest and back, tremors, heart racing. I'll never take it again! I was in the hospital for 3 days getting tests ran on my heart. I stopped taking the lexapro at that time. About month after that I went to doc he put me back on and 2nd night after I took it BAM right back. Woke me up at 3am out of dead sleep. Have a call in to him now to see whats up. I think I am having an allergic reaction.

Reading Lexapro's terrorfying side effects, I kept away from it for two years. Big mistake. After I started, my experience with Lexapro is great. I've had absolutely no negative side effects, none in the beginning, and none now. It calmed me down, I think with a clear head, and I sleep better now than I have in years. The insomnia, nausea, 'flipping out', sex drive decrease, all of that stuff never happened.

took lexapro for about a year. i began taking 10 mg and felt better almost instantly but still had depression and anxiety issues. then my doctor raised my dosage to 15 mg. felt great and should have stayed at that dose even though i had gained about 8 lbs by then but the doctor recommended 20 mg so i took it and felt good but noticed more weight coming on each time i increased the dose. i then went to 30 mg. which made me feel amazing- no anxiety like i had in the past, no depression and was happy about everything. nothing bothered me but i also felt emotionless. is that normal? i guess i would rather feel that rather than depressed and full of anxiety but i decided to go off of the lexapro because of the rapid weight gain. it happened so fast and i missed my size 4 figure. i went from a size 4 to a size 10/12 in 5 months. that's pretty depressing in iteself. instantly my moodiness returned and if it wasn't for the weight gain, i would still be taking it. i liked not feeling anything. now trying wellbutrin xl but i don't think it will work as well.

Can anyone tell me if lexapro causes pain? Also i have a raw, swelling feeling in groin and armpits but lymp nodes are not swollen Has anyone had any of these same symptons?

This drug basically erase my memory of all thing I did within moments after taking for the last year in a half.

I posted once before regarding my tapering off of Lexapro. I was on 20mg when I began tapering by splitting my dose for about two months, I then saw my Psychiatrist and was told that it could take up to 9 months tapering down. I told her I wanted to be off of it immediately, but resigned myself to going down a half at a time. I began with 10 mg and took it at around lunchtime. That lasted for about a month when I went down to 5 mgs, boy what a difference in side effects. I had the dizziness and electric shocks when I was on the 10 mgs but it was usually if I forgot to take my dose, and would pretty much go away after I took it. Before I decreased to the 5mgs I was doing really well and had forgotten my lunchtime dose several times ending up taking it later with no adverse side effects. Since the side effects did not seem to subside when I took the 5mg dose I decided to just go off of it. That was four days ago...Every day I have seen an increase in the dizziness and electric shocks to the point of having the shocks coming with every breath or heartbeat. I was getting a little desperate two nights ago but rode out the storm. Late afternoon and early evening are the worse for me now, but as far as my mood goes I have been rather even keel, with a little bit of an edge. Through all of this however my clarity and brain function seems to be fine, I am able to concentrate and finish tasks at work. (this week has been very high stress at work, but I have persevered without having too much anxiety or mood swings).
I began medical hypnosis last night with a PsyD who has had success in treating depression. I will post here as time goes on to let you know how the treatment goes and if I have any lasting side effects from the Lexapro.

I feel betrayed by the drug company regarding the safety of Lexapro. I think that it is not the type of drug that can be taken safely for long periods and I think that in a rush to get it to market the long term side effects were not explored. I believe that the general public has been the collective guinea pig for this medication and I would hope that the FDA would read this board and see that some people are having their lives altered and not in a good way by this medication. When we finally turn to medication for help we do not expect to have our lives turned upside down.
Peace,
Jules

I've been on Lexapro for several years, after being on Celexa and Welbutrin. Looking back over this time, I probably seemed more mellow to other people, when in fact I just didn't give a darn. These years seem something of a fog. I spent lots of time playing on my computer, watching TV, and loafing, where before I was an avid cyclist, trim and fit. On Lexapro, I felt dizzy, out of it, unmotivated. But I liked the sexual side effect--I could go for a long time, sometimes it was difficult to ejaculate at all.

