lexapro help!!!

I'm new to this site and can really use some help. i have bad anxiety and panic all due to a horrible thought to be stroke 2 years ago but test later revealed it was a very intense panic attack.Now every day i fear that i will have one of these attacks again while driving or just everyday activities soMy DR at the time gave me xanex to help with the anxiety but i was so nervous of it happeing i abused them just to make sure it never happened again, so i weened off them and now have not taken anything in over a year and a half. My DR last month perscribed me 10mg of lexapro which i finally gave in a tried last week and i freaked out all my anxiety and minor depression was so much more intensified i couldn't leave my house. so my question what about taken the lexapro at night and breaking a pill in half to 5mg? and was just wondering how long side effects lasted for other people.

Let me just say i used to take anabolics and i know that had a lot to do with messing with my hormone levels

Hi KB and welcome,

I am sorry to hear of your anxiety troubles. The good news is that you are seeking treament and getting the help that you need.

Congratulations on recognizing that you were getting into an addictive situation, and getting off of the benzos...well done with that.:)

One of the great ironies concerning SSRI's is that they can cause increased symptoms of the very thing that you are seeking to get relief from!

You are about half to a third of the way there (4 or so weeks if I read correctly?) in terms of the build up and leveling off period...where you can expect the side effects to start to lessen. It can take anywhere from 6-12 (sometimes more or less) weeks to note improvement and have an indication whether a med is going to work for you ro not.

If after this time, things do not improve...you will then want to discuss your options with your doctor.

One of the things that you will want to do during this time is to employ self-help methods of coping. If you have some that work...double up on them at this time! If you need some fresh ideas...please see our Resource Guide here on our main page (1st post)

Continue to post with us as well. It is really helpful to talk with others who understand.;)

Scaredy Cat

Hi Ive been on lex for 2.5 years. was on 10mg for 2 years and brought it down to 7.5.

Getting on lex did give me side effects, mostly felt nausea. they did disappear after about 4 weeks.

Lowering my dose to fast gave me really horrible sx. I went from 10 to 5 and couldnt bear the sx so I went up to 7.5 and have stayed there since. I will stay here for a while til I gather the courage to go down to 5.

Give it some time to settle in your system.

Good luck!

KB, I'm in the same boat as you right now in regards to the side effects. I just started taking Lexapro last Wednesday, July 3rd. I have increased anxiety, some heartburn at times, some loss of appetite (that doesn't bother me at all since gaining on Zoloft) but nothing else really. I can honestly say that Lexapro has had the least amount of side effects for me out of any of the other's I have taken over the years.

I was supposed to start on 10 mgs, but with my history of using SSRI's, I KNEW that I needed to cut them in half and start lower. So I have been taking 5 mgs, and after this coming Wednesday (1 week), I will bump up to 10 mgs, but only if I feel I need to. I might just stick it out with the 5 mgs, as I've read a lot of people have tremendous luck on such a small dose. We'll see though.

I can tell you from personal experience, that when you first start practically any SSRI, you are going to have some increase in your anxiety. I also take mine at night before bed, so that the side effects aren't too bad. But I have woken up a few night, with night sweats and palpitations, last night being one of them.

I just ride it out, do some deep breathing, and try to get back to sleep. The main thing is to recognize what is happening, knowing that it will pass, and just riding it out until it stops and I am able to get back to sleep.

I too have been on Xanax for over 2 years, probably closer to 3 now, but thank the Lord I haven't had a problem with addiction. I actually take less than what I am prescribed, but my hope is that once the Lexapro kicks in I can wean off of the xanax and just keep them for an "as needed" backup.

I guess we'll ride out this journey together! Good luck with it, and I'm here if you need a shoulder, or just need to vent.

((hugs)) Fox

just wanted to update I bumped up to 10mg last night and as much as i didn't want to i took a xanex to offset my side effects and by the time i woke up 98 percent of the symptoms were gone. 5mg worked great for me but i felt myself feeling like crap half way through the day so now that i'm back on what my DR wants me on hopefully it will all work out plus i have been seeing a therapist which has been helping i think

Fox7 said...
KB, I'm in the same boat as you right now in regards to the side effects. I just started taking Lexapro last Wednesday, July 3rd. I have increased anxiety, some heartburn at times, some loss of appetite (that doesn't bother me at all since gaining on Zoloft) but nothing else really. I can honestly say that Lexapro has had the least amount of side effects for me out of any of the other's I have taken over the years.

I was supposed to start on 10 mgs, but with my history of using SSRI's, I KNEW that I needed to cut them in half and start lower. So I have been taking 5 mgs, and after this coming Wednesday (1 week), I will bump up to 10 mgs, but only if I feel I need to. I might just stick it out with the 5 mgs, as I've read a lot of people have tremendous luck on such a small dose. We'll see though.

I can tell you from personal experience, that when you first start practically any SSRI, you are going to have some increase in your anxiety. I also take mine at night before bed, so that the side effects aren't too bad. But I have woken up a few night, with night sweats and palpitations, last night being one of them.

I just ride it out, do some deep breathing, and try to get back to sleep. The main thing is to recognize what is happening, knowing that it will pass, and just riding it out until it stops and I am able to get back to sleep.

I too have been on Xanax for over 2 years, probably closer to 3 now, but thank the Lord I haven't had a problem with addiction. I actually take less than what I am prescribed, but my hope is that once the Lexapro kicks in I can wean off of the xanax and just keep them for an "as needed" backup.

I guess we'll ride out this journey together! Good luck with it, and I'm here if you need a shoulder, or just need to vent.

((hugs)) Fox