| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken
and Dosage | | Date Added |
  | | | | F M | | | | |
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| 4 | Depression/Anxiety | Altered sex drive, extremely tired all the time | At first it was great, my sex drive, which had gone during my depression, came back with vengence. I couldn't get enough. As time has gone on though, the sleepiness has set in, and the sex drive has gone again. I thought maybe I needed to have my dosage upped, but looking at everyone elses comments about the effects, perhaps I just need to deal with it for a while. Overall, my depression and anxiety are doing well because of this drug. | M | 25 | 3 months
20Mg 1X D | | 8/30/2010
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3 | GAD/Panic attacks/Depression | Nausea, headaches, extreme tiredness, vivid dreams, weight loss due to almost constant nausea | When I firts started taking Lexapro the initial side effects were not too bad. I had the typical nausea and tiredness that most people seem to experience but they subsided (not completely!) I still get head aches occasionally and feel nauseaus quite a bit which has seen my weight plummet to 109 pounds (i'm 5'3). In my opinion this drug is great for depression. I feel generally happier and actually find it difficult to feel upset unless it's something significant. It's a good mood stabilizer. But as for anxiety and panic disorder i'm still unsure whether it is helping me or not. I still have panic attacks although not nearly as many as I was experiencing before taking lexapro. I have symptoms of anxiety on a regular basis. I think what has helped me most is accepting my anxiety and learning ways to manage and deal with it through therapy. I would not rely on this to put an end to anxiety. Therapy and a benzodiazapine are what you need for that. I will probably try and come off lexapro soon. | F | 21 | 9 months
30 1X D | | 8/30/2010
| 5 | GAD | | | F | 52 |
10 1X D | | 8/29/2010
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History | 5 | Anxiety | Yawning throughout the day no matter how much sleep I get, my ears always feel blocked, altho the yawning opens them temporarily. | I feel like I could stay on this drug the rest of my life. Whatever I have to deal with while on it, is well worth how mentally well I feel! | F | 48 | 14 months
10 MG 1X D | | 8/27/2010
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| 2 | headaches | A little weight gain | I just finished weaning off of Lexapro, and it was horrible. I felt terrible for close to 2 weeks. I will never take this medication again for this reason. The medication was fine while I was on it, but coming off of it was not fun. | F | 37 | 6 months
20mg 1X D | | 8/27/2010
| 5 | GAD and Panic Attacks | Restless leg syndrome which is VERY annoying, dry mouth, initially some sleepiness but this went away after about two weeks. | Lexapro saved my sanity! I was experiencing severe panic attacks, one of which landed me in the hospital (thought I was dying). In about two weeks after starting, I began to feel some real relief and the sleepiness went away. I am a 46 year old female. I thought, after about two years of taking the Lexapro that I didn't need it any more. Within one week after abuptly stopping (do NOT do this), the panic attacks were back full force and even a Xanax didn't help. I saw my doc and got back on my dose of Lexapro and now only occasionally have a "break through" attack, but they are much less severe and only happen a few times a year. I recommend Lexapro as an option for GAD and panic disorder. | F | 46 | 6 years
20mg 1X D | | 8/25/2010
| 3 | Depression | Slight disconnect, jaw clenching, low sexual desire, twitching legs | Last few months have not been good. Increase jaw clenching to the point of creating serious TMJ. Sexual desire came back about 50% but never great. Still have a hard time feeling excited about something, no serious depression either so I guess that was the trade off. | M | 58 | 3 years
15-20 1X D | | 8/25/2010
| 4 | GAD | For the first three years I felt fantastic. Lately, however I am experiencing constant muscle twitching primarily on my legs. | I was prescribed Lexapro while in Menopause. After two weeks of taking it I felt as though I got my life back. Slightly decreased libido but only for about six months. I have gained weight but considered that a post menopause syndrome. I'm surprised to be reading about all the weight gain. For the past six months I have been experiencing muscle twitching, primarily on my legs and upper arms. This is a constant twitching.....about 40 times per day. Curious about others that are experiencing the same. | F | 51 | 4 years
20MG 1X D | | 8/22/2010
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| 4 | GAD | Fatigue, lack of energy, nausea | The first month of taking this drug was difficult for me because it made me so nauseous and still occasionally does if I don't take it with food, but overall the benefits definitely outweigh the negative effects it sometimes has. My biggest problem with it, by far, is how tired it makes me - but I'd rather be tired than ridiculously anxious. And I see that a lot of people are experiencing sexual side effects, but I never have. I have orgasms all the time. I guess every drug works differently for different people, but it has been a really positive experience for me. I still have panic attacks occasionally, but not anywhere near as often. | F | 21 | 6 months
10 MG 1X D | | 8/19/2010
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| 5 | anxiety, depression | First two weeks as my body was adjusting were brutal (nausea, drowsiness, loss of appetite), but since then it's been wonderful. I've not experienced any of the weight gain or bloating. I am having some very vivid dreams and sweating a bit more, but who cares. I'm back to feeling like myself. | You really need to stay on it through the initial week or two for your body to adjust before deciding this is the drug for you. | F | 39 | 4 months
10 mg 1X D | | 8/18/2010
| 5 | anxiety | slight constipation, sleepiness. Worked great. Then one day just stopped working. | | M | 52 | 3 years
10 1X D | | 8/18/2010
| 5 | GAD/Depression | Initially, I experienced increased anxiety, it lasted a few days and was totally worth it! | Firstly,Id like to say Ive seen an inc in positive comments for Lex on this site since I was here last.People generally dont go on forums to speak about pos exp -we like to vent when we've had a neg exp,its human nature, so please bear that in mind. I began taking lex 1yr ago for GAD.For some reason I never admitted to my doc how depressed I had been.I began on 5mgs-which is a good dose to start on with GAD as the adjustment phase can be a bit rocky.On hearing about the adj phase a few years back I declined anti-ds because I wondered why I would want to inc the symptoms I was trying to get rid of.As I said,it was only for a few days.After 2 weeks I increased to 10mgs as I really wasn't feeling the benifits on 5mgs.Well,I have never looked back!Iam so much happier and able to manage life.I wont say I'm cured,I still have my wobbles but the Lex is the support which helps me to deal.Some people have told me they feel under a cloud or spaced out on Lex-I have never felt clearer or more in control.I'm happy and calm-I love it.Negatives would be-my libido has suffered a bit but I can live with that and I have gained about a stone.I thought initially the w8 gain was due to my pos mood-being hungry an not having my guts in a twist the whole time.All I can say is..if youre unhappy,cant deal with life,are too afriad to go outside,give this a go,youre already at rock bottom and the only way is up.Chin up,youll find yourself again.Good luck. | F | 29 | 1 years
10 mg 1X D | | 8/18/2010
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| 2 | Depression and Anxiety | More irratible. Total loss of sex drive. Loss of appetite. Burning sensations. Increased anxiety. | Doc started me on 10 mg of Lexapro for depression and anxiety. To be fair, some people say that it works wonders for them, but it was a real nightmare for me. Almost immediate loss of sex drive. Within 15 minutes of taking one the nausea set in and never let up. It made me foggy and emotionally distant. Seemed to make my OCD worse. Could not get horrible thoughts out of my head. Increased sweating and hot flashes were unbearable. Intense burning in the soles of my feet. Total loss of appetite to the point where everthing I ate just seemed to get bigger the more I chewed it. Lost 10 lbs quickly. By the evening of day 5 I was almost in full blown panic attack. I went back to the doc and he switched me to Prozac and Klonopin. After I took one dose of Prozac I noticed right away that there was no nausea. Soon after I ate a cheeseburger and had no problems tasting it or swallowing it. Loved every bite. Ate breakfast this morning just fine. Hot flashes and feet burning have dissapated and are almost gone. All summed up Lexapro was horrible for me. To soon to tell about Prozac after only one dose, but the Klonopin worked well immediately for GAD. Already feel calmer and better. Placebo? Maybe. Who cares. I'll take a placebo that works over Lexapro anyday. Hope Prozac is the stuff for me. | M | 42 | 5 days
10 1X D | | 8/18/2010
| 5 | depression | Lessening of depression and increased confidence. What loss of libido? Husband think I am on an aphrodesiac. No weight gain, in fact, less compulsive about food. Notice my mind works faster. Have noticed no adverse side effects. Took awhile to get effect, several weeks. Now have more energy and laughing. | Best antidepressant I have tried. Better than Prozac or Wellbutrin. Has helped pain in my knees which was constant. | F | 61 | 90 days
10 MG 1X D | | 8/17/2010
| 4 | anxiety | loss of appetite | seemed to work quickly, I felt less anxiety, not feeling extra drowsy or lethargic | F | 24 | 2 days
10 mg 1X D | | 8/10/2010
| 3 | OCD | Fantastic vivid dreams, not scary, but relaistic.