I've stopped the Lexapro for about five weeks now. I cut the dosage from 10mg to 5mg daily for five days, then stopped. I feel much better, and actually want to do some work around the house. I feel that tears are close to the surface sometimes (I'm not a crier normally), and I am a bit irritable, but that's really just my personality. The sexual effects are troubling. I ejaculate within a minute or two of penetration (if it lasts that long).

I was on this drug for a short period (3months) after being on Prozac for several years. While Prozac in many ways gave me back my life, it took away my sex life: absolutely zip desire. I asked my doctor for an alternative and she suggested Lexapro since it did not have the sexual side effects that Prozac had but worked similarly. I gave it a try. In those 3 months, I not only noticed that I was much hungrier than usual (I am small and do not generally have a robust appetite), but the other more troubling side effect at least for me is that it caused my face to break out really badly. I suffer with cystic acne anyway which prior to that had been under somewhat control. The Lexapro brought it over the top. I asked my doctor about it and she said she hadn't read about that in the literature. However, I happened to be speaking to a long distance friend of mine who mentioned she had tried Lexapro but had to go off because it caused havoc to her complexion. I was stunned. In addition, her friend had a similar experience and wound up going off it. That was enough for me. I went off it too. The side effects alone would cause depression!

I have been on lexapro for about 2 weeks now 5mg qd after
being on paxil for a year for pp depression and been
off of paxil since february. paxil killed my sex drive. lexapro has helped my anxiety alot and I sleep now! My only question is. is it like celexa because I have tried that and I had terrible somnelence and don't want that again. Also does it cause terrible sexual side effects or grumpiness? anyone have experience with those. I also feel a bit fatigued but I would rather have this kind of fatigue than drugged feeling. Thanks

I've been on Lexapro for about a year now. I was on 10mg to begin with, but started having panic attack and went up to 20mg. I liked the medication as it seemed to help with my depression and panic attacks. However, I never had panic attack until I started this medication.

I had to recently quit it cold turkey because I found out I was pregnant. This is the 6th day off of it and I can't tell if my nausea is from my morning sickness or withdrawl. I'm having extreme dizziness but only when standing and moving my head around. I also have tingling sensations in my lips and left hand. I am tired all day long, but at night I get insomnia.

I ended up taking 5mg today to see if it would tone down the symptoms as I haven't been able to eat much or keep it down. I'm not sure how dangerous it is for my baby, but I still have 2 weeks until my booked up ob-gyn can see me. I don't know whether to continue taking a low-dose or just wait for the doctor's advice.

To the last poster: I think your pharmacist would be able to adivise if Lexapro is safe for you and your baby. I personally am on day 15 without the meds and I am still having the dizziness and electrical shocks. I spoke to my psychiatrist Friday and she wanted to put me back on the Lexapro 10mg and Prozac for two weeks. I declined this treatment since she said that the present symptoms should subside. I am still doing well otherwise, with the exception of having crying jags but everything is managable.
I decided not to continue with the PsyD who was doing the medical hypnosis, I did not click with him but I intend on pursuing this with someone else, as well as acupuncture.

My husband has a long history of depression and nothing seemed to work well. His doctor started him on Lexapro. Husband felt the "fog" lift and depression was much, much better, BUT...in about week two, he started having bad physical side effects. First, the left side of his body started tingling and then mild waves of numbness would wash across the left side of his body. He would feel dizzy and would have to stop whatever activity he was doing to sit down until it passed. After another week or so, he would nearly pass out when he had one of these spells. Eventually, the whole side of his body would go into spasms, he would be unable to walk, his left hand would draw up and the left side of his mouth would droop and his speech was effected. I am a nurse and recognized these as signs of a stroke!!! He called the doctor and he took him off Lexapro. He continued to have these symptoms for about 6 months after discontinuing Lexapro, however they became milder. He had all kinds of tests done, labs, ECHO, carotid doppler, EKG, etc, everything was normal and he WAS NOT HAVING STROKES. So, he restarted the Lexapro after about 6 months. The effects started all over again so he quickly stopped taking it again. That has been over a year ago, and he has never totally recovered. He still has no energy and is tired a lot and gets out of breath very very easy. He feels LEXAPRO ruined his health. It seems as though nobody else has suffered these types of symptoms. I wish we could sue.

took it for 2 days and threw the rest in the trash then called up and fired my doctor. Made me totaly exhausted. I'm convinced more and more doctors are receiving some kind of incentive to prescribe this crap. Anyways I got 5-htp so i'll see if the natrual way works.

