Depression Blog.com

Switched from Celexa to Lexapro 6 months ago: Basically I've just been cranky and tired, punctuated with weird outbursts of rage. Clenching jaw at night. Hard time falling asleep, and a hard time waking up. Sweaty, especiallly at night. Insensitivity to cold temperatures. Oh yeah, and no libido. I'm weaning off, which is causing horrible dizziness, more rage (yippee), nausea, and general feelings of hopelessness. Other than that, I feel fine.

I have been on Lexapro for a year. After reading what others had to say, I noticed I'm always fatigued too, but never thought it was from Lexapro, thought it was depression. I'm deciding to ween myself off the drug, because I am unable to afford it anymore. My doctor put me up to 30 mg and she won't take it back down to 20 mg. So I have to pay $80 every two weeks for it, for the pharmacy says my insurance won't cover the full month. Plus, I'm taking other prescriptions and it's coming to about $200 a month. I want to know how I can ween myself off the Lexapro. Will I suffer from withdrawls? I would appreciate anything you can offer as advice. Thank you.

I have been on Lexapro for 3 months.It has helped but, my weight gain is awful.I get depressed because of the weight.So what is worse??Who knows.I have gained 22 pounds in this time.This brings me up to 174lbs.I have never been here before.Also my lips are so dry and chapped.Any suggestions?? Thank you, Nancy.

I've been taking Lexapro 5mg (half a 10mg) for about 3 days for mild-moderate mixed anxiety and depression. I think I'm being perscribed to high a dosage, as I feel/felt effects of the drug within an hour or so of taking it. I tend to be very sensitive to all drugs in general, and have informed the psych. I saw of this, thus why he had me break the 10mg into a 5mg half and take that.

Basically, when I take it, I feel a wave of "nothing" fall over me, not of calm, almost of a haze. I've been a little cold over the last few days, and last night, had horrible, vivid dreams that scared me. I just want to sleep the night w/out the dreams and not wake up in the pit of depression, as I was before trying this.

My review of this drug so far is that you and your doctor need to very carefully evaluate whether this script will be worth it for you. I think it's a bit too much for my system to handle -

I don't know what to do - Cut the dosage to 1/4 a pill, stop taking it? I'm afraid to stop taking it for fear the depression/anxiety will return, but I don't like these effects either.

ive been on 20 mg of lexapro for almost a month now. its the first SSRI ive taken, so i have little to compare it with. when i first increased my dosage from 10 to 20 i started becoming very nasous to the point where i felt like i was going to vomit.. id be so dizzy that by the end of the day i would slur my words like i had been drinking. my appetite was nothing, id take two bites of something and throw it away. after the first week the dizziness and appetite issues went away, but i feel nothing. nothing matters.. i stopped going to school and dropped out of life. people and responsibility mean nothing and i sleep all day. its helped with my general anxiety because i dont care, but not my social anxiety.. or depression. alot of this could be personality and not the meds, because i know people who say lexapro can do them wonders.. ohwell. ive pretty much become desillusioned of the whole mental health INDUSTRY because of this..

christine

I have been on Lexapro for maybe a year. Maybe longer. I am now in huge trouble with my girlfriend, her kids and her friends because of my horrible hairtrigger rage and anger. It just occurred to me after our latest incident that maybe the Lexapro had something to do with my moodiness. Thanks for the input from others with similar experiences.

I was given lexapro Aug20th, for mild anxiety..caused by monopause, and have asthma...3 hours after my first dose I suffered breathing problems my asthma meds could not help..was at the ER 6 hours later...the dr on call insisted I was not prescribed anything to cause breathing problems along with the severe muscle drawing up I tried to explain to him...Xrays and blood work was fine..he gave me prednisone and a breathing treatment..On Monday morning I call the Dr that had prescribed it to me...He also insisted he had not prescribed me anything to cause this..That I needed a "shrink" or gyn...So that very day I saw a gyn, and started primpro.{hrt} and continued both, as directed by gyn..the 2 months I was on lexapro I also had to continue the prednisone to breathe..I had started out with 10mg of lexapro, and gave it the required 3 weeks to do it "best" but was having to take 50 mg of prednisone daily..I had all the same side effects as well...Emotional numbness, increase sweating, ringing in ears, appitite, no sexual interest, and severe muscle cramping, so decided to go off the drug..went down to 5mg,for 2 weeks, also was able to lower the prednisone as I lowered the lexapro.. at 2.5 mg I was down to only 5mg of prednisone. With a new doctors help, I am 16 days free of both meds, but suffering still from the strange muscle cramping and breathing problem...this has been hell..I had never taken any kind of antidepressant, and was unaware what is was...and since I was told "not" responsible for my symtoms, I suffered horribly from not being able to breathe, and having to limit my activities due to this..My friends and family are very concerned...and still counting the days with me as we hope the longer the lexapro has to get out of my system the more my breathing will become managable with my asthma meds..until then to be free of prednisone, I have to try ice packs or heat pads to my diaphram area for some relief...I do not recommend this drug nor any like it for the very fact it is NOT something that can be just stopped and has to be lowered slowly...due to it's withdrawels as well...which I also got to enjoy, and still do...

i am 23 years old and have been suffering from anxiety and depression since i was ten. ive been taking lexapro for months now. im on sixty mg every day and 20 mg metadate. i feel so blah and numb. and no libido. i cant do anything about anything because of such a lack of motivation or interest. i just dont care about ANYTHING. wow seems my dose is gigantic compared to most ppl. yay.

I was given sample pills by my doctor on Thursday by Saturday I was at ER thinking I was having a heart attack. I will never take this again. I am still having tremors as I type this, but I feel way better than 9 hrs ago.

althought i have experienced many negative affects as a result of taking lexapro, i must say that there is one gigantic plus. i have been a heroin addict for 5 years and the lexapro makes me NOT CARE AT ALL about getting high. the only thing is, it seems to make me not care about ANYTHING, and im very zombie like all the time. the fact that i dont care about dope is ASTOUNDING, though. perhaps with scientific tweaking lexapro could be used as an antiaddiction med at some point.

I started taking Lexapro a year ago, after taking Celexa for 4 years. When I was taking Celexa I noticed a slight decrease in my libido, and some weight gain. When Lexapro came out, my dr and I discussed switching because of it's low side effect rep. Well, lemme tell ya - BS. Total BS. I gained more weight and my sex drive switch was disconnected COMPLETELY. I am now taking 150mg of Wellbutrin to try and kick start my sex drive, and will be switching back to Celexa ASAP. Has anyone else had experience with the Wellbutrin combo? Thanks!

I have been on lexapro for about 5 months and I have not felt any better. I noticed I have been clenching my teeth at night.I wake up in the morning and my jaws hurt.I called my Doctor and told him my symptoms and they told me that it was one side effect of being on lexapro.I am going off lexapro and i get this weird sensation in my body kind of like a zapping I will not go back on this drug again.To be honest with you this drug has made me more depressed than i was when i was not taking it.

[moderator note: If you told your doctory about clenching your teeth and he just stated that clenching your teeth was a regular side effect then he needs to learn a bit about being a doctor. The clenching jaw is the same thing that happens to some people who use ecstacy. When your serotonin levels go ABNORMALLY high that can happen. These SSRI drugs were designed to help give your serotonin levels a temporary boost, but when you start noticing the zaps or are clenching your jaws or can't sleep at night you are probably either ill adjusting or being overprescribed the drugs.]

I have been taking Lexapro for about three months..and I am going off of it...can I just cold turkey it or do I have to wean off? I mean what happens if I just stop taking it all together?
Thanks for any input!

Awful Drug. I took 3 pills and knew that it was completely screwing me up. I woke up this morning sooooo cracked out. I couldn't wake up, i couldn't sleep the past 3 nights. My lips are chapped. I have been getting headaches. I had sexual side-effects (use your imagination) I'm a guy. And to top off all that my anxiety, the reason i was prescribed lexapro in the first place was worse. Way worse. I have been talking a mile a minute, i have to tell myself to slow down. The company that manufactures this drug is a joke. They make me sick.

wow, well, i have been off and on with lexapro for 3 years, and i have some serious negative feedback...i have attempted to come off, and have failed miserably. lexapro numbs my senses and KILLS my sex drive. when i try to come off of it, i have weight, gain nightmares, i am suicidal, angry, sad, frustrated, and confused. i need advice as to how to come off of it, and be myself again. if i would have known the side affects, i would have never started to take it....

Hmmmmm Ive been taking it for 2 years now 20mg gives me the runs but in all seems to be helping me. But ive laid off now for 4months no job no medicial insurance cant afford to buy it now it feels like im some what dizzy now and get angry quickly.Oh well hang in there i guess !!

Coming off effexor after six years. Gained 25kg-60lbs hate it. Switching to 20mg lexapro. I need success sories.

I'm an asthmatic and have been taking Lexapro for 5 days now - my asthma seems worse and I want to know if there's something in Lexapro that's exacerbating my breathing difficulties.

i have been on 10mg of lexapro for a year. it was prescribed for anxiety attacks. i had to take it along with lorazepam daily and then finally weaned myself off the lorazepam and now i only take the lexapro. lately i have noticed that my anxiety has gotten worse. I am self-mutilating now (severe skin-picking) and that i clench my jaw at night. so much so that know i think i have TMJ. My jaw gets sharp pains, usually at night. I had considered raising the dose but now I don't know if the anxiety is getting worse or if all the other stuff has to do with side-effects. Oh, no libido either...

I am 18 and am currently diagnosed with severe depression and (moderate?) post traumatic anxiety. I began taking 5mg Lexapro for my depression close to 1 month ago. In my first week I had profound side effects - feeling as if I walking around in a vivid dream, very dilated pupils and a strange 'sedated anxiety'. I was assured by my doctor that these side effects would subside and to some extent they have.
I have rapidly lost weight due to lack of appetite (approx. 7 Kg). I also have a rapid flux in libido every now and then, but usually i have virtually no libido.
Now, as the initial effects have subsided, I have been experiencing what I've observed to be mixed-state episodes (if you are experiencing these, it could be due to bipolar disorder - I am looking into this and you should talk to your doctor about it too). Between these episodes I have noted my depression going just as strong as it once was, only now I feel alittle more numb and apathetic.
My anxiety is through the roof at times. I have lost all interest in any activities (work, social activities and study), some of this may be due to the depression, but it has gotten worse since taking Lexapro. I am also still suicidal (Lexapro has not produced a change for better or worse in these thoughts).
My doctor keeps pushing me to stay on it as if she is getting some handsome commission.
I would just like to note that, for anyone reading this, all medications work differently with different people and different conditions. If you think it is worth trying then think carefully and if you try it for yourself always know that you should quit if you feel it isn't doing the job well enough.

