Aa
wanting off lexapro
I've been on lexapro for 6 days now and I freakin' hate it. Every dose is worse than the last. Everytime I take it, as soon as it kicks in I get horrible cold sweats, body shaking, nausea, and a general feeling of restlessness, I also get odd pins and needles sensations, headaches and begin to feel very nervous. This stuff is supposed to help calm me down, not keep me keyed up. But I did some research and found that my side effects have been documented with this drug and aren't completely un-common. While I do admit that I have anxiety issues, I don't think the pros outweigh the cons with this one. It's making me feel like ****. I know 6 days isn't very long to be on it, but when each dose I take just builds on the negative effects I just mentioned, I feel safe in assuming it'll only continue down that road. I plan on talking to my doctor about it tomorrow. I really hope he listens. Has anyone else had a bad experience with Lexapro?
Absolutely, what Paxiled said. Lexapro was basically created to be a "cleaner" version of Celexa, it was supposed to be easier to tolerate, but like Paxiled said, everyone reacts differently to different medications. Some may find Lexapro hard to tolerate, while others may find Celexa difficult to tolerate.
They are similar in their chemical make-up, but not identical, for sure.
CeresIrene...how are you doing now? Are you feeling better?
They are similar in their chemical make-up, but not identical, for sure.
CeresIrene...how are you doing now? Are you feeling better?
No, Celexa and Lexapro aren't the same thing. They're very close, but Lexapro took the Celexa structure and chopped some of it off. Same thing they did with Pristiq re: Effexor. I can tell you from personal experience, they don't feel the same, and for some the differences are quite stark, for others just a little different. My side effects were worse with the Lexapro, but for most the side effects are at least by reputation worse with Celexa. Even a little difference can be a lot for some people, though perhaps not for most.
So, to update, what they are treating me for right now is Occipital Neuralgia. I am on a round of medications that *should* fix the headache issue IF indeed it is Occipital Neuralgia. So far I AM finding that my symptoms seem to be slowly receding. After I get through this round of medications, and depending on what results I get from them, (AKA: If it fixes the problem), then I'm going to talk to my doctor about starting the Celexa, and discuss my dosage options.
I will keep you updated. My Neurologist appt is tomorrow. I am hoping I will come away with some type of answers. As of right now, I discontinued the use of the Lexapro on my doctor's orders, but have not began any other type of SSRI, even though he did prescribe me with Celexa. My reason for not starting anything yet is that I want to be able to differentiate between the medical symptoms that are naturally occurring within me right now, verses any possible "side effects" I could begin to experience on account of the SSRI's. Until I speak with the Neurologist and have any other possibilities ruled out, I think it's best to stay off of anything that would only confuse and muddle what's actually happening to me as apposed to what is being inflicted on me by drugs.
Definitely keep us updated!
Are you feeling any better? Did you decide to go down on your Lexapro dose?
Are you feeling any better? Did you decide to go down on your Lexapro dose?
Well, honestly, all of my anxiety and panic started with these strange headaches I started getting back in January, I became so fearful of what they could be that I had multiple panic attacks and was taken to the ER twice. I've tried to explain to any doctor that would listen that, YES, I have always been a rather panic-y person, and YES, I have been known to be overly anxious, BUT, I have never had this amount of panic attacks and fear until these headaches started, and it is BECAUSE of their presence that I am so scared. But the medical community on whole seems to stubbornly ignore the fact that I have a medical SYMPTOM which is CAUSING my panic and is instead addressing the panic with out addressing the symptom. However, I have an appt with a neurologist on the 19th, and am praying I get some answers. If anyone reading this wants a better description of what's been going on with me, I have a separate post in the "Headaches and Migraines" community.