Apart from that, no problems at all. | Not yet made a great difference to my compulsions, which are thoughts not actions, Dr wants me to increase to 20mg soon if I feel it has not helped as much as it could, might get worse side effects then? | F | 40 | 2 months
10mg 1X D | | 8/9/2010
| 3 | Anxiety | My first 2 days on Lexapro I felt a lot of anxiety relief. I was able to sleep a lot better. Then on the third night I woke up from a deep sleep and had a rapid heart beat along with a feeling of nausea. I started to having loud ringing in both my ears, (felt like I was going deaf) my vision was darkening and getting blurry. The worst anxiety attack I've ever had!!! I was told by my doctor that it was most likely not caused by the Lexapro. I was also taking Bystolic for 5 days before I started Lexapro and was told to only take it when my heart rate increased. Well, since my "attack" I haven't been able to sleep. I am very well aware of my heart beat which is very irritating. I feel like my head is going to explode when I lay down, my hands and feet sweat, lightheaded, and I worry constantly about everything that is happening to me. I hope I feel normal again soon. | | F | 27 | 4 days
5mg 1X D | | 8/8/2010
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| 5 | Asperger's Syndrome | | It has changed my life. I tried to commit suicide. Knew I was different. Never could figure out why. After trying to commit suicide decided to dee a counselor. After one session we both came to the same conclusion during the intervening week. Now that I know what's wrong I can now address it. All the dark skies have cleared up and am now working on my social skills and being proactive with treatment. | M | 42 | 11 days
10 MG 1X D | | 8/1/2010
| 1 | Anxiety | I'm almost certain that I'd rather endure my regular anxiety attacks! I just took my first Lexapro at about 7:00 pm, at 11:30 while watching TV I had this rushing heat sensation up my torso and up through my scalp. My heart started beating so fast that I swear I was going to literally pass out. After a hot shower and breathing deeply, the worst has passed but I can't lay down, because I can hear my heartbeat. It's 2 am, I'm exhausted but am not able to sleep. This is almost like a cruel joke! I think I will stick to Zoloft, which was great at taking the edge off! If 10mg did this to me I cant imagine if I had taken a higer dose! If you react strongly to meds DO NOT TAKE this drug! I will not be continuing it! | Too strong! Makes me feel like I'm on drugs! Eyes dialated & rapid heartbeat!!! | F | 36 | 1 days
10 mg 1X D | | 7/31/2010
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| 4 | Reactive Depression and GAD | I have only been on it since yesterday ....one very weird dream....and perhaps not as full of energy | I react badly to situations. In last 20 years I have had 4 bouts of depression caused by financial problems, GFC etc. Usually once the problem resolves itself, the depression lifts. The current problem has been running two years and I have become heavily depressed with bouts of anxiety (when things get worse, or an event happens where I lose control of the problem); My life became unbearable, I had trouble getting out of bed in the morning, could not do the things I used to love..became a pain to whole family. I wanted to avoid medication and after spending hours reading forums such as this and about side effects, withdrawl etc, started with 5 mg Lexapro yesterday. This sounds very strange but I felt better almost immediately. It is no placebo effect. Feels a bit like taking valium or atavan, the heavy sighing feeling has gone and the anxiety is gone....will re-visit this forum in a week or so just in case this is really too good to be true. | M | 56 | 2 days
5 mg 1X D | | 7/29/2010
| 3 | anxiety | weight loss, burning feeling inside skin,dizziness | started lexapro because my only child is harded after to college and that is very hard for me to deal with ended up in the hospital with a heart rate of 150 bp 208/100 doctor started me on xanax 0.5 mg and 10 mg of lexapro.Now I take xanax has needed and 10mg of lexapro was too much down to 5mg and soon to 2.5 mg and plan to be off not something I want to stay on. | F | 37 | 6 weeks
5mg 1X D | | 7/24/2010
| 3 | Anxiety | Nausea,Very angry, irritable,I have 3 kids and i am also married.. I really feel i am making everyone so miserable do to my side effects.. | | F | 36 | 60 days
10 1X D | | 7/23/2010
| 4 | depression, panic, agoraphobia | In the beginning, lots of side effects: anxiety, nausea, not wanting to eat, weight loss, diarrhea. Once I got used to the meds and increased dose over 6 weeks, the side effects went away. | I am writing to give others who suffer from panic disorder and agoraphobia hope. I started low (2.5 mg) and built up. It's tough with all the side effects in the beginning, but after about a month I felt so much better. I'm on a very low dose because I'm extremely sensitive to anti-depressants (discovered by taking 10 mg and nearly crawling out of my skin for 48 hours.) I'm able to drive, go to work, and generally feel better - much less anxious and depressed. I do feel it sometimes, but it's like it's muffled. Overall, much better. | F | 39 | 2 months
5 mg 1X D | | 7/20/2010
| 2 | depression | lethargic, weepy. | | F | 45 | 2 months
20mg 1X D | | 7/20/2010
| 1 | severe depression and anxiety | It made me like I was plastered drunk and made me act psychotic. I blacked out and dont remember anything that happened the whole time I was on it. My family had to retreat from me. | | F | 36 | 14 days
10 mg 1X D | | 7/18/2010
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| 1 | Anxiety | Apathy, difficulty concentrating, short term memory issues, mild GI discomfort | Most anxiety disappeared almost immediately but I went from a laughing, loving husband and father to someone who seemed like a ghost. It took me too long to connect the medication with the personality change but eventually I ceased taking it. Two years later I still don't feel like I'm back 100%, as if there is some permanent change. I'm closer to enjoying life but I feel like my imagination and zest for life have been crippled to a certain degree. My wife and siblings all noted the difference but felt like the removed anxiety could be worth it so never said anything. Let me tell you, I enjoy the anxiety much more than that hollow feeling. Never messing with brain chemistry again. | M | 39 | 11 months
10mg 1X D | | 7/16/2010
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| 2 | depression/ anxiety | I experienced extreme sweating, rapid weight gain and food cravings, lethargic, emotional imbalance and inability to get excited or laugh about things. I am weaning myself off and have already began to notice a lessening of symptoms. While I still struggle with depression, I am attempting to curb it through diet and exercise. I hope to be Lexapro free within the next two weeks! | | F | 26 | 1 years
20 mg 1X D | | 7/14/2010
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| 5 | Depression, Anxiety, Agorpahobia | So far no side effects and doing well at 5mg. | I have suffered with anxiety, agoraphobia and emetophobia (fear of vomiting or seeing others vomit) all my life. Ive been on Xanax for 5 years, low dose, this have given me a good part of my life back. I havent seen the beach in 36 years and planning to go in a month, if I make it, Lexapro is a Godsend. | F | 56 | 36 days
5 MG 1X D | | 7/11/2010
