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)

  

Results are sorted by Date added.

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
 
 5  anxiety good but some libido issues but nothing drastic. Tried many things this one works. If pharms. don't work try B vitamins magnesium and zinc. M 29 1 years
3/7/2008
 5  social anxiety and depression horrible inability to swallow, shortness of breath, extreme decreased appetite, increase in energy, vivid nightmares, extreme decrease in the amount it takes to get drunk my 5th day on it was the best day of my life. amazing. working well i am 100 times better with people, i love it. started at 10 then 20. looking forward to future increased effects and hopefully some weight loss and HOPEFULLY the swallowing thing will go away. i also get crazy drunk with less alcohol. F 20 7 days
3/7/2008
 5  depression none F 47 2 years
3/7/2008
 4  general anxiety disorder Stomach pain I started taking Lexapro to reduce symptoms of anxiety, and it certainly helps with that. However, I've found that I cannot tolerate anything more than a very small dose of this medication: anything more than half of a 5 mg pill makes my stomach hurt terribly. (If it were not so difficult to split the pills, I would try a lower dose.) Additionally, I've had problems with interactions between Lexpapro and Ibuprofen (which are actually common problems with SSRIs and NSAIDs), so be very careful about taking this with pain medication. M 33 2 years
3/4/2008
 5  sudden severe anxiety(hormonal?) Took several weeks to kick in, some good days and some bad during this time. Numbness in two fingers of left hand, went away. Some other very minor side effects went away. I put off starting medication for over a month because of all the negatives I read on this site, but spoke to many, many people who used and it helped tremendously. Usually the people with negative comments are more prone to write in - and notice they almost all used for less than the recommended "break in" time. Give it time to work. Only on 5mg and has worked wonderfully on anxiety. F 56 14 months
3/1/2008
 4  chronic pain management nothing significant I was taking this for pain management in conjunction with Lupron for endometriosis. I was hesitant to take antidepressants, but my dr explained that Lexapro was to be taken for a short period of time, and it also helped raise pain tolerance. It did help me, but I only took it for about 6 months, and not for a mental health condition. F 37 6 months
2/29/2008
 2  panic attacks Serious weight gain (12-18 lbs in 2-3 mos). Sexual side effects were bad. I've been on it twice in three years, and these happened the previous time, too. This second time, though, after about 4 months on 10mg, I started having severe insomnia (up until 3-4 am) It wasn't like I was really wound up, either.... just couldn't get to sleep. Mind was really clear. Body was really tired though. Seemed to be working better this 2nd time around with my panic attacks. I could sometimes feel the onset of an attack (like a rush) that would then quickly subside, before ever getting into the panic stage. The insomnia was too much though. M 42 7 months
2/29/2008
 5  Depression Manic, jaw clenching, libido By the third day of taking Lexapro (10mg) I was very manic. I felt amazing. My depression started to wane in about the 4th week. I got a night guard for the jaw clenching at night. The zombie feeling people have mention here also happened to me but I no longer feel it. I have not had any crying bouts in the 2 years I have been taking it. Ideation of suicide ceased after a couple of weeks. My feeling about life has dramatically changed. M 45 2 years
2/28/2008
 5  anxiety/depression Nausea and indigestion, headaches for the first few weeks. Slight weight loss. All went away with time. I started this three months ago at 20mg, then upped to 40 over time. It's worked wonders for my anxiety, and took a big bite out of the depression. I still have my ups and downs, but they are nowhere near as severe, and I no longer have obsessive behaviors or irrational fears. My doc is adding wellbutrin to my scrip so that I can become more active (the lexapro didn't help with my lack of interest in activities and hobbies). I encourage those beginning with this drug not to read about all the scary possible side effects, but to really feel for yourself how your mind/body are doing. There's so much negativity in the media about anti-depressants because of the very rare possibility of increasing suicidal thoughts/behaviors. That said, if you DO feel worse, seek help asap. But remember that this is rarely the case. F 25 3 months
2/27/2008
 4  ANXIETY TIREDNESS, ANORGASMIC, RESTLESS SLEEP I'VE BEEN ON LEXAPRO FOR 2 WEEKS AND I AM EXTREMELY TIRED ALL THE TIME. I'M USUALLY ACTIVE AND ENJOY WORKING OUT. I'M TOO TIRED TO WORKOUT AND I LOOK AT IT AS A BURDEN NOW. I'VE STARTED TAKING VITAMIN B12 FOR ADDED ENERGY. HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HELP. I SEEM TO BE SLEEPY ALL NIGHT AND I DON'T WAKE UP AND WORRY ABOUT ALL I HAVE TO DO OR SHOULD DO. I DO WAKE UP ALOT AND NOTICE MY LEGS ARE ALWAYS TENSE AND MOVING. SEX CAN FEEL MORE INTENSE BUT TAKES LONGER TO CLIMAX. I FEEL BETTER MENTALLY ON THIS MEDICATION I JUST HOPE THESE SIDE EFFECTS SUBSIDE. F 36 2 weeks
2/27/2008
 3  Depression/Anxiety mild dizziness, nausea, headache, decrease in sex drive I've only been on this medication for 6 days now and the only things I've noticed is that I'm eating more junk food and have less energy to be physically active. Maybe this is what leads to the weight gain so common with Lexapro therapy? It hasn't seemed to help much with my anxiety or panic attacks yet either. I'm still taking Ativan to help with that. Hopefully the good effects will kick in soon or I might consider increasing my dose to 20 mg. F 28 6 days
2/27/2008
 3  anxiety/panic attacks major panic attack first day- really dry mouth, shaking, heart pounding, blurred vision, dialated eyes; later could not sleep, woke up feeling hungover.. I took lexapro 2 years ago when i quit drinking- did not notice any side effects, but maybe that was because I was coming off booze. anxiety has gotten MUCH worse so Dr put me back on- my system is clean now and I didnt eat much before I took it- today my dr told me to take a half every other day to get my system used to it- willing to try F 24 2 days