I was on Lexapro for a little over a year. 10mg a day. I stopped cold turkey a month ago. The first 3 or 4 days I felt a little dizzy and confused. After about a week, with the exeption of some mood swings I felt ok. Now, a month later, I still have a few mood swings but thats it. My doctor wanted me to stay on it but I decided not to take his advice. He said he'd rather see me off the xanax. He must think I abuse it. I only take 1/2 to 1 .5mg pill before bed time. My goal is to stop taking that too. I believe that shortly I will be off all medication. I honestly believe my doctor just wants to keep me medicated so I have to keep returning. Lexapro was helful with my GAD but I'm ready to go it alone. Good luck to all and feel free to contact me about my experiences coming off Lexapro. Some of the nightmare stories you've heard about withdrawls may be true, but some are exagerated.

I just started taking Lexapro and want to know more.

I was prescribed Lexapro for Depression and Anxiety some three months ago. The primary side effects experienced were constant headache and severe sleep disturbance. We have tried moderating the doseages between 20mg and 40mg per day. Mood change has occured but certainly not enough to balance out the side effects.

I have been taking Lexapro for 3 weeks. My internist prescribed it for these strange panic attacks I get in the mornings. I am not a depressed person. The attacks last for about an hour a few times a week, so I would just take .25mg of Xanax as needed and wait for them to pass. They've never interfered with my responsibilities work or social, and they only happen in the mornings, and not every day, so they are just a nuisance. I fear nothing in my day, they just happen for no apparent reason.

Dr said if I took Lexapro the attacks would go away, and they did, but then other symptoms kicked in. The first week I started on 5mg, and the side effects were so horrible I complained in 3 days. She told me to stay with it, get used to it, and increased my dose to 10mg at the end of week 1. For the whole first week and into well into week 2, I had full body shakes so bad I could barely type, write, or drive, blurry vision, lack of concentration, dizzy spells, sleep too much, vomiting, and vertigo, all which still comes and goes on some days, but my biggest complaint is that for a multiorgasmic woman such as myself, who has sex every day not to be able to have an orgasm is driving me insane. I complained about that too.

The drive and desire is all there, and I get extremely excited, as in so close, but what used to take me 5 minutes now takes me an hour or more. Just to get super turned on and have nothing happen is severely frustrating, and definitely a source of stress. My husband apologizes, but it's not him.

I am desperate and have tried everything from my husband to all kinds of toys and supplements like Estravil for over a week and still nothing. I am going to have to stop this and find something else. Maybe SSRI's are not the answer for me and I should try Wellbutrin?

The heck of it is, I know people who use this and have no problems with it. Maybe I am just super sensitive to it and need more time to get used to it. My fear is that I've heard the withdrawal horror stories, and I can't afford 3 more weeks being sick getting off of it.

hi guys i am from sydney australia and am currently taking care of my father who has major /severe depression he has tried to take his life several times and we (family) have not understood why and how depression works, but i have come to learn what depression is about and that people dont choose to be depressed but its more of a physical problem (chemical imbalance) causing a psychological prob so i now sympathise with any1 who sufferz from dis fuked up disease excuse me but it is. he has been takin xanex for many years and has reached the stage where i think he is immuned to the drug i dont know but its not helping him even with high dosages i really love him and want to help him he has no1 to help him except me i am thinking of getting him on lexapro is this a good idea he has had ect treatment which is electic shock treatment and hasnt had sucess will lexapro help him or jus make the dark hole worse please help me help my dad thank you if any1 replies goodluck to any1 suffering from mental illness and i hope one day we find a solution to this disease and if there is anyone out there who is sucidal just remember its not worth it and the pain u will put loved ones thru isnt fair and remember you were once normal and nothing is impossible and every problem has a solution and there will be a solution one day i guess its just a mtter of when will science find it peace out

sorry jus another thing to add to my blog i have now left my job and am currently studying psycholgy and are am on my way to becoming a psychologist this has a had a major impact on my life and my families i guess something good has come out of this i wish to help many people to the road of recovery

