Lexapro=Nightmares?

[PleaseGodHelpmePleaseGodHelpme]

→I very recently began taking Lexapro after years (nearly 15) of various medications, therapy and most recently a suicide attempt about a month ago. Since beginning the Lexapro, I have had several very vivid nightmares/terrors. They are so awful, I fear going to sleep, and after I have one, it takes at least an hour to get myself to try to return to bed. I was taking Effexor 150mg just prior to starting Lexapro, and was told to stop it before starting Lexapro which I did, but could there be lingering Effexor in my system causing these nightmares?

[Paxiled]

Did you stop the Effexor abruptly, of do a slow taper off it?  Effexor is one of the most difficult of all antidepressants to stop taking without significant withdrawal, and taking another drug won't most likely help with that withdrawal because no two of these drugs work exactly the same, and these drugs are not even in the same class of drugs.  Another problem is that when you stop a drug and switch to another right away, you can't tell which side effects are from withdrawal and which are from the new drug.  My own advice is if you stopped the Effexor abruptly, you're not ready for a new drug, and if you're having problems I would go back on the Effexor at the last dose that felt fine and taper off slowly until you've successfully gotten off it.  Then you can start a new drug and know if it's the source of your problems or not.  Others do disagree.