Here is the link to THAT post: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Migraines--Headaches/Fire-inside-my-head-24-7-EXCRUCIATING-PLEASE-HELP/show/2099654#post_9959435
Here is the link to THAT post: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Migraines--Headaches/Fire-inside-my-head-24-7-EXCRUCIATING-PLEASE-HELP/show/2099654#post_9959435
Wanted to share my experience. 4 years ago my job caused me severe depression and anxiety. I was stubborn about taking meds, but finally tried Prozac. Awful! Coudnt eat, jittery, felt foggy. Gave up because I realized I could conquer without since the drugs made me feel worse. Now I am having the same situation again 4 years later. . I tried citalopram. It's much better. I only take 5 mg though because that's all i can handle. Or else I start having random panic attacks which I didn't have prior to the meds. Moreso general worry. I take Klon when needed. Can't wait to not need the drugs. But There r so many drug options out there. Don't feel stuck.if u want to start low dose and try to increase from.there go for it!
Oh geez, I'm sorry your doc wasn't very helpful. That's so irritating! Can you make an appt to go in and talk to him face to face to discuss your options? You may do better on the 5mg, and possibly with a temporary increase of the Klonopin.
I'm sorry you're going through this, it sure sounds like the side effects are pretty bad for you. Hopefully you can get in to see your doctor and make a new plan. I think if you go down to the 5mg dose, you should be able to see some improvements within a week, both from the dosage reduction, and also the side effects hopefully starting to diminish.
Keep in touch okay? Fingers crossed that this starts easing up for you!
I'm sorry you're going through this, it sure sounds like the side effects are pretty bad for you. Hopefully you can get in to see your doctor and make a new plan. I think if you go down to the 5mg dose, you should be able to see some improvements within a week, both from the dosage reduction, and also the side effects hopefully starting to diminish.
Keep in touch okay? Fingers crossed that this starts easing up for you!
Well, I'm also on Klonopin, as well. The Klonopin is great, it calms me down and makes me feel a bit better, but the lexapro makes me feel like I'm dying. It's awful. I do take it at night, the lexapro, that is. But I hate that because then I stay up all night suffering with it's awful side effects. They're so powerful that I literally dread each dose. I actually felt better emotionally BEFORE I started lexapro at all, which is saying something. Personally, if I had to switch my schedule, I'd rather take it during the day instead of at night, which I what I've been doing now, simply because maybe I could get sone damn sleep then. I started out on half-tabs of the 20mg dose. So, 10mgs, obviously. So, would I be able to half a half tablet in order to do a 5mg dose? Also, when I tried to talk to my doc the other day, he made me discuss it with his nurse, then she relayed how I was feeling to him and he didn't even try to discuss it with me, he just said he'd call in a different anti-depressant and to try that. He didn't tell me any of the things you told me at all.
I wanted to add too, that sometimes changing the dosing schedule will help with the side effects. For instance, if you're taking it in the morning, sometimes switching to a bedtime administration time (which is the most common) may help. Sometimes the dose will even be split up to be taken twice daily so the side effects aren't as intense. Another thing to ask your doc about.
Hello there! Sorry you're having such a rough time.
Yes, you're correct that a lot of the symptoms you describe are consistent with the fairly common "start up" side effects of Lexapro. The most common side effect is feeling "jittery", or "keyed up" as you described (like you drank 10 pots of coffee). Also, it's not uncommon to experience an INCREASE in anxiety for a brief time as well. Other common side effects can include GI disturbances (nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite), sleep disturbances, headaches. It's true that a lot of times, you have to kind of feel a little worse before you feel better with these medications. I know, that stinks. Also remember that it can take 6-8 weeks before one can really assess the effectiveness. Sometimes it takes even longer (especially if one starts out at a low dose and gradually tapers up). So, prepare yourself for having to stick it out for a few months to see if it's going to work for you. And by stick it out, I don't mean the severity of the side effects you're experiencing now, I just mean taking the Lexapro. IN regards to the start up side effects....
The GOOD news is, that MOST times, the side effects are pretty short lived, with most people seeing improvements after about 1-2 weeks, with the side effects abating completely shortly after that. What dose where you started out on?
You are doing the right thing by talking to your doctor about this. There ARE some things that can be done to help minimize the side effects for you to make them a little more tolerable while you're waiting for them to dissipate.
