Just starting lexapro

[Paul]

32yr old male

Took Lexapro 20mg/day for only 2 months for depression/anxiety issues.

Basically HAVE to stop taking it.I have been slowly overwhelmed by growing apathy to the point i stopped caring about anything in my life.Not in a depressed way either,just a complete lack of emotion or will to do anything other than eat,sleep and use the computer.I also stopped caring about my kids, partner and my daily routine of fathering/homemaking which is very unlike me indeed.I started smoking cigarettes again after over 12months quit time out of the blue.
This drug cured my depression/anxiety but also killed the "healthy" anxiety i need to live my normal life.Like not wanting to be late for an appointment so leaving home on time is a healthy form of anxiety and also avoids more negative anxiety about being late.I dont seem to care about anything from major to trivial issues.

So i just outright went cold turkey 7 days ago BIG MISTAKE.After day 3 i had the distant feeling of an impending flu coming on.By day 4 i was going through a terrible flu like condition,which lasted till day 7.During this 3 day period i experienced the following in order of severity:

-Throat/gland soreness (even a tiny sip of water was painfull)

-Neck/upperback pain + stiffness

-Intermitent pulsating headache

-Sinus/nasal conjestion (50% of the time i was muccus free)

-Dry coughing fits causing great pain to my throat/back

-Brain zaps

-mild ear ache

-numb flushes through face

-bursts of uncharacteristic verbal rage

-mild insomnia

As you can see i had a rough 3 days and these symptoms were constant.It was only the fact that i had read about "brain zaps" just after starting the drug that i thought to look further on day 7 to see if any of my other flu symptoms could be withdrawal.I found many many posts saying they have had similar experience with flu withdrawal so i took 5mg lexapro and within 2hrs began to feel better and could swallow with little pain again.

The message is dont play with your meds or "self medicate",you can find yourself in a bad way.Ask your doctor and definiately taper off this drug very slowly.

[kansas]

I started taking Lexapro about 5 months ago. It is so nice not to be stuck to the ceiling anymore. I have been very happy with the results. Does anyone know what the long term side effects are? Are there any long term studies that show the effects on the brain? I don't want to be running through the supermarket naked when i am 80 because I jacked up my brain chemistry now. I hadn't heard about the weight gain, but have had trouble losing weight since starting it. Any feedback? I work out about 4-5 days per week.

[Dave]

Increased my dosage from 10 to 20mg on the 21st of july and have seen a slight increase in weight. Did not see any weight increase while on the 10mg. Seems to have slowed my metabolism some. Ever since taking Lexepro, my dreams have more of a deeper insight, more profound, can't explain it,just weird!

[newlymedicated09]

Worried and Devastated wrote:

My spouse just up and left our life. I’ve been forced into bankruptcy, we’re losing the house, the car everything. I just found out that he never refilled his Lexapro prescription at the end of October. Can the withdrawal from this drug create such radical and drastic changes in feelings? He told me he loved me (adored me, actually) almost every day, right up to mid December, then just left, saying his feelings had just “stopped”… Can it be a result of his not taking the drug? He was on it since summer of 2003.
Should I confront him with what I know? What could his reaction be? I assume he is through the "withdrawal" stage, yet he continues in his course of action (moving out, etc). Could his actions Now seem reasonable to him because he still believes the "reasons" he gave for his about-face?
I'm serious, everyone ... It was "I am the luckiest person alive to have you" ..."I love you and adore you with all my heart, my sweet wife" ... "Ever since I met you my life has seemed on the right path." ... "I love you so much. I can't wait to see you." These expressions, and flowers and cards and almost daily text messages were constant throughout our marriage until November (and even a bit through then). Then, "I don't want to be in a commitment anymore. I've already made my decision. No discussion. I'm already gone."
I don't know where else to turn ... and I need some advice, please.

sorry to hear about your situation. i am brand new on this starting today. but i researched alot before asking to be put on anything and talked to my mother who has been on anti depressants and having known her father should have been put on it, and the rest of her family is on an anti-depressant. it is genetic. and some people really need it more than others. in mens cases it is harder for them to come to the realization that they need one, in other words, most self medicate. he must have had enough of having to be doctor'd all the time and felt not in control with his feelings because he had to take a pill to help him. so instead he cut himself off cold turkey....what you should do is contact his physician or him, if u can, and somehow tell him and the physician the situation and the severity. the severity can sometimes be self medicating(drugs and alcohol, or obesity, binge eating, self mutalization or even suicide) it sounds like he definitely needs help

[keith mn]

hi, i take lexapro for severe anxiety and panic started at 10mg and went to 15 after 6 weeks it took 10 weeks to feel better and after 12 weeks a person i used to be happy and care free

[rusty]

I started lexapro back in 2006, it worked great at first, then leveled off, so i switched over to cymbalta. Bad mistake. I just this part week went back to 20mgs of lexapro and just yesterday it REALLY started to kick back in. I should have never left this drug

[Dena Cedar Rapids IA]

I lost my home and everything in it last year when the Cedar River flooded my home, 13 feet of water filled my house just 2 blocks from the river,even onto 2nd floor,it is scheduled for demolition, finally after a year of denial,I realize I needed help,counseling and meds. I just started Lexapro yesterday and reading all of these is scary for me. I/ve lost 72 pounds since Oct 2008 and I dont want to gain. I specifically asked my doc(PA),(my therapist doesnt prescr meds), to put me on an antidepressant that isnt known to cause weight gain. And the chest pain things scares me too, my therapist suggested Effexor but my doc said lexapro, which she just gave me 28dys of samples,so alot of times I think its the pharm co's pushing,so thats why they gave me samples. my doc knows money isnt the problem as long as its a generic its only $4. If I gain and I'm still walking 5 miles a day, and eating cheerios,yogurt,oatmeal and fruits/veggies,and taking my green tea pills, then I will stop.I'd rather be depressed than gain back any of the weight I've worked so hard to lose.

[Forrest]

I've been taking 10 mg of Lexapro for nearly 5 years. I've had no weight gain. I've gone off it three times but then suffer from anxiety, irritability, and mild depression. Down sides include no sex drive. I also seem to be groggy much of the time, but don't know if that is the Lexapro or my long-term anxiety. I think I will try reducing it to 5 mg to see if the grogginess is reduced and if my sex drive improves.

[Rich]

I've been taking 10 mg of lexapro for 3 weeks now and my side affects so far has been stomach ache, gas, loose stools, mild head ache, slight foggynest in the head, tiredness, but otherwise it has calmed me down, I suffer from anxiety, irritability and OCD also my wife aways complains that I repeat myself a lot, I notice at work when I get nervous the anxiety comes back so the doctor has upped the dose to 20 mg, I hope it works

[Roula Saade]

Taking combination of Ludiomil 150mg and Cipralex (Lexapro) 20mg to treat a very resistent depression. Started feeling much better after 3rd week. Any weight gain on Lexapro?

[curious]

I was put on zoloft a couple of months ago for post partum. I felt a difference in about a week the only thing i didnt like was it caused extreme insomnia for me. I avereaged 4 hrs of sleep in those 2 months. But then I felt I didn't need it anymore so I just stopped taking it about a week ago but am finding myself depressed again. My dr has given me some lexapro. I took my first one a couple of hours ago but am just wondering how long until I will notice a difference. Also has anybody experienced insomnia with lexapro?

[Ronda]

I just started lexapro yesterday, I have dizziness that comes and goes and am having trouble sleeping. Will this go away and how long will it take?