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| 3 | generalized anxiety disorder | nausea, could not consume alcohol | Lexapro worked great for me the first few months I began taking it. I have had trouble sleeping my entire life, and after taking 10mg an hour before bedtime, I slept great. I was also less irritable. The MAJOR side effect for me was blacking out after cosuming one alcoholic drink and vomiting the entire next day. After seeing 2 doctors, I finally realized it was lexapro that caused it after suffering with that side effect for 2 years. I am now on sertraline (generic for zoloft)- no vomiting after drinking but I feel like a zombie. | F | 22 | 3 years
10 mg 1X D | | 7/11/2010
| 4 | depression | Terrible head sweats. Any extra movement and I sweat. Full body sweats at night when sleeping. | Works much better than when I was on Prozac and Cymbalta. When I was on those two medications I was a zombie, not feeling the lows but also not feeling the highs. With Lexapro I have the highs. I am also experiencing normal feelings like grief, happiness and hope. On the other two medications I was just numb all day, every day. | F | 51 | 1 years
20 mg 1X D | | 7/8/2010
| 1 | anxiety/depression | Side effects: First, fatique and weight loss. Next was the complications of orgasm. Next, weight gain (twenty pounds), apathy with my family, indifference with life and my future. | I started taking Lexapro because of "empty nest" when my youngest left for college. I was sad and not sure what life would deal me when they were gone. Lexapro, in the beginning, gave me a lift in life. I suffered the side effects of the drug believing I was feeling better. I am here after six years of the drug and have realized, it altered me with the effects and side effects that were not really good. A psychologist and a therapist would tell me that I was good but the effects on my family life were devastating. I know weaning from the drug is horrible. It will send your brain into jolts and even after a month of weaning, the jolts are minimal but still present. I have come to believe that this drug is something that "everyone" takes but have no idea how it effects your life because you are in a drug induced blunder that makes you think life is good. I lost my husband of twenty seven years, both of my children and I am alone. I contribute these lossed to the way Lexapro effected me. | F | 49 | 6 years
20 1X D | | 6/30/2010
| 3 | general anxiety, mild depression | Delayed ejaculation, though not after a month on the drug. Some irregularity (bowel movements). | Well, I am one cool horny dude without the premature ejaculation. Lexapro doesn't make me impotent, it makes me last longer! | M | 21 | 1 years
20 mg 1X D | | 6/29/2010
| 3 | Anxiety | Helped with anxiety and social disorder, but I felt numb to any emotion at all. Not happy, not sad, just bored and uninterested. Very much unlike my normal self. I'm stopping the medication. | | F | 45 | 1 years
10 1X D | | 6/29/2010
| 3 | Chronic depression (dysthymia) | No negative side effects. One positive side effect for me is the ability to last longer sexually (from the male perspective). Easily the most tolerable antidepressant I've ever taken. | Lexapro ever so slightly takes the edge off of the sadness I experience but falls way short in lifting depression. My doctor is experimenting with add-ons or increased dosages. So far no success. | M | 49 | 3 years
30 MG 1X D | | 6/28/2010
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| 2 | Depression / Fatigue | Dizziness and Very Tired even if taken at night. | Maybe it would work for you but it was too sedating and made me dizzy. | M | 28 | 7 days
10 1X D | | 6/27/2010
| 4 | Depression, Bipolar | Nausea, Dizziness, Foggy feeling, Teeth Grinding/Jaw Clenching, Slight loss of libido, Fatigue | I was up to 20mg a day before and stopped cold turkey after the side effects (mainly the teeth grinding/jaw clenching and fatigue) became too much. Bad idea! But now, 4 months later I'm back on, at 5mg, and using mindfulness, etc to help otherwise. Much better. Most of the other side effects have been pretty minor this time. Do have to wear a mouth guard at night though. | F | 25 | 7 months
20mg/5mg 1X D | | 6/26/2010
| 4 | Depression | Lower abdomen muscle spasms, laughing a lot, trouble sleeping and waking up early, hyperactivity, dry mouth. | I know I've only taken this for one day, but I am already feeling the effects of it. I was just wondering if anyone else has had lower abdomen muscle spasms? They don't hurt, but they are bothersome. It only happens with I lay down on my side, though. | M | 19 | 1 days
10 MG 1X D | | 6/23/2010
| 4 | anxiety, depression | weight gain, fatigue, unable to orgasm during intercourse, insomnia, lack of sympathy, apathy, losing hair. | Works well for depression and anxiety. I'm calmer during stressful times. I cannot orgasm during intercourse and I've tried everything. If I take the medicine at night I won't go to sleep. If I take it mid-morning I want to sleep in the afternoon so I take it first thing in morning. I have been losing hair. I have gained weight. I do feel bursts of happiness throughout the day. | F | 31 | 5 years
20mg 1X D | | 6/23/2010
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| 5 | OCD, GAD, depression. | none. | it's amazing as a drug could change your life completely. on 20 mg my head is clear, i'm more more reasonable... no sexual side effcet like other SSRIs! it's to try if u have OCD or GAD. it eradicates alla them away. it helps a lot also on depression. awesome stuff. | M | 24 | 7 days
20 mg 1X D | | 6/21/2010
| 4 | Anxiety, Depression,Eating Disorder | First week light headedness, laughing uncontrollably, very relaxed.Later increased appetite, extreeme weight gain even with exercise, hard to orgasm . | I would say this medication helped me to feel more like me or my old self without depression. It made dealing with anxiety better and coping alot better in all situations. It made me calm and more patient with myself and others. On the down side in 9months i have gained about 20kgs :( and that is with exercising 60min per day!In all honesty i needed to gain about 7kgs maximum due to my eating disorder, for the rest it just kept piling on uncontrollably. Also I feel more sluggish and find it hard to get up, my legs swell sometimes and that is painful. It is also hard to reach orgasm, sometimes so much that i give up on it all together. | F | 29 | 9 months
10mg 1X D | | 6/18/2010
| 1 | "Suspected" depression | Cannot get out of bed. Cannot drink any alcohol. Cannot focus on work. Headaches and eye pains. | I am going to stop cold turkey. | M | 61 | 30 days
10 1X D | | 6/17/2010
| 5 | major depression, PMS and GAD | Really no negative side effects. Lost weight at first. After a month back to normal (very petite). No sexual issues or side effects of any kind | Life Changing Drug!!! Struggled with a horrible cycle of insomnia, anxiety, depression, life changes and hormonal changes for a year. On day one of taking Lexapro I fell asleep within an half hour for the first time in a year. Within a week I felt like my old self but even better. The worries, and the major (and i mean MAJOR deep dark hole depression) I experienced (especially PMS depression)is gone and has stayed gone. I can feel emotion but don't fall apart all the time and I CAN SLEEP up to 6 total hours a night. A huge improvement from 2 or 3 hours. I plan on embracing this drug as long as I need to | F | 46 | 2 months
10 1X D | | 6/15/2010
| 3 | OCD | Stomach ache accompanied with nausea, nigh sweats, clenching my jaw (so bad it hurts to chew food!), dry mouth, and tonsss of nosebleeds!
