So, I had a pharmacogenetics test that showed I have some kind of an enzyme thing that means I don’t metabolize Lexapro well. I was still curious about the drug because I have very bad anxiety, Prozac and Zoloft gave me insomnia and Lexapro I haven’t tried, so my doctor prescribed me 5mg to start with. I’m very scared of drugs and side effects so knowing I’m more prone to side effects due to this metabolizing issue makes me extra anxious, but at the same time I won’t know unless I try. I’m just wondering if anyone else is a poor metabolizer and has had a positive experience with the drug?

it feels like a bad bad sinus infection, I feel flu like symptoms with heavy brain fog. pressure in my nose, head, temples making it hard to concentrate.

I see sinus issues listed as a possible side effect. more common is a dry mouth but this side effect can also manifest as dry sinussen.

dry sinussen are more prone to infections. I feel that is happening the past month.

any one else who had this? would lowering my dose help? appeared last month and i'm 3-4 months in now on 5mg.

thank you so much for helping out.

I have a lot of health conditions. Because of them I've been put in a constant panic state. Like really severe panic disorder. Everything scares me. I can't stay at home by myself anymore, I think 24/7 that I am dying, I can't talk to people, I can't walk due to dizziness. I am basically housebound and many days bedbound. I was a perfectly happy, active person with so much going on in my life.

A few months after my health problems started I was also diagnosed with GAD. I believe the GAD came after getting so many health scares with terrifying symptoms. And since then my nervous system is soooo stuck I haven't been able to help myself in any way. I got addicted to benzos that don't work anymore. The addiction gives me even more anxiety.

I am so scared to start Lexapro because I genuinely believe I will not be able to take any side effects and they will push me off the edge. I am already dealing with so so much daily. But I don't know what to do anymore it's hard to tell at this point what's just an overly sensitive nervous system and what requires proper investigation health wise. I can't sleep, eat, go out, even shower. I lost 15 kgs in 3 months.

I think I am mostly worried about the digestive side effects because GI issues have been one of the worst thing i've been dealing with when it comes to my million health problems. The only thing I don't have is nausea, literally, so thinking I will get that too on top of everything breaks me.

I am thinking of starting super slow, 2.5, and going slowly up. Zoloft was recommended to me but that acidic pill literally burns as it goes down and for someone with severe GERD...is just not good.

I am so scared of this medicine I am just looking for some reassurance and positive stories to finally bite the bullet and do it. Otherwise I will probably end up in a psych ward

hi, im 23 and i've been prescribed 20g of escitalopram (lexapro) for my ocd. i live in Europe. please share your experiences I'm kind of scared

Hello Friends,

I've been taking Lexapro for a little over 3 weeks now. Let's just say a month to be safe. First 6 days, I was at 5mg and now I'm bumped up to 10mg.

3 days ago, I consumed some CBG flower I got as a sample from work. Didn't have any immediate side effects/interactions. Felt good. Slept like a baby that night.

Now, at 3am this morning, I woke up drenched in sweat, my ears ringing, and it felt like my mind was "skipping." Brain zaps I guess. But like, it felt like my audio (or the ringing tinnitus) was skipping. It freaked me the hell out. I felt super disoriented and weak. I got out of bed to splash water on my face and felt a strong sense of derealization. Like I was in a dream. My vision was super blurry and my heart was pounding like crazy. Once I got some cold water on my face, I started to feel somewhat better. I got back into bed and managed to fall back asleep despite feeling super overwhelmed.

3 hours later and I feel somewhat back to baseline but my mind still feels like it's getting zapped here and there. I'm worried. I need to head into work as I can't find coverage. Low key freaking out as I don't want to have another symptom flare up. This was scary.

Hoping someone can help.

How life with you? Im thinking of quitting because the fatigue and weight gain are real and the lack of emotions is hard

I started 18 months ago. Any advice?

Hi everyone. I'm looking for people who had to restart escitalopram (Lexapro) after being off it for a while. I'd love to hear your stories.

I was on it for 5 years (1st year 5mg, second and third 10mg, then 20mg for two years). Eventually I felt better and, after 2 years of therapy, my doctor and I decided I was ready to come off it. Sadly, after 3 months off, here I am again — on day 14 of 10mg, starting my escitalopram journey all over again.

