I've just started taking Lexapro at 10mg per day. I've read all the information the doctor gave me and done some Googling, but I was just wondering if anyone who's taken it can also give some kind of personal description of whether it worked, whether it didn't, what side-effects you had, that kind of thing. Thanks guys
I took Lexapro for a while for depression, don't remember the dosage or anything. I would not recommend drinking (pretty sure they tell you not too, and I stupidly did anyway). Basically, it intensified the effects of alcohol. I would say that it worked for me, but I also went to a little bit of therapy and made some life changes, so I'm sure it was a combination of those things. One thing I didn't like about it was that it felt like it leveled out my emotions- at first I was glad to have the worst of my depression gone, but it also made it hard to feel truly excited or happy. So I would take it again only if my depression got really out of control.
I've heard really positive and really negative things about lexapro. I know some people that it has helped quite a bit, but one friend who went on it developed serious lethargy, gained about 30 pounds, and it basically turned him into a couch potato. He ended up doing a lot of research online and found there were a number of people like himself. Once he went off the Lexapro, it took about 6 months, but he was back to his old self. So I wouldn't necessarily advise against it, especially since there are plenty of people it does help... but just be alert to those potential signs and if you see them, you might want to try something else. Also, if I'm not mistaken, *all* of the SSRI antidepressants have been shown to be only slightly better than placebo (if at all) in a number of studies... though I haven't looked recently, and haven't kept up on the newest SSRIs. So if that's still the case... you might want to explore some alternate approaches if the Lexapro doesn't help.
Yeah I took Lexapro too when I was younger. So I guess I should just be honest and tell you that for me it did not work in the slightest -- it only made things worse. However, I don't know if you should take my experiences as an example, because I was 15 at the time and it was against general recommendations to prescribe it at that age. It made me extremely aggressive, and worsened the symptoms that were supposed to go away. Again, I was a teenager, and I think this is exactly why they do generally not prescribe Lexapro at that age. I stopped taking them after a month or so. (I took 10 mg tablets) Sorry it's not more positive, but figured you'd want an honest answer.
I used to take it. I found that it really didnt work for me, I also had some bad side effects like fainting and seizures.
Thanks guys. For those who've taken it/know people who have, what kind of time frame would side effects and intended effects kick in? It's only my second day and my mouth's already a bit dry, which is apparently a pretty common side effect. Feel fine otherwise though.
Generally, the side effects appear in the first week or so. It will take 2-3 weeks to start feeling the intended effects, and about a month for it to really take effect and get the full benefit. Dry mouth is an expected side effect with SSRIs. Like chip said, look for any adverse reactions.
Dry mouth and inability to sleep are probably the two most common complaints. Some of the SSRIs have a tendency to mess with your perception of temperature, so I've had patients who complained that they would be freezing cold one moment and then sweating the next. Lexapro has less side-effects in general that other drugs in its class, however different people respond differently to each of these drugs. Most people have an odd feeling the first few days until they adapt. The mood elevation effects may take a couple of weeks to level out.
I took lexapro when I was 14. I have been on a concktail of medications. 1. wellbutrin. (I went from weighing 90 pounds to 180 pounds at age 13. I am now 20 and weigh 150 (i'm 5'7.5 inches) I've never been back to my old size :-( 2. Neurotin 3. Trazadone 4. Lithium 5. Lexapro 6. Zyprexa 7. Seroquel (current) 8. Lamictal (current) 9. Clonzepam 10. Risperadal I am bi-polar. Im 20 years old now. Lexapro I liked because I wasn't tired and a zombie. I disagree with meds for children. However, I liked it. I was no longer depressed, instead I was super hyper. It made my mania crazy. However thanks to lexapro, we discovered bi-poolar disorder. a more accurate diagnosis.
Maddy > I've been on Lexapro for 10 years now, as well as some high dosages of other bipolar meds. There are very specific things I've noticed about Lexapro, though. First, within the first month of taking it, I gained 40 pounds. That leveled off and then the other meds bumped me up another 20 pounds. As of this year, I've just started slashing that down. Also, Lexapro does indeed cause dry mouth. I've found the best thing to combat that is gatorade, honestly, above anything else. Water won't help with it, and neither will biotene. The most important thing, however, when it comes to Lexapro for me is this... I've always been a terrible med-dropper (e.g. skipping doses purposefully) and Lexapro withdrawal symptoms are killer (in the bad way) and it doesn't take long at all for them to start slamming you against the wall. Excruciating headaches, nausea, heightened sensitivity to light and sound, extreme irritability, twitching and spasms, etc. Now, your withdrawal symptoms might be different, though, because I have bipolar I combined with dissociative psychosis, so don't freak out. For the most part, Lexapro helps keep me from the darkest of places, but it's an intense drug and I've been on it for a long time. After so long, it's also incredibly difficult to drop without experiencing some difficult to manage side effects. The last time I tried wasn't pretty. Just be careful and listen to your doctor. NOTE: Right now, I'm on 10mg too, but at one point I think I was up to 60mg or something. I tried to drop it entirely but my body couldn't take anything less than 10mg, so... -shrug-
