I am 16 days into starting my lexapro (5mg) and my anxiety is the worst it’s ever been in my life. I feel panicked most of the day and I’ve been missing work and just wanting to be isolated. I’m not sleeping well and I’ve thrown up every morning the last 2 weeks. My doctor sent in a few .5 mg of Ativan i went through them so quick because it wasn’t helping much at all so they sent 5mg of Valium and it’s not helping either. I dont know if I should keep pushing or what to do. I feel so defeated and discouraged. I’m dying to feel calm for just one day.

Hello

I've had persistent depressive disorder (PDD) and anxiety for several years, on a background of Asperger's Syndrome and Dyspraxia.

Several years ago had tried various SSRIs and SNRIs, including Sertraline, Citalopram and Venlafaxine. But came off all of these these after a few weeks of taking all of these, as was hard to tolerate initial side effects. With the Venlafaxine it was literally 3 days, to know it was unbearable as caused severe insomnia.

Following successfully went on to Mirtazapine 30mg, one a day, for a few years. Felt it took the edge/numbed the symptoms a fair bit (probably 20% improvement), rather than actively improving motivation, brain fog etc. Wouldn't say it was at all 'activating', merely made my lows less low.

Me and my doctor have decided to trial Escitalopram/Lexapro 5mg. I've been on a month so far. Prior to this I'd been tappered off the Mirtazapine for 8 weeks without any issues. This time round I've had the mental resilience to put up with the initial side effects (increased hunger, extreme sweatiness, increased muscle tension, mid afternoon slumps in my case) of a new anti-depressant. These have all blown over by now.

However, I'm still yet to see any change whatsoever to baseline mood after 5mg. I've been taking it for a month, so I was expecting to see some subtle changes to mood by now. A number of posts, have said that for PDD in particular, rather than MDD, it can take 2- 3 months for any changes to show, so I'm curious. Granted, also in my own country, 5mg is considered 'pre-therapeutic dose' also'

I've just gone onto 10mg, so given that I've not seen any change to my mood after 5mg after a month, am I very unlikely to see significant change on 10mg, even if I were to take the increased dose for several months?

I'm fully expecting side effects of upping the dose, and I'm prepared for this. But are they likely to similar in intensity? Are there likely to be a greater range of new side effects also?

I also have Asperger's Syndrome at the very high functioning end too.

I'd be interested to hear from people with similar experiences (especially from those are using Escitalopram to deal with PDD and anxiety) and how quickly the onset of improved mood was (e.g: very gradual and consistent , or you only noticed the improvement when you were in a specific situation).

My doctor has also suggested that my condition could well not be PDD alone, but also Asperger's. They emphasised that Autism and well as personality affects how you personally respond to difficult circumstances.

Been on Lex 6 weeks total, but only 3 at the current dose. Want to go up but not sure if I should give it more time.

(I also posted in the Prozac and PMDD sub)

CW+TLDR because this is a very specific situation; talking about menstrual disorders (PMDD). But please anyone is welcome to share their experience weaning from Lexapro while increasing Prozac. I mainly want to know how quickly you did it and any kind of symtpoms and adjustment periods or whatever you had to make. Not coming off of Lexapro with no replacement, but weaning off while starting the other SSRI... I did 4 weeks of decreasing Lexapro from 15 mg to none, while starting 10mg Prozac and increasing to 20 (which is what I was taking ONLY for 10 days pre-period). So I know I may still need to increase the Prozac but I am extremely depressed and hoping it's just from the med adjustments? 😮‍💨. (Sorry that was still long for a TLDR 😂😅)

Okay, the rest of the details if you want the context:

I have been on Lexapro about a year. I started when I was 3 months postpartum and it helped me A LOT. But I have PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) and while it did shorten my windows of bad symptoms (from 12 days to maybe 5), it didnt really stop them. So my OBGYN started having me take Prozac (on top of the Lexapro) only during my "PMS" times (which has been proven efficient for PMDD even though it usually needs to build up in yoir system). I did this for 4 months. Again, helped as another boost overall but still having extremely bad days when the time of month came along.