I'm too scared to increase up to 20 and or 30 (like my doc wanted me to). I can't imagine getting anymore side effects. | I'm on Lexapro for my obsessive thinking (not obsessive actions) and i can't tell if its doing anything yet. I think it may just need to be in my body for longer. I don't know if the benefits outweigh the side effects. | F | 19 | 1 months
10mg 1X D | | 6/13/2010
| 3 | Anxiety | Weight Gain | For the most part, I really like Lexapro. After a hard time such as divorce and job loss, it helped me get back on track. However, it almost made me feel numb. But, the day that I may miss a pill, I'm a crying reck and take everything very personally. I am switching to Effexor XR with the hopes that it will counteract the 25 pound weight gain that I have acquired over the past year. | F | 29 | 1 years
20 mg 1X D | | 6/11/2010
| 2 | depression and anxiety | sleepiness | This drug helped a lot with my anxiety, but after a while it seemed to worsen my depression. I felt vague and weepy and had no motivation. The withdrawal was not that bad, though. | F | 44 | 5 weeks
20mg 1X D | | 6/11/2010
| 5 | Major Depression | Weight gain, vivid dreams/nightmares going on or off but otherwise normal. Worst side effect is complete sexual dysfunction - inability to orgasm, hating being touched, feeling as though any sexual contact is as annoying as rubbing an eyeball. | Close to a miracle drug for me - vastly improved social confidence, feelings of "happiness" as opposed to the wretchedness and despair of deep depression. Much improved anxiety control. Much better sleep. If it were not for the sexual side effects, which end up with me not even wanting to be hugged or kissed either, I would stay on this drug FOREVER. However, I'm trying out Pristiq to see if I can achieve something with OK effects without total sexual dysfunction. Have tried tons of others with disastrous consequences. If Pristiq doesn't work well, I will head straight back to lexapro and my husband and I will just keep on working on ways to have a relationship that don't revolve around me being responsive. It's SO hard being forced to choose between dealing with my problems and creating a huge marriage problem. (Don't get me wrong, we have a very long and loving marriage, but it's sure hard being like this!) Otherwise I love, love, love how Lexapro makes me feel. | F | 50 | 180 days
15mg 1X D | | 6/9/2010
| 1 | Severe Depression, PTSD | I gained a LOT of weight, I felt a bit ill at first, but it went away after 10 days of taking the medication. The weight gain occurred even though I was formally working out two hours a day plus other physical activity. Loss of sexual desire, difficult to obtain orgasm and a general lack of feeling "real." | I don't understand how the FDA and drug companies rate the side effects of these drugs? Almost everybody I know on Lexapro and other SSRI's gain weight (including those who review the medications here). I think gaining 10, 15, 20 pounds + doesn't do much for your overall self-concept, not to mention the physical consequences of being overweight. When you read the reported side-effects, they say maybe five percent of the people gain weight. With all due respect, I wonder if the drug makers have the same relationship with the FDA as BP did with the Department of Interior. | M | 54 | 6 months
20 MG 1X D | | 6/8/2010
| 4 | racing thoughts/OCD | still some OCD.. racing thoughts on occassion.. however, the big down side is it takes me forever to orgasim (like 20 minutes) | | M | 48 |
1X D | | 6/3/2010
| 3 | PMS symptoms | increased sweating, decreased interest in sex | | F | 48 | 5 years
5 mg 1X D | | 6/3/2010
| 5 | Severe Anxiety/GAD/Depression | There are undoubtable sexual side effects with this drug for men, but nothing major! It's a little bit harder to achieve an orgasim, but that's all. No other side effects to speak of. | This drug is as close as it gets to a miracle drug, it has definitely changed my life for the better. No more worrying about certain social situations, concerts, planes, movie theaters, long drives, trips, etc. My work and gym routines are back to normal thanks to Lexapro. If you want to take back your life from the grips of anxiety and depression try Lexapro, it works! | M | 28 | 6 months
10 MG 1X D | | 6/2/2010
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| 2 | Anxiety | Took it for anxiety, but became very apathetic. Extemely hard time getting up in the morning. Didn't want to do anything Usually could not sleep with the indigestion it caused. No sex drive either even when taking Ginko. Tried the rest of these SSRIs and none worked. Wellbutrin was the best, but the anxiety was awful | | F | 40 | 3 months
5mg 1X D | | 5/31/2010
| 4 | depression | A little nausea, dry mouth, clenched jaw, drowsiness-during the day whilst trying to work - but at night could not sleep.
On the sixth day however, woke up after an ok nights sleep bright and alert-ready to take on the day and havent looked back yet. | Still experiencing some very slight side effects-stress very slight-the turn around that i experienced on the sixth day was incredible.Now on my eleventh day and feeling much like the old self...much more energy,am able to deal with work-the litle things arent stressing and freaking me out-think i might actually be smiling....which could be hurting my face more than the jaw clenching since it is so out of practise doing it.Have decided to not get sucked into reading toooo many negative reports and issues in getting off - am happy to stay on, keep smiling and invite people back into my life! | F | 35 | 10 days
10 mg 1X D | | 5/29/2010
| 5 | severe social anxieties | Good mood, talkative, social, loss of libido, need extra sleep | I have been taking Lexapro for more than two years. I used to have very severe social anxieties in which I'd go into freeze, flight, fight mode over every little tiny social situation. My anxiety level has fallen to that of other people's. The benefits from Lexapro are definitely outweighting the negatives of loss of libido and needing extra sleep.
I recommend trying Lexapro if you have severe social anxieties. However, Lexapro should not be prescribed lightly. It is a difficult drug to taper off of.