I'm looking for feed back on lexapro my brother was put on it and then not being weaned off.And went into a store and shot his girl freind for no reason and this is not the first case of people I've heard commiting murder and don't understand why?So if anyone can give me some feed back on anything I would appreciate any input.Thank you

I was on Paxil for about a year before my doctor switched me to Lexapro, which I stayed on for about a year and a half. Between the two drugs, I gained nearly forty pounds, which is about 1/3 of my original body weight. Like many people who posted here, I clench and grind my teeth at night, to the extent that it wakes up my roommate. My sex life ended completely, between the decrease in libido and the weight gain. My doctor tried to combine the Lexapro with Welbutrin to get rid of the side effects, but it didn't help. I stayed on the drug for a long time because it is so difficult to quit. I experienced a "zapping" sensation and became very dizzy when I missed a dose. It is also quite expensive. For a month of 10mg, I paid about $90. Now, after over a month of weaning off, I have not taken it for a week. Now trying to lose weight and deal with the depression and anxiety which led me to the drugs in the first place. If I could begin again, I would use anti-depressants as a last resort only.

I've tried Welbutrin and Celexa now and had to quit both due to side effects. Lexapro was worse than both put together! I took only 3 10 mg pills befoe I decided I couldn't do it anymore. I was fatigued to the point of sobbing but couldn't go to sleep. If I did get to sleep I couldn't wake up. I constantly clenched my jaw and twitched or fidgeted. My libido was 100% gone within hours of the first pill. I slurred my speech and became confused easily.

I realized that nothing meant anything anymore. I stopped going to work, showering, caring. I really think this is the last straw for me. No more brain drugs. I'll just stay sad.

I took Lexapro for 2 weeks- my side effects were dry mouth,headaches(all day) slight anxiety increase.I was only on 5 mgs for the first week and did 3 days at 10 mgs. I quit and suddenly within a day have spiraled into the worst feelings I have ever had.I do not know if it is a withdrawl???but I have been really scared. I t was like channels of every pain factor in my life had open up and there was no one to help. I am feeling better tonight and am trying the natural root. Acupuncture,diet,walking,talking...and hope.
Good luck to all,

I am so glad I found this website. I had experienced all of the side effects mentioned above but never put two and two together! I ran out of Lexapro about a week ago, and in some ways feel better (I am not always tired, I have actual started to care about things again) but I have this weird "buzzing" sensation - I don't know if that is what people were referring to when they were talking about the "zapping". I also am very dizzy and my balance is off. In some ways I believe that the depression and anxiety were worse on the medicince, but it was like someone else said my doctor just increased my dosage and encouraged me to keep trying it. I was just wondering how long it took for other peoples withdrawl symptoms to go away. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I am so glad I found this website. I had experienced all of the side effects mentioned above but never put two and two together! I ran out of Lexapro about a week ago, and in some ways feel better (I am not always tired, I have actual started to care about things again) but I have this weird "buzzing" sensation - I don't know if that is what people were referring to when they were talking about the "zapping". I also am very dizzy and my balance is off. In some ways I believe that the depression and anxiety were worse on the medicince, but it was like someone else said my doctor just increased my dosage and encouraged me to keep trying it. I was just wondering how long it took for other peoples withdrawl symptoms to go away. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I tried lexapro two days ago.... First day, I felt a little funny but just brushed it off as a new medicine that I had to get used to. Second day I took it, I started feeling more anxious. By the middle of the day I really wasn't feeling good at all. I hadn't eaten all day because my appetite was completey gone. I only weigh 105 lbs as it is and couldnt afford to not eat. I felt nausceous, scared, anxious, hyperventilating, numb. Called the doctor and asked how I could come out of this feeling. He suggested me taking a tranquilizer, which I did. Today, it took me almost all day yet to come down from this horrible drug. I do not recommend it for everyone.....I was only taking the 5mg pill and it was too strong for me.....I am never taking something like this again. As I write all this down, I recall the anxiety and fear I felt from it..

I've been on Lexapro for over a year for OCD and depression. It's worked well for me, even though some of the side effects take some effort to get past. I find myself tensing up, jaw clenching, ect. during the day and have to make a conscience effort to relax. Staying motivated is difficult to, it takes a major effort at times to "break inertia", but once that's done I can usually keep going for a good while. I also get some depression spikes once in a while, usually triggered by something. I would encourage anyone taking this med to try developing a positive routine somewhere in your life in order to avoid going stagnant, and a falling into those depression "pits".

.... as a side note to add to my comments above: I have been on 20mg for over a year and experienced a 40 lb weight gain, I need a nap every day, I dream like CRAZY!, and I 'zap' mostly if I miss a dose, and my libedo is half of what it used to be. Given all this, I think I tolerate the drug pretty well compared to the others listed here.

Lexapro...It took away my desire to crash my car into the first brick wall, but I also no longer care about much of anything. I am just dead inside.

i've been taking lexapro for about 6 weeks, iwake up in the middle of the night with very strange feelins in my arms and my heart flutters and it keeps me half the night i will be stopping this med. i am so glad i found this sight it has confirmed my thoughts on lexapro thanks

I was on Lexapro for a little over a year....worst pill EVER! I had a slight light headed feeling all the time and had no ambition to do anything....at all. The sad part was I just could stop taking it (after I realized it was crap) because of intense migrains. The actual physical pain of comming off the damn stuff was worse than the depression. All the problems I had before I started the stuff were waiting for me afterwards. The moral is: don't expect a miracle pill and don't take unless the alternative is suicide. At $200 a month....that's real depression.

I started to wean myself off of Lexapro last week? Im not sure what to expect. Does anyone have any info? I've noticed I could cry all the time but Im hoping that will pass? Has anyone else done this? Thank you. Lisa

I have started Lexapro 10mg once a day. Have been on it for about 7 days now. Have noticed the clenching jaw thing. Probably happening at night also since the hinge areas on my jaws are really tired.

Was on Zoloft and in my opinion, it feels a bit better, but I read all of the other SSRI's are associated with Parkinsonism to some small degree so I stopped using it. I read that Celexa and Lexapro are the only ones that are not.... but who knows, that might be some internet bull too.

I have been taking Lexapro for 3 days. It was given to me because of depression. My other big symptom is fatigue...
First day wasn't bad. Second day I fell asleep in front of the TV in the middle of the afternoon. Third day I fell asleep just about anywhere.
Interestingly, many people complain about weight gain, but in my case it took away my appetite completely. That may change,
However, I guess I'll never know because I feel more fatigued than I ever was and my depression has not gone away.
BTW, I think I have every reason to feel depressed, a fact my doctor refuses to consider. I had a transplant 2 years ago and in the process I lost my job, my career, my savings, my home and my health. Yes, I could be dead, but the reality of transplants is that they never last very long. I'll be lucky to see 55 and I am 46 now.

Is this enough to be depressed?

I have been on Lexapro for about 1 1/2 years. I was talking 5mg and about 2 months ago went to 10mg. I have always been average to thin and never had a problem maintaining my weight. I blamed it on menopause when I got up to 132 pounds and couln't loose anything. My eating and exercise habits had not changed. Because of the cost of Lexapro I decided to wean myself off to save $70 dollars a month. To my surprise after a week and 1/2 I had dropped 4 pounds and do not feel bloated anymore. I don't think the weight will keep dropping so drastically but I feel SO much better. Also I have never had high blood pressure and have been getting very high readings. Taking my pressure today after being off Lexapro for 1 1/2 weeks I am back to normal at 125/73. I am so glad I found this site and know that I wasn't crazy when my boyfriend would tease me about eating more chips or food than I am remembering and that my blood pressure could have been affected because of the Lexapro.

I have been on Lexapro for one month. Before that I was on Celexa for 4 years and was no longer helping with my GAD. The only real side effects and they are quite bothersome is, I have an extremely difficult time concentrating and being motivated. I also feel "stoned" most of the time. It has really helped me with my anxiety but the side effects are really starting to worry me. Also, I'm taking 10mg and will not go any higher in the dosage. I really wish I could be off all meds. I tried to quit Celexa and felt like I was going mad...

I hate this drug......makes me feel wired...."jumping out of my skin" feeling....it totally KILLS sex drive and feeling....can't achieve orgasm....it is a useless drug for me.

ive been taking lexapro for a month because of my social anxiety disorder and depression and one thing i noticed about myself is that im having a hard time waking up in the morning. and when i do wake up it is almost in a dream state like you never woke up at all. just like the others said, i dont feel anything either as if im too tired to feel any emotions at all. the worst side effect is......THE FREAKIN WEIGHT GAIN!!!!.... i eat like theres no tommorow and i just couldnt help it and i never had an enormous appetite such as this in my life. when i look at myself in the mirror nude ive been noticing that my ass is putting on weight and thats one valid reason for depression. last month im 120lbs but now ive gained 8lbs and for me thats a lot. but i also want to admit that my depression is not like it used to be though im still afraid of any worst side effects when i quit.

Well, I am not on lexapro but my best friend of 20 years is. Her personality has totally changed. SHe has been totally avoiding me. We make plans she forgets constantly and when I talk to her about the situation nothing fazes her. She apologizes and says I'll call you back tonight so we can talk about this and never does. This friendship has been one of total trust and support. To be truthful we really have never had a fight in the 20 years we have been friends. SHe has never, ever mistreated me until now. I did call her to talk to her about this. Of course I thought I did something wrong she assured me that I have never done anything wrong and am her best most trusted friend. Does anyone have advise? Does it sound like the Lexapro (that's when all this started) or do you think the friendship is really over after all these years?

i've been taking lexpro for about 2 years and have had great periods but then more recently i've bben very flat emotionally and have -0 libido. went off cold turkey, what a mistake. i'd rather be flat than a basket case but NEED to get off lexapro properly. any suggestions. was taking 20mg and today went back to only 10mg.

I started taking Lexapro in late Sept. 05 for anxiety. I got engaged to my boyfriend of five years about a week or two later. A week or two after that I was breaking things off because I got so depressed I thought it had to be the relationship. We had bought a house together we had planned our lives together etc. I was having horrible nightmares. I had bouts of confusion and crying. Bursts of anger out of complete fear. I thought I was going absolutely crazy. I called the doctor in the beginning when I felt these changes after a couple of weeks. He then gave me some Valium in addition. I have never left my family. I left for a total of 6 weeks. Out of the country. I went to week long group intensives. So, then I thought maybe it was that bringing up all the emotional stuff. When I returned I broke up with my future husband and moved out. He took my meds. I had withdrawls for a month.... It included about everything that the side affects did but to a much worse degree. Migraines nausea dizzy confused numb detached diarreah constipation depressed thoughts of suicide... the list is long. I was afraid to leave my house for months before things came back to "normal". I'm still in just shock I can't tell you. I went from quiet and shy to world traveler. It was like I spent those months completely intoxicated. Like that phase in drinking where you are having fun and talking and everything sounds like a good idea. It didn't stop... but it also had the emotional waves along with it very severe in nature. I'm off everything and I feel great except the linguring thoughts of how I destroyed my whole life as I once new it.