Weird dreams!!!!!!!! Not sure why until I read this. Glad to know that I am not the only one. Please contact me if you have the same symptoms!

Need to know that this is "rare" according to the drug info or possibly might be typical with all on 10 mg and adjusting. I wake with what I would consider palpatations and have high BP too boot (was the day that they perscribed 140/89 and many tears and stress to admit I had a serious prob., but had high BP on the latest check up when things seemed better at 4 weeks)!

Please contact directly if the same and what you did! Thanks Ally asizemore@indva.com

P.S. Feel better during the day, but the yawning and feeling that I haven't had a good night sleep is toooooooo much ('cause of the dreams... know that REM sleep (deepest) is when you dream, however feel like I could sleep all the time) I sleep way too late on the weekend with 3 kids that my poor husband is dealing with... Is this a problem or normal. About 6 to 8 weeks on meds at least!!!
Thanks
Ally

how fast does lexapro work

Hi
Is lexapro same as cipralex?

please explain withdrawls from lexapro coldturkey after four years of continued use

I have been on Lexapro for a couple of weeks. I had been taking Prozac for a couple of years, went off it gradually about six months ago, due to side effects (total body twitching). Well, after almost 2 weeks of Lexapro at 10 mg. a day, I decided that beginning yesterday, and after reading all of the internet posts, I would cut the dosage back to 5 mg. per day, take the med at lunch time, eat a big dinner, thus having lots of food to absorb the meds. I actually had a good night's sleep last night. Today I feel a bit foggy, but not as much as when I was doing the 10mg. The Dr. gave me Ambien to get to sleep and what a nightmare that ended up being.

I guess each patient is so different in how their body handles drugs and the doctors are counting on us for feedback. I am going back to my Dr. in a month and by then, we should have an idea about what my body can tolerate and what it cannot.

By the way, one of my side effects is loss of appetite. I have lost weight, not gained, as other's have reported. As I said, our bodies are so different and we cannot rely on someone else's experience for measurement.

I have enjoyed reading everyone's accounts of dealing with Lexapro and other psyc. drugs.

I am counting on my next month's vist with my GP, to decide if Lexapro is for me or not. Right now I am leaning toward NOT.

Good luck everyone. Be strong.

I was on this drug for 5 months due to severe post partum depression.(no prior history of depression or anxiety) It was a wonder drug for me. I noticed the difference very quickly and so did my husband and relatives. I felt like I had lots of energy and motivation and really felt good. Didn't have any anxiety anymore. I had no side effects except for vivid dreaming. And I didn't even know you were supposed to taper off the dose when discontinuing it, so went cold turkey and had no problems. Didn't feel anything strange at all.

Well, here is an update.

I had to go off Lexapro. I wasn't sleeping and it, in general, made me non-functional. I had no desire to eat, bad taste, bad moods, awful 24/7.

I spoke with my Dr. and he has me back on Prozac and I feel terrific. My only complaint about Prozac has to do with the twitching when sleeping. The twitches are back, but I will tolerate them.

I give Lexapro a no vote.

I have been on lex for about 4 months for anxiety that led to panic attacks- I had a constant fear of normal things and thought about dying a lot. My therapist and doctor recommended lexapro and I knew it had less side effects than other SSRIs- I intentionally didn't read what the side effects were so I didn't get any ideas in my head. My husband definately noticed the lack of sex drive-and the lack of having an orgasm can be very frustrating. At one time I was at a 30 mg dose and am now at 20 mg But now I have realized that my menstal cycle has shortened which is a pain too- but honestly, to feel this good ( I have struggled with panic attacks and anxiety since I was a child) I think it is worth the side effects at this point.