As for needing extra sleep, I find that skipping a dose every once in awhile helps.
| M | 48 | 2 years
10 mg 1X D | | 5/28/2010
| 1 | anxiety | In my opinion this medication made me feel more anxious and nervous. | | | 36 |
10 mg 1X D | | 5/27/2010
| 4 | Extreme anxiety and depression | 20 lbs unexplained weight gain; extreme fatigue; worse GERD; dry mouth. | After my son was in a horrible accident with multiple broken bones and legal charges I was ready to call it quits. Lexapro has helped me avoid the extreme emotions and fears. I probably wouldn't have taken it if this weren't such an extreme situation. I'm hoping that as things settle down and life returns to normal I can soon be off the medication. I'm afraid for withdrawal effects. | F | 57 | 1 years
10 mg 1X D | | 5/26/2010
| 3 | Anxiety/Depression | Extreme and quick weight gain of approximately 5lbs per month until I gained 60 lbs plus I had vivid dreams and nightmares. After about 3 years, it effected my knees, made me anxious, caused heart problems culminating in a silent heart attack. I went off of Lexapro, lost about 25 lbs, knees got back in shape. However, I became very depressed and had obsessive thoughts of suicide (but did not want to kill myself). After being off for a year, I decided to go back on. The depression and suicidal thoughts went away. However, I quickly starting gaining weight again, my knees hurt, and I feel like I'm having some heart problems. | I wish the drug company would figure out how to reduce the side effects. | F | 51 | 6 years
10 1X D | | 5/25/2010
| 1 | to "treat" adverse rxn to accutane | severe anxiety, depressive spells, head pain, chest pain, shortness of breath, tremors, internal vibrations, feelings of burning under skin, exercise intolerance, orgasm intolerance, vision disturbances, agitation, akathisia, rage... LOL, I am not kidding, I could go on for a while. | Absolute worse decision that was ever made for me. I had a bad rxn to an acne medicine that caused me panic attacks, and was put on 10mg of lexapro. Have suffered worsening side effects as time went on. I'd be off of it in a heartbeat if it weren't for the fact that the withdrawal is simply unbearable. I'm now trying to stabilize on 10mg again after a failed taper and get my life back for at least a while. This drug has stolen the last/best two years of my life away, and I'd hate for this to happen to anyone else. Seek therapy, ditch the poison. It'll be the best decision you ever made. | M | 22 | 2.5 years
10MG 1X D | | 5/15/2010
| 1 | insomnia | Long-term severe discontinuation syndrome: internal shaking, muscle spasms, vision problems, throat problems, breathing problems, electrical brain zaps, mental fog, too many others to name. | | F | 52 | 2 weeks
10 mg 1X D | | 5/13/2010
| 2 | Anxiety & OCD | My opinon is that I first experienced a burning/cold feeling in my nose and eyes, headache, and stomach ache. That went away after a few weeks. Now I am having very dry, itchy skin and a bloody nose. | I keep hoping it will start helping me a little more. | | 36 | 4 months
10 mg 1X D | | 5/12/2010
| 5 | GAD | At first I had trouble sleeping but this past after couple of weeks. Still have proble with sexual side effect (cumming)even after prolonged sex. But I'm not complaining about this, I can always manage to shoot a load if I resort to hand work. | This has to be the best drug i have found in the lst 15 years and I have tried many of them. Finally able to feel myself and not drive my family to the edge. Took about three weeks for full effect to kick in, but began to feel better after first few days. Problem with shooting seems to be getting better, but I'm not so worried about that, since I now feel up to having sex 3-4 time per week rather than 3 -4 times per month. Getting hard on is no problem since depression is better, have quit using viagra. | M | 52 | 6 months
20 mg 1X D | | 5/7/2010
| 4 | Depression | My main complaint is weight gain. 1kg each month I've been taking it. I had to go on a diet and crazy exercise just to slow the weight gain and haven't been able to get any weight off. I had occasional head spins when I started initially. These went within a week and don't come back if I miss a dose. | I feel like a new person - I can relate to people without it feeling like a huge effort now. My sex drive is down but not gone and I can still orgasm with effort and it seems to be as good if not slightly better than before. It's resolved some social phobia that I wasn't even aware of until I started taking Lexapro and it went away - I've "come out of my shell" and am having much more fun. However after 10 mths I'm now getting sick of exercising 6 days a week and dieting, just to keep on top of the weight gain and barely managing to do so. I'm regretfully going to my GP next week to discuss other alternatives. | F | 34 | 10 months
10mg 1X D | | 5/6/2010
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| 5 | ANXIETY | | | M | 31 | 2 years
10MG 1X D | | 5/5/2010
| 3 | Anxiety | Neausea, reflux, headache, jittery, twitching body, sore neck | Was on 10mg for 4 yrs then decided to come off was off 4 mths then had to go back on for extreme anxiety started on 10mg for a month no major side effects now on 20mg for last week noticing extremely sore neck and headache that wont go away, extremely jittery might go back to 10mg. Side effects when weaning off was brain zaps that lastes for a few weeks. | F | 32 | 5 weeks
20mg 1X D | | 5/4/2010
| 5 | Anxiety/Panic Disorder | Started slowly on 5mg for 2 days and then 7.5 for 2 days then went to 10mg. First few days very spacey after a few hours of taking it. Some mild headaches which seem to be getting better. Lack of sexual desire and it is hard to reach orgasum but not impossible. | I wasnt able to leave my house without having dizziness and disorentation. After about a week I felt myself just going out without having these symptoms. Little things seem not to bother me and my mood has increased. My obessive thoughs of my Heart Disease are becoming less and less. With Zoloft it took about 4 weeks to kick in and I had much worse side effects. So far I am happy with Lexapro. Just keep in mind, just because one SSRI dosent 100% agree with you, another can work much better. Also dont let the first few days scare you. | M | 39 | 3 weeks
10 MG 1X D | | 5/1/2010
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| 1 | Major Depression | This is the last SSRI I will try. I cannot tolerate them. Lexapro gave me quivers in my hands and also twitching. It put a wall in my mind that I couldn't think through. I felt controlled and blunted. Now I am trying to wean myself off of it, very slowly, and still I have awful, terrible, withdrawal side effects. I believe although, my case is an exception. No SSRIs help me. | I don't know if this is relevant but when I had to wean off Lexapro and also with Zoloft, I acquired very bad urinary tract infection symptoms. I mean horrible. Weaning Lexapro out of my system has made me dizzy, nauseated, weak, chills, night sweats. Being hot and cold at the same time. muscle fatigue, sleeping constantly, and also a very elusive feeling that I am sick and something is wrong but I cannot put my finger on it. | F | 47 | 4 months
10 1X D | | 5/1/2010
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| 5 | relieve chest pain due to anxiety | wasn't sure if weight gain was lexapro or menopause (I've always been skinny/petite, now i'm just average) | Used to take Zoloft for same chest tightness. Got better, stopped. Recurrance-Zoloft would not solve. Prescribed Lexapro and haven't looked back--sexual desire diminished but I can overcome that. Otherwise it is PERFECT. | F | 54 | 7 years
