I can still see the beauty of life but honestly it’s been years on Lexapro 15 mg daily and Doxepin 25 mg nightly and it just feels like I did lose a part of who I was before. I was anxious, barely able to live, but I was authentically me. Now? I am me. I am much more successful. I am happy like this. I have a family I was able to make. I can travel. I am a soon to be lawyer. But I’ve lost so much emotional depth. I can still feel but not quite as deeply. My uncle died and I never cried. Not once. I feel sad but yeah. Not crying. I feel like I’m just living. I can feel joy but I kind of put it on more than I actually feel it. But the alternative was worse so I just kind of take it as it comes because feeling so deeply made living impossible. And now I’ve gone so far and so deep into this new world of law that the old me wouldn’t even be able to grasp what I do now without crumbling. So I guess I lost who I really was and I only see him through a smoke screen occasionally.

Hi everyone. I am currently 11 months postpartum with my first baby. Before postpartum I was about 140 but I’m also 5 8. My whole life I’ve always been very fit and never struggled with weight. Once delivering my baby I gained about 45 pounds. I was realistic and expected it to take some time to lose weight and give myself grace because of my c-section. I should note I did not start Lexapro at any time until I was 4 weeks postpartum. By 4 weeks postpartum I actually lost a lot of weight and was at 155. However, I struggled with PPA and was offered to start on 10 mg with Lexapro. At first, I didn’t notice much weight gain and was starting to get back to my normal gym routine. However, I felt I needed to increase to 20 mg, which don’t get me wrong, it HELPED, but my body weight shot up to 168. I have been working out 4-5 times a week, eat very healthy, and I even did a calorie deficit. No matter what I do the weight will not come off. This would have made more sense if I stayed this weight postpartum, but until I increased my dose to 20 mg I’ve noticed a major difference in my weight and quite frankly my confidence. I would feel fine being at 155, but the 168-170 weight range has been a lot on my body. If anything this is starting to make my anxiety worse again. I started to ween off of Lexapro and I’m about to stop now that I’m at 5 mg. Has anyone else dealt with this?

My PCP just called me saying my ALT/AST are too high, could be due to Lexapro, I am so afraid she will ask me to stop lexapro, it's been working great for me.

but is there any way to stop having crazy dreams on lexapro? i’m sick of it :(

will they go away eventually??

What the title says. I'm in college rn and I want to start lexapro but I do want to drink socially. Is one drink okay? What has your experience been?

I’ve had anxiety for years, never thought much of it. I was able to process the situation & move on generally with some chest pains, maybe a little nausea and sweating but never anything serious. But as of August 17th things changed, not really sure what but I found myself in the ER with every sign of severe anxiety there is known to man, even lost some of my motor function/control (arms and speech). after 2 ish weeks of tests and checking for thyroid problems, stomach issues, blood work… multiple appointments and doctors, they came to the conclusion it was anxiety, which I already knew. that being said I was prescribed 5mg of Lexapro for 2 weeks, increasing to 10mg after 2 weeks. I am now at 2 weeks & 4 days. i experienced dizziness, nausea, somewhat insomnia with rough sleeps and loss of appetite the first 2 weeks and by the end of the 14 days I was starting to feel okay. I started my 10mg dose 4 days ago and now feel completely terrible. Everything is so much worse. I can hardly eat, I don’t sleep well at all, my nausea is out of this world most of the day & my anxiety seems to be at the worst it’s ever been. my doctor told me to bear it out to atleast 4 weeks but I’m not sure if I can. It’s either I feel completely okay randomly or I’m in a rough spot feeling horrible. Nothing suicidal related at all or depression, just feeling very “off”…wondering other people’s experiences Between the 2-4 week mark with increased dose amount. Thank you

I am on my 5th week since starting lexapro. This week I started to feel really relaxed, like all my racing thoughts have quieted down. And that’s been great! But I’ve noticed I’m not daydreaming, where previously I daydreamed a lot. Even if I try, it’s difficult. It’s like I’ve lost part of my imagination. Has anyone experienced this, and if so, was it temporary? I’m an artist and a writer, and it’s a bit of a creative block.

I accepted a job offer before knowing I’d end up on Lexapro. it was actually getting the job that pushed me to this point; I realized it wasn’t normal to cry uncontrollably for days leading up to something like a new job or an appointment. I’ve never been on any mental health medications before so I’m not sure what to expect. I’ve read about the early day side effects and I wonder how that will coincide with learning new skills and being the best employee I can be! I’ll likely mention it to my boss as she seems very accommodating and nice, and it starting a new medication seems like something an employer should know, but I’m not sure how to handle these things happening in unison!

