HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Starting Lexapro

Support Forums
>
Anxiety & Panic Disorders
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/12/2016 4:18 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, I am new here, and I just started on Lexapro for anxiety and depression. I took Zoloft a couple of years ago but my new doctor wanted to take Lexapro because she didn't think it would make me as tired as the Zoloft did.

I've recently(in the last few months) developed a fear of throwing up in public and the Lexapro seems to be making it worse. Today I had to leave a restaurant because I could feel my heart pounding and my stomach turning.

I feel terrified to go to work in the morning, work is usually good for me because it takes my mind off of things.

Has anyone had their anxiety get worse with Lexapro? Did it subside? What did you do to help?

Thanks for any advice! I really appreciate it!
Posted 12/12/2016 5:12 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Chelso and welcome!

I am sorry you are experiencing these challenges...but rest assured they are fairly expected to some degree...and they are certainly temporary.

Your system needs time to adjust...and the brain, recognizing the Serotonin from the Rx, slows down the production of the natural source. The problem is that the medication has not built up to a therapeutic level yet...

..but it will, and then you will start to feel much better.:)

Use of self help coping skills during this time will help...so see our Resources at the top of the main forum page for great material. Practicing the suggested exercises regularly will help!

Great job on getting the help that you need, and hanging in there. It will get easier with time and effort. You can do this!

Post with us anytime if you find it helpful. We are here to listen and support anytime.:)

Scaredy Cat
Posted 12/12/2016 6:24 AM (GMT 0)
Hi chel
Welcome to the forum.
I am sorry to hear your suffering right now. SC has given you good advice which I hope is reassuring for you.

Posting here is a positive start as there is so much support.

Sending you strength and encouragement xx
Posted 12/12/2016 8:33 AM (GMT 0)
Hi

Welcome to the forum.

It seems to be the norm for things to get worse before they get better when starting a new medication but things should settle back down again within a couple of weeks and if they don't go back and speak with your doctor.

Lexapro is a very activating antidepressant and imo one of the better medications for anxiety but it's best to take first thing in the morning.

I hope it works well for you keep us posted.

Hibee
Posted 12/13/2016 1:29 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the reply y'all! I really appreciate it. I have been taking it at night but I will try to switch to the morning. I thought if I took it at night I would sleep through the side effects.

I was hungry for the first time since I started taking it, so that's good. If I could just get rid of this additional anxiety I'd be great.
Posted 12/13/2016 9:30 AM (GMT 0)
Everybody is different, when I took it seemed to be working but as a couple of weeks went by . I had a peresonality changed. lexapro build up in my system. Hope you have good results . lavendar
Posted 12/13/2016 5:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Chelsea
Thats a positive with some appetite.... Onwards and upwards 😊

Sending support x
Posted 12/14/2016 9:06 AM (GMT 0)
Hi

Good to hear your appetite is back I hope things continue to improve for you.

Hibee
Posted 12/14/2016 8:20 PM (GMT 0)
Lexapro was difficult for me to get used to a few years back but now it's no sweat and it really helps. It's helped me get to a place of normalcy that eluded me for years.

I've read Lexapro can make your digestive tract go into high gear, which can in turn cause stomach issues. Your gut has 80-90% of your body's serotonin, so it makes sense how Lexapro, as an SSRI, would impact it, at least initially until you got used to it.

It also made me a bit dizzy at times but nothing unbearable. I take 5mg twice a day (morning and early- to mid-afternoon) for a total of 10mg. Seems to work better for me to have a split dose.
Posted 12/16/2016 2:22 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all so much for the advice, and kind words! It's really great and comforting.
Posted 12/16/2016 4:45 PM (GMT 0)
Absolutely! smile

Sending ongoing encouragement...

...and keep us posted, so we can keep you in support.

S.C.
Posted 12/16/2016 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Cheslo, I'm on the journey with starting Lexapro too, just over two weeks for me.

You're doing really well! I also found it causing me nausea and upset stomach and even some pretty bad stomach cramps. So I've got heaps of sympathy for you there. One thing that helped me was trying to eat small amounts of food every 3-4 hours rather than three full meals a day. Like some fruit, or toast or a smallish bowl of veges and rice. And drinking a lot of liquids to keep fluid volumes up. This way I was still getting enough food even if I lost interested in eating or couldn't stand the thought of a big meal.

After I started doing this I figured out that some of the nausea feelings were due to being hungry or dehydrated, even though I wasn't feeling hungry. And after a few days I felt better and now my diet is getting back to normal. It also helped a bit to take my morning pill with a small amount of food, like a banana or another piece of fruit and a full cup of water or tea. Some of the literature on Lexapro suggests it doesn't make much difference whether you take it with food or not, but I found it helped a bit.

Of course everyone is different, these suggestions are just things that helped me. But might be worth thinking about if you haven't tried them. My side