Lexapro related to Stomach Problems?

[bladelaw]

Hey everyone, here's the story:

I started taking lexapro about 4-5 months ago, and after about a week on it, I started feeling bloating/pressure/fullness in my stomach, mixed with nausea (Sometimes so bad I have to go try and sleep it off). Heres the catcher, I stopped taking it as soon as I started feeling that way, and now, I still have the same issue.

So far have had:
Blood Tests (ruled out H. Pylori)
Ultrasound (ruled out gallstones)
Upper GI (rules out anything major other than minor inflammation/gastritis)
Gallbladder Scan (rules out surgery)
Talked with MD about symptoms (ruled out surgery) -said its basically hit and miss in this case

Like I said: Symptoms are 24 hours a day bloating/fullness and nausea later at night. No vomiting yet, thankfully, but it scares me...

Anyone else have similar issues?
Anything could help right about now!

[lizziecee]

Hi - try cutting out wheat and potatoes, and see what happens.You might ask for a colonoscopy of the large bowel, to see if everything is okay there.
Good luck.
Liz.

[Annie62]

I don't know if Lexpro can cause bloating, fullness and nausea or not, but even if it can your symptoms should have stopped some time after you stopped taking the med.  You might want to read up on gastroparesis.  I know most people on this board who have abdominal bloating, pain and nausea after eating don't have GP, but some of them will, so you might want to do an internet search on it and see if it sounds familiar.  I've written a few posts on it on this forum.  The only way to know for sure is to do a gastric emptying scan, so you might want to ask your doctor what he thinkgs about the possibility of GP.

[bladelaw]

Yea, I actually read about it from one of your previous posts. Sounds like that might be the problem, though I hope not, if I get to the point where I can't keep food down, I'm not gonna be too happy. And actually, I have an appointment for a gastric emptying scan, just awaiting the paperwork. It just distrubs me to know that we as humans can be perfectly healthy one day or week, then be royally ****** the next.

[bladelaw]

also, to add....the thing that confused me, is that I feel full even if I havent eaten at all...

[Annie62]

Well, if the scan shows you do have it, even if it is severe, that doesn't necessarily mean you are going to start vomiting from it.  I have had the symptoms of it about 8 years (after a really bad GI infection in '99), although I was only dxd a year ago.  Even though mine was severe on scan I don't throw up from mine (occasional nausea and even dry heaves), but mostly have pain and bloating.  So, not every one throws up from it even if it's severe.  I asked my gastroent. if he thought I was going to start vomiting from it in the future, but he said he didn't know-so not necessarily.  I have read that some people with severe GP throw up all day long-become anorexic/malnourished--and I am thankful I'm not one of them.  I think that is one of the prerequisites for a feeding tube.  

Hope your scan is normal and that you have nothing serious wrong with you.  As far as feeling bloated all the time, if it is GP the food can stay in there for many, many hours.  I hadn't eaten for 17 1/2 hours before my endoscopy, and there was still food in my stomach after that amount of time when they scoped me--that's why I was sent for the gastric emptying scan.  So, if you have significant GP, that could explain why you are bloated all the time--food is always in there mixing with the juices and gases causing bloating.

[bladelaw]

Well, some of this might be from lack of real exercise, though who knows (since I'm 5' 8"  116 lbs, male).

I have experienced the dry heaves part, and usually laying down and getting sleep makes me feel better. Nausea is literally every night at one point, whether it goes away is random.

I just had my Gastric Emptying Scan, and actually, part of the way through it, I woke up and heard my stomach grumbling horribly. And was starving after it. So I'm stumped...

I kinda wish we could wave a magic wand and make all our troubles go away...(especially those patients in the hospitals unable to eat or live their lives)

The other thing is, sometimes when I get nauseas, eating makes it go away. OR at times I get so nauseas from not eating, that if I eat it makes the nausea worse...

Well, once I find out the results next week, I'll repost and let you know. The thing is, if its negative, that means I'm back to step one and out of the doctor's little guidebook for symptoms and issues. And if it is positive, then what?

What do you do to deal with yours? As it is I already suffer from depression, so this feeling isnt helping...

[Annie62]

Yes, please post your gastric emptying scan results when you find out.  I'd be interested to know if you have it or not.  Probably not, but you never know.  When I have nausea it usually comes on about 2 or 2 1/2 hours after I've eaten breakfast.  Not sure why it's after that meal because that's when I eat the least.  I don't know why you would feel nauseated when you don't eat, unless it is a couple hours after a meal.  I take domperidone for my GP.  There are a couple other drugs as well out there.  

You can't eat a whole lot if you only weigh 116 lbs and are 5' 8", so you probably already eat small portions at any one time, which seems to be a good thing for many stomach/bowel problems and especially for gastroparesis.  Hopefully whatever you have doesn't cause you to start vomiting or there won't be much left of you!  Why would lack of exercise cause you to feel bloated and nauseated?  

I'm sorry you struggle with depression.  I had a major problem with that for years, though it's minimal now, so I do know what that is like.  If your doctors don't find the cause of your symptoms they will probably tell you that it's from your depression :) {or actually :(......}.  That's what they do when they can't find the cause or when they just don't feel like looking for the cause.  It's unfortunate but often  times true.  I hope they do find whatever is causing your symptoms.  

[bladelaw]

Well I have my follow up on wednesday, I'll get back then. Who knows whats causing it. One day I'm fine, and one day I feel like ****.

And yea, after all this, I realize doctors dont really help unless your symptoms follow the textbook...

[PattyPA]

I started on Lexapro about 3 weeks ago. After about 2 weeks, the nausea, retching (no vomiting), fullness, and lack of appetite started. I cut from 10 mg to 5mg, which helped the nausea, but that reduced the antidepressant effect. I found that sleep sometimes made the nausea worse (maybe because of lack of movement). I did find that drinking small quantities of water constantly helped moved things along and reduce the nausea. However, I'm going to have to change to another med, I think. The side effect, for me, is just intolerable. I'm REALLY hoping this side effect does not stay with me.

[bladelaw]

Well yea, the second I started feeling this way, I stopped taking the medication...but still feel this way...yet all the tests are normal...hmm...lower gi? who knows...I'm still pretty healthy for the most part, as far as I know...