LEXAPRO CAUSES BALDNESS. FOREST PHARMACEUTICALS WOULD NEVER LIST EXTREME HAIR LOSS AS A SIDE EFFECT FOR FEAR THAT WOMEN WOULD NOT TAKE THEIR PRODUCT. IT'S ALL ABOUTH THEIR GREED. THANKS LEXAPRO, ACCORDING TO MY DOCTOR AND DERMATOLOGIST YOUR PRODUCT, LEXAPRO, WILL MAKE ME TOTALLY BALD!!! YOU SUCK!

I've been on Lexapro for 1 1/2 years for GAD. For the first year I took 10mg and for the last 4 mos. i've been on 5mg. It helped my anxiety and ocd (not cured). But now i've noticed how unemotional i have become, except for anger. I also have no libido and weight gain. I wanna feel joy and alive again, plus lose some weight. what about wellbutrin?

I have been on lexapro for 4 years now. Recently I decided to wean myself off. I tried to cut down from 20mg every day to 4times a week, then 3 times a week then 2 times a week over a period of 2 months. I ran out of pills in the mean time and stopped cold turkey. I now have manic episodes, anger, sweats and a feeling of total anxiety. I feel like a raw nerve ending. I am hoping it will subside in a few weeks. If any of you have been on this stuff stop as soon as possible before any damage is done to your brain. I just wanna feel again. I have gained weight and am afraid of the crying fits again. This drug is bad news.

vxcv

Thank you SO much for sharing your all of your experiences. Now I know that I am not crazy but just feeling what others have felt when trying to kick this drug. I have been on various SSRI's for 12 years. Lexapro, Paxil, Celexa, Wellbutrin, and others I can't remember. That's one of the side effects that concerns me the most - memory loss. Currently, I have been OFF of lexapro for 1 full week after being on 10-20mg for 1.5yrs. I spent a month weening myself from 10mg to 5mg to none. But once I was completely off, the migraines began followed by the fuzziness, dizziness, sudden drops in blood pressure (the zings), severe moodiness, a desire to cry at the drop of a hat and apathy towards others. The teeth clenching and grinding got so bad recently that I cracked one of my front teeth so severely that they had to take the tooth. This certainly didn't help my sense of well-being.

I have a question about all SSRI's. Though they help me when I am suicidal, the same one never seems to work again once I have gone off of it. Has anyone else experiened this phenomenon? It is no coincidence that "new" SSRI's keep entering the market. It is because they are no longer effective on those that have taken them previously. A doctor confirmed this observation but was unable to provide a reason as to why. Does anyone know?

I've been taking Lexapro for about 5 months, 10mg a day. All the horror stories here are hard for me to imagine because I have nothing but great things to say about Lexapro. I don't feel drugged at all and feel like myself, but my temperment is evened out now. It's been great. Really the only side effects I've had are vivid dreams at the beginning, they've tapered off almost completely and fatigue during the day at the beginning with a hard time falling asleep at night. My doc recently switched me to Celexa to try because the Lexapro is very expensive w/o a generic. Yesterday was my first day trying Celexa and I feel exactly the same as I did with Lexapro - good, fine!

Maybe all you folks who have the extreme side effects are taking too high a dose?

I've been taking lexapro for a month now. At first I didn't notice much of a change at all. Then once school started, it all went downhill...

The first few weeks, I was in my normal mood...but once in awhile i'd feel great. Very optimistic.

Then later on, I started neglecting schoolwork and had a couple of crying fits.

Then it got bad. I started skipping classes and lying in bed all day. I felt fatigued, restless, and extremely depressed. I could feel the depression physically - it was like someone was stepping on my chest. More crying fits. Very apathetic to school. nothing was worth the effort.

I also had diahrea, blurred vision, shortened temper, tremors, frequent urination, excessive sweating, and acne.

All in all, a horrible experience. I plan on stopping the drug. The most I had was only 10 mg. i guess it just didnt work for me.

I have been taking Lexapro for about 2 years now. My Dr. moved me up to 20 mg about 7 months ago..I feel really bad..I am glad I read the posts cuz I thought I am going insane..I have no desire to do anything..Ill sleep for days..Dont care about a thing..I have 4 boys and a wonderful husband.so I couldnt understand why I feel so horrible day after day..I surely dont feel myself..I just could care less about much anymore..I am getting off these things..I feel worse now then before..LEXAPRO SUCKS..Makes a person very negative and hopeless...Moiria

Well I was looking for info on Effexor when I started and wow what I have found!!! I left a comment on the effexor site then came here. I am on Lexapro and weaning off it on to Effexor. Tomarrow will be day eight first day of 75mg. I have read alot of bad thins on Effexor. I am worried now. What should I do. The side effects for stopping Lexapro are all the effects I got taking Lexapro. Lexapro makes me feel like I am doind Exstacy.(MDMA) Sex effects,tired,crying all the time,jaw clinching,natghmares,weight gain,blurred vision...ect

Still am not sure if I should take the Effexor or not.

During the summer I was given Paxil after a breakdown at a Doctor's appointment. I could not last an entire week because of the side effects [I tried really hard]. About two months ago I was told that I had social anxiety from my therapist and was prescribed Lexapro 10 mg. It was rocky to take at first [sleepiness, insomnia, loss of appetite], and had to divide the pill for a little over a week. I gained some confidence and posture shortly thereafter, I then switched to taking the entire pill. Two weeks ago I started having a random suicidal thought, now it is common. My [other] doctor has since taken me off it, and now I get more than five emotional meltdowns every day and horrible [absurdly REALISTIC] nightmares [even in naps or when blinking long enough] every night. I might lose consciousness just sitting up or whenever walking, because my balance is far dead-off. My head constantly has migraine-shock-like pains all over. Other than that, in the middle of my 'break-downs' I would 'forget' it all and stare fixed at one spot for a few minutes; at those minutes I feel very empty and confused. Unlike most posts that I have read concerning Lexapro, I have had an increased sex drive, which is uncommon to me. I myself have had a strange upset in my jaw and it is mostly gone. I have also experienced some mild shaking. I am not sure what keeps me going, nor do I know what else to mention.

For those experiencing negative side effects: If you have only been on Lex a short time, like a couple of weeks or less, then your side effects could be temporary. My first couple of weeks were difficult until my body adjusted and then I felt fine. It is really important to start with a tiny dose and then add more in tiny increments.
Similarly, when getting off Lex, a lot of the negative symptoms like shocks and anger, may be dissipated by reducing you dose very, very slowly. Like a little bit each week. Hope that helps.

I ended up in the emergency room this week after just 3 weeks on Lexapro. I'm not condemning the medicine, it just is not the right one for me.

I was prescribed Lexapro for depression, anxiety and panic disorder. The first night I took 5mg at 10:30 p.m. and woke up at 3 a.m. in a full blown panic, probably one of the worst I had had up to that point. I also had vomiting and diarrhea. I waited 3 days before taking anymore and decided to cut the dose to 2.5mg.

I had a moderate panic attack nearly every day for the past 3 weeks while taking the Lexapro, but I also had increased energy, less depression, an increased sex drive and felt pretty good. I also had very vivid dreams but I was sleeping well.

I had some blurred vision too. But I decided to stay on it hoping the side effects would pass with time.

This past Wednesday night, I was sitting eating dinner and started having thoughts out of no where of harming my entire family. I was very agitated and decided to go to bed at 8:30 p.m.

I woke up at 5 a.m. Thurday in the most horrible panic/agitated/manic/confused state imaginable. I couldn't calm down, I felt like I needed to run and scream and I wanted to tear my own skin off. I kept crying and having diarrhea and vomiting. I was sure I was having a mental breakdown. My husband had to take me to the emergency room where I then had what to me felt like a seizure. That is what my husband said it looked like to him too. The muscles in my legs and arms were rigid and shaking so badly that my calf muscles and neck muscle cramped up.

After I was examined I was given Ativan which after about 20 minutes finally stopped the shaking (seizure)and the panic finally went completely away by about an hour after taking the Ativan.

This whole episode lasted about 3 1/2 hours and I swear I thought I was in Hell!

If you are taking Lexapro, or any psychotropic drug and you have thoughts of harming yourself or others please tell someone in your family immediately or call 911! Do not be afraid because there IS help and they will not lock you up in the psych ward!

I should have told my husband Wednesday night what was happening to me but I was confused and scared, and sure that they would lock me up in some psych ward someplace. I should have gone to the ER right then and there.

If you are a family member of caregiver to someone taking a psychotropic drug, I beg of you to watch them and get them help immediately if anything just doesn't seem right in their behavior or mood.

Now that the Lexapro is out of my system I am horrified to think what could have happened, what I may have been capable of doing on Wednesday night.

I have battled depression, panic and anxiety most of my life and it has kept me from living a normal life. But my husband and I decided no more pills. I had a bad reaction to Prozac in the 1980's and when I complained to the doctor about side effects I was told those were not associated with Prozac, but now everyone knows that the side effects that I had were and are very common to Prozac.

I would rather be depressed, unemployed and a prisoner in my own home because of the anxiety and panic then to take any more pills and deal with the horrible side effects.

19 year old college student on lexapro 10mg for about 2 months now... I started taking lexapro for a general anxiety disorder, which it helped, but the side effects that bother me most are lack of motivation and trouble getting up in the morning. I didn't have a problem before taking lexapro getting up for my 8a.m. classes, but now i just don't care anymore. i have even been missing my other morning classes because all i want to do is sleep. it's also a pain trying to get to sleep at night. It hasn't helped at all with my social anxiety and has even made me more depressed (because of my lack of motivation).

I took Lexapro for two days after having a very uncharacteristic panic attack the previous weekend and although I felt good the first day, the second I started having the worst ongoing anxiety I have every experienced. I was drinking so much much water due to tremors and dry mouth that I was peeing clear every 20 minutes. By the second day the heart palpitations were unbearable and my mother took my blood pressure and found it was 175/110 (up from 125/70 only three days before) with a pulse rate of 120 bpm. I ended in the hospital thinking I was having a heart attack and they immediately took me off the medication. It was the most terrifying and uncomfortable few days of my life. I have no real history of anxiety and I think this medication had the opposite affect on me. Now I have been given Ativan to deal with occasional panic attacks, and I am feeling healthy again.

This stuff was horrible for me.

I have been on Lexapro 10mg for a month now and have not had any problems with it, apart from some initial jaw tightening and nausea that would last about a minute. These side effects were gone after the first 3 days. My mood has improved slightly but I would say that antidepressants can only do so much and it is a combination of other things in your life that assist to relieve the depression.

