LEXAPRO Reviews (ESCITALOPRAM OXALATE)

Average Rating: 3.2 (2093 Ratings)

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 ANTIDEPRESSANTS

 Type: Rx Drug

  

LEXAPRO  (ESCITALOPRAM OXALATE):  Escitalopram is used to treat depression and anxiety. It works by helping to restore the balance of a certain natural substance (serotonin) in the brain. Escitalopram belongs to a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). It may improve your energy level and feelings of well-being and decrease nervousness.    (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

  

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Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

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RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR LEXAPROCOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 1  Depression and mild anxiety A few hours afer taking my first lexapro, I had to calm myself down from a panic situation. I haven't had an anxiety attack in months, so i'm gonna assume that the drug caused it. Other side effects i've experienced: eye dilation, nervousness, dry mouth, and a weird feeling in my face. Kind of a chemical taste in my mucous membrane areas. I feel quite a bit worse that I did two days ago. I know that this drug is supposed to take awhile to work, but after two days, that'll be it for me. I called my dr. on day 1 and asked him if these effects were normal. He assured me that the way I felt was me, and not a side effect of the drug. I didn't believe him. After finding this site, I definitely don't believe him. M 35 2 days
10 mg 1X day
11/5/2010
 3  Anxiety/OCD None. Took as needed (not suggested by doctor. I would say that this probably isn't the best idea. I ended up taking it during the summer, feeling better, and stopping it for the school year and then getting worse just in time for summer again. I think if I had stayed on it consistently it would have been much better. I did have to increase my dose from 10mg to 20mg when my symptoms became worse due to a life-stressor, and though it definitely helped, it still wasn't enough for my huge increase in anxiety. However, it definitely did SOMETHING, as after I was weaned off of it, my anxeity increased hugely. F 18 4 years
10 or 20mg 1X day
11/3/2010
 5  depression I have tried many medication since the death of my husband to help with anxiety and depression. Lexapro has already worked great with helping me to overcome these. My problem of sexual drive is just the opposite of the other persons who have commented. My sexual desires have increased. My dreams are very visual. Sex is always on my mind. I called my doctor and he told me to stay on the medication and give it a chance. These dreams and the desire should probably go away. F 61 1 weeks
10 mg 1X day
11/2/2010
 3  depression I had been on Paxil....it was a true nightmare! Then my dr pres Lexapro. It was a drug from Heaven. Through the years i have had no side effects. I am not depressed, but, I have the same feelings as others have stated, "Non careing" "No interest" etc. But I also had those feelings when i had been depressed. So it seems to have lifted the depression but has not fixed other feelings that I would like to have back, that I use to have a long time ago. I tried to come off the Lexapro after many years in order to get back my careing feelings and get spark back into my life. Unfortunety I began having nightmares.(daytime seemed OK) but those nightmares scared the hell out of me. I had to go back on to the Lexapro. My depression began after 9/11 and also due to a seizure disorder that began in 1993 that I've been taking Phenobarbatal and Neurontin for since 93. Only began the Lex in 2002. I have had no seizures due to the pheno and the neurontin, which (the Neurontin) for me was a miracle drug. The Lexapro was added due to the depression. Now it seems it will be a lifetime drug for me as well..(The nightmares were bad). So I am stuck! M 61 8 years
10 1X day
11/2/2010
 4  Depression and anxiety Nausea, stomach upsets. I found lexapro was the best antidepressant for me. Possible side affect was reduced sexual desire, but my doctor said this could be just from the depression and stress itself. Am returning to lexapro after trying pristiq because of said sexual problems. Would rather be happy and not having sex than psychotic. :( F 25 6 months
10mg 1X day
10/27/2010
Email
 3  PMDD, depression Weight gain and initially, nausea I was feeling very drained from a PMDD episode I was having, and I already had depression on top of that. I was prescribed 10 mg per day of Lexapro, and it helped immensely at the beginning. I had energy to get up and go about my daily life, and I also felt good about myself. Unfortunately, it stopped working in about two months, so my dosage was upped to 20 mg per day. However, that did nothing, so a month later, I was told to take 30 mg per day. That still did nothing, so I stopped taking it two months later. It worked well while it was working. Unfortunately, it pooped out on me way too fast. F 22 5 months
10-30 mg 1X day
10/27/2010