Hello !!

I am off of Lexapro now. used it at 10mg for 6 months. it has been a little over 2 months now and I still have the dizziness/nausea symptoms - not everyday but in phases. I hope this goes away soon, it is very bothersome, feel like I am not 100%....

I started Lexapro almost 3 months ago. I was on 5mg and just recently went up to 10mg. The first 2 months on this medication were wonderful. I felt so relaxed and was able to think straight. Finally I had that space in my head where thoughts ceased to be circular. Lexapro got me out of that sad, dark place and I stopped my compulsive eating, became more active and started taking care of things that I had put off for some time.

Then all of a sudden, after those 2 months of heaven, it seemed to stop working as well. The depression stayed away but the general anxiety started creeping back and so did the irritability and intolerance. Moreover I was not losing any weight and my weight would fluctuate by 2 or 4 pounds even if I exercised and ate right.

My doctor put me on 10 mg four days ago and I have been feeling very sleepy all day and waking up every 2 hours at night from vivid dreams or hot flashes and sweating. The irritability is sky high, the anxiety is back and I am feeling lethargic and lazy. The weight is piling on for no reason and I don't feel like this med is helping me. I want to get off it but my doctor insists I stay on it as it is the mildest antidepressant on the market!!!

I can't stand this steady weight gain. I never felt as good as I did the first month on it and I don't know what to do. I don't want to go back to being depressed but I don't want to be this way either.

I suffer from acute anxiety attacks since I have suffered since I was a little girl. Then they called them the cute name of "chicken fits" here in the south. My question is I was taking Lexapro for a couple of years and have gain about 30 pounds. Since April of 2006 I have stop taken the drug because the wieght gain is a big issue with me. My anxiety is back, but I am trying to deal with it on my own by cutting back on caffine and other stimulants. I have been exercising regularly but have not seen any wieght loss. I was wondering how long it will begin to take to see wieght loss after coming off lexapro, and if i should have seen some by now wondering if something else is the reason. Thanks for any feedback.

If you're a woman age 30 or older (or even younger) and you're suffering from depression, panic attacks, anxiety or disEase in general, then get your hornone levels checked by someone who's an expert in endincrinology and who isn't afraid to practice medicine. If you're a man, ditto. Or, at least read Eugene Shippen's book, The Testosterone Syndrome (ladies read it too, we have that hormone also) Do NOT go on articifical hormones, use only bioidentical hormones. You can also take a great supplement called L-tryptophan -- not 5HTP (that mostly works on your gut and does nothing for a brain with depression). Take it with niacin and b-6, a little C, folate and a little magnesium. Take it on an empty stomach with a half glass of juice for efficient uptake. Do'nt take it with food or at least not protein as it'll compete with the other aminos. Tryptophan is NOT perscription only, it's been back on the market for several years now, and there's a great brand called Doctor's Best that's USP grade, get that. make sure you do not take this supplement with your SSRI's or any antidepressant unless you talk to your doctor or shrink first. Use the tryptophan to get OFF the meds. SSRI's don't make serontonin, they just slow down your brain's upake of it. Or so the theory goes, we don't really know. And doctors are so swamped by paperwork they can't possibly keep up with all the latest info on drugs. That's the drug salesman's job, ha, ha, ha. Educate yourself. Keep learning and insist that your doctor keep learning. A lot of doctors are practicing law, not medicine and they're practicing it badly (law). They're required to do an iditotic amount of paperwork -- bad law again. But there are some spectacular doctors out there also, who are not afraid to practice medicine, not afraid to work with you and have something work for you to boot. They're not afraid to be cutting edge doctors and they ask that you be cutting edge also.

Hi there,

I've been on cipralex for about 2 years now. I've just decided to come off it as my friend said it will be good for me and i'm inclined to agree. The first couple of days coming off were great, i felt better, i could express my emotions. I could cry.

