Lexapro

[star]

I'm on day 10--a week on 5mg and now on 10mg. My side effects returned when I upped the dose--tired, nauseous, and increased anxiety. Nausea is gone, how long can I expect the anxiety to hang around? Does all this sound normal for this med?

I used 1/2 an Ativan last night at 7, went to bed at 10....but woke up groggy and dizzy. Probably too much medication? I'm pretty sensitive. I'd like to take the Lexapro and leave it at that.

Thanks

[alankay]

Star, the increase to 10 mg might bring up some side effects for a week or so. Lexapro is not as easy to taper up as the tablet sizes are 5, 10 and 20mg. I just have gotten 5mg tabs and cut it half with a pill splitter to go from 10 to 12.5mg before 15mg. It helped. Most of the other SSRI meds come in larger increments so is easier to tape up on.
Well the lexapro might add a tad to the ativan so if you took 1/2 a 1mg tablet it sure could be that it was a tad high in your case. If the grooginess passed quickly you might want to stick with it but if it bothered you maybe you can get a splitter from the pharmacy and take 1/4(if you can manage to split a 1/2 tab) and see how that goes. PM me any time. Alankay.

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Thanks again, Alan. I hope to be able to stay at the 10mg dose. Will try 1/4 of an Ativan next time.

Is it common for my anxiety to increase when starting Lexapro? Of course, it's sometimes difficult to tell if it's an increase, or the med just hasn't kicked in yet. It's not more intense, it just seems more frequent, if that makes sense.

Anyway, I appreciate all the help :)

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I'm on day 12 of 10mg Lexapro. Last week, I had increased anxiety, some nausea, and fatigue when I raised the dose from 5mg. Yesterday, I felt better, like I was "turning a corner. I was disappointed this morning when I woke up after a solid 8 hours of sleep (!) and feel kind of odd and "out of it". Any thoughts?

[alankay]

Star, sometimes we may pay too much attention to every little normal variance in our feelings. We over analyse ourselves. Mornings can be like that as you are coming out of that wonderful, deep REM sleep and before long you will awake fully, get "warmed up" and and feel normal. You may have an "off day" but that's OK. Try and hold at 10mg lexapro and use ativan as you need to but sparingly. In time you will use it(ativan) less probably. Alankay.

[star]

Star, sometimes we may pay too much attention to every little normal variance in our feelings. We over analyse ourselves. Mornings can be like that as you are coming out of that wonderful, deep REM sleep and before long you will awake fully, get "warmed up" and and feel normal. You may have an "off day" but that's OK. Try and hold at 10mg lexapro and use ativan as you need to but sparingly. In time you will use it(ativan) less probably. Alankay.
Thank you Alan. I haven't used Ativan since last week--just melatonin before bed. I was worried that the Lexapro was not working since I had the feeling yesterday that it was beginning to.

[star]

I actually just had a thought....I wonder if the melatonin is too much now since the Lexapro is building up in my system. I take 6mg--which is a fair amount and this definitely feels like a "morning grogginess" situation. I'm going to go without it tonight and see if that makes a difference.

[alankay]

Good idea.

[star]

Well, two nights with no melatonin. The first, just slept a few hours but last night I got 7 full hours.

I'm at day 14 of 10mg. and still feel pretty tired during the day, a bit lightheaded on and off, and have milder but definitely there anxiety. (butterflies) My doctor said that this should go away by week 5.

Does this sound on-track? I hear of people responding much quicker.

[alankay]

Yep. Within a normal range I'd say. Alankay

[star]

Yep. Within a normal range I'd say. Alankay

Thanks--I appreciate it!

[star]

I must look like a pest--and I honestly don't mean to be. This is the farthest I've ever gotten into an SSRI and I'm nervous that it won't work and I'll have to taper off of it, which I hear is not easy. I make the mistake of reading too much on the net about things and do over analyze and over think as well. Trying to curb that urge :)

Just so sick of this feeling....