I had been on lunesta for 2 weeks. The day I stopped lunesta is the same time the doctor prescribed me 10mg of Lexapro for depression/anxiety. I never take any prescription meds until this point. Now going from one med to the next. He also told me to take tylenol for the physical pain symptoms that I was experiencing. (Somatic symptoms, nerve pain, constant muscle burning, no appetite, can't sleep, etc.) The first 3 days on Lexapro I could NOT sleep. I was literally up for 72 hours watching the sunrise and the rest of my family wake up. I was going crazy, constant crying, and feeling that I could not take it anymore. I was exhausted. It only got worse as I took Lexapro. The worst experience I simply took tylenol and it caused adverse reactions. All the sickening feelings I was feeling being on this was now 5X worse. It lasted 2 days after taking tylenol with lexapro. Do NOT mix the 2, I also tried tylenol pm on it, BAD mistake, I thought I was dying. Anyhow, I took lexapro for 8 days and then tried to wean off it on my own after this, so its been about 2 weeks. Now I am off of it 6 days later and am feeling terrible. Irratic heartbeat, muscle pain, bloated & sensitive appetite, head pains, and extremely tired and dizzy all day. I wish I would have never touched any of these meds, it has been the worst experience ever and also ruined the Holidays. Stay away from them! I am looking into natural ways, herbs, eeg, etc. Hang in there everyone.

i came here to find out if anyone had any vivid dreams and nightmares while on lexapro because i've been experiencing that since i've been on it, which is about 3.5 months.
when i 1st started with it, i was very hyper, yet dreamlike state. that passed, and everythings great except some weight gain, and nasty nightmares. im hoping they pass as well.

oh, i forgot to mention that im pretty tired a lot of times. it doesnt bother me too much because im able to take naps daily, so someone whos not able to take naps, might bother them more! also, i'm on 10 mgs because when i was on 20 mgs, i simply could not function because i was too tired. also, ive been forgetting things a lot especially calling people back and not caring as much as i used to. became a little bit selfish. but, i have had panic attacks since i was about 10 or so and im 24 now, and lexapro has taken care of that, and my bad anxiety i had. and that to me, outweighs the side effects. i guess thats what u gotta look at?

Started taking anti-depressants 9 years ago. When one would stop working, went to another one - always tapered down carefully under a doc's care: Zoloft (9 days), Paxil, Celexa, Welbutrin (7 days), except Effexor (cold turkey -TERRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS!!), then finally Lexapro. Then, I stopped taking that one cold turkey 8 months ago; I believe it was 20 mg a day. One year ago, I stopped taking Clonopin .5 mg twice a day - also cold turkey, after about 8 years of use. Both times I ran out of meds - and said, forget it. Suffered terrible side effects - especially from the Clonopin withdrawal. Have tried to rebuild my mind with Omega 3's and other supplements, exercise, etc., but I am left with this terrible, chronic anger and hopelessness. I feel like my brain is changed. Is this possible? I don't feel like the same person. I am always irritable. Can kicking these psychotropic meds cold turkey or being on them for so long cause this? Thanks for the site.

My doc put me on lexapro 10mg a couple of weeks ago, I took it as prescribed for a few days, and felt more anxious than ever and irritable...then I got sick with an unrelated virus....I think...and didnt take it for a couple of days, now I have started back taking it and anxiety is back, no apetite, and ANGER is raging...im calling my doc monday morning. i feel extremely overwhelmed.....

im depressed :((((

My significant other is taking Lexapro for anxiety and depression. It's going on 4 months now and she was taking Celexa before Lexapro. She has sinus problems, twitches in her sleep, and has had blood pressure going up. She has completely lost her sex drive, i.e. libido, She is such a sweet and sensitive woman I feel like she has lost her feminine identity and I am just beginning to learn about all the side effects of this clinical drug. I wish there were a better way because she gets too sleepy and doesn't care about anything and complains about many aches and pains. I miss my wonderful lady although she did turn into a monster when she used to drink and take Celexa. I am almost stuck in a dilemma here of choosing between a monster or a zombie with no sex drive. It is unfortunate that the treatment of depression with these Serotonin Inhibitor Family drugs has such dramatic negative side effects on your general quality of life.

I have taken 5 to 10 mg of lexapro for about 3 1/2 years. It takes away alot of my depression and obsessive thoughts however I HATE how flat I feel. No joy, nothing. And I am constantly fatigued. I kid you not, I have spent literally days lying in bed too tired to do anything. Plus, my TMJ is out of control if I up the lexapro to 10mg. My dr. says the fatigue is from the depression--WRONG. There is a huge completely different feeling from depression fatigue and drug fatigue. I tried to go back down to 5mg a few weeks ago and got so depressed that I started thinking how nice it would be to just never wake up. What is the answer?? To live like a totaly and complete zombie or live with depression. Like someone else said, I think I'd rather be sad.

i have been depressed for a while. a have a one year old son, and i dont know what to do. i want to be happy and enjoy my son. i want to be the mother he deserves, but depression effects me motionally, physically, and mentally. my docter just put me on 100mg of wellbutrin sr with 10mg lexapro. is anyone that was reaally depressed on these 2 medications at the same time and there was successful results? im tired of feeling this way. i ignore my phone because i dont want to socialize. i feel hopeless, i dont enjoy the things i use to. i just want to know there is hope for me because im sick of being sad for no reason. i want to take my son for a walk or take him to the park. i cant do these things because depression gets in my way. sorry for blabbing if anyone is in my shoes please write me and tell me your story.

rebecca

im on 100mg of wellbutrin sr with 10mg of lexapro for depression. is anyone else on these 2 medications? if so, please tell me your results. my depression is really bad but i am not suicidal. i look out the window and i am envy of my neighbors because they are socializing with eachother. i ignore my phone calls. its got mto the point where i am controled by my depression. i want to know that there is hope. anyone out there?
thank you

rebecca

Lexapro needs to be taken off the market. I have been on Lexapro (the pill from hell) for the past 5 years. Several times I have tried to stop taking it and have been unsuccesful due to the severe side effects. In addition; I believe, due to the years of exposure to this medication it has affected my emotional well being. I have become an emotional time bomb, have no sex drive, and want to disconnect with everyting and everyone. It is only by the grace of God that I still function somewhat on a daily basis.

Back in January, I described to my doctor episodes I'd had. The episodes would hit out of nowhere, my heart would start beating so fast I felt like it would hop out of my chest, and this overwhelming fear of being left alone took me over. I'd say hurtful things to my partner and, as I was saying them, realized they were hurtful but couldn't control myself to stop. It would actually fuel me to say more. I'd do physical things like stand in front of a door or throw light objects at my partner to "make my point". I would even cry & scream uncontrollably (like a 2-year-old) at the mention of something I didn't agree with. Moments after these episodes would take place, I wouldn't even remember how they got started, I just knew that I sincerely regretted every second of them. Sometimes, I'd regret them so much, I'd take sharp objects to myself to escape the embarassment.

My behaviour during these episodes is the complete opposite of how I would normally act to my partner or anyone else. I'm one of the funniest, sweetest, most kindhearted, giving people some say they've ever met, and I believe that side of me to be true. During these episodes, I feel like a completely different person.

In January of this year, my doctor diagnosed me with depression & prescribed to me 10 mg of Lexapro daily. I am worried, however, that maybe I was misdiagnosed and perhaps I might have bipolar disorder. I've never known anyone who was diagnosed with this disorder, therefore, I don't really know what to look for. I feel maybe I didn't accurately describe my extreme mood changes & uncharacteristic behaviour that couldn't be controlled. Maybe someone out there reading this could help?

As far as Lexapro goes, I agree with a lot of the posts I've read. Generally, since taking it, I've felt hazy & tired all the time. I'm very young and a big socialite and was able to stay out late on weekends and even entertain my friends. Since the dosage began, though, I find that by 11 PM, I'm tired and in a bad mood and ready to go to bed. This would normally be the time when my partner & I would have sex, but I'm not even motivated. I'm 23, but I feel like my libido & I just aged 45 years in three months! Also: I was a very strict vegetarian, and now, I want to eat EVERYTHING. It's like I signed off my moral beliefs! As a result, I'm gaining a lot of weight. And as far as acne goes, I've always been one to get a pimple or two, but since the Lexapro started, I've had horrible breakouts, even though I'm using Proactiv.

I feel like I'm compromising a lot of myself for the sake of my mood, as I really don't feel like Lexapro is doing any good except elevating me. My skin, my sex life, my weight, my motivation -- it's all gone! However, I'm not inflicting pain on myself or my partner. But there has to be a better way right? Anyone? S.O.S.!

I have taken the time to read several of the blogs and I haven't heard from anyone that Lexapro is a very serious medication and if not taken properly can kill you. I am a 22 year old mom of a 18 month old little girl, engaged to be married to a man with an ex-wife that is diagnosed bi-polar dissorder, and a 4 year old son that has autism. I am the bread winner so to say, in which I hold down a commission based job that requires me to travel a lot and be sitting for long periods of time in and out of vehicles. I come from a mom with clinically diagnosed suicidal depression, and my dad has sever anger management issues. And I was so graciously blessed with both of their nasty little problems.
Now that everyone is brought up to speed...I talked with my doctor and asked him if there was a medication out there that could help assist me with my depression/anxiety/anger tendencies. You know I'm one of those types as long as everything is going smooth we are fine but little things can set me off.
He prescribed me Lexapro. Same thing my mom and dad take. Please note...same doctor my mom and dad use.
I start off on 10mg the first month and 20mg ever since. Things have been pretty good. No weight gain. Actually considerable weight loss. But no desire to eat and then all of a sudden I can't get enough sweets. And tired all the time doensn't even begin to expain the exhaustion levels. But as long as I can get along and little things aren't bothering me; I'm okay.
Anyway... I said all of that to say. About a week ago, I stopped taking it. You know just kinda forgot. Actually truth be told... I ran out of my pain meds and muscle relaxers and so I forgot to take the Lexapro and Nexium. I started having the most horrible dreams, night terror, cold sweat, and then be almost on fire, I was so hot. Not to mention dizzy and sick, like I was going to throw up. I would hear things and then be really scared and almost lost: in my own home!!!! I am a runner so I knew that something was wrong 3 days ago when I went running and thought my heart was going to explode right out of my chest. Not to mention blurred vision. And I'll just sum up the rest like this:
No sex drive, in fact I didn't even want my fiance to touch me.
Frequent bathroom trips
Anxiety levels through the roof
Depression
I literally thought I was dying.
Then I got online and read about the effects of quitting Lexapro. I was actually looking for the effects of quitting Flexerill and Ultram, and found Lexapro. As soon as I started taking the Lexapro again, I have had the problems. Yeah, I'm still tired and have the cravings, but I figure hell... I gotta pick my poison.
For anyone out there that is on Lexapro, I don't think that cold turkey is the solution. Consult your doctor or another doctor before taking those steps. And if your doctor doesn't feel that is the best thing for you then consult another doctor. They are humans too. They make mistakes, just like everyone else. It's your responsibility to make sure that you get the help that you really need and deserve.
As for me...I'm sticking with it. It's working for now and that's good enough for me.