Whilst on cipralex i couldn't cry and found it really hard to express my emotions. It got me through my abortion which i hugely regret with hardly any suffering, i dealt with it fine. The truth is because i wasn't really dealing with it.

Also co-insided with all this was panic attacks and agoraphobia. I orginally wanted drugs to feel normal when i walked down the street instead of kind of paranoid about people looking at me. I was really agoraphobic at one point and suffering panic attacks at the thought of going out the door.

Last night i had a panic attack, i've only been off the drug for about a week and i feel so sick. I feel agitated and emotional. Overly emotional and clingly! I hate it, The reason i decided to come off was the tight chest and general anxiety i felt the drug was creating in everyday life. It's cumulated so much that i just couldn't handle normal life anymore.

I feel like i'm going to through up, but i don't feel anxious as i did when i was on them. Weight wise i went from my normal 10 to a 14 very quickly and felt that i needed to eat all the time. Now i'm scared that coming of this drug people will think i'm weird because of the withdrawl symptoms.

This guy i really like, i got really emotional with him last night, i''m abit monophobic ( don't like being on my own, find it painful when i'm off the drug), this really showed last night. I'm scared of being left alone. My friend didn't know what i was experiencing was some of the emotions that i have been couping up for years. I hope he doesn't freak out and leave me because i'm getting too needy.

I feel confused mentally today, really foggy feeling, like there is a cloud in my head. The physical anxiety build up in my body has disapated though. I feel like i need to go back on them today, i haven't spoken to my doctor about any of this but last time i saw him he said i don't need them, i can come off cold turkey.

The doctor didn't take my anxiety seriously. I hate how horrible the doctors are about this problem. My family thinks i'm disturbed and i don't have any close friends because i daren't let in, i dont feel i need them either, just more people to leave me. Shame that i like this guy i'm seeing so much, because i've fallen for him and i feel like i subconciously want to push him away because i don't want to hurt by being left by him in the future, so i'm trying subconciously to instigate it.

I'm in such a horrible cloud of sickness today. If this wasn't here, i'd be fine! I wish i had never gone on these drugs. As i remember before drugs was a mild discomfort and general avoidance pattern. Now is a massive anxiety disorder, with panic attacks, agoraphobia , monophobia. I feel like i need to go back on the pills to feel normal again. But i know they are taking me away from being normal!

Please give me some advice on what i should do to help with the symptoms of withdrawl, physically and emotionally.

Thankyou, Love Janey x

Hello,

I am a 23 year old woman, & was on Lexapro for 3 months. I have to admit that it does work. My depression (which I had for 2 years) melted away. I stopped taking Lexapro over one week ago, and I do have side effects because of it. I constantly feel like my head is in some sort of fog. I am much more tired than normal. I actually have become so tired that I had to switch from full to part time at work. I used to get an average of 7-8 hours of sleep (w/o naps) and funtion just fine. But since coming off the pill When I get home at 3:00 (after working just a 4 1/2 hour day) I get my PJ's on & take a nap for 3 hours. And yes, I'm still able to fall asleep at 11:00pm to get 9-10 more hours of sleep. Another side effect is the "jolting" I feel in my hands & fingers. Can anyone tell me how long these problems will last? Thanks for taking the time to read this. My prayers are with everyone fighting this disease.

I have been on Lexapro for 18 days. I feel a little better but my face and neck are tingling is that normal? How much longer before it will kick in. I still have alot of anxiety. I feel really good in the morning and about noon I get alot of anxiety i have been taking xanax for the tension. Is Lexapro a good drug?

I HAVE BEEN HAVING DIZZINESS FOR A FEW WEEKS. ITS BEEN REALLY BAD SENCE I WAS THREATENED BY A COWORKER. I AM ALSO VERY TIRED EVEN AFTER GETTING A FULL NIGHTS SLEEP. MY BLOOD PRESURE IS GOOD AND MY HEART RATE IS GOOD. I WAS TAKING PAXIL BUT I QUIT FOR A WEEK AND THE DIZZINESS GOT WORSE. THE ONLY TIME I CAN GET RELIEF IS WHEN I CLOSE MY EYES AND COVER MY FACE WITH MY HANDS. THE PAXIL DOESN'T WORK GOOD MOST OF THE TIME ANY WAY.

