User Reviews for Lexapro oral

Wanted to share my experience with lexparo ,I have been on it for a little over 4 weeks now and it has been amazing! I was so fearful of taking, they prescribed this for me 2 years ago and I trashed them I was so scared. I have dealt with anxiety for 4 years and wasn't getting any better on my own. It was messing with my work life, I stayed home a month, I was scared ro drive, being alone, overthinking, even going on trips! Now im back to work, drove this morning didn't get nervous at all. Anyone that is scared please give it a try, I only had a mild headache here and there at the beginning. I was like you reading reviews over and over and scared! This has been a life changer, I feel normal again! I always felt like my head was in a tunnel, off balance and all that dissappeared!! Believe me you won't regret it only regret I have is not starting this sooner! Hang in there I promise you don't have to live the way you are living right now, I never thought a med could change my life!! My anxiety is gone, hope it's gone forever!!Read More Read Less

I've suffered with GAD and panic disorder for over 20 years, most of it uncontrolled due to lack of insurance. When I was able to see a doctor, he immediately put me on this despite my reservations as I had been on Zoloft when I was first diagnosed and was unhappy with the results. 10mg Lexapro nightly. The first week was the typical new SSRI hell: Jitters, inability to sit still, increased anxiety, insomnia. A few weeks in, my anxiety wasn't gone but I felt like a zombie, just unable to muster much interest in anything. My anxiety and panic attacks still happened but their durations were shorter. Then the side effects started kicking in. I was constantly hungry and gaining weight, my short term memory became atrocious, and my heart was racing worse than it did during panic attacks. I ended up in the hospital one night when I realized my heart rate was simply not coming down. They admitted me for observation because I had extreme tachycardia and my Q-interval was "concerningly long". They took me off the Lexapro and the heart rate issues resolved within two days. I no longer feel like a zombie, but my anxiety attacks are back to where they were before. After my experience with Zoloft and now Lexapro, I firmly, and will always, believe that these SSRIs and SSNRIs are absolute poison that should never have been approved. Read More Read Less

Was on this medication before and a doctor that didn't listen to me took me off and I ended up in the ER two times with anxiety panic attacks . So thankfully the ER prescribed me these and I go see my new phsychiatrist and I know she will prescribe these to me it's been A few days . Dr at er said I was in withdrawal so I took it on day one I felt this pressure relieved off my chest and it helped with my anxiety already of course it will take. Weeks to get the full effect but wow this really helped me so much . No side effects .Read More Read Less

I almost didn’t start lexapro because the reviews are absolutely terrifying. Luckily I was miserable enough and decided YOLO. This was a literal happy pill for me. I’ve never realized how tortured my thoughts were until this quieted my anxiety and gave me so much peace. I have GAD, social anxiety and panic disorder. This effectively treat my issues by about 90%, which is incredible. Took a full 6 weeks to notice a difference. I had only One side effect- weight gain. Within 6 months it caused me to gain about 20 pounds, which is more than I’ve ever gained in my life. It made me crazy hungry, I wanted to eat all the time. Due to this I switched to a different brand, but If it doesn’t work as well and help me lose the weight I’ll return to lexapro. It’s worth a little fat to be happy. Read More Read Less

I have been taking Lexapro 5mg for about 3 weeks and it's been working for me so far so good, I guess starting with the lower dose is best.

I actually took it for anxiety, it wouldn’t let me scroll down to select it so I picked depression. Anyway, went to the dr because I’ve been super anxious about new things happening at work, and a possible promotion. I have anxiety and more specifically social/performance anxiety. My anxiety was starting to get bad enough I was calling into work because I would wake up shaky and anxious. My dr asked me just a few questions and decided to put me on 10mg of Lexapro a day for 4 weeks then to report back. If I thought my anxiety was bad before, the Lexapro made it about 5x worse. I had every bad side effect you could get with the worst being more anxiety, terrible insomnia, terrible vivid nightmares, and literally zero appetite. As I write this I’m on my 6th day of taking it and have maybe eaten 5 times and not a single time was it out of hunger. Decided I’m going to stop taking it and deal with my anxiety the old fashioned way. They also have me hydroxyzine to help with the anxiety but it didn’t even come close to helping. I’ve noticed after reading all of these reviews it seems females tend to have more luck with this drug? Not sure if that matters. It possibly could have helped me but I don’t have 3 or 4 weeks to wait for these symptoms to go away, my job is too demanding and I’m in a lead position at work. Hope this helps someone.Read More Read Less

This medication almost killed me and gave me suicidal thoughts. I gained 30 lbs in 5 months. It made me want to sleep all the time too.