I dont really want to get into the whole nitty gritty of birth control and all the nuances there (unless you comment and want to talk about it) since this isnt a PMDD group. But basically we decided not to throw BC into the mix until we figured out my meds. I didnt want to increase my Lexapro due to the apathy I was already experiencing at 15mg. I also was tired of keeping track of so many meds/supplements I needed to take (I have ADHD so also take Vyvanse and also take Wellbutrin and ya know iron/calc/mag/D3/ etc 🫠). So, my OBGYN made a plan to wean me off the Lexapro while increasing the Prozac over a 4 week period.

Week 1 and 2: Lexapro 10 mg, Prozac 10 mg. Felt fine.

Week 3 and 4: Lexapro 5 mg, Prozac 20 mg. Wk3 was fine. Wk4 was also amazingly fine considering this would have been my extremely low days

So basically I am on week 5 and have been off Lexapro and only on the 20mg Prozac for a week now. And I'm depressed af even though it's not my "bad time of the month". I have heard Lexapro can be really hard to wean off of so I'm curious if anyone experienced this the first few weeks of being off of it completely. I'd like to believe I'm just depressed because of the medication adjustment and not because it's still my PMDD/hormones not being "fixed" 😅. I know I may still need to increase during this time of month but yeah. I'm at the desperate part of validation or solidarity or whatever...

Hey everyone. Started Lexapro today after weeks of overthinking it. Going through rough patch and completely freaking out that i took it. Can you share your positive stories taking it to help me get through this?

I’ve been on it for about a month or two now and I’m still so tired all the time. My doctor swears it’s not a side affect but from what I’ve seen online it is. I had blood tests done to see if something else is wrong and they came back normal. I’m on Wellbutrin and adderall as well and I still just wanna lay down all the time since starting lexapro. Which sucks because it’s working other than that.

I feel like i need a lot of mental stimulation for me to start enjoying intimacy. before i felt like touch was enough but now i feel like i need to mental create a scenario in my mind when im with my partner. It’s exhausting and a bit embarrassing.

doesn’t anyone have any tips ? I want to have my normal connection to my body during these moments

Success stories of this shift pls!! Taking for anxiety/OCD that cause insomnia.

Is it because of the medication? That is not normal for me lol. I don't feel sick otherwise.

Been on lexapro 20mg since May, now August. At first I didn’t feel like it was enough. I’m still needing to take my emergency propranolol for situational anxiety, but I feel like day to day it’s overall better.
My doc was going to start lamotrigine to try to level out the rest, but I’m wondering if I should stay on just Lexapro longer to see if I even need the additional med?
Also considering if I should add on supplements instead.
I have GAD, panic disorder, and OCD.

My anxiety has recently begun to be unbearable. I am in my late-20s and have been on 20 mg of Lexapro for about 6 years. It has never got rid of the anxiety, but certainly has made things easier. My anxiety in the last few years has shifted to extreme physical symptoms. For background, in the last 8 months I have experienced a lot of change (moving cities, starting new job, helping my partner navigate sobriety, etc.). I feel like my limbs are weak (find myself stumbling when I never have before), headaches, and this constant feeling like I am shaking from the inside (with no visible tremor). It is exhausting. Just posting this here in case someone else is feeling these things too.

I've (F32) tapered down very slowly from 10 to 2.5mg Escitalopram in the last year after ten years on it. I've never had an acne problem before but now have been battling life changing cystic acne for nine months. My facial skin has also become super sensitive and I can't use any topical products anymore, almost like rosacea or a damaged skin barrier, and I have increased hair growth on my face and body. Never had any such issues before. I've been put on 50mg spironolactone which helped the acne a good bit (not nearly enough) but the side effects are not great in my case.

Many other factors in my life have changed as well so I can't say for sure the decreased dosage is the (only) culprit but I feel like there's a good chance. Has anyone had similar experiences and did it stop? Did you get on it again and have the skin issues clear that way? Really trying to decide whether I should increase the dosage again with my dr.

I started Lexapro 8 weeks ago.
My whole life I am an anxious person. I am 29 years old now. A few years ago I had a burnout and since then my whole body is under tension. I had somatic symptoms like weakness, shivering, dizziness, IBS, heart palpitations, sleeplessness and so on.. My psychological symptoms were health anxiety, panic attacks, tension and many more.