I'm 20 and I started taking 5 mg/day of Lexapro 4 days ago for depression and anxiety. Tomorrow I am going to up my dosage from 5mg to 10mg as recommended by my doctor, but I'm a little scared. Ever since I started Lexapro I have barely been able to sleep, and the sleep that I do get is disturbed and uncomfortable. I am dead tired from not sleeping for three days and my muscles are sore and cramping. I experience mild jaw clenching and nausea. I started taking this drug so I would be able to stop the crying and anxiety fits, stop lashing out at people and destroying my relationships, get out of bed, do my schoolwork, go to class and get on with my life, but I am not experiencing any relief from my depression and my fatigue and fogginess of mind is getting unbearable. The most disturbing symptom I am experiencing is a complete loss of appetite, which is contrary to most things I hear about Lexapro. I have barely eaten anything in th past four days and still do not feel hungry. Does this go away? I am very small already, about 5'6 and 110 pounds. I cannot afford to lose anymore weight, or I could become very unhealthy. I would like to wait a little longer to see if this drug works for me. Is there anything I can do to get my appetite back?

I have been on Lexapro 20 mg for about 5 months now. The benefits far outweigh the negatives. It took a month or two to work, but I (and others) noticed that I am overall in a much better mood most of the time. I am not irritated and sad all the time like I used to be. The first couple weeks on the drug I had a lot of fatigue especially in the mornings for about two hours immediately after taking the pill, but the fatigue has gone away since. The only negatives I notice now are that I sweat a lot at night and I have very vivid dreams, but the dreams aren't usually nightmares so it doesn't bother me that much. I have also noticed some occasional jaw clenching, but nothing horrible.

I have been taking lexapro now for about 6 weeks. A large reason I was taking it was for my anxiety and depression- much of which surrounded my insecurities with my weight and past food issues. I almost died when I went to the doctor the other day to find out that I have gained almost 15 lbs. since beginning to take it. I want to stop taking it NOW. I am an active, healthy person, I run, i bike. Can I stop cold turkey?? My anxiety fits and general mood have been stabilized but I have still had some "episodes" and now I'm just depressed about my weight. This is the first and last time I take any sort of medication. Running seems to work much better- for the anxiety and the weight.

I've been on Lexapro for 14 days. After 7 days I got a migraine headache and have had a migraine every day since day 7. Also, I am very tired most of the day. At night I have vivid dreams and sometimes feel like I have a fever.

Is it better to take Lexapro before going to bed to ease the fatigue during the day? Right now I take it before breakfast. Are migraine headaches one of the side effects?

I'm 18 years old. I started having panic attacks almost a year ago, and my doctor put me on 20 mg of lexapro and 1 mg of klonopin every morning and another mg of klon every night. Both meds have helped out a lot and i don't have the extreme anxiety that i used to have, but i lost about 40 pounds since i started taking the lexapro, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. But i also have night sweats now, and a hard time waking up, and basically zoned-outed-ness

I have been taking Lexapro 10mg for about 2 months for my post portum depression. And i am experincing almost all of the side effects as everyone else. Exept i had a low libdo before i was taking it so that doesnt really bother me and and it hasnt made me not care really about anything because i really didnt care all that much before i was taking it. Im just worried that i am worse off now that i started taking an antidepressant. And im going to see about weening of it. My main concern is that i wasnt depressed at all my whole life. Until i got the baby blues. Will i be drepressed when i come off of them. Will i be messed up in the head from here on out? Someone drop me there opinon. Thank you.

This blog is great, I wish I had found it before I went on Lexapro. I've been off any anti-depressants for about 3 months now, and after reducing my dose for a while to half a 20mg tablet, I went cold turkey.

Basically, I was prescribed it after I had experienced a painful relationship break-up, and went almost a year in a melancholy state, shutting myself inside, having severe anger problems & outbursts, and was often emotional (tears, etc).......I also had occasions where I contemplated suicide. Eventually, I went to doctor and got prescribed.

The main thing I noticed during my time on it was the dry mouth (depending on how heavy the dose was), and some of the "zapping" that people refer to on this blog. I began sleeping better, but was often tired, and everything seemed visually very surreal at times.

But, the worst thing was the death of my libido - I would recommend not going onto this drug just because of that !

When I did start seeing another girl six months after going onto Lexapro, I was alarmed at how much my sexual performance had diminished. I had enjoyed a very healthy performance with my former partner, but with my new girlfriend, my duration was, by my own assessment, extremely poor.

To be more specific (and explicit), I found it difficult to maintain an erection (with a 20 year old girl who was a size 6, that shouldn't happen !), and what I could spend 1-2 hours doing before was condensed into about 20 minutes....also, I would ejaculate 2-3 times in that period, whereas before it would normally be no more than once in that time.

I am single again now, but I decided to stop taking them due to the above experiences......3 months on, I am still getting the "zapping" quite regularly, sometimes rather strongly, and also suffer from headaches....my mother wants me to go back onto the medication because she states my mood is prone to swinging, but I refuse to....

Since then, I have not experienced any sexual encounters, but I hope that next time I do, my performance will have corrected itself.....

I never got any problem related to weight gain or loss, so I can't comment on that....

Anyone who tries to quit should probably have a lot of resolve & self-discipline - it's tough....I get days where I am affected heavily, where the "zapping" can be quite strong, and I am prone to headaches....

Still, I think it is more depressing losing your Libido. I get mood swings, headaches, etc, so I guess initially it might have been of some use, but if you can avoid using these medications, I recommend it......

I would recommend making some major life changes, and only taking medication if you REALLY have to. Sure, i'm still very a very sad & lonely person, but my life will slowly improve, and that will do more for me than any pill is going to do....

Been on and off ssri's for eight years...all I can say lexapro and ritalin/adderall is a vicous mix and would recommend to anybody not to mix that combination!

I've taken Lexapro in the past and am taking it once again for depression and anxiety. I first took Celexa and it seemed to work well with the Neurontin but when I tried the Lexapro, I emotionally felt a lot better. However, physically I felt horrible, as I do again. Basically I have nausea, increased appetite(which is ok since I was on the thin side), basic flu-like symptoms and major joint pain mainly in my knees. It seems like they added to bad side effects to it when they made it into Lexapro.

I always have great skin that constantly receive complement from friend and relatives.But my nightmare started when I having rash on my forehead a month ago. I eagerly visited a dermotologist who prescribed High Potency CORTICORSTERIOD for my rash. My rash subsided within a week and i discontinue the steriod cream. Afterwhich,I breakout so badly (average 30 acnes per day)in the subsequent 3 weeks. It was then I found out that one of the side effect of the steriod cream is acne and it is not recommended by the manfacutuer to apply it on the face.

For God sake, that idiot dermotologist prescribed the cream to me.And now, my face was so horrifying that I can't bare to look at myself into the mirror.My life has totally ruin by placing my trust on dermotologist.

It affects my self-esteem that I never step out the house for the past 2 weeks. I cut down all my social activities and feeling very depressed.
The antibiotics I am on doesn't seem to help cos the toxin is forcing out from my body.

God, please help me.I am lost.

I was on Lexapro, taking 10 mg per day, not noticing any difference in my mood, so I upped it myself to 20 mg per day, still no difference, plus have no libido at all. I stopped taking it without knowing the side effects of doing so, I have been off it now for 2 weeks and am extremely fatigued every day, very very light headed and still no libido. I wonder if I will ever return to normalcy? What exactly does this drug do to us?

My best friend has been on Lexapro for a year and it really helped her anxiety and depression. Things that used to really bother her are now things she can deal with much better. Her experience encouraged me to try an anti depressant. I am on Zoloft and am very thankful that I decided to try it. I had dry mouth and nauseousness the first week on 25 mgs...i then slowly went up to 50mgs and am doing much, much better. I feel more like a normal person and actually have good moods as opposed to feeling depressed all the time and not wanting to live life.

.....side note - I have also noticed that I've been having VERY vivid dreams every single night (not really scary though) and I do clench (or "grind" as my mom says) my teeth during the night. I've also noticed that I can sleep for hours on end, going to bed at 9pm and not waking up until 1pm the next day. I have not had any decrease in libido though.

As someone who has had to take SSRI's for almost 10 years due to brain damage, I have to point out that self-medicating on any of these medications is extremely dangerous. NEVER stop cold-turkey. If you're lucky, you'll just wind up in the ER with withdrawal symptoms. People die abusing this stuff!

Having said that, I am new to Lexapro. I've been taking Effexor for years and have just been switched (gradually). I am suffering all the side effects. And after everything all of you have said - I also see no reason to keep taking this stuff. Is there life after Lexapro?

I've been on this drug for a few months now...I am on 30mg a day...and the only things I've noticed is weight gain...no motivation to do anything...its like the life in me has been been put to sleep. Speaking of sleep, its about all I do. I'd say the worst affect is that I can go from friendly to insane in minutes with anger. I've caught myself feeling moods of hurting or yelling at others just because I have literally no patience anymore. Some friends have been lost because of it and my marriage is on the rocks cause he thinks I'm mean all of the time.

I just started Lexapro 5mg and have experienced minimal side effects. I can already feel some improvement. What bothers me is the horrible post's on this bog. There has to be a mechanism that filters coments because every single one is bad. Count how many positive ones you read. I have had wonderful success with Lex so far and think it should be known. Has anyone else noticed this?

I felt fine on Lexapro, ecept I had no libido at all, I have been weaning off of it now for 10 months,cause of the vertigo it cause's and yeah I feel hopeless most the time and cranky. I hope after I'm all the way off these symptoms will be gone. But I have been on antidepressants for 10 years now and am affraid there is no getting better. I have depersonalizion disorder (I don't feel real 24/7 without the meds, lorazapam too) I feel 80% better on the meds, but have no libido and have gained 35 lbs. So this last year I wanted to try again to get off of the meds, so I have been going real slow as to what I read and then will try to get off the lorazapam after I'm ok with being off the lexapro. Does anyone know can you get your libido back? I don't remerber what it's like to want sex and my husband doesn't get it.

I have been taking Lexapro 10mg for about 5 months now for depression. I have had amazing results with this drug. Only had very mild side effects the first week. After reading so many horror stories about lexapro. I thought I would post a positive one. Lexapro saved my relationship with my boyfriend. Before it I was very withdrawn and now I am so attentive and very open. I have so much energy now. I can keep up with my 3 year old son with out a problem. I am so pleased with the results I have had with lexapro.