I was on lexapro for about 4 months a year ago. I really had no problems. I did gain weight, but I was already gaining weight before I was on the drug. I came off of lexapro because my thyroid seemed to be the cause of my anxiety. When I was on lexapro i did seem to help my anxiety. I did have some side effects coming off of it, but they did not seem much different than my old anxiety problems. I have just decided to get back on it after a year of considering it again. I deal with alot of anxiety and stress, and I think from past experiances that this drug is helpful. I guess each person reacts differently to it. All I can say is try it and hopfully it will help you.
Oh yeah 10 mg is all that I have ever taken. I think alot of these people on here mess with their dosage to often.

the lexapro works great for my depression. i feel like a normal person. only problem is - i cant climax. it feels like my sensitivy on my sex organs has been muted. arousal is there but the floodgates won't open.

i just started taking 5mgs of lexapro and i'm freaked about the wieght gain issue, my doc didn't even mention it... also, every morning it feels like i'm coming down... dependency issues coming??

I am currently on Wellbutrin and it is not helping my depression. I am dealing with an elderly father, care-taking, and I feel I need something different than what I am on. I have been on the Wellbutrin for about 6 mos. Any thoughts from anyone?

I have been on the Lexapro for about 8 months now, but have been on before for about 9 months. My Dr prescribed it for Postpartum depression after my first daughter was born and when I found out I was pregnant again the Dr weaned me off on it. At that time I had the wired light headed feeling but I attributed it to the pregnancy. Recently I've been weaning myself off the Lexapro and this week is the first week where I have totally not been on it and I have that wired feeling again. I hate this feeling but I feel like I have to battle it in order for my body to completely withdraw form this medication.

After coming off (after six months) Lexapro, I was very dizzy, I looked online and googled dizzy after coming off Lexapro and found take a multi-vitamin. I started taking Centrim. It worked, thank God. Try your best to stay away from situations that will bring your depression on.

if i take lexapro will it be harder for me to become pregant or prevent it in any way?

I have just started treatment with lexapro, so far the side effects are nausea, and they make me tired which is good for my anxiety. I have only been taking it for 3 days and I do have to admit I feel sedated already, but I wanted the help so I'm going to wait this out a month or so and see how it goes.

Instead of just turkey being to blame, nutrition experts and scientists believe that one reason you may feel sleepy after your Thanksgiving feast is because of all those carbohydrates (say: kar-bo-hi-drayts) you ate. WBR LeoP

Lexapro has significantly reduced my anxiety. I have been on it for four months now. Aside from my decreased anxiety I have also noticed, I am now usually more focused, I am much less snappy, far less irrationally emotional, I am however appropriately emotional, I cry when I'm sad but don't obsess about it, I get hurt if people offend me, but now instead of running away crying I make a point of addressing the issue. I have no social anxiety, making friends easily and being able to appropriately approach confrontations in a controlled manner. Every now an then I slip back and go through my old periods. My obsessional thinking has considerably reduced. I like this drug for me the positives far outweigh the negatives. I have small children and my mental health is of the utmost importance. Of course as with anything different things work for different people.
SIDE EFFECTS: It makes me sleepy but its more of a relaxed sleepyness than a drowsyness and I am able to keep myself awake. I'd like to pretend I've had weight gain, but I was already this fat, in fact I am over eating less, because my binging was emotional. I was having problems climaxing but that has resolved itself, THANKFULLY! More recently i am experiencing memory loss, I'm an alergic person, but I think the lexapro is making me hypersensitive, coincides with my starting the drugs, but I don't know how related they are.

i want know an information for female impotant patient ? my question is there any drug in pharmaceutical industry to be used in female impotant patients ?

I was on Lexapro for about 2 1/2 years for depression/anxiety. I got off of it about 2 months ago. I stepped myself down off of it, cutting my dose in half every 2 weeks for about a month. I did experience the "jolting" sensations that people are talking about on here, but none of the other side effects people have mentioned.