2/27/2008
 3  Anxiety/Depression Was only prescribed Cipralex (Lexapro) yesterday and took my second pill this morning (10mg). Felt little desire to sleep last night. 'Wide eyed' feeling all day. Markedly dilated pupils. Unsteady on my feet. Spaced/zoned out feeling. Mild rythmic jaw clenching. Mild nausea. Dizziness. I've never taken any medication before, but have experienced constant anxiety symptoms and occasional panic attacks for many years. So far I'm concerned these pills cause such severe side effects after only two days - I've been referred to a psychiatrist, so may stop taking the drug and see if I can stay sane until my appointment. F 29 2 days
2/26/2008
 3  Panic Attacks It works pretty good, I stopped having panic attacks and did therapy. However, since I stopped lexapro, anxiety came back and now I'm as I begun M 24 2 years
2/26/2008
 2  Depression/Anxiety/BPD 10mg. Dry mouth, lack of motivation, vague/flat feeling, after 3 weeks strongly suicidal. I noticed a strong sense of lack of motivation and disinterest within the first 24 hours of taking Lexapro. For the time that I was on it this never lessened. Within a few days I felt this vague, flat feeling, not just about myself but about everything around me. There was this sense like I was just a speck of dust moving around in my daily activities. It was hard to maintain my daily life of being a mother and going to school feeling like this. It was hard being depressed too, but this was harder. I felt such a lack of caring, so much so, I stopped being able to cry—there was just nothing there, flat. After about 3 weeks on Lexapro I woke up one morning and felt absolutely vile with images of hurting myself that stayed all day. The next day I was so severely suicidal I found myself thinking about a plan. I realized for sure at that piont that this was a drug side effect and started the process of weaning myself off by reducing the dose in half. I've been completely off F 48 5 weeks
2/26/2008
 5  Depression, GAD Difficult to achieve orgasm; slight weight gain (5-7 lbs); insanely vivid dreams Started on 10 mg for the first 4 months, worked amazingly. I've tried other SSRIs, and this one worked better than any of the others for me, with fewer side effects. Recently went up to 20 mg due to symptoms worsening. Like any medication, there are some side effects, but it is worth it for me. I feel like a functional human being now. F 21 5 months
2/25/2008
 4  Anxiety/ low grade depression At first: Headache, nausea, trembling belly, loss of appetite, nervousness (All went away in a few weeks.) I'm also on Xanax (have been for many years). 10mgs daily Lexapro has helped my anxiety and has chilled me out. I don't get as upset about things nor do I worry myself crazy anymore. I am, however, TIRED! Then again, with Xanax and Lexapro, I suppose anyone would be. Vivid dreams but not nightmares. Libido is low but orgasm is possible. Considering adding Wellbutrin for some energy and to counter slight weight gain. My mood is definitely lifted although my energy is really low. F 47 7 months
2/24/2008
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 4  depression and anxiety constipation, fatigue, weight gain, blocked tears and sad feelings that still existed inside of me I took Lexapro together with Wellbutrin to "correct" concurrent depression and anxiety. At the time I started the drugs, I was in a major depression. Wellbutrin helped immediately to let me think entire thoughts again (without interruptions in my thinking because I felt so sad.) Adding Lexapro improved my mood. I started at 5 mg and worked slowly up to 20 mg. After 2 years at 20 mg, my thoughts became bitchy and impatient again. My psych recommended increasing the lexapro dosage to deal with it. I chose the opposite path: I tapered off both Lexapro and Wellbutrin and am focusing on nutrition and exercise to keep my mood steady and generally positive. Psychiatrist disagrees with my approach and says Lexapro is a drug for life. I am sleeping more deeply now, without the intense anxious dreams that I had on the drugs. I will go back on them if I have to, as they did keep my super sad thoughts at bay. Personally I think these drugs were a life saver to get me through F 46 3 years
2/24/2008
 3  Major depression - severe episode Initially, Lexapro seemed to agree with me except for the occasional bad nightmare. Now, after 4 years of use, I am no longer depressed, but I am exhausted all the time. I spend most of my spare time in bed sleeping - I'm barely participating in life. I seriously thought I had chronic fatigue syndrome, but after reading about other people's experiences, now I suspect it's the Lexapro. I am unable to drive on the freeway because of panic attacks while driving. Also, my body fat has been redistributed to my abdomen. Normally my waist is 10-12 inches smaller than my hips, but now it is about 5 inches smaller. Not a good look! My side effects from Lexapro are worse than my side effects from Zyprexa, and that's saying a lot. I've been taking one antidepressant or another since 1989. Prozac was my favorite, but it stopped working after 10 years. I tried Effexor, but it created blood pressure issues. Because of that, I asked my psychiatrist to switch me to Lexapro. He seemed reluctant, but went along with it. I do feel Lexapro helped me recover from the severe episode. I started taking Lexapro in the 4th year of the episode, and recovered in the 5th year. Now it's 3 years post recovery, and I wish I hadn't stayed on it this long. Because of my history, I continued to take it as a sort of insurance poplicy against future episodes. Now I feel I am paying too high of a price in terms of my health and future, and I am going to discontinue taking it, very slowly. F 53 1600 days
2/24/2008
 3  Bipolar Appetite increase and weight gain, triggers mania As soon as I got off Wellbutrin and on Lexapro, I got hungrier and hungrier. It could be because I went off Wellbutrin, but Lexapro could also be contributing to my weight gain. I feel much better, however, and my depression has mostly gone away. I do have bouts of mania triggered by this drug though. F 22 1 months
2/23/2008

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