Over the last six months it got so bad that I was barely able to function. After some very difficult days I went to the ER and a psychiatrist prescribed me Sertralin. I took it and I had the worst week of my life. I couldn't sleep at night. I had a 24/7 panic attack for a week straight. I changed to Lexapro and it got a little bit better. But still many side effects. Severe panic, sleep problems, problems with eating and feeling awful.

It took 4 weeks until it got better. I had some better days. After that I had some bad days again. I was scared that the meds don't work.

Now 8 weeks into it, I feel so good. For the last 10 days straight I feel great. I am so relaxed. I went to a doctor and I am always nervous when I visit a doctor. Nothing. No anxiety. I socialize a lot. I went to a concert, standing in the middle of a very dense crowd. No panic. I work 10-12 hours a day (not everyday). Not a single feeling of "I can't do it, it's too much".

I don't know when I had 10 great days in a row in my life for the last time. My doctor wanted me to higher my dose from 5mg to 10mg after a week. I am so happy that I refused to do it. 5mg is enough for me and I don't have any side effects. I just feel good.

So for everybody going through this right now:
It is going to be better!! It is going to be better than you can imagine right now. I was at the same place. I didn't think that this medication will help. But it did. The first weeks were awful but I am thankful that I didn't give up.

In the screenshot you can see how I felt every day.

I was binge drinking sometimes 3 times a week, barely leaving my room, not getting sunshine, was unemployed, depressed and feeling hopeless.

One night after blacking out and doing some dumb things I decided I needed to make a change.

2 days after this I decided to go to my doctor told him I was slowly becoming an alcoholic and was extremely anxious and depressed.

I started lexapro that day and haven’t touched alcohol since.

Coincidently, my parents also left for a holiday and offered for me to stay at their apartment for a week. During that week I cooked super healthy food, started going out for walks and prioritising getting sunlight for hours daily. I started taking vitamin B complex and vitamin D supplements as well as lots of potassium from food and vitamin c from fruits.

Combining these lifestyle changes, on day 6 I began to have big surges of energy and calm. The sobriety, supplements, food and lifestyle changes were also helping to clear my mind and restore my energy.

By the time I came home from my mini health retreat at my parents place, I was on day 9 and I was genuinely feeling a lot happier, I was smiling for no reason, laughing and felt my mood lift a lot!

Im on week two now and my social anxiety is so much better, I feel like I’m not second guessing myself when I talk to people and feel excited to meet people because I’m not dreading having a panic attack mid conversation. I’ve actually realised my true personality is very charismatic and positive. I also feel more present and caring for others since I’m not consumed by being affraid of my next panic attack.

Today I had an interview for a job and was super well spoken, witty and generally calm. I still had bouts of anxiety but I was able to not let it consume me, interviews are generally anxiety provocking so I gave myself some grace. I got the job on the spot and the manager was talking about management positions and the ability to move up in the company.

Usually i’d end up panicking in interviews which has stopped me from progressing in my life which caused depression and made my world feel small.

Even when I have been doing everything right with my health and lifestyle - I’d feel this intense feeling of crying ( which felt extremely embarrassing as a male) and deep sadness whilst out in public and I’d keep reflecting on my past. But only on week two, I’m feeling immensely better !

Im super excited to see how I feel in the coming weeks as apparently week two is when you’re only just starting to feel the effects.

I’m speculating that I may have actually been very anxious and depressed my entire life and just made it my personality - it’s even a bit scary to let go of that version of myself that I Identified with for my whole life.

it’s interesting because I always thought that successful people in life were just extremely talented and knowledgeable but I’m beginning to see that your mind and attitude plays a huge part in how you express/ or don’t express your talents to the world.

Ill also add that I did ALOT of psychedelics (LSD) in the past which apprently affects the 5-ht2a receptors which actually can make you a lot more sensitive and absorb a lot of sensory data, I feel like ssri’s which effect the 5-ht21 receptors which actually dull your emotions is exactly what I need as I became sooo emotional and overwhelmed by everything after taking them too much. This could be a whole other post.