I have been on Lexapro for about three months. I tried Celexa first and that made me like a zombie. I was on 10 mg of Lexapro and then 20. It helped some but things were still not right. I was so tired and just didn't feel like myself and I thought it was because of the meds. I have lost 25 pounds and didn't care about much. My doctor increased my lexapro to 30 mg. The first week was bad and I threw up but I have started taking it with food and it has helped a lot. Now (4 weeks later) I feel fantastic. I have not felt this good for such a long time and I am not exhausted all the time anymore!

i have been taking lexapro for about 3 months now. it has solved the depression symptoms, i have a had minimal side effects. i do feel sleepy when ever i am not active. recently i have been having nightmares. for about 11 days in a row. not bloody nightmares or violence, but strong emotional nightmares. i wake up with dread, and this morning the suicide thought slipped in while making breakfast for no apparent reason. i am starting to dread sleeping at all. which is tough because i am sleepy all day long. (save for when i am at work.) there have been no problems with concentration when involved in a task. (i don't drive). but sometimes i am a bit scattered when not involved in a task.

I have tried many different anti depressants and they all seemed to take me out of the depression but make me either numb, angry, careless etc. Lexapro is the only drug that works for me. It keeps me from depression however i still cry if i have to. I have tried getting off anti depressants numerous times but always seem to fall in the hole. This time i am just going to except that i need them. I noticed with Lexapro I have trouble waking up in the morning. I am tired alot any suggestions i already take it at night

My fiance went cold turkey after taking lexapro for about a year. 2 days later he went nuts and now he's facing 4 felony charges. If you are considering stopping taking the meds, please talk to your doctor first, and if you don't like what your doctor is prescribing you, change doctors and let your new doctor know what you want to do, after all it's your choice, he just makes the suggestion and writes the prescriptions. You should always gradually step down from taking the medicine.

My girlfriend is on Lexapro for anxiety. She changed soon as she got on it, then the doc upped her dosages and our whole relationship fell apart. I guess shes my ex girlfriend now.. Thats how bad it got! She had every bad side you could get. We went from haveing a very strong relationship, talking about getting engaged to having a baby to nothing all that in the week she upped her dosages!!! She talkes about how she feels empty and numb. She cares about nothing not even herself! She has crazy dreams and talks in her sleep, headaches for days on end, weight loss, emotionally she is not there and doesnt care about the people that are closest to her. It all started with the loss of her sex drive, we would have sex everyday sometimes twice a day consistantly!!! Then one day it all stopped days after she took more pills. Then the rest of the relationship fell apart , she doesnt love anything anymore! She is a complete stranger to me now! She doent want help and thinks she is fine but her friends and family feel the same way I do. She doesnt understand or have any concept she is doing this and hurting everyone she cares about! I was left standing there in confusion like I got hit by a train and didnt see it comming! We had a wonderful relationship and a great future till that fucking doctor gave her Lexapro!!!!!

My girlfriend is on Lexapro and here is what I have heard from her and have noticed on my won. She has become an emotional zombie, night sweats to where she needs to get up and change her clothes, indifferent about everything, tired all the time, gaining weight, no zest for life, libido out the door. It has been the most trying time for me as a significant other that I'm feeling detached from her the more time passes. Her whole entire being has taken a turn for the worse and she's not even able to notice the effects due to being emotionally detached from life. This is no way to approach life.

I'm on my first day of lexapro and a few hours after taking the first dosage I started having shortness of breath. Now I'm vomiting and have diarrhea. I'm also having hot flashes and feel deppressed and cannot go to sleep. When I lay down I start sweating.I feel horrible! I hope this goes away.I'm wondering if I even need to take this tommorow.

ive been takeing lexapro for about a month and it changed me....i just dont care bout nothin im looseing friends cuz it...been geting lots of heat flashes and cant sleep at night with my socks on...but it seems like i like music more...dizzy out of no where... but oh well....life gos

My sister had always been a bright, beautiful woman with a wonderful sense of humor. If she was depressed she hid her feelings very well. It was too late when we discovered she was on Lexapro and Wellbutrin. She committed suicide by hanging herself which was something she would have never done normally. She loved her two sons and would have never put them through this horrible trauma. This is a very DANGEROUS drug and I think these drug companies who are destroying lives need to be held accountable. If my sister's story will save so much as ONE life I would feel as if she didn't die in vain.

I've been on 10m for about 4 months. It has helped alot. Very hard to get up in the morning though.

Only recently I've noticed a little more anger, but I understand that it's unfounded and don't let it get to me.

Anxiety is gone, and I'm happy.

Ever since my doctor took me off my lexapro I become more angry and depressed

I've been on Lexapro for over a year - The first year it helped me immensely! I had anxiety and difficulty sleeping. It helped me with both of these. I'm taking 10mg. Now, I find that I'm VERY unmotivated with everything in my life. I've always enjoyed a good run, working out, hanging out with friends, etc. Now it seems like all I want to do is sit on my couch by myself. I have tried to go off of it, but I end up not being able to sleep at night again. I've been asking myself recently what is wrong with me because all I want to do is sleep and I just don't care about much else, even things that I've enjoyed consistently throughout my life. After reading everyone else's experience and wondering what is wrong with me for the last few months, I think I'm going to wean off of it and deal with not being able to sleep at night some other way.

I have just taken Lexapro, 5 mg for 5 days. After reading this blog I am done. These past 2 days I am getting more and more tired. It has reduced my anxiety, but I think it is because I feel like a zombie. My depression is better, but again, I can barely get anything done. I feel like I have eaten junk food all week and I feel bloated. I wish I hadn't wasted the money. My depression is easier to handle than this fatigue.

My doctor gave me samples of the 10mg Lexapro to try after having a bad experience with Wellbutrin. I was extremely dizzy, and had very intense headaches. I felt very antisocial, had very negative thoughts, and felt overwhelmed by things that previously were no big deal. I was very tired and lethargic, and also had the dry mouth along with feeling very hot. My skin felt burning hot on my face and arms, like I was getting a fever or the flu was coming on. I would go back and forth between feeling hot like this and sweating, and being cold and needing a lot of blankets.
This went on for only 3 days before I decided it wasn't getting any better and was not the rx for me.

First I would like to say that I was diagnosed with Chronic depression 6 months ago. I, too, tried to quit Lexapro cold turkey. The first time I tried to quite which was a month ago. I had terrible withdrawals from severe depression & hopelessness feelings & suicidal thoughts. At that time I quite for three days to only having to go back on them. I was frustrated because even though I was taking them I was still depressed (it was only being suppressed than relived) for me I felt like I was doing more damage to my organs than controlling my depression. I went on the web to do some research on a natural product called "VILIFT" it is 100% guaranteed or your money back. So I felt I had nothing to lose. So I made the decision to try to quite Lexapro cold turkey (again) when I received my product. I am on my 6th day of taking this product with fantastic results. I have not had any withdrawals due to quitting Lexapro & I feel more like my old self, happy & joyful & lovong life & myself again. I feel a lot better knowing that the ingredients are vitamins & a couple of herbs. I now don't have to worry about what the long term effects will be since it is not a prescription drug. Which all antidepressants have side effects.

I was on Lexapro for about a year. Started taking in for panic attacks. I'd say for the first 5 or 6 mths I felt great. Then I started to always feel tired. Didn't want to get out of bed and when I would come home from work I would crash on my couch. Wouln't even cook dinner for my family. Then the weight gain started (40lbs). I didn't have suicidal thoughts, but I would have days where I wished I would never wake up. I eventually started having panic attacks again. Anyways I got off the Lexapro and now I feel fine.

lexapro worked for me. it was life-changing. my anxiety level went from ten to two. i should have taken off work the first few days i was on it bc it made me rather spaced out. but, the feeling of peacefulness was so profound i never felt anything as good having those negative voices quieted down. it takes some getting used to. at first, if i took a nap it would last for hours. i had to force myself to get active bc it made me a bit tired. but, it was nice just sitting around without feeling so bad, just sitting and feeling ok. at two years, i weaned myself off without trouble, a little at a time. and i always saw my therapist twice a month -- gotta do that.

I was on Lexapro for 6 years. After I had my baby 7 months ago, the drug took a totally different tole on my body. I started having trouble sleeping, vivid nightmare/dreams, panic attacks, electric shock like feelings in my face, clenching my jaw, ect. I never had any of the symptoms before I had a baby. I am now trying to wean my self off the drug. I have been on 10mg for 2 weeks now and am experiencing horrible withdrawls. I have major anxiety, insomnia, headaches, dizziness and fatigue. I am determined to stick with it though and eventually taper totally off the drug. Did any one else have this experience with thier antidepressants postpartum?

I am exhausted on lexapro and feel emotionless and angry. I am going to get myslef off it. it's horrible

this has to be the only problem ive had with this drug... in 2007 i was dianosed with U.C.. i had depression when i was in 8th and 9th grade i fought threw it on my own and when i managed to get out of it. it lefted me with severe anixty. and so my docter gave me this drug i have no problems till last night i had ran out of it and didnt get it till a wk later. i got home this night and all of a sudden this hits me i have this werid feeling in my head like liqiud was rushing through my head and pounding the sides of my head and my heart was racing it subsided after bout a hr after i took it. it was freaky and i didnt like the feeling at all.... has anyone else had this feeling???

I have taken only 2 doses of Lexapro and this stuff sucks! My face feels like someone put jalapeno lotion on my face, or like a bad sunburn. It makes me tired also. Only 2 days on this crap and there is no upside to it. I have taken 2 other SSRI's and neither had these side effects. Buh-bye Lexapro!!!!!!

I was first given Lexapro yesterday. I took one pill (10 mg) in the afternoon soon after I got the actual pills. For about an hour I was feeling super-high. Even slightly disturbingly high. I wanted to yell "yoo-hoo!" for no reason. Then came the numbness. Couldn't see the screen I was reading. Couldn't type - hands were shaky. It got a little better after a few hours. This morning I took another pill. No highness. However, in about an hour I felt like I was out of my own body. I couldn't concentrate on work and my feelings were all gone. Like, I was in water or something. Can't even describe what exactly I felt. Eventually I had a rage attack with some bad panic following it. Geez. It's the first two pills!

GETTING OFF THIS TERRIBLE DRUG TODAY!

BTW, I just called my therapist. He told me to stop taking the pills. I am going to find better ways to treat my depression and anxiety.

I am happy that the pill helps some people. But I wish it was less harmful to the rest 90%...

