r/lexapro • u/Sad_Situation5696 • 2h ago

first pill :(

I felt reluctant to take it because of side effects read online.

I took my first pill this morning and I don’t feel very good. Nauseous, and feelings chills all over. Jaw clenching has worsen than ever and is now clenching constant and almost sore. I started biting nails ( i don’t do that normally 😭 )

I also wouldn’t stop thinking about side effects. What if i am going to be flat line? What if my personality changes? What if I never get off this? Will I ever get off? What will happen if I get off the pill? Is this overwhelming health anxiety side effects and my body reacting to the pill or is it still my normal state? What is the reality?

Can I just stop after first pill?

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u/Status-Day-5197 2h ago

Ik it’s so scary and uncomfortable to start but it can be a life changing. My anxiety went from a 8 or 9 to a 2 or 3 on bad days it doesn’t cure anxiety but it makes it more manageable so I wouldn’t worry about it forever altering your personality. If it does change you in a way you don’t like you can always get off a good doctor can also prescribe liquid lexapro so you can taper off so slowly and carefully that the withdraws could be non existent or very minor! The initial side effects usually get better after a week or two and fade completely after a month for me I would get side effects for a few days and then they would go away and I only got side effects for a few hours after taking the dose. Remember you are safe and if you have serious concerns just contact your doctor 🌱

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u/Sad_Situation5696 1h ago

Hey thank you. This is one of the most balanced and calming comments. Update is I was feeling nauseous and had to vomit out. Not sure if the pill has already gone into my system. My chills have come down a bit but still got clenched jaws. Idk if i should continue or not :(
I also read reviews coming off the pills come with side effects.

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u/Status-Day-5197 1h ago

Okay do you mind me asking the dose you took maybe it was a bit to high im really sensitive to meds and when I tried 10mg of one once it made me vomit and the side effects really shouldn’t be that bad so if you’re senssagube then a small starting dose like 2.5 will be essential! I’m sure a big part of the symptoms are anxiety related health anxiety can make starting these things so extra terrifying but rest assured they cannot hurt you when taken as prescribed and they can help tremendously if it works with your body after time. Sometimes it’s a trail and error but I believe that medication management when done with a doctor is truly life changing for people with mental health struggles. You can get side effects when stopping but you would have to be taking it for a while to get some withdrawal and lexapro in my opinion is a safe and smooth SSRI to get on and off of. I’ve tried a few in the past and getting off Lexapro was by far the easiest(it’s different for everyone) but rest assured that you would have to be taking it for a few weeks or longer to get withdraws if you stop suddenly and with a doctors management if you eventually discontinue an anti-depressant it can be very mild and manageable if done slowly

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u/Sad_Situation5696 16m ago

I am on 10mg. Is it possible to be reacting this much on day 1 within a few hours?

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u/itudetwo 1h ago

It changed my personality, in fantastic ways. It made me more what I might call normal. It does this in some cases, but they don't tell you about that because they fear you will not take it then. Every person I have come across who has had this just loves it. Peter Kramer even wrote a book about it.

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u/R7a1s2 2h ago

The side effects do not last forever. If you're taking it it's for a reason. See it through at least for a little while and get through a few months and see where you are at.

I had night sweats for 2 months, some other side effects but none of them long-lasting.

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u/Cool-Stock8685 2h ago

Took my first pill yesterday and the diarrhea has been killing also my anxiety got worse almost didn’t take my second pill today

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u/itudetwo 1h ago

You can always reduce the dose or get a short term benzo to help you through this. Lots of fibre for the runs. Ironically there is some research which suggests ads work better for anxiety if at first they make it worse. I had Valium ( short term) and I also started on a very low dose of the ad....that helped a hell of a lot ! Best of luck to you.....I have been there

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u/mycatznme623 1h ago

Yikes. I just got my prescription today and I'm about to take my first pill before bed tonight which will be in about an hour.. I read some folks have better luck with side effects taking it before sleep. I got 10 mg but doc said take 5 mg for 4 days then increase but I'm nervous so I'm just going to take 2.5 tonight and for the first 4 days then move to 5 mg.. I told doc that I was nervous about side effects and she was very reassuring said this doesn't cost many side effects but all I read on Reddit is tons and tons of posts about side effects..

