Starting Lexapro - Generic

I am a 26 year old male who had a total hip replacement several months back. I was put on heavy pain meds for an extended period of time to get over the pain before surgery and after surgery. I have been mildly depressed since my early teens due to my hip, significant limp and pain. I could cope with that and get on with life fairly easy. Once i came off the pain meds I went through full withdraws and now about 3 months after no pain meds I am left with depression and anxiety that I cannot kick. On the meds a total of 6 months. After rounds with the Dr he finally talked me into trying an AD. My mother had wonderful results on Lexapro so we are starting there. I took my first 10mg tablet last night after about 3 hours of building the courage to take it. I have a wife and a young daughter, nice house, college education...etc, everything in life is great except my depression and anxiety.... Just wanted to share my journey and keep updates and this continues in the weeks to come. Thanks for any support or advice anyone can offer.

Post Edited (Lee1822) : 10/21/2015 10:39:36 AM (GMT-6)

So far so good. I slept good last night. Stomach felt a little upset but nothing unbearable. Feel a little more spaced out today that normal. The anxiety has me feeling pretty foggy the last few weeks so its just a little worse today. Feeling a little placebo effect going on i believe. My spirits have been higher today. I think it is because I am finally getting help for this and hopefully on the right track. I will try and post daily updates along the way.

Well last night and this morning have not been so great. I did sleep good once again which is a good thing. Anxiety and panic are through the roof and I cannot seem to get a grasp on it. I know this is the side effects of the medicine and I am going to stick it out but it is really wearing on me. I am at my ends feeling this way and it just seems to be getting worse. I want my life back... I have a call into the Dr to see if there is anything that can be taken in the beginning to ease the effects of the Lexapro until it builds up. I have hydroxizine but not sure if it can be taken with the lexapro that is what I have a call in to the Dr about. Thanks for any support and advice.

This may need to be moved to the anxiety board.

Hi Lee - I started Lexapro about a week and a half ago and was prescribed hydroxyzine as well. Totally safe to take together!

Hang in there, just be mindful of how it's affecting you, if the side effects and anxiety are getting bad on it then you should go back to the Drs and perhaps try something else, there are lots of alternatives to try if this one doesn't suit you

Weekend was so much better! Still morning anxiety but it is lifting more and more daily. I really didn't think I was depressed, but I am starting to feel happy little by little. Something that I guess it has been so long since I have felt this way I didn't really think I was missing anything.

Sleep has been a little tough on this medicine. Getting to sleep is a piece of cake, but satying a sleep is posing to be a problem. Been waking randomly in the night and cannot get back to sleep, or if I do get back to sleep it is very very light sleep. Going to see if this passes over time or if I need to address it with my Dr.