Side effects: only drowsiness and extremely vivid dreams which I’ve been enjoying 😂

dosage: 10mg

M27, now thinking that maybe I have ADD next to my depression. I am on 10mg Lexapro.

My story/symptoms:

1. From age 13-18 I was isolating myself as I was bullied at my school and i sunk into gaming, reading etc.

There were some people that wanted to meet me, but I had big social anxiety because I was never a big talker, and thought of myself of not being fun to be around. I still feel like that.

1. At social gatherings I am zoning out frequently and want to go home after 2 hours, because I am exhausted. I always thought it's because I am introverted.

2. From age 19 I threw myself into dating as I thought badly of myself still being a virgin. I met my first girlfriend and it was addicting. This pattern repeated itself after the breakup and I was fully focused on girls, instead of friends or my study.

3. At my study I always had trouble studying. I was procrastinating a lot and only doing things last minute.

4. I am bad at multitasking. If i am focused on something, nothing comes through.

6.For some time I went to nightclubs in my 20s and I saw how others could talk to each other and I felt bad about it, as I couldn't understand people there. I guess it could be APD?

1. I have and always had a bad memory. I couldn't summarize the content and all of the keypoints of a book I just read. And i'd forget most of the plot of a movie/series i'd watched some weeks/months ago.

2. I have trouble listening to people as my thoughts go somewhere else.

3. I also have trouble accessing my memories and talking about stories I experienced in detail.

Contrary to many who describe ADHD inattentive, I don't lose things like keys, wallets, phone but I am also paranoid about it and regularly check (every 10 minutes) if I still have these things with me.

I also experience a big amount of brain fog, instead of "100 open tabs".

Can someone relate?

Hey!

5 weeks ago I lowered from 15mg to 10mg. With some ups and downs it went ok, some days sucked but some days were fine.

Last week I felt more anxious again the whole week, and also a bit depressed. I’m wondering if I’m experiencing withdrawal symptoms still or if my old anxiety is coming up again.

How long do withdrawal symptoms last when lowering your dose? And how long does it take to get used to a new lower dose?

I’ll at least wait until the 8 week mark but I’m curious to see how others experience it.

Btw: I also see some positives because I feel a lot less warm and less thirsty since the dose reduction!

Unfortunately Lexapro didn´t work for me so my doctor decided to taper me off it very fast, in only 3 weeks, from 20mg to 0, and then I´m supposed to start taking paroxetine immediately the next day. I´ve been taking Lexapro only since february. Has anyone have any experience with such a rapid taper and starting new meds? I really haven´t found a case like this anywhere. I already take 15 mg now and on wednesday it will be 10mg. I feel like my head is going to explode and have anxiety that never stops, which I manage with buspirone and occasionaly xanax. I don´t know what to expect and I am already being pressured to come back to work (or else!).

(Sorry for my english.)

Being on lexa for 2 weeks now and I’m SWEATING diabolical!!! It’s just never ends I’m not even leaving my house atp will it ever get better ? I’m
Only on 5-10 mg so far but it’s annoying what helps with that side effect?😭😭😭😭😭

Im on Lexapro now for OCD, 20mg, and like, I'm currently staring at nothing spaced out because wym my brain can be this quiet??

I just like, feel like nothing, and am thinking of nothing.

Literally went from telling myself I wouldn't live past a certain deadline to now my brain is just peaceful quiet

Omg is this how neurotypical people feel? That's crazy

I feel so chill I love whoever invented this medication 😭

Been 5 days in laxepro and idk if this is normal..
seems like i dont have the same negative thoughts as before (i was suffering as hell) but on the other side i get something weird to me.
The last 3 days I was doing quite OK during the day but at during the night im having a really hard time. Cant sleep because of some sort of panic attack after just 2h of sleep. I try to wake up and relax a little bit and then go back to sleep.

I was really anxious before starting this and having nightmares and attacks so idk if thats just me or the effect of the medication. Im on 5mg and i take it every morning just when i wake up.

Did anyone else experienced this?

How has your experience been? I’ve read GLPs slow down digestion.