 1  anxiety assoc. IBS&Panic Attack immediate upset stomach and diarrhea, nausea, panic attack, lump in throat, feeling of being at a complete loss of control...just went straight to bed after i could get out of the bathroom and tried to go to sleep. My sister has had great results from this for years and never had any side effects so I thought it would be ok to try since my doctor was suggesting that my IBS was mainly caused by anxiety and i was having quite frequent panic attacks. i was against taking it but tried it after buspar (not an ssri or ssnri)caused crazy dreams and extreme insomnia. i dont think ill ever try an anti-depressant again...except considering wellbutrin???Now I am just relying on imodium and valium to control my IBS. appt nov30th to follow up... F 28 1 days
10mg? 1X day
10/27/2010
 5  Anxiety, Agoraphobia, Depression I posted back in July after I went up from 1/4 of a pill to 1/2 of a 10mg. Side effects were sleepiness and excessive sweating. I DID make it to the beach!!! Twice in less than 8 days. I haven't been 45 mins. from my home in 39 years!!! The 2nd time we went to the beach (1 hr, 45 mins away) we spent the night. My sister was so proud of me she got us a beautiful oceanfront room. I NEVER thought I'd see the ocean again, already have a reservation for 5 days next summer. I thank God for Lexapro. The excessive sweating seems to have stopped about a week ago, sex drive has been as great as always, and right now at 5mg Lex with 1 1/2 mg of Alprazolam a day, I seem to have discovered a miracle! F 56 5 months
5 MG 1X day
10/22/2010
 5  Anxiety and Panic Disorder F 41
10 1X day
10/20/2010
Patient History
 1  for Generalized Anxiety Disorder Shaking sweating nausea lightheaded/ dizziness breathing problems tingling and burning sensations all over panic attacks thoughts of suicide thinking of ways to commit suicide wanting to die so I dont feel the side effects anymore. I called my doctor today and he changed me from Lexapro to Celexa and also put me on Xanax for emergency use.. I DO NOT suggest Lexapro to ANYONE EVER! It's a horrible drug. I got zero benefits from it. F 22 5 days
10 MG 1X day
10/20/2010
 1  Depression Within 20 minutes of just one dose I had a racing heart with an irregular heart rate, sweating, freezing cold but my skin was itching and burning, trembling violently, agitated, pacing, abdominal pain, diarrhea, EXTREME anxiety that I can not begin to describe, unlike anything I've ever experienced. The best I can explain it is if there is such a place as hell then I know what it feels like. The effect was so profoundly disturbing I wanted immediate relief from it and due to the drugs rapid and dramatic effect I was unable to think clearly, I was not in control of my actions, the only solution I could see was to jump off the balcony. It literally drove me mad and to suicide. Had I not had urgent intervention within 1/2 an hour of taking Lexapro I would have been dead. This had never happened to me before and has not happened since. I had only been suffering mild situational depression, was not unhappy with my life, did not have a history of violence, self harm or suicide attemp ***THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DRUG*** If your doctor if flippant in prescribing this drug, will not adequately address your concerns or cannot guarantee your safety while trialing treatment find another doctor. Personally I feel the incidence of Lexapro suicide is under reported (blamed on depression and mental illness) this drug should be withdrawn. F 36 1 days
10 1X day
10/17/2010
Email
 5   all side effects passed after about one month. Anxiety, loss of appetite, constant "full" feeling, feeling like there was a lump in my throat, some trouble sleeping, some trouble reaching orgasm. I started on Lexapro for a sudden flare up of anxiety and depression. After being on it for three months, I am finding that I may have been having the anxiety and depression for longer than I thought. I feel better than I have in years. I can focus more, I am more active, and I look forward to social settings that I was starting to view as unwanted before the medication. The adjustment period for this drug was tough, but ultimately I am very satisfied with the results now that my body has adapted to the medication. If you are in the first six weeks, really try to ride it out as the bad days during this period were really bad. The anxiety during the adjustment period was constant but minimal. The loss of appetite and 'full' feeling were the worst - including feeling like I had a permanent lump in my throat, just below the adams apple. There was some trouble sleeping early on, but this passed within a few days. Dreams are more vivid (and continue to be) and feel more real than in the past - although they tend to be dreams of just everyday occurrences - nothing freaky. An example is dreaming that I took the garbage out, and later in the day having to go check the trash to see if I really did take it out, because the dream memory felt like a real memory, and I remembered every detail. I did have some trouble reaching orgasm, but ultimately got there with a little more work than usual. This has passed as well - I feel like I am lasting longer than in the past, but not to th M 32 3 months
10 mg 1X day
10/16/2010