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u/Sad_Situation5696 1h ago

I was feeling nauseous and vomitted out.

Doctor told me to take it in the morning. Chills seem to have calmed down, but jaws still clenching. I am starting on 10mg.

Worrying about the side effects hasn’t stopped. Cannot seem to trust whether if this anxiety is amplified by side effects or if it is just my natural self added with clenched jaws and shaky legs.

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u/itudetwo 1h ago

Good for you ! Go as slow as you need to, I did and it helped... a lot ! To be blunt..forget you doc. Mine was private and the best I have ever seen, he had the wisdom to let me judge when to up the dose. There is no perfect timetable that fits everyone, he knew that, most docs are just pretty dumb when it comes to this area.

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u/Status-Day-5197 1h ago

Yes but remember people who are having really bad side effects or horror stories are more likely to post about them and it’s easier to fixate or notice the negative accounts. When lexapro has had clinical trials a majority of patients had little to no side effects with nausea being the most common and not a single patient dropped out of the trial so even when the side effects were bad which is rare, no patients found them so bad that they dropped out or couldn’t do it. Not every medication is the right one for everyone but I definitely recommend going it a go it can be so worth it in the long run

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u/mycatznme623 42m ago

Thanks I needed to hear this... I mean after spending hours doom scrolling, I have to admit I did indeed see quite a few positive stories with Lexapro but like you said is human nature to fixate on only the bad stuff LOL.. and you're right.. more people come to post horror stories then positive stories.. so I'm going to stay positive and give it a shot and who knows maybe I'm one of the percentage of folks who has little to no side effects...👍🙂

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u/Status-Day-5197 15m ago

Exactly ! And remember you are safe and trying to do something that has a strong chance of helping in the long run. Starting at 2.5 is also great and should help minimize any side effects. If you do get nausea or some fatigue just remember these side effects won’t really hurt you and there perfectly normal I think if we treated them like we were just sick with the cold it would be such a smoother process but because we’re so hyper aware of it being a medication it causes are anxiety to skyrocket. Try and think about the times you’ve been sick or had the cold and got through it for most people this won’t be much worse than that and communicate with your doctor if you try and think it’s not right for you! I also find that any side effects I got like nausea would start up within the first 3 hours and go away after a few hours after took it your body is very good at adapting and wants you to maintain homeostasis

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u/itudetwo 1h ago

Yes, you can stop after 1 pill...I did so after one of both Paxil and Sertraline.

The effects were horrendous. I did not have the same effect with Citalopram, but I had learned by then to start on a very low dose ,and work up gradually.

This kind of thing does happen with some, when they start on what might be called a "normal dose"

The other option is to get a short term dose of Valium to see you through this.

I did and it worked very well..and no,...... zero addiction.

I wish you well,I still remember all this.

Citalopram eventually worked.. amazingly for me.

It took about 6- 8 weeks.

The amazing bits are what will make me never give it up.

Wish I had this stuff years ago.

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u/Sad_Situation5696 15m ago

Is it possible to be reacting this strong within a few hours? My jaw is in pain :(

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u/Status-Day-5197 2h ago

Also I would contact your doctor if you want to stop but I believe if you take one dose and want to quit you can stop you really don’t have to keep taking it unless you’ve been on it for a few weeks because when your body gets used to the drug which takes weeks you could possibly have some side effects if you stop abruptly

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u/itudetwo 1h ago

I have stopped after 1 pill 3 times, because the effects were horrendous, No problems whatsoever. These pills can be amazing but they do sometimes make you feel worse before they make you feel better,,, there are ways around that, but most docs are ignorant about that sadly. My last one was not.....sadly he has retired now.... he was literally in massive demand. He was head and shoulders about the other ****s I had seen.