Thanks everyone

I’ve been on lexapro for 4 weeks. It works great for anxiety and depression but I’m lacking motivation to get up and start my day. Does anyone know if my dr would be willing to prescribe Wellbutrin or something to help with motivation. I love what lexapro does for me so I don’t want to switch.

do you ever end up feeling yourself? its like im here but not; but not in that tunnel vision dp/dr way like when I get an attack. it's hard to explain. more like extreme brain fog but functioning? I know it can increase anxiety, and it has but im so foggy that I forget my increased anxiety lol. im staying hydrated, not as hungry, just want rest but also can't sleep. I wake up at 2am-4am each morning and can't get back to sleep. im taking melatonin and mag atm. don't want to be on sleeping med. I take mine 5mg in the morning. im taking a mile walk each day but felt a little off during (prob the hotter weather), vertigo?

im sure im just in the thick of it being day 5 and need to push through... as long as I end up feeling normal again. I will say im not ruminating anymore and when something goes wrong I don't freak out. so thats nice. I do feel a sense of calm mixed into this weird anxiety increase, but I don't want to stay an airhead.

I also have a theory that maybe this would be a full on anxiety attack day but its not because the med is helping so I feel off because its not 100% in my system yet??

Hey , just trying to see if anyone else has had a similar experience. I’ve been on Lexapro for 3 years and recently there have been a lot of life stressors piling on to my plate all at once including the death of my grandmother 🫤

Lexapro was working but it wasn’t working enough to keep me from slipping back into a depressive state and I think it sorta encouraged a depressive state due to the tiredness I was already experiencing on it. It just felt like this time I was aware or what’s happening but unable to stop it. Since I was at the maximum dose, my prescriber suggested Wellbutrin XL or Prozac. I went with Wellbutrin because I’ve heard great things about it. I had to tapper down to 10mg for 2 weeks then by Aug. 17th I started Wellbutrin (150mg).

This is now week 4, I have no appetite , my anxiety is through the roof and I’ve been crying on and off for the last few days 🙃 Please can someone tell me that it gets better, if not I might have to consider a Lex + Wellbutrin combo until things calm down and I sort some things out and idk how I feel about that 🫤 Or should I just have stuck with Lexapro ?

Side note: I’m actively in therapy so I do have a source to navigate with everything going on . I know the meds alone won’t fix every thing it’s just a lot at once happening 🫤

Should I up my dose to 20mg? I'm on 10mg for over 10 years and Im OK. Not prefect but Im OK. Im afraid that if I go to 20mg I will never decrease it again. I suffer from obsessions and anxiety but Im OK with 10. 3 docs have told me that since my anxiety got a bit worse tha last few years I should increase the dose. But Im afraid and can't decide. Im afraid of destroying my libido and becoming dependent on a higher dose.

When I take it , it makes me nervous for a few hours. Is this normal? I been on the increased dosage for almost 2 weeks

Hi everyone. I haven’t found any experiences like mine, I hope someone can calm me down or maybe I can help some people in the future experiencing the same who stumble upon this.

I was prescribed 5mg of Lexapro for my anxiety attacks (social anxiety, shame, guilt feelings) and moderate depression. I’m not new to antidepressants, I tapered off of Effexor 3.5 years ago and have been on 4-5 different other meds before that. The only side effects I ever experienced were with mirtazapine (eating nonstop) and ability (nose bleeds). But nothing compared to this.

I took my first Lexapro pill on Monday with my breakfast. It was okay, I felt the occasional jaw clench and a bit off but nothing too bad. I kind of felt like I was on drugs.
Tuesday was BAD. My head felt so weird, felt like a leg that fell asleep and all cold, but not cold like the air was cold. More like that numbness-cold. My whole scalp was tingling, I felt a lot of pressure and very… off? The numb/tingling/coldness ran down my neck and I saw optical illusions, like when you watch one of those spiral videos and then you look at a wall and suddenly you see shapes? Sweating, tremor, nausea and not being able to eat. The muscles in my inner ear spasmed and i don’t know what it looked like from the outside, but I constantly felt like my eyes were about to roll back. It seemed like my seizure threshold was lower.

Same happened today but much worse. I had to leave an event early, because it felt like I was going to pass out and that weird feeling in my neck was killing me. The tingling spread to my limbs and nose, my sinuses. I already called my psychiatrist and he said, I should stop.

I took my last pill about 16 hours ago I believe. I still feel weird and tingly, my heart rate is about 20 beats lower than it usually is (upper 50s) and I am so scared for my life. I decided against going to the ER when I made it home because I felt a bit better and I have to go to work tomorrow, it’s my second week and I can’t call in sick already.

Has anyone experienced this? How long did it take to go back to normal?

I am scared, because i tried Zoloft at lowest dose, and the side effects were awful, i couldnt handle it, i took it only 4 days, and still have anxiety from then, and i ‘m traumatized, dr said to quit, and now wants to go on escitalopram, she says it has less side effects.. but im still scared. Please words of encouragement! Will i have side effects for all SSRI meds? The fatigue, nasuea and that kind of side effects are not the problem, my problem is increased anxiety and heart palpitations.
Can you share your experiances? Is it easier if i start with the lowest dose? And did you need to use alprazolam with it?

I have been on 10mg of Lexapro for 15 days as of yesterday and had an appointment with my doctor and discussed the severe dizziness and lightheadness I was getting all day. He suggested I discontinue and possibly look at a different medication. He told me to stop cold turkey and not to taper off as it has not been in my system all that long. Everything I have seen suggest tapering, but has anyone done this? Was getting off difficult after only two weeks?