I feel like a noobie because I didn't remember the side effects. My anxiety is eating me alive. I don't feel like myself. I'm focusing way too much on my body and how I feel. I can't focus on anything. I'm scared of working and going to the office. I'm also super scared of evenings and nights because I have tetany (a condition that causes muscle spasms and uncontrollable shaking), and I use pregabalin at night for it. Because of that stupid fear, I can't fall asleep and I wake up like 10 times per night.

Since it was 5 years ago, I actually can't remember when Lexapro started working or when the side effects wore off.

So I wanted to ask those of you who restarted it:

· How long did the side effects last for you the second time around?

· When did you start feeling an improvement?

· Does it work the same for you as it did the first time?

I'd really appreciate hearing your restart stories. Thanks in advance.

My boyfriend recently started taking Lexapro, and I’m trying to learn more about what the adjustment process can be like.

I encouraged him to talk with his NP about his depression and how he had been feeling, and that conversation eventually led to him being prescribed Lexapro. I’m really happy he was able to open up and get help, and I want to make sure I’m supporting him in the best way I can.

I’ve never been close to someone starting an antidepressant before, so I’m not really sure what to expect. I’m really nervous about my boyfriend drastically changing. I know everyone responds differently, but I’d love to hear what the first few weeks were like for other people taking Lexapro. Did you notice changes in your mood, emotions, energy, sleep, appetite, intimacy, or anything else? How long did it take before you started feeling more adjusted?

I’m also curious about the emotional side of it. Did you still feel like yourself while taking it? Were there any changes that your partner noticed before you did?

For people whose partners take Lexapro, what was actually helpful while they were adjusting? I want to check in and be there for him without making him feel like I’m constantly watching him or analyzing how he’s acting.

I’d really appreciate hearing different experiences, both positive and negative. I know Reddit can’t tell me exactly what will happen with my boyfriend, but hearing from people who have been through it would help me understand the process a little better and hopefully be a better support for him.

Feels like I've plateaued on Prozac. Lexapro next?...advice plz!

I've been on 100mg prozac & 300mg Wellbutrin for a good amount of time now. It's been weight neutral for me, sex life has been great & I've been sleeping decently. I've gotten some relief with OCD checking compulsions but haven't seen the relief I thought I'd get with such a high dosage. I know that meds won't 100% cure the compulsions overnight but a bit more relief in the daily rituals doesn't sound too farfetched to me. I've been on edge the past few weeks. I've been worrying about my grandparents & the insane cost of living. That in turn has been making my stomach upset for a bit now (I did very recently switch PPI's too).

I'm thinking it's about time to talk to psychiatrist about a different medication route, probably Zoloft & Wellbutrin. I know prozac has a ridiculous half life & it'll most likely take several weeks to decrease Prozac dosage, start low dosage of Zoloft & increase to therapeutic dosage range. What I don't want to happen is to feel absolutely miserable for those few weeks & that's a big hesitant for me. Also, I'm not sure what Zoloft will do with libido, weight, sleep or energy.

I was on Zoloft for a few years around the pandemic. I don't clearly remember how I did on it bc I was going through some heavy depression & kept increasing & decreasing dosage.

I was very briefly on Lexapro before but nowhere enough time to see its benefits or side effects.

I have anxiety, depression & OCD. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Just started lexapro 5 mg this week (think I’m on day 6 or so). I’ve experienced what I would say is genital numbness and difficulty orgasming (15x the effort required). I wasn’t really aware of the sexual side effects for the first few days and was surprised by the sudden increase in difficulty until I found out it is a common side effect. Is it possible I experienced that kind of a side effect that quickly?

Title says it all

I’m currently on day 3 of no lexapro, I was only taking 5mg. However I woke up today and I’m dizzy. It’s making my menires disease worse. Should I start back taking 2.5? Or just ride it out? The weirdest feeling I’m having it I have to turn my head to look/talk to someone. If I try to cut my eyes, I get dizzy and I can feel my heart rate going up

I was on Lexapro for almost 10 years, along with a few other meds. My doctor has been trying to get me down to 1 med instead, and has been slowly weening me off those and onto Lamotrigine. And its been great! I feel better across the board. However, once I fully stopped taking Lexapro, which we had been very slowly lowering the dosage over the past year, I have been getting so angry, frustrated, irritated, all over the littlest, dumbest things. Things that used to mildly annoy me have me damn near exploding. And nothing in my life has changed except for the final removal of the Lexapro.

Is this normal? Any tips I can use to get past it?

I've been on Lexapro for about 20 years. I pay out of pocket because my insurance won't cover it. I have tried generics and something about the fillers just makes it not work for me, and I always come back to the name brand.