15 mg 1X D | | 4/28/2010
| 5 | GAD | The first week I took Lexapro I experienced headaches which is rare for me. But after one week the disappeared with no other side effects. A little spaciness for the first 2 months but nothing to bad. | I am not a drug person and have been trying to cope and try to defeat GAD on my own. However all my efforts failed and I finally gave in to what my doctor had suggested for over two years. I'm finally myself again!! Daring, fun, and love life. I was really scared at first taking anything but I'm so glad I did, it has changed my life and everyone around me is glad that I'm back. | F | 40 | 4 months
10 1X D | | 4/25/2010
| 4 | Anxiety | Very dazed for 3 days, and excessive yawning. Some insomnia off and on. Nausea first day, made better by taking pill with food one hour before bed. | This absolutely helped reduce the amount of anxiety/worry. I only had one panic attack while taking this. Have changed to Celexa due to insurance not covering Lexapro. | M | 32 | 3 weeks
10mg 1X D | | 4/24/2010
| 3 | Anxiety | EXTREME Weight Gain, Fatigue, General Loss of Emotion, Disconnected | Lexapro works great for relieving my anxiety symptoms, but I am slowly working my way off of it due to the drastic weight gain. I have tried to diet and increase my exercise, but with no results. I have 2 close friends who are also on this drug and they have had the same drastic weight gain. | F | 28 | 6 months
10 1X D | | 4/21/2010
| 2 | GAD | I have been taking Lexapro for a full year now, and abruptly stopped taking it 10 days ago. I couldn't continue with the drug. It helped me with the general level of anxiety that I fear. I avoid conflicts because they stress me out, and with Lexapro, I would never feel stressed and stopped over thinking things and processing them in my head. This initially seemed like a good effect, as I feel completely "sheltered" from the world behind s Lexapro. However, I couldn't feel anything. I stopped caring about just about everything, felt bored and uninterested most of the time and didn't have any interest in my life of myseld. I also felt so scatter brained that I couldn't get anything done. I finally decided that enough was enough. | | F | 40 | 1 years
10mg 1X D | | 4/21/2010
| 2 | Adjustment disorder | Twitching, rashes, breathlessness, waking up at night, heart pains, headaches, giddiness, weakening of body, urine retention | Uncontrollable twitching was terrible. Lasted for 3 days when I took the 10mg everyday.. hoping it would go away by itself but it didn't. Luckily my doctor stopped my medication. Now I am taking Hydroxyzine, which at least only causes me headache so far. | F | 24 | 3 weeks
10mg 1X D | | 4/21/2010
| 5 | Anxiety and depression | fatigue, loss of weight, apathy== first apx. 2 months
I have some hair loss but do not know if it is related to the drug.
| No longer have anxiety or panic attacks or even irrational fears. | F | 72 | 4 years
5mg 1X D | | 4/19/2010
| 5 | depression | Initially, loss of appetite, fatigue. All went away in first month of therapy. | Didn't get full results until going to 20mg from 10mg, after 6 weeks of treatment.
Love it, cahnged my life! | F | 40 | 6 months
20 mg 1X D | | 4/18/2010
| 3 | mild anxiety | no desire desire for sex, extreme weight gain, constant yawning and lethargic, not much feeling of any type of emotion, seemed to be gradually getting worse the longer I stayed on it | I was suffering a few bouts of anxiety with some family probs and not sleeping too well when i was prescribed Lexapro, and initially I thought it was a miracle cure BUT after taking it over 12 months, my personality had changed from bubbly and fun loving on the whole to dull and disinterested, gradually losing all desire for going out or socialising, I gained 40 pounds and had little emotional range or any sexual desire. I couldnt concentrate on any task around the home or work long enough to get any one thing done and always felt scattered. I spoke to my doctor and reduced my dosage to 5mg daily then 5mg second daily over a month. I have not taken lexapro for 4 days now... but i now have horrid flu like symptoms inside my body. my head feels heavy, i feel vague, cant sleep at night, lethargic and very weepy and tired during the day. I so look forward to being finally rid of all these symptoms especially the flu feeling- its horrid. I'm sure its fantastic for some but in hindsight I probably should have been given a sleeping pill 12 months ago instead. It seems to be a nasty drug to muck around with. | F | 44 | 12 months
10mg 1X D | | 4/18/2010
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| 4 | Anxiety | The first day I took Lexapro, I experienced a day long headache and spaciness. Now that I've been on the medicine for a few months, the side effects are more minor: fatigue throughout the day, slightly more hair loss than normal, and a lower sex drive. | Throughout my life, I've been a perfectionist with a severe fear of failure. I constantly believed ppl were judging me and would over-analyze most situations. This anxiety started hindering my daily life, so I mustered up the courage to speak to a doctor. After being on Lexapro, I'm back to confident, social self. I still experience anxiety in certain social situations, but I'm now more self conscious about a red, blotchy rash I get on my neck and chest than how people are judging me. Lexapro has given my the courage to 'make fun' of this weird rash I get and charge through these situations that make me anxious and want to hide from the situation. I feel more at ease and comfortable with myself. However, I wish I could figure something to combat this rash! Medicine works differently for everyone, so I hope your doctor can find something that works for you. | F | 27 | 3 months
10 mg 1X D | | 4/16/2010
| 1 | Depression and anxiety | Everyone describes it perfectly. It helped me in the beginning and I didn't feel bad anymore. However I also didn't feel any other emotions either. It killed my personality, made me dizzy, killed my sex drive, and put weight on me. I used to be an artist and I haven't done anything in 4 years. I don't find joy in anything. It's like I'm sitting back and watching everyone else have fun, but I can't seem to comprehend it or find joy in anything. For patients with Dystonia beware because it changes your brain functions and it made my symptoms worse to the effect of more muscle spasms and muscle knots that never go away. Once the condition worsens, it almost never gets better. BEWARE these pharmaceutical companies and the FDA which allowed this life altering drug on the market. Do your research and be aware of your body before you put anything in it. | | M | 27 | 5 years
20 1X D | | 4/16/2010
| 5 | Depression | Vivid dreams, yawning | I've been taking it for a year and a half, and it really works for me! It's lifted my depression and makes me feel normal. When you first start taking Lexapro, it can have more side effects, but just continue to take it, and they will all get better. Lexapro is a "long-term" drug and it's effects are best seen after taking it for some time. | F | 28 | 1.5 years
20mg 1X D | | 4/15/2010
| 5 | Anxiety | No major side effects. I have not gained weight but having more trouble, it seems, being able to lose weight. | This drug pulled me out of my post-partem anxiety problems and made a huge difference in my life. My anxiety persists but is controlled by Lexapro. I think this is a wonder drug. | F | 40 | 2 years
5 1X D | | 4/14/2010
| 3 | Primary: Anxiety/Panic Attacks | 10 mg for 8 - 9 months: Initial agitation, increased anxiety, nausea, etc. Went away with time.