One common remedy is a short term course of an anti-anxiety medication, like Xanax or Ativan. Another option would be to decrease the starting dose, and slowing wean up to the goal dose. I personally think that's the way to go. A typical starting dose of Lexapro is 10mg. Many people who start out at that dose who have bothersome side effects have done better after reducing their dose down to 5mg for a couple weeks before bumping it back up. Occasionally, we will see people started out at 20mg or higher, which would most definitely cause any side effects to be pretty uncomfortable.
So, talk to your doctor about your options. I personally feel that a person should exhaust all possibilities with a medication before throwing in the towel. Especially because you've already got 6 days in, which means that the side effects SHOULD start improving pretty soon. Also, like I said, it may just be a case of you needing a temporary anti-anxiety medication, or a lower dose. I would just hate to see you throw the towel in when you may be only a few weeks away from feeling a lot better. It's always a personal decision though of course, based on how much someone can tolerate.
No doubt it's tough to endure the adjustment period of these meds for some. Honestly though, if you REALLY want to give this a fair shake, and see if it's going to help you (which it very well may), I would recommend trying to stick it out for at least another 2 weeks, WITH your doctor's help of course.
Very best to you, I hope you and your doctor can come to a decent conclusion about how to move forward. Please come back and update us, let us know how the appt went, okay? Glad you found us!
Yes, you're correct that a lot of the symptoms you describe are consistent with the fairly common "start up" side effects of Lexapro. The most common side effect is feeling "jittery", or "keyed up" as you described (like you drank 10 pots of coffee). Also, it's not uncommon to experience an INCREASE in anxiety for a brief time as well. Other common side effects can include GI disturbances (nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite), sleep disturbances, headaches. It's true that a lot of times, you have to kind of feel a little worse before you feel better with these medications. I know, that stinks. Also remember that it can take 6-8 weeks before one can really assess the effectiveness. Sometimes it takes even longer (especially if one starts out at a low dose and gradually tapers up). So, prepare yourself for having to stick it out for a few months to see if it's going to work for you. And by stick it out, I don't mean the severity of the side effects you're experiencing now, I just mean taking the Lexapro. IN regards to the start up side effects....
The GOOD news is, that MOST times, the side effects are pretty short lived, with most people seeing improvements after about 1-2 weeks, with the side effects abating completely shortly after that. What dose where you started out on?
You are doing the right thing by talking to your doctor about this. There ARE some things that can be done to help minimize the side effects for you to make them a little more tolerable while you're waiting for them to dissipate.
One common remedy is a short term course of an anti-anxiety medication, like Xanax or Ativan. Another option would be to decrease the starting dose, and slowing wean up to the goal dose. I personally think that's the way to go. A typical starting dose of Lexapro is 10mg. Many people who start out at that dose who have bothersome side effects have done better after reducing their dose down to 5mg for a couple weeks before bumping it back up. Occasionally, we will see people started out at 20mg or higher, which would most definitely cause any side effects to be pretty uncomfortable.
So, talk to your doctor about your options. I personally feel that a person should exhaust all possibilities with a medication before throwing in the towel. Especially because you've already got 6 days in, which means that the side effects SHOULD start improving pretty soon. Also, like I said, it may just be a case of you needing a temporary anti-anxiety medication, or a lower dose. I would just hate to see you throw the towel in when you may be only a few weeks away from feeling a lot better. It's always a personal decision though of course, based on how much someone can tolerate.
No doubt it's tough to endure the adjustment period of these meds for some. Honestly though, if you REALLY want to give this a fair shake, and see if it's going to help you (which it very well may), I would recommend trying to stick it out for at least another 2 weeks, WITH your doctor's help of course.
Very best to you, I hope you and your doctor can come to a decent conclusion about how to move forward. Please come back and update us, let us know how the appt went, okay? Glad you found us!
Oh yeah, not to mention, complete loss of appetite. It's been ridiculously hard to find any food appealing what-so-ever, and when I DO eat, then I have to fight to keep it DOWN.
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