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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Lexapro Side Effects
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
Lexapro Side Effects
by JAS69, May 20, 2008 01:37PM
The first couple years of taking Lexapro I had no side effects. For the last year +, I have had abdominal pain, gas, heartburn & diarrhea almost daily. I have asked my Dr. 3xs if it could be from the Lexapro, but he keeps telling me no. I have a decent diet ~I eat lots of fruit & salad & drink nothing but water. My Dr. just want to give me more med's for the symptoms (prilosec, etc). I take Pepcid and GasX almost every day. To test my Lexapro theory I went off it for three days (I know your not supposed to just stop, but I am at my wits end and really wanted to see if this is the problem). The first day my sypmtoms were the same. The second day they were slightly better and the third day there was no heartburn at all. I plan on telling my Doc, but I know he will just tell me that it is not related. Has anyone else had these side effects from Lex? Anyone been on Lex for awile with no side effects, only to have them develop later? Don't side effects happen in the beginning only?
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., May 22, 2008 12:39PM
, May 22, 2008 12:39PM
To: jas69
This is a difficult question to answer. It is unlikely that side effects would start this late, so it is improbable, but possible. You and your doctor need to explore these symptoms because it good be something else. Your experiment with withdrawal needs to go on longer to give you any good information.
I was taking a large dose of geodon for years with no problems then one day i began having angina and other symptoms. I went to the doctor thinking it was truly physical but all tests wetre negative and according to Dr. I was just fine. I continued the med ication for 2 more years and my Dr. had finally had enough of hearing about my symptoms and my requests for test that she looked up the side effects of the med and at my annual physical showed me the pharmacoliogical journal with the side effects listed in there and sure enough they were all the things I was experiencing. I got off that medication and have never had another similar symptom since. I now take loxipine.