My 2nd day on 12.5 mg (increasing dose due to grey feelings and anxiety increasing from not enough medication). Feeling headaches, nausea, foggy, weird feelings, etc. Hopefully will go away. | I was diagnosed with anxiety/panic disorder at a young age from a difficult childhood (physical and mental abuse from alcoholic father). Started taking Zoloft in high school which helped tremendously. I was teetering between 50 mg - 100 mg in high school and initially went up to 200 mg because the anxiety was worse. Basically I was suppressing my emotions and past to get through high school and college which I excelled at. I graduated from college in 2005 and about a year later (150 mg Zoloft) I started to get my anxiety and restlessness back. Akathisia kicked in about two years ago and I finally decided after 8 - 9 years on Zoloft that it was time to give something else a try. I still had panic attacks on Zoloft and the inner restlessness was getting terrible.
I did the whole weaning off process which was terrible. Took me about 2 months to wean off and start up Lexapro. Most of my anxiety is health anxiety so taking any kind of medication sends me into a fit. So I started Lexapro at 5 mg and moved to 10 mg once the side effects started to give. Here I am about 8 months on 10 mg of Lexapro and about a week ago I started to feel 'grey' again. So I decided to up my dosage. I'm moving slowly to 12.5 mg and hopefully to 15 mg and to 20 mg if needed. I am very sensitive to antidepressant meds so I have to go really slow in order to get past the side effects. Right now I am on my 2nd day of 12.5 mg and I have headaches, a little nausea, a little worry (due to heal | M | 28 | 9 months
12.5 mg 1X D | | 4/14/2010
| 2 | Anxiety and Depression | The only side effect I experienced was delayed ejaculation. Effexor caused impotence too, so Lexapro was not as bad in this regard. | I took 10mg of Lexapro for two weeks and have been on 20mg for the past three weeks. I've noticed no benefit whatsoever. Lexapro is my eighth antidepressant. Effexor has been the only one that has ever worked for me, but it continually loses its effectiveness after months of use. It's hard to believe there's only one out there that works for me. I'm trying Prozac next and I hope to have more luck with it. | M | 33 | 5 weeks
20mg 1X D | | 4/13/2010
| 5 | anxiety | None....other than probable increased teeth cleanching at night (which I already wear a night guard for). | Has totally helped the tightness in my chest. Very happy with this dosage. | F | 49 | 11 months
5 mg 1X D | | 4/12/2010
| 4 | Depression | headaches, low libido, emotional numbness | I took lexapro for 2 weeks, the first SSRI (or any treatment for depression) i've ever taken, so I went into it not really expecting anything in particular. The first few days I had minor but noticeable headaches that would last for a few minutes each. Within 3 HOURS of taking the drug i lost the ability to have an orgasm, and for the next two weeks found it impossible. My sex drive was completely gone as well and I found this disturbing as I've always been highly sexual. This was ultimately the reason I went off lexapro and switched to Wellbutrin (the generic). The first day off lexapro my sexual functioning was back to normal. Another thing about lexapro is that I never felt depressed like I used to, even if I tested myself by thinking negatively, my mind kind of wouldn't "take the bait" and run with it which was awesome. HOWEVER, some exciting things are going on for me right now (new relationship, new friends) and I didn't feel particularly good about that either. Wellbutrin seems to be working better, though I've only been on it 3 days. | F | 22 | 14 days
10 MG 1X D | | 4/11/2010
| 3 | GD | Only been one day, woke up 4 times last night. Woke up today with a headache that has been on and off all day. Diarrhea all day. Small hand tremor. | Its only been one day. Going to give it a week at least, if it keeps up I'll make a sooner appt with my doctor to get me off of it. Take with 100mg of Welbutrin, no noticeable complications psychologically. | M | 21 | 1 days
10mg 1X D | | 4/9/2010
| 2 | Depression | jaw clenching at night, teeth grinding, nausea, constipation, food cravings, weight gain, total loss of sex drive, inability to O, insomnia, loss of taste | I will be asking my doctor to try something else on my next appointment. My DH says he can tell my moods are better, but I am making an extreme effort to be more pleasant around my family (I didn't realize how horrible I was before). I do not feel any better, I still have anxiety, severe foul moods, complete negative outlook on life. I can not see that this drug has helped much and I am not willing to continue given the side effects I am experiencing. I've always had somewhat of a sweet tooth, but now I crave peanut butter cups with a vengance- it is the only thing that still tastes good to me. But, I am also eating like crazy. If I let myself get hungry, then I get nauseated. I have gained 10 lbs in 1 month, and am terrified it will continue. | F | 36 | 4 weeks
10 1X D | | 4/8/2010
| 5 | GAD | at first I had low libido and lack of big O, that has gone away now, insomnia at first week or so, gone now, hair loss at first but this could have been something else or stress, night sweats occasionally | I would rather suffer a few insignificant side effects from this med than suffer from the anxiety that was crippling my life. I think some of the side effects the first time I took it were part of my GAD, I only took it one day the first time and thought I was going to go crazy. Point is give it a try for a few weeks and see if you start to feel like yourself again. The sexual part took a few months to go away. | F | 39 | 20 months
10mg 1X D | | 4/7/2010
| 2 | anxiety | Abnormal alcohol craving and weight gain | Plz be careful with this drug..loved it when I first starting taking it. After 2 years and 50 lbs later i hated it. Made me crave alcohol. Almost costed me a 14 yr marriage. Makes you not care about anything, and made my liver ache!! | F | 34 | 2 years
20 1X D | | 4/5/2010
| 3 | depression/OCD | Tummy hurt when I tried to increase to 20 mg, so I'm back down on 10 mgs, now, and taking doxepin to help my GERD, which feels MUCH better after getting back down to 10 mg and also improving my diet (more fruit and veg) | | F | 42 | 2.5 years
10 mg 1X D | | 4/3/2010
| 1 | Depression | Horrible fatigue. I was too stupid to realize it was the drug, until I went off it. On Lexapro, I was sleeping 12 hours a day and finding it difficult to stay awake all day at work. I'd have to go to the break room to nap almost every day. Once I stopped the drug, my fatigue went away instantly!
My doctors thought the fatigue was depression, and they kept upping my dose. They were as stupid as I was.