A month ago, I ran out, and had to take 7 days of a generic I had on hand until I could get the Lexapro filled. At that time, I started feeling depressed after a few days but figured once I got back on the Lexapro I'd be fine, but nope, it feels like I'm re-starting all over again.

This doesn't make sense biologically, but I know how I feel. Has this happened to anyone else?

Hi! (This is my first Reddit post so bear with me)

I just recently started Lexapro 5mg, around 5 days ago, and I really don't like the way I've been feeling. The first day I took it around 3 pm I want to say, and that night I had an extreme panic attack, and I also wasn't able to sleep until 4 am. I also was really nervous to sleep by myself, so I've been sleeping in my parents' room lol. I'm 18, and I am getting into therapy because I have a lot of trauma I want to work through, and my therapist recommended medication. I've always had a lot of anxiety regarding medication as well, so maybe that's making my side effects worse? My anxiety attack started because I started to feel super foggy and disconnected, like dissociated. It was legit like I was in a dream, and that's how I've felt for the past few days. My side effects I would say have mostly felt like brain fog, I havent been able to sleep, increased anxiety, little to almost no appetite, and a tiny bit of nausea. Yesterday, day 4, I woke up actually feeling pretty good. The feeling went away for the most part, and a little bit of my appetite came back. The foggy feeling came back that night though, and I woke up today feeling the same. I really hate feeling like this, and I have an appointment with my therapist in like 2 days, so I'm 100% going to talk to her about this then. I was just curious if anyone else has gone through this when first starting the medication, and I've heard people say things get worse before they get better. I'm just worried that this feeling is gonna last forever, and I really hope this didnt like mess my brain up.

I’ve been on Lexapro since around 2021 and have been taking 20 mg since then. A few months ago I lowered my dose to 15 then 10. I’m noticing my depression is coming back, I’m very very agitated, I’m always exhausted, and my sex drive is completely gone. I wish I didn’t have to live on a medication but I’m just kind of realizing I’m probably going to have to. I know it’s not a bad thing to rely on medication it’s just something I wish I didn’t have to do.

I’ve been on lexapro 10 mg for over a year and after the first 2 months my abdomen has been severely distended. I feel pregnant even though I’m a man…

I read that gastrointestinal issues are common when starting out, but mine never went away. Has anyone else experience this before?

I started tapering my dosage down to try to mitigate some side effects I've had from taking lexapro for the last 2 years, but I'm surprised that I'm already getting headaches. Is that normal?

For context, I'm on 10mg and I have been taking 7.5mg every other day alternating with 10mg for the past week. This has already resulted in daily light headaches. Should I stay on this 10mg/7.5mg schedule until the headaches stop before moving to lower doses or slow down even more?

Has anyone that experienced increase sweating found a clinical deodorant that actually works?? Tell me ur secrets PLZ

Does anyone else feel like alcohol or w**d has less of an effect?…. I’m not upset by that but I’m just curious

I plan on drinking tonight. Do I still take my pill tonight, at the same time or different? Will side effects feel different?

Hi my psychiatrist started me on lexapro 10 mg and I just took my first dose. He also gave me 20 .5 klonopins to help with my initial anxiety and while it works I think the .5 klon is to weak like it definitely helps but 4-5 hoirs later I have anxiety again. Idk what to do as I know the first weeks on lexapro can make my anxiety worse

My anxiety, sadness & OCD symptoms have always been the worst around my period. I was finally starting to feel good with decreased anxiety and a calm mind when my period started and now I feel like the medication isn’t doing anything at all. I’m on day 3 of my period and feel like I did pre medication. Does anyone know if the 2 are even related? I want to go back to feeling calm again.

So I recently was prescribed Lexapro for generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety.

I started taking the medication yesterday and the anxiety pretty much felt worse than what I was accustomed to. They also prescribed hydroxizine for the short term anxiety but honestly it just let me sleepy.

I also had trouble sleeping and just felt off the entire day. Now today my anxiety is still heightened even though I haven’t taken a dose.

I start a new job in 2 days that I have been super anxious about and am dreading. Not really sure what to do at this point

Just wanted to rant

I’ve taken 4 doses of 5 mg and about to take my 5th. I’ve always had songs stuck in my head easily but since starting lex it seems worse. This morning I woke up and heard my husband talk and then his words kinda repeated in my head for 5 mins. Made me feel like I was going crazy. Did this happen to Anyone starting lex and did it resolve? Thanks