I started on celexa and moved to lexapro in order to decrease the GI side effects.. there was less of an upset stomach but the medicine seemed hault all bowel movements such that I would not defecate more than once a week.. I had substantial weight gain, heart palpitations when lying on my back or sitting up studying.. I experienced the palpitations and chest pain even more when I was in the midst of a vivid nightmare.. I became very fatigued such that I would sleep 12 hours and still be exhausted and take naps throughout the day in between studying because the nightmares were not apart of REM sleep since I was conscious of my dreaming and would wake up shortly after.. thus the medicine decreased my quality of sleep.. I ended up switching to Welbutrin and I am currently tapering off the medication gradually.

how can i get off lorazepam safely

My mother who is 90 years old has been taking lexapro for a few years. She started on 5 mg after my Dad died and it really helped her depression. She got out of the house and started to enjoy life.A couple of years ago she went to 10 mg as she was feeling depressed. This seemed to help and again she became active. About four months ago my mother became physically aggressive and would get into a rage over the smallest matter. This started to escalate about two months ago to two or three incidents a week. Her rage is expressed with kicking, punching and spitting.
I spoke to both of my Mom's doctors about this behavior as it happened. About two weeks ago, I asked one of my mothers doctors to admit her to the hospital to see if he could find out why she was raging like this. I also asked him if the lexapro could be causing these outbursts. He started to ween my mother off of the lexapro. She was in the hospital for three days and got a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. At this point my Mom is still being weened off of the lexapro. Her mood is very calm and she is more like her old self. She does have Alzheimer's and a seizure disorder based on some of her other symptoms.

I think that the lexapro has caused the aggression rather than the Alzheimer's or the seizure disorder.

I did not know that clenching of the teeth was a side effect of lexapro. When I recently took my Mom to the dentist he said that she had been clenching her teeth in her sleep.

I am very thankful for the ability to go on the internet and get more information on prescriptions and for blogs like this where people share their experiences.

I hope my Mom's experience will help someone else.

Thanks.

I have taken Lexapro 20 mg for several years for depression and heavy stress / pressure at work. About a year ago, I begin to really pay attention to what was going on with my body, and concluded that Lexapro was affecting me too adversely to continue. I was tired constantly, my feet hurt most of the time, I woke up often in the mornings with a dull pain in my chest, I was angry most of the time, I had no patience, and my sex life was in ruins. I started the process of eliminating Lexapro by going to 10 mg a day for a few months, then down to 5 mg a day for a few months. Now, I'm down to 5 mg every few days. The chest pain is gone, the foot pain is gone, the sex life is back, I'm not gritting my teeth in anger all the time, and I'm past the feeling of hopelessness that comes from withdrawing from it. I cannot say Lexapro didn't do good things for me; but, I can say the side effects are very taxing for some people, and unless you take the time to notice them, you will just "write the problems off" to being older, or something else. The side effects can often be worse than the advertised reward.

Been on lexapro 10 mg for about a week and a half. I AM OUT OF MY FKING MIND! its like hell. no pun intended. i had dreams about orange popsicles, zombies, and Miley Cyrus. scary..

taken 5mg for a week now, feeling spaced out difficult to wake up in the morning after taking it at night and no energy. i dont think theres any change to my emotional state? maybe slightly less affected by things? but im tempted to give it up before all the horrible things ive just been reading kick in. im afraid i guess. stuck between wanting to give it a go and the chance that it could make me so much worse than i am now. dont' know what to do :(

I am having lower intetinal pain since I took lexapro

I'm on Lexapro and every time I take it even if I'm not depressed I get depressed. At first it worked good but then it stopped helping and made it worse.

I was prescribed Lexapro for anxiety/depression/panic attacks. For a long time I had been irritable, intolerant, and would have bouts of rage. I also had a voice in my head that constantly told me I was a bad person, stupid, worthless, etc. I also struggled at times with OCD behaviors (checking) and my hair was falling out like crazy. My new counselor says that I most likely have PTSD, too because bad things happened to me and I never allowed myself to greive. So anyhoo, after becoming suicidal, the doc put me on Lexapro. I have been on it for nearly three weeks and am so relieved that the voice in my head that has been deriding me for 10 years has finally shut up! I am able to make logical decisions instead of emotional/drama ones. My obsessive thoughts have stopped and I no longer fly off the handle. I can't tell you the relief this has given me. As for side effects, my appetite has increased so I am very careful not to increase my food intake because I can see how it might be possible to gain weight on this med if you weren't really paying attention. I had headaches for the first week, and I do feel a little like a passive observer rather than an agro participant which is fine by me. I felt dizzy, weak, and noodley for the first few days but am fine now. I finally can sleep through the night too! (before the drug I had trouble sleeping). The only bothersome side effect is the meth-mouth, and the doctor says it should go away. I hope so! I am not clenching my jaw or grinding my teeth, but my lips feel weird and smiling feels strange and I can't stop pursing or biting on my lips. I call it camel-mouth. Very attractive! But overall, this medicine is doing great things for me. I feel happy, feel calm and grounded, able to make rational decisions, and my relationships with people are improving because I am not acting like a jerk like I was before taking Lexapro. The camel-mouth is a problem, but overall this medicine has been a Godsend. And my hair is even coming back!

I started lexapro about a month ago and have just been bumped up from 10mgs to 20mgs. While I was on the 10mgs my wife noticed a slight positive change which led me to believe I might be on the right path. Since having been on the 20mg dosage, I have noticed a severe increase in anxiety, sudden bursts of rage, hard thumping increased heart rate, constant sweaty palms, irregular bowl movements and an increase in the severity of my panic attacks as well as a decrease in appetite.

i had a friend that took lexapro for almost three t four months. And when my friend stop takeing them he had vocies.in his head that would tell him thing to do to his self. he stopped takeing it an about one to two months he killed his self. So if you take this druge please don't stop all at once.

wow!i'm not alone!when i first took lexapro it did me great for 2 months and then after that i went higher doses and i gained nearly 10 kilos in 2 months even though i exercise ect and i felt narky and short fused more so than before i was on lexapro. i received bad nightmares, sleep that was all over the place and in general felt worse off than before i was on them.
It has been nearly 3 weeks since i sopped cold turkey and it has been an evil battle. diarrhoea, nausea, crying fits, feeling of a really bad flu but it comes and goes. Also turned my phones off because i did not want to communicate with anyone. I am just starting to feel more normal now and i feel so much more positive than i did when i was on the drug. goodbye to money sucking antidepressants and hello to a stronger, healthier me!

Seriously, I really believe that marijuana helps with depression without adding horrible side effects like pharmaceuticals, so I honestly recommend going and getting a medical license for it and stop letting bad Dr.'s harm your body's for the pharmaceutical companies to profit. Just give it a try, I bet you'll be suprised how well it really helps without hurting you. Its been better than anything the Dr has ever prescribed me for depression.

ive been taking lexapro since late october of 2010. it kills my sex drive! when i take it, i feel good for about 12 hours, then about 14 or 15 hours later, i feel CRAZY. like talk to myself, cut myself, cry for no reason crazy (dont take that the wrong way- not judging). i was thinking about talking to my doctor about takeing 5mg every 12 hours, but im afraid itll jsut stop working. i havent gained any weight, but my dreams are super weird. i had a dream about a sugar cookie once. just a sugar cookie. i dont even like sugar cookies. it makes no sence. it used to make me feel tired too, but now it doesnt.

After years of therapy trying to deal with relationship issues and weeks lying curled up at the bottom of the barrel after a job loss and another pending relationship end, I diagnosed myself with OCD, called a psychiatrist and asked (begged really) for meds. She prescribed 10 mg of Lexipro. I walked across the street to the pharmacy (ran actually) and took my first pill. 30 mins later I felt a strange pressure in my forehead, followed shortly by a feeling of calm. Within a week or two, I was feeling a marked improvement in my ability to control my own thoughts, but experienced a noticeable decrease in desire. At 3 weeks my doctor increased my dosage to 20 mg.

Practically all symptoms of the OCD have disappeared, my relationship issues are all but resolved and I have discontinued therapy. There is no longer a need. My libido has returned... maybe not as strongly as before, but certainly strong enough and I thank God everyday for Lexipro. I do also take Clonezapan to help me sleep through the night, which works fabulously. Other than the slight decrease of libido I have not experienced any of the side effects others mentioned. I feel very lucky.

My teenage daughter has also started taking Lexipro with no side effects and the brutal mood swings that come with puberty have pretty much stopped. She seems much more level headed, calmer and certainly happier.

My boyfriend who struggles with depression has just started on 10 mg of Lexipro and in 3 days is already starting to feel a little improvement.

I am so surprised to hear all the negative side effects others are experiencing. Apparently this drug has very different reactions from one person to the next. AI am not a doctor, but speaking purely from my own experiences I would recommend this drug to anyone suffering from depression, OCD or anxiety disorder. If however, the side effects outway the benefits, there are many other similar drugs that may work without the negative side effects.

My 19yr. old son was prescribed lexapro for depression. He has cerebral palsy and it has tightened his entire body so much that he is having difficulty eating. His upset is so high from this drug.

been on lexapro 10mg for 4 weeks. Decided to start dropping down due to breathing difficulties.as i am asthmatic this drug definetly made my asthma much worse. I also had urinary hesitance with this drug, racing heart no slee, trembling and just felt totally wrong. Was prescribed for anxiety and i cant say its done alot. Dr told me to take half of the 10mg for one week then 5mg every second day for a week then 5mg every 3rd day for a week then stop. Well what bad advice that was. I have been bed ridden for 3 weeks straight and im still on the crap. Im on 2.5mg and have been for 3 and a bit weeks and no improvement. My breathing is completly stuffed up. I wake up gasping for air cause i stop breathing while im asleep and i cant breath properly during the day my skin is crawling and burning i have numbness and tingling in face lips hands and feet. I feel like when i breathe on my out ward breath that im not emptying my lungs and it feels like im just gonna stop breathing all together. I have been on lexapro for 8 weeks now and ive apent half the time ive been on it trying to get off it. I have 2 little children and i have not been able to look after them because of these with drawals. Had to move into my parents house away from my husband because of how sick i have been. Oh i forgot to mention the nausea vomiting extrene tiredness and weakness. What an utter fuck up letting this drug onto the market. Thanx FDA and thanx forest pharmacuticals. Its ok your only playing with peoples lives and well beings. I have only read bad forums on this stuff and everyone is saying the same thing. DO NOT TAKE LEXAPRO. Unless u want to spend weeks on end with utter hell trying to come off it. I should alao mention the muscle twitching and cramping. Stop marketting this drug.

I suffer from genralized anxiety disorder and deepression for the past 15 years. I started by trying amitriptylline, paxil, zoloft, effexor, ritalin and nitrazepam. After several intolreable side effects, mainly because I have to work and they affect my job profoundly, I have found my miracle in using Lexapro 5mg every other night, Xanax in the morning to keep me going through the day ans Ativan on the nights that I dont use Lexapro (for a deep sleep). I hope to get off these drugs in 12 months, but right now i function effectively with this combination. I make sure I eat alot, take alot of multivitamins and drink lots of water. I am thankful I find a combination that I can live with. Side effects I experience now are thirst, sweating, decreased appetite and decreased libido. For me its worth it because I am more sociable, focused and productive. Hope someone would find this information useful.