I came close to losing my job because of this drug. I simply could not stay awake to do what I was supposed to do. As it is, I have made a mess of my career and I might never recover completely. | BEWARE the fatigue and apathy. | F | 32 | 3 years
10 mg 1X D | | 4/1/2010
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| 1 | Depression, Anxiety | Yawning, extreme somnolence, loss of all emotions, depersonalization, derealization, loss of libido, panic attacks, increased suicidality, weight gain, anhedonia, anorgasmia. | Lexapro and other SSRI's have been overprescribed since their inception, and I highly recommend considering the side effects before embarking on an SSRI treatment plan. I have tried all of the major SSRI's (I am only 24, but have been prescribed Zoloft, Prozac, Pristiq, Cymbalta, Lexapro, Clonazepam (benzodiazepine, not SSRI, and lorazepam (also a benzodiazepine). Wellbutrin worked for me, but my doctor changed my prescription after my father died, and I've been in an annoying trial & error session for the past year. Lexapro caused severe side effects in me, leading me to question my own existence (a very disturbing feeling where everything in the world including the self, other people, and things appear fake, surreal, detached, unreal). I felt that all of my emotions had disappeared, and I became afraid for a few days that I had lost my personality. These are scary and potentially suicide-inducing symptoms that must be reported to your doctor. The only way I survived this encounter with near disintegration was through my training in psychology, neuroscience, and psychoanalysis. Caution: EVEN IF YOU "KNOW" SYMPTOMS FROM READING ABOUT THEM, IT IS VERY HARD TO CONVINCE YOURSELF THAT THE SYMPTOMS ARE NOT PERMANENT OR SCARY. You can memorize every factoid about SSRI withdrawal and never come close to feeling it. And likewise, if you do feel it, your knowledge of neuroscience is often obscurred by the intense fear and surreal quality of such states. | F | 24 | 1 months
10 MG 1X D | | 3/25/2010
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| 3 | GAD | bad nausea first night and weird tingling in crotch and legs. Slept ok. Next day still felt nauseous and a little out of it. So far I feel like I have a foggy head and just feel blah. Also have metallic taste in mouth | | M | 34 | 2 days
10 1X D | | 3/23/2010
| 4 | major depression | Loss of sex drive | I got on lexapro after being diagnosed with depression. It was an answered prayer. I always thought it was normal to have that black cloud over my head all the time. I felt an immediate difference by the second day. My husband could too. I love lexapro | F | 26 | 6 weeks
10mg 1X D | | 3/19/2010
| 3 | anxiety, insomnia | loss of emotions, inability to orgasm, tremendous weight gain, intense fatigue (like being on a sleeping pill) | It was great at first - like I was a really tightly wound spring unwinding. I felt so relieved. But I got so tired of the lack of emotion, the need to sleep all the time. I scaled back the drug very slowly and went through intense anxiety everytime I scaled back but it would pass. Had brain zaps on withdrawal. AWFUL. They should really really warn you before you take it that there are severe side effects when you stop. | F | 48 | 3 years
20 mg 1X D | | 3/12/2010
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| 3 | Depression | Severe cotton mouth, mood was exceptionally elevated (too elevated) until it tapered off. Disturbing, lucid dream for about 6 weeks. Felt normal for about 8 months, and then I felt nothing. I wasn't depressed, or sad, or happy, or angry. I just was. | After taking lexapro for a little over a year I decided to stop taking it as it was no longer working. I did this without doctor supervision - a horrible mistake as I had a feeling of euphoria for about 3 months. I did things I normally wouldn't do, bought expensive things I couldn't afford. Four years later and I'm still paying for it - in more ways than one! This was my first antidepressant and it worked great for a while. Changed my life. The withdrawal was awful. I couldn't sleep at night but all I wanted to do during the day was sleep, I had no appetite. After another year of no antidepressants I was prescribed Celexa, which works much better for me. | F | 28 | 1 years
10mg 1X D | | 3/11/2010
| 5 | depression | 5 lb weight gain initially | This has saved my life, literally. I had been through several antidepressants trying to get something to work. Finally came across Lexapro. It worked at 10mg, but only relieved about 50% of a very severe depression. Increased to 20mg 3 months ago and it fully resolved my depression. I feel with feelings (not "numbed"), can cry, laugh and enjoy life.
I am much more enjoyable to be around and work well at my job now. | F | 34 | 6 months
20 mg 1X D | | 3/9/2010
| 5 | Depression and anxiety | First week: Nausea, upset stomach, constipation, sleeplessness, generally out of it. Those have all subsided. I don't like the sexual side effects, but the improved mood is a pro that far outweighs that con (even for my husband). My appetite has increased, but that's been good for me as I've struggled with anorexia in the past. | After about a week and a half, the side effects diminished and I felt like someone had lifted a ton of weights from my shoulders. I feel "like me" again. I give more information about my experience at my blog:
http://www.adventuresinwanting.com/2010/03/one-month-on-lexapro-and-some-movie-fun.html | F | 30 | 1 months
10 mg 1X D | | 3/9/2010
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| 1 | depression/anxiety | Depression was horrible before I took Lexapro. I experienced many suicidal thoughts and this prompted me to go to a psychiatrist. But the first night I took Lexapro, I ended up in the ER twice. My heart was racing horribly and I felt like I would stop breathing. I went to the ER and they told me I had heart palpitations but I felt like I suffered a minor heart attack. I also felt really good in the beginning but then plummetted down to a deep depression. Had I been left alone, I might have attempted suicide. Though my original depression might have been what caused the racing heart rate and heavy breathing I do believe the medicine had something to do with it because I had an auditory hallucination and felt really good in the beginning. | This medication didn't work for me. For some people it did and still does but I now take Wellbutrin 200mg a day and this has helped my depression much much more. | F | 22 | 1 days
10mg 1X D | | 3/7/2010
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| 5 | Anxiety | if taken in the morning, sleep. other than that, it's perfect. | Me and my mom were going to counceling for the fights that were worthless and stressful. it turned out that i had an anxiety problem that i've had my whole life. when i started taking lexipro, the 5mg didnt do much. then i went to 10mg and it was great. i was taking it in the morning however and it made me so sleepy that i could fall asleep anytime, anywhere. so i started to take it at night and now, i'm just moderately sleepy in the day, (no more than going to bed at midnight can do to you) and i get sleepy immediately after i take it before bed. it made the world so much nicer and now i feel like a normal person. i dont want to crawl out of my own skin anymore. Lexapro is an amazing 'majic pill' for me . | F | 15 |
10 mg 1X D | | 3/6/2010
| 3 | Severe Depression/Severe Anxiety | vivid, lucid dreams. | I've been taking Celexa for about 5 years and my doctor switched me over to Lexapro after I complained that the celexa was no longer working for me, I suppose the Lexapro would work very well if I haven't already grew a tolerance to SSRI's, which is a shame because they used to work quite nicely and now I'm a mess once again! | F | 25 | 6 months
20MG 1X D | | 3/5/2010
| 1 | depression | Became arguementitive, would not listen to anyone, unable to sleep, personality change, thought everyone hated me, thought I had no friends, stayed at home, lost my temper easily, had problems eating, wanted to quit school, I was extremly unhappy | This drug is a young adult killer. Forest pharmaciticals nos and so does the FDA but they approved it anyway. Be careful my grandson committed suicide on this drug in only 8 days. Do not take any antidepressents without getting evaluated first. Our school thinks it was the drug and so do certain doctors I have spoken with. I don't no how to get the word out. They killed my grandson and their getting away with it | M | 15 | 8 days
10 mg 1X D | | 3/5/2010
| 4 | GAD/panic attacks | body shakes & muscle twitches, night sweats, vivid dreams,zero libido | started on 10 lexapro with xanax. pdoc upped me to 20mg, took me off xanax and put me on 20 buspar. the 20 lexapro made me want to sleep all day and night and I had extreme body shakes at night. Lowered down to 10 lexapro, but had obsessive thoughts again. Finally, up to 15 lexapro and 10 buspar 2x day. The buspar has no side effects and I can function like a human on 15 lexapro, but have no libido and slight muscle twitches in my hands and legs. | F | 44 | 4 months
15mg 1X D | | 3/4/2010
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