While I was on Lexapro I really didn't have any bad side effects. A little weight gain and it was difficult for me to get really happy or sad about anything, but I didn't find that distrubing. Compared to how I had been feeling before going on it, it was defnintely an improvement.

All in all, I think Lexapro helped me quite a bit. Maybe I was just one of the lucky ones, but the experience was pretty positive for me. Of course, I also made other lifestyle changes (meditating, eating better, excercising more, etc), so that may be why it worked for me.

To be honest, I sort of miss being on Lexapro. Since I went off it I have definitely had to work alot harder to stay positive and focused. And just lately I've been starting to feel pretty stressed out again. I'm trying to step up my work outs and meditation (I had started to get kind of lazy about it), so I'm hoping that will compensate for being off the Lexapro. We'll see...

I think lexapro has helped me a lot with some very stressful times in my life (read: divorce, change of household, reduced income, etc.). I have been taking 10 mg. once a day for over a year and haven't really had any trouble with side effects except for sleepiness and slight nausea. So now I just take it at night; I don't notice the nausea if there is any, and it helps me sleep! Plus, my moods are just less erratic. I agree with others that it sort of levels things out but not to a flattened state, just that my responses aren't out of proportion to the situation anymore. I don't know if there is a placebo effect happening, but I have tried to wean myself off the drug and notice that after four or five days, my mood starts to drop. I figure that once my life is better sorted out, I will gradually taper off the drug, and hope that it won't be difficult. But I'm thankful for the results I've gotten, after trying Prozac and Zoloft with no positive results.

i have a friend who started on lexapro, the first time she took it, she claimed she couldn't sleep, felt jittery, and in general didn't feel good. how long do you have to take it to actually see how it's going to effect you? i think after the one dose, she just didn't take anymore. is this okay? or does she need to give the medicine a chance?

i just started taking lexapro two days ago and im not for sure if i want to take it. reading some of the e'mails im thinking on just not taking it anymore. i have mild depression and im getting my life together i dont want to get my life together and be worse than before. I dont know what to do please help me

Is it possible for escitalopram to kill (artistic) creativity?

I have been on Lexapro for two months now. At first two weeks had passed by and I still didn't feel a change in my anxiety, I suffered from migranes every other day and I was constantly drowsy Of course I take Lexapro at night now which helps me fall asleep but I am half awake. Anyway, after 3 weeks of taking I decided to up my dosage from 10m to 20m or I alternate oneday I take 10 the next 20 depending on what type of a day I have. I do feel as if I am in a cloud sometimes like others have stated and that I have no emotion to anyone elses feelings. I haven't gained any weight like others have stated although I wish I would, I have felt naseau every now and then and do have lots of tremors. I think I am going to try Lexapro for another couple of months but if it doesn't produce the results that I want I will try something else. I have GAD and depression so I feel like I need something strong although the Lexapro makes what I call my mind go blank, sometimes I would rather it be blank then full of thought and worries. Any other reccomendations besides Lexapro?

Hi. I want to know if Lexapro inhibits pregnancy.

I took lexpro for 7 months after i suffered from panic attacks after finding out i failed the bar exam and lost a great job opportunity. I totally agree with what a lot of other people have said here in regards to the lexapro "cloud". While lexapro virtually eliminated my depression and anxiety it created a cloud that definitely affected my judgment as well as my memory. I have a 2-3 month period when i first began on lexapro where my memory is extremely hazy and I have difficulty recalling things that I did. Though everyone's situation is different, the bottomline is that these drugs are not the answer. You cannot take them for the rest of your life so you might as well get off them and talk to a psychiatrist as well as make some lifestyle changes. I have been off for 3 1/2 months now and feel pretty good. The first few weeks/month was rough though

I have been taking cipralex for 25 days now, and since day two of taking it have experienced acne. I never had a problem with it in the teenage years (I'm 41yrs) now I seem to have flare ups everywhere on my face. Particularly along my jaw line. It looks more like red bumps, almost like a rash. Not white heads.
Anyone ever have this problem on this med?