 3  Depression, panic disorder, anxiety Increased loss of libido, worse than other SSRIs. Slightly tired. Otherwise nothing else at first. Now: tired, sleeping constantly, abnormal sleep pattern (sleep disorder), loss of interest in everything, awake during the day now due to Nuvigil but still find it difficult to do or care about anything. I've taken and gotten used to every antidepressant out there since I was 19. Lexapro did what I needed it to do while I was in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (I also had BPD, now only fit one criteria). I believe I was on 20mg at the time. Also on Seroquel, it helped me "maintain". Not happy, not depressed, never got excited about anything. Just calm and even. Exactly what I needed at the time. Slept a lot- 10 hrs-12hrs/day some days. Got to be a big problem after 6yrs.My psychiatrist told me I was depressed, I told her it was because I slept all day. She increased my Lexapro to 40mg. I slept 18-20hrs/day and was depressed for doing so. Now on Nuvigil plus a low dose of adderall for med-induced ADD, I still can't get myself to do anything. My place is a mess and I care but don't. The only emotion I feel is frustration over the lack of emotion and interest in my art. I will start to go off Lexapro in a week and a half by 5mg increments weekly. All supervised by my psychiatrist and supplemented by a DBT trained therapist and my books on mindfulness, anger, and how the emotions work by Thich Nhat Hanh. Lexapro was great for me while it was needed. My body and mind are simply telling me I don't need Lexapro anymore. F 39 10 years
40mg 1X day
10/15/2010
 5  GAD, mild depression Lethargy, some weight loss After many years, I finally felt happy again and looked forward to getting up every morning and experiencing what life had to offer. My worry and anxiety were completely gone. I actually wanted to handle things because I knew I COULD without anxiety. I think it greatly improved my self esteem and confidence also. I felt in control of my life and my future. I had to quit taking it because I couldn't afford it, but am starting back next month since my new insurance pays for it. The only negative effect was lethargy, which improved after the first month, but never completely subsided. F 40 6 months
10mg 1X day
10/11/2010
Email
 2  anxiety Weight gain, near absence of libido, foggy thinking, anger, paranoia, depression(!) I was put on Lexapro to replace Effexor which wasn't working. For me, Lexapro was much better than Effexor for anxiety, although I continued feeling anxious from time to time. After some time I also started feeling depressed, on top of the absent sex drive, and still-present anxiety. Later I became angry, paranoid at times, and foggy headed. I gained weight that I couldn’t lose. Another doctor suggested I get of SSRI's due to the sex problem. He suggested Welbutrin, although I tried Nefazodone first because of anxiety concerns with Welbutrin. It took three months to get off Lexapro, but once off it I couldn't believe how much better I started feeling. The depression vanished, my anxiety has all but disappeared, and my sex drive has started making a comeback (pun intended). I lost 20 pounds easily. I have a much better outlook on life than I have in a good long while. I don’t feel “drugged” at all being on Nefazodone. Sadly, I didn't realize how crappy I was feeling until I got off the Lexapro and onto the Nefazodone. While Nefazodone isn't perfect, it's pretty amazing. Some people swear by Lexapro, but I can't claim to be one of them. All I can say is "be careful," and keep an eye on how you're feeling. Antidepresants shouldn't make you feel depressed. M 49 7 years
20 1X day
10/10/2010
 3   sexual side effects even though taking small amount in combination with wellbutrin - the sexual side effects will likely mean when I go back to doctor I will try something else. It helps with my OCD thought cycles and helps with anxiety - but it kills my body's sexual response. F 60 30 days
5mg 1X day
10/9/2010
 5  panic attacks/anxiety lower sex drive which I've always had so not sure if thats what its from and I tend to have a hard time waking up in the morning, I advise taking this at night, other than that no other problems. I hate negative feedback, do I want to eventually go off this drug? Sure. I asked my doctor who replied WHY? aren't you feeling better? "Yes" i replied I can now go anywhere and not have panic attacks. People take meds for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. so what's the difference. Why would I want to have panic attacks again? I'm sure I'll eventually try to go off and have withdrawal symptoms which arent as bad as everyone seems to put on here, if you do it correctly, but for now I'm enjoying my life, panic free! F 48 6 years
5mg 1X day
10/8/2010
Email
 5  GAD, agoraphobia Minor-increased agitation and burning in chest when medicine is wearing off, tiredness Great drug! The side effects are mild and being able to breathe again normally and drive places by myself have been worth it. F 41 5 years
20 mg 1X day
10/4/2010
 3  Anxiety and depression CAUSE DRY EYES AND NON STOP CHATTERING OF MY TEETH WHEN MY PSYCHIATRIST INCREASED MY DOSE FRO 10MG TO 20MG. HELPED WITH MY ANXIETY ATTACK BUT NOT WITH MY INSOMNIA.I'M THINKING ABOUT GETTING OFF THOS MEDICATION.THE RISK OUTWEIGHS THE BENEFITS. M 51 6 weeks
1X day
10/4/2010
 1  Depression Nausea, Blurred Vision, 3 to 5 hours sleep, Suicidal Thoughts Be careful with this medication. This was my first anti-depressant medication. Very scary drug. I was unable to sleep, had blurred vision, and felt sick to my stomach. Unable to eat anything significant for the 3 days. While driving to a friends house crazy thoughts kept happening. Stopped the drug after 2 days and next day was feeling better. Would not have been able to work (software developer) if attempting this drug during work week. Currently on Nortriptyline which seems to help. M 50 2 days
10mg 1X day
10/4/2010

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