I started taking Lexapro for GAD and OCD. I've been on it for a little over a month now and it's really helped me. I've previously taken zoloft and Wellbutrin. I would not recommend Wellbutrin for any anxiety issues. I was on it for about 8 months and it eventually ended up worsening my anxiety and triggered panic attacks. Zoloft is comparable to lexapro but it's a little rough taking it in the beginning. i felt like it worsened my anxiety at first but after a few weeks that went away and it worked like a charm. My advice to anyone starting a new anti-depressant would be to hang in there for at least a couple weeks. Give your body time to adjust to the new drug. It may make you feel strange in the beginning but you may be giving up on something that could really end up helping you.
Anyway, about the Lex...I've noticed no weight gain so far....which i was very nervous about. In fact, i may have lost a pound or two the first couple weeks. It kind of killed my appetite. It hasn't really affected my libido negatively at all. I almost feel like it's increased just because i feel better now. The wellbutrin in supposed to increase your sex drive but never did that for me. Lex has done wonders for my anxiety just in a month. I just feel better about life in general now. It's also helped me with my mild social anxiety.
So...overall, BIG fan of Lexapro.

THIS ANTI -DEPRESSANT WORKED GREAT BUT UNFORTUNATLY I HAD THE DIARRHEA SIDE EFFECT AND STOPPED IT . BUT I MIGHT GO BACK ON IT BECAUSE IT WORKED SO WELL. I HAD MORE ENERGY, I WAS SMILINING, TALKING TO PEOPLE, IT HELPED ME DEAL WITH ANXIETY AND FORGET ABOUT MY HEALTH PROBLEMS. THE ONLY THING THAT SCARED ME AND RUINED THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE OF THE MEDICATION WAS THE DIARRHEA.

Been on 10 mg for a week and the side effects feel like those of LSD to me. Pressure in your head, mild nervousness, and a lot of energy. Other than that it has improved my mood so far.

I started taking lexapro cause of a rough time in my life and it worked cause it numbed me of my depression/anxiety about the situation. Really I think lexapro is a numbing agent that can get you through rough times and that's it. I now feel like a zombie constantly and am getting off it. Yes it helps with depression / anxiety if you have it but it also seems to take away all libido / sex drive or causie other male problems during sex and reduce or take away any happy or exciting feelings you would normally get. This is just my option and reaction. Also your not suppose to drink on it. I did and found that it just makes the effects of alcohol not happen. Again the zombie mode making me more depressed that I can't go out and enjoy my weekends. I have read the good and bads of this drugs and come to a conclusion based on my research. Basiclly it numb emotions...... If you are going though a time in your life that you need to get through and happiness and sex ect are not a worry in your life and getting through your problems by feeling numb of emotions is what you want it wiz work...it worked for me Im past my problems. But long term or anxiety and a fix for your anxiety and depression but still the happy moments and sex drive lexapro is not. I have seen many postes about lexapro and all and all in the end this description describes this drug perfectly. Positive responses got them trough there problems and negative were all and all a zombie state most of the time. Now you know if this drug is for you. Thus is my experience and research. I hope it helps you or anyone that reads this or you tell understand this drug better....

Today is March 24, 2012.

I am now into my third week of weaning from the Lexapro. I was put on 20mg over 4 yrs ago, for mild depression. Due to insurance loss and what I have researched on the drug, I wanted and needed to somehow come off. My doctor at the time, told me that I would have to be on it the rest of my life, just as a diabetic would have to take insulin.. I wondered about that comment. So after many times asking my dr. to help wean me off .. I changed doctors to help get me off. Well, this dr now, gave me a script for Wellbutrin to take in addition to my Lexapro. Once the Wellbutrin was in my symstem, I was told then, that he would get me off the Lexapro. Well, I could not take the Wellbutrin. Only after taking it for 6 days, I literally had brain freezes. I would completely shut down the thought process in the middle of a sentence. So, the dr. told me not to continue with the Wellbutrin, and gave me a script for Triazadone. Which my pharmacist told me was for sleep. O what a saga. This is when I decided to slowly wean myself ... I went from 20mg. to cutting it back to 10mg for a week.. then to 5mg for a week.. then to 5mg every other day.. that was when I saw the difference ..... I knew it was from the drug coming out of my system or the lack of the drug in my system... whatever it is a highly addictive drug. I am now starting my 4th week without it... Last night I went to purchase Omega 3 Fish Oil ... Vitamin B complex .. Melatonin for sleep since I am suffering from sever insomnia. And 5HTD but I just read that I should not be taking the 5HTD because I could now suffer from seratonin symptom which could prove fatal. I am so scared. My emotions are rampant. Insomnia is so severe along with REM. Severe sweats .. the feelings of tingling little bugs crawling up and down the inside of my arms ... I completely understand drug addicts! Whether it be street drugs or legal prescribed drugs ... there is no difference because the need is there! I just went to my cabinet and put a 5mg of Lexapro, which was a 20mg that I had cut into fouths .. and held in my hand and looked at it ... and thought this must be how it feels before an addict shoots that drug into their vein ... and "Popped" the pill ... I don't know what to do... I don't know what to do!! I know I won't get an answer from this website .. therefore I don't know why I'm even writing. I guess to take my anger my emotions out on something other than somebody. If you're out there ............... please help me.

This is the 2nd ssri I have tried do to anxiety and panic attcks.I am on day 5 and will never take anther pill..I have never been depressed jut after having 2 little ones and working full time the stress and panc attacks got to me at work..This medication made me depress which i have never been in my whole life..I was trying to find something not as addicting as xanax.Which I take for panic attacks and anxiety only when need 2 mg tops per day but with that I am still my happy self it just makes me normal.lexapro has done nothing but make me a zombie!!! I work full time and take great care of my kids ...Would not recommend for anxiety and panic attacks..Unless you want to be a zombie and not care especially if you have a family..I just feel good knowing I tried and they all suck for anxiety and panic attacks....I will never take another pill they sy xanax is addicting but some people actually need it and it doesn't change who they are inside like those ssris.....

Been on Lexapro for a few months ago. Experienced the same negative side affects as I did when I took Zoloft a few years ago but as before over 4-6 weeks they slowly subsided. Lexapro, for me, has so far been excellent. On Zoloft I gained weight and it killed my libido but with Lexapro so far I have had no weight gain and have even noticed an increase in my libido and I am aroused alot easier which I am thrilled with. Still a little sleepy and have noticed that one minute food is the last thing on my mind and a second later I feel like I could pass out because I'm so hungry. Have since been carrying protein bars in my purse just in case.
All in all very happy with the results once my brain "settled in"

After reading the reviews from 8 years ago I think lexapro has fixed a few things. It seems to help more now. Especially with people that have generalized anxiety disorder. I have to say the first 3 or 4 weeks were crap. But that is what the doctor told me would happen. I've never been on anything before, so it still took me by surprise when I went out drinking, had less than half of what I would usually drink and blacked out. One fact that no one told me about this drug until one of my drinking buddies found out I was taking it and said, "man you've already had too much, you can't drink on that!" he's a doctor so I tend to think, "whoops." Well it was too late and I blacked out shortly after arriving at the strip club.
Now to my actual thoughts on the drug. I experienced up and down emotions and increased impulsiveness for the first 2 weeks as well as major fatigue. But... My sex drive hasn't been this high since I was in high school and maybe not even then. Now I tend to think it is partially the lexapro and partially the 500% increase in sex frequency or better, but after 5 weeks and being on 15 mg I'm doing pretty good. The fatigue is still there but its getting better the more I get in the gym.
I feel much better in social situations, I can't even tell you how bad it was, not even being able to talk to people I know sometimes, just because of this tightness in my chest and ringing in my ears. Now I speak to people, I hadn't realized but its been so long since I've spoken my thoughts that I forgot how to speak properly.
All in all this drug has improved my life aside from the occasional physical side effect (non-sexual), I have been fine, its even helped me beat back several of the addictions I was suffering from. I do have to mention that I also take adderall for ADHD. But after the first couple of weeks the two seem to be a match made for each other.

lexapro causes diarrhea

Only on 4th day of lexapro 5mg for major deppressive disorder and anxiety. I know it hasn't been log at all to reach its full potential but I do know I feel numb..just numb. Before I was on it I worried about finding another job because I had a meltdown at my previous one. And I always dealt with suicidal thoughts off and on through the years.. But now I just don't care. I am tired when I wake up and just feel like a zombie. And at night I can't sleep. I don't have an appetite either.
If anything lexapro makes me so numb to any anxious feelings I had about killing myself before. I could probably off myself now with no worries..thanks lexapro!

Why is depression an illness yet we don't get help
We still have to do everything
We are abused for our illness as our reaction is disliked
Yet people tell us how it affects them and how we treat them
We have permission to get annoyed
U have no reason to be annoying and ignorant
Yet u choose to blame

estalopram causes me tinnitus badly .how to recover from it, kindly let me know pl

My doctor prescribed escitalopram and lisinopril a little over a month ago. It has been horrible for me. I have experienced: nausea, vommitting,severe anxiety,depression, flatulance, diarrhea, brain fog, agitation, sweating, very dizzy, I can't even look at food. Constantly feel like vommitting. The doc wants me to take one med for a couple days to see which one is causing the problems. I don't want to take any! I don't have a job now. I am a wreck. I am just praying I can make it through this day.

Lexapro has literally given me my quality of life back. I was suffering from multiple panic attacks daily. Im 26 so it really messed with my quality of life. I couldn't even function most days. I started lexapro and the first two weeks were hell and so much worse than before I started but then I woke up one morning and the side effects were gone. Since that morning I get maybe one mild panic attack every few months. I had forgotten how nice it is to be able to go through an entire day without wanting to be in a corner shaking and feeling like I was dying. Tough out the first few weeks if you can because after that you will get your life back!

My 2nd night on lexapro. Was up all night til 6am. Wired and feel ok when awake but scared to fall asleep because I get the sensation of breathing disturbances and It wakes me up.

In response to withdrawl, if you decide to ween yourself off. Yeah, there are pretty bad symptoms. I have been on lexapro for six years. Major Depressive Disorder, PTSD, Borderline Personality Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder are what I have struggled with for most of my life. I'm 38 and I began taking lexapro in 2007. I wake up with swollen fingers in such pain. I stopped taking the lexapro for a few days to see if the medicine was the cause. I became severely I'll with a migraine headache so bad I had to go to the emergency room . The doctor told me to never try to ween myself off lexapro because I could have a seizure, or go into a coma. This is for anonymous post on October 7. Just sharing what I went through. Hope it helps.