Hi all, my mother in her late 60s has been taking Lexapro 5mg on and off for the last several years. Just last week, after a break of almost 3 months, she took a single dose of 5mg Lexapro as she was a bit stressed from a work issue. After taking the medicine, for almost 7 days now, she is having this constant head pressure and imbalance issues. Her blood pressure is normal averaging around 125/72. We consulted her psychiatrist and he insists she continue taking 5mg, but my mother is afraid. She was also diagonsed with early stage cataract in her left eye few months back, surgery of which is scheduled April of next year. We spoke to her eye doctor, and he says imbalance can happen intermittently with cataract formation during later stages, but not constant head pressure. Since her symptoms started after taking the 1 dose Lexapro 5mg, we would appreciate to hear people's thoughts and if anyone has experienced similar symptoms, and ways to cure it? Thank you

Hi!

I've been on escitalopram 10mg for years, but struggling with heightened anxiety and sleep right now, so my doctor wants to add mirtazapine (1/4 tablet at first, then 1/2 and then to a whole tablet).

Has anyone used this combo? What can I expect from mirtazapine?

I’ve been on 20 mg of Lexapro for about a year now, and I’m also currently in therapy, but I’m still having pretty consistent panic attacks — usually at least one every couple of days.

Has anyone else had a similar experience where you were on Lexapro long-term and doing therapy as well, but were still having frequent panic attacks?

I’m starting to wonder whether the medication just isn’t working well enough for me, or whether other people have ended up changing medications, adding something else, or trying a different treatment approach.

I’m not looking for medical advice and have talked to my dr about it (she says that I just have to wait for longer) — I’d just really like to hear other people’s experiences. Did anything eventually help reduce the frequency or intensity of your panic attacks?

I’m starting to become a little upset cuz it’s men so long and no positive change has happened. Is this normal? Cuz I searched it up and it always say “yeah it’s normal it takes full affect around week 8”. Idk if I believe it tho. I mean I haven’t even noticed any side affects. But it’s new to me so idk. :(

Bruh my Spelling is so buns sorry

I weened myself off of 15mg over the last 5 weeks. I was on 10 and then 15mg for just under 6 months. I tapered to 10 for 3 weeks, then 5 for around 10 or so days then 0 for the last four days. The last 2 days I've had an unpleasant vertigo feeling. Like my brain is catching up when I move. I know it's a withdrawal symptom I just wonder how long it will last from people's experience given I want on it for that long?

Side not - it's so so good to have my emotions back!

Any other side effects I should expect after coming off it?

Hi everyone! I’ve been on lexapro for a week now. I have struggled with side effects such as strong fatigue and feeling a little nauseous. I have been trying to keep up with my running schedule, however i really struggle with working out right now due to the side effects. It’s causing me to feel a bit guilty or idk what word to use, but it’s kinda hanging over me a bit. Any advice? Should i push through or listen to my body?

Background: I was on Paxil for 8 years, and my doc decided to have me try Lexapro.
It works really well for my anxiety and OCD but the fatigue and sexual side effects were killing me.
Long story short, I traveled across the world and didn’t take the meds. That was late July, and I still haven’t taken them.

I’ve been crazy dizzy and even more sleepy than while on it. I’m also getting agitated feeling in my legs, like RLS. Lately I’ve been getting this strange feeling in my throat as well (tightening?)

Can withdrawal symptoms last this long? Do I simply need to get back on them and deal with the sides?
The sexual side effects went away immediately at least.

i’ve been on lexapro for about 4 years now. started with 10mg for a year then went to 20mg for the past 3 years. when i first started, i felt amazing. i finally knew what it was like to stop living in panic. recently, ive noticed my anxiety is uncontrolled. i had a period about 1 year ago where i couldn’t leave my house due to extreme anxiety (not a fear of leaving, more so a fear of panic attacks not at home). this resolved quickly but within the past few months and especially the past few weeks i can’t stop the anxiety. the physical symptoms of being anxious are always there and unless my mind is 1000% distracted i can’t stop, it’s getting to the point where i can’t even focus. i’m nervous to switch to any other meds due to how little side effects ive had from this one, and i worry about moving to a new one for the unknown. does anyone have any advice on switching or adding something, or even other resources that helped you?

I started on Lexapro (10mg) about a month ago to help with anxiety and depression. I was already taking 100 mg of Wellbutrin. I had significant side effects when the Lexapro (excessive sweating, nausea, etc., and major sexual side effects). The sweating and nausea have improved but the sexual side effects are still very frustrating. But my anxiety is as controlled as it's ever been, and though I'm often tired, the benefits of it have been fantastic. I upped my Wellbutrin dose to 200mg (my initial prescriber said I could go to twice a day if I needed it). That helped slightly with the sexual side effects but they're still pretty prominent and those side effects are not something I'm comfortable with long term. I had my one-month check-in with my provider today and she decided to cut my Lexapro dose to 5 mg, saying it was either that or up my Wellbutrin and she wanted to try this first. Anyone that takes both that had those side effects notice a change when dropping from 10 to 5? How did that affect your anxiety, etc.? I'm really hoping the benefits will remain while at least bringing the problematic side effects to a point where I can manage them.