Lexapro/Escitalopram - Positively needed

[Blueeveryday]

I was prescribed this a week ago. It’s definitely heightened my anxiety and I am doubting myself if I have done the right thing in taking it. Had bad experiences before on medication.

Though I do believe part of the way I’m feeling is my anxiety. Making me doubt absolutely everything and put a negative spin on it.

So….to help me through this rough start up time, I would love to hear stories on how it benefits your life. It will help me push on.

Thanks

Feeling back to square one. Maybe I’m expecting too much too soon? Feel dreadful today. Maybe a dose increase again would help

We were told by the psychiatrist that 5mg is just a tester, it won't have an impact. Changes start at 10/15/20mg, particularly for ocd and anxiety.

Thanks @mirabella84

I am on 10mg now but after a glimpse of hope a couple of days into the 10mg, it’s disappeared and my anxiety and intrusive thoughts have came back with a vengeance

You'll have this with most antidepressants to start with. Remember they are literally adjusting your brain chemistry, it's going to take a little getting used to. They do settle quite quickly and SSRIs are very widely tolerated.

I'm an awkward bugger who doesn't get on with them at all but one of the older drugs that's much less prescribed now due to its reputation for godawful side effects, I can take that no problem. 😮‍💨 Highest allowed dose, no trouble at all. There will be one that suits you, they'll always start you on the ones most likely to work and if it doesn't help, you just switch.

how long did you give them @Balloonhearts before you realised they didn’t work for you?

4 weeks in and these palpitations are still incredibly bad.

Is this normal and will it subside?

.

Do you think that your anxiety re taking the antidepressants is causing these palpitations rather than the medication itself? Just a thought x

How are you feeling now op? X

@Beckycw dreadful. Overthinking/intrusive thoughts is at an all time high. Wondering would another be increase to 15mg help….

Higher doses are needed for OCD - you can go
to 20mg on this medication (higher doses are not fda approved)

Has any body else found no relief on 5/10mg but did on 15mg? Losing the will to live at the mo tbh

@AlltheJays23 how are u feeling

@mirabella84 how is your Ds getting on with his medication now

@HereComesColinFrissel how long did you feel bad before it got better? I’m really struggling. Did you up your dose or stay the same?

I had been on citalopram previously. Initially some side effects, mainly nausea and bad sleep, it settled in a month or so.
I cam off it after a couple of years, that was three years ago.

more recently I felt the anxiety creeping back. Went back on SSRI and asked for escitalopram as apparently it has less side effects. Started on low dose.

omg. I felt unbelievably awful. Just so hard to describe, intense teeth clenching restlessness almost, with night time palpitations and panic attacks. No sleep.
I gave it three days and ditched it.

I went back on citalopram- no side effects at all, anxiety managed, all really good.
just my experience but I hope it’s helpful x

He's been on 20mg for just over 3 weeks. He's a lot more tired than usual but sleeping much better. He thinks there's been some improvement in his anxiety but it's hard to know what's the medication and what's him becoming a bit more resilient. He's not where he wants to be.

Seeing psychiatrist this week, think she'll move him onto sertraline which I'm dreading, tbh.

Sorry, sent too soon. He's def better on the higher dose though I think. Hasn't had the panic attacks. Why don't you go up to 15mg and see? Or if it's too unbearable try a different sari, as precious poster suggested?

I would say it took a good month or so before I started to feel better..please hang in there, it will improve, it just needs to build up in your system x

About 6 weeks or so I realised that the Sertraline was doing nothing for me. Citalopram didn't really make any difference either but gave me really vivid dreams. Then I tried Paroxetine, had hallucinations and they decided maybe SSRIs weren't the way to go and we should look at Tricyclics.

Amitriptyline was suggested by me as I'd had it before for nerve pain and tolerated it quite well. Obviously we had to jack up the dose to treat depression but the only side effects I got really was a dry mouth. Had to have a psychiatrist authorise a dosage over 50mg though as it isn't commonly prescribed anymore in that quantity.

My GP was a bit hesitant, said it wasn't very refined and was a bit of a sledgehammer approach but I pointed out that the newer, so called better drugs weren't working so what was the harm in trying an old one?

@Balloonhearts Amitryptyline really worked for me. I just did not like the dry mouth side effect. I had a huge dose as was initially prescribed it whilst an in-patient. I slept like the dead.

I am no longer able to take it and have been through all of the others over the years so escitalopram is my last hope (if I ever get this prescription).

That's totally normally - long time user here and it's changed my life for the better, but the first week you're more anxious as your body adjusts. I'd say it takes a good few weeks (maybe six) to settle in.

Keep going - it's all worth it. It helps you create more positive neural pathways and gives you space from the anxiety somewhat to feel better. You're not avoiding anything - just not drowning as you may have felt before xxx

Starting my 15mg today

@Blueeveryday hope it makes a difference. Am hopefully collecting my prescription today. Starting with 10mg.

Hey I’m starting tomorrow for same reason….how are you keeping now did it help?