Please proceed with caution when starting this medication. I did not realize how powerful it would be. My experience is only off taking one dose. My doctor prescribed me 10mg to start. The first day taking it I had every negative side effect listed- blurred vision, headache, nausea, loss of appetite, increased anxiety, trouble sleeping, felt like I was in a daze, and couldn’t complete normal everyday tasks. I’m so glad I took it on a day I didn’t have to work because I wouldn’t have been able to do my job. The next day I was exhausted and way too scared to try another dose. I’m surprised the doctors recommend starting at 10mg because it seems like I had a strong sensitivity to it. I tried this to help with my anxiety so I may try again at a smaller dose after reading other reviews but 10mg to start was way too powerful for me. I have read a lot of reviews saying it has really helped people so my review is only on starting the medication. Read More Read Less

Lexapro gave me my life back. After years of untreated anxiety and depression, I was at a major turning point in my life. My mental health was causing my relationship with my partner to deteriorate. I couldn’t sleep. The smallest inconveniences would cause my anxiety to spike and I would spiral. My relationship with my family was extremely toxic. I was in therapy but resisted medication for years. My doctor recommended that I try Lexapro for 9-12 months. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made with my life. I’m less emotionally reactive, able to make friends easier, and don’t feel like I have a depressive fog looming over me anymore. My partner and I are also closer than ever. I’m not sure where I’d be today without it. Lexapro was exactly what I needed to get me over the hump - which therapy alone just couldn’t do. I gained about 15-20 pounds while I was on Lexapro. But I think that’s a small price to pay to get your life back and feel like you’re finally living. I still have my days and episodes of course, but they’re not nearly as severe nor frequent, and I feel more confident about my ability to handle them in a healthy way. Lexapro might not be for everyone. But for those who it is, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.Read More Read Less

I was prescribed lexapro and buspirone and my doctor did not state that I CANNOT take these 2 together. I have been taking them for about a month together and yesterday it hit me hard. I pretty much overdosed on them. I will NEVER take these ever again after my experience!!!!!

My personal experience with Lexapro has been a journey, and it's only been about 3 weeks. It is true what the reviews say, that if you can get over the hump of taking this medication, it works great. The first week and a half was absolute hell. I had every single side effect and even got a mild case of serotonin syndrome on the first night I took it (I took 5mg). I thought I was having a full on heart attack like some reviewers mentioned. If you experience this, stay calm, and remember your anxiety is just taking over and you will be okay. For the first week and a half, my anxiety was horrible, I couldn't eat, sweating a ton, weak, dizzy, insane brain fog and headaches. I also experience not being able to orgasm. It wasn't until about 10 days in that the fog cleared and I was able to feel my anxiety calming down. I have GAD and I reached a point of panic and state of anxiety about going anywhere and everything felt super overwhelming, and severe fear about my health, and I can confidently say now that I am looking forward to continuing this medication. The biggest piece of advice I could give to those struggling while adjusting to this medication or if you are sensitive to medication like I am is to take a very small dose to start and to take it in the morning with food until you realize how this effects you. I would even go as far to suggest that if you are able to work from home or take time off work, start your first dose while being at home until you know how it effects you. I took this at night at first and had insane insomnia, but switched to morning and now I sleep great. I was on 2.5mg for 10 days because 5mg at first was too much for me and just upped to 5mg and I feel great. I was just like several of you review readers who obsessively read the reviews for this medication because I was scared of taking it. But I saw another reviewer say that you owe it to yourself to try this medication because it may change your life and it is true. Stick with it and you will be okay! This medicine will not kill you and your anxiety/fears are valid, but you will be okay :)Read More Read Less

The first time using this was hell...I went through weeks of "adjusting" to it...good days and then bad days. My doctor even increased my dose which eventually made me feel worse---very zombie like. I developed sexual problems. I quit the drug for a year, suffering once again with my depression. Then I tried something new on my own...which worked perfectly. I decided to take less each day...only 2 1/2 mg! And I also decided to split it up into 2 doses (12 hours apart---1 1/4 each dose). I feel great, normal, no depression, and NO SEXUAL PROBLEMS! I personally believe that splitting the dose creates less "up and down" levels in your blood, helping your brain stay even. Remember that Lexapro has a half life of 27-33 hours which means that what ever your dosage is will be doubled in your blood about 5 days later. Thus, my 2 1/2 dose really equals 5 mg per day---a perfect amount for me. Originally, my dose had been 10 mg per day (which meant my blood levels went as high as 20 mg)...no wonder I felt zombie-like! And taking it once a day, during that first time, meant my blood levels went up and down quit a bit during the course of the day causing, I believe, those up and down days. My new way of taking it has changed my life...I feel normal again!Read More Read Less

When I was taking this, it just made me gain weight, feel more depressed, tired, and suicidal. If you are able to, please try wellbutrin. It changed my life and helps me actually function and do my hobbies.

Tonight was first night to take it so i am sure I need to give it longer to work . However at first it made me sleepy but now i have been up for 2hrs since 130am and my stomach felt like it was on fire ,i am having diarrhea and nausea. I don't usually sleep the best at night anyways but this definitely didn't help. I doubt i will continue to take it due to have so many stomach issues already this just makes it worse.

I was diagnosed with depression about 2 months ago and was prescribed Lexapro. Don't get me wrong at first it wasn't great. Waking up covered in sweat, nausea, and not being able to sleep at night sucked. But after 2 1/2 months of taking it I definitely feel a difference. I don't get upset over random things and I'm in a better mood all around. However, I do have trouble getting to bed sometimes, but I am slowly working working my way over to taking it before I go to sleep. My doctor said that it doing so could help me sleep better.Read More Read Less

I was prescribed 10 MG but decided to start by cutting it in half and taking 5 MG. I took this in the evening. The first few hours I felt relaxed and drunk. A few hours later I felt burning skin sensations moving around my chest arms and head. I had nausea and woke up again later covered in sweat. I felt like my heart was fluttering and decided I would never take this again. It has now been about 29 hours since I took it and the symptoms are still there. 45 minutes after falling asleep tonight I woke up with the tingling going over my jaw and my jaw started to tighten involuntary. At the same time I felt a sensation over my eyes and heart and felt like it was tightening on them so I fought against the jaw locking jumped out of bed and my eyes were blurry for a few seconds. It all stopped when I got up. I couldn't find this in side effects but now I'm worried to fall back asleep because it was so terrifying. Read More Read Less

Terrible medication! Wake up daily with anxiety, top it off with a cloudy head and involuntary muscle spasms for good measure.

I have PTSD, and MD. I started off taking Wellbutrin XL and it was awful. It changed my personality, gave me an incredibly short fuse, and generally didn't feel well. I took a break from medication for about a year before feeling that I really needed the extra support. My doctor started me on 5mg of Lexapro. The first two weeks of side effects were completely terrible. I was exhausted, nauseous, and felt completely out of my element. However, my doctor assured me that if I could to push through the first two weeks. I am glad that I did! Over time we have titrated up to 15mg, and I am going to be on 20mg soon. It has overall been very effective, it is just the dosing that has been difficult to figure out (as we all know how it goes with a new medication). With every increase my symptoms go down. I am hoping this will be my final increase to finally get myself on the right path with my healing and feeling like myself again. Read More Read Less

I have OCD, GAD, and PTSD. I also have ADHD (severe). I use Lexapro to dull the anxiety and honestly it has been amazing. I don't feel like every little thing is a huge mountain, and I can be in a stressful situation without wanting to jump off of a bridge or hurt or rage at people. It didn't help some things but that's because I needed an ADHD medication on top of that. Lexapro also helps with dissociative effects of anxiety.

Lexapro has definitely been the only medication to really help me! I decided to start taking it because my social anxiety getting way too out of control, and I was also very depressed. The only thing that really sucks is that I have gained a lot of weight since starting, but I guess it’s better than constantly having anxiety / panic attacks and suicidal thoughts.. The initial side effects were horrible, and if I hadn’t read other reviews I probably would have given up… but I’m glad that I pushed through and stuck with it because the side effects did fade away after about a month of starting. It really has been amazing, and I’m glad that I started taking it. For anyone who wants to know the side effects that I experienced in the beginning were- horrible nightmares, sweats, dizziness, dry mouth & nausea. Read More Read Less