[alankay]

Star, I honestly think much of the ssri discontinuation syndrome hype is BS. I do believe some have a hard time if they drop an ssri "cold turkey" and know for sure paxil is the worst because of its short half life. Prozac has an extremely long half life and easiest too stop. Zoloft, celexa and lexapro are not biggies unless you go cold turkey from a long period on a high dose. Like benzos, just because a fairly small number of patients have issues(particularly in the past) some medical writers want to declare all meds evil or "inherently dangerous", etc, to sell their stories/articles. Listen to your doc, not them.
Yep, some have trouble with them(a small percentage) and some stop cold turkey instead of tapering off and have some "brain zaps"(I had some, not too bad really and they pass). Most never have much in the way of real issues.
I'm just trying to say stay with it and don't worry. 10mg of lexapro would be fairly easy to stop. Just go down to 5mg for 2 weeks.
Since 1992 I have been on prozac, zoloft, celexa and now lexapro and stopped a couple times with no issues. I got a few "brain zaps"(electrical sensations) from going off prozac then on zoloft but that was nothing. Very minor.
Truth be told these ssri meds are very similar to common antihistamines(look it up via the wiki article on prozac). They were developed from them. They keep serotonin in the nerve gap a little longer and low level of that have been linked to dysregulation of both GABA and Noradrenaline neurotransmitters which causes or leave you more susceptible anxiety and/or depression. So don't fear them, just work with your doc on getting the most benefit from them. If you use a benzo also just use it as directed or sparingly and you will be fine.
Also learn all you can about calming yourself down, via deep breathing, progressive relaxation as well as some positive self talk. When you feel better do some reading on anxiety with self help books like "Don't Panic" by Dr. Reid Wilson, etc. PM me any time. Alankay.

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Very interesting--thank you for taking the time to explain it. :)

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Interesting development--I told the doctor about my ongoing side effects (daytime tiredness, foggy-feeling, morning nervousness, and no appetite) and she said this may not be the drug for me. They are going to call me back, but I think she's taking me off of the Lexapro. Exactly what I was afraid of....

Also, thanks for your thoughts Kev! Cheers to you :)

I have been to counseling and have read one of Claire Week's books. I do a guided imagery CD most days and practice my breathing. I have a pretty constant low level anxiety/nervousness that began when my son was diagnosed with a serious life threatening disease that he is still fighting. 6 weeks after his diagnosis, I had a scare with my own health that involved a biopsy that thankfully turned out ok. I never had a problem with anxiety before all this, so I know what is causing it. I tried the meds just as a "help" for now.

[star]

Oh Kev, you are a dear person to open up like that. I'm so sorry for your losses and what you have gone through. You really can relate. I do have a good friend that I confide in, I always feel better after we talk and I got a lot out of my therapy sessions--which I plan to resume at some point. It really does help to talk it out, you're right. I have also connected with another mom about my age who is going through the same thing with her son for the last 3 years.

My doctor, whom I have known for years, did prescribe me Klonopin, Ativan, and Xanax at different times and I have almost full bottles of it all here. She knows I don't have an addictive personality. I tried taking the Klonopin as needed and it makes me tired and kind of depressed. Once, I think it caused some rebound anxiety, but not sure. Maybe it's the fatigue it causes and not depression, per se, I don't know. Ativan affects me similarly but without rebound . I was hoping that something every day would even things out--you're right in that I just want it gone.

You have given me food for thought--I just picked up the Wellbutrin that she ordered for me. I still have to taper the Lexapro, of course, before I begin taking it if I decide to. She said to take a half Lexapro for 3 days and that's it. Maybe since I've only been taking the full dose for only 2 weeks? I know next to nothing about these things.

Thanks so much for the heartfelt words, Kev, it really touched me. Maybe because I don't know you and you so generously reached out to me. I wish you peace :)

PS--you asked if I was coping. I think I am, really. I'm functional and do what needs to be done in my daily life....it would be easier without the nearly constant stomach butterflies.....but I plow through. :)

[aegirl23]

I just started taking lexapro 10mg on Friday and I've been nauseous ever since, haven't left my house since then. How long does it take for the medicine to get use to my body and for the side effects to go away? I'm also taking Ativan in the morning. The dr told me to try taking lexapro at night so I wouldn't be nauseous all day well I'm nauseous at night till I fall asleep when I wake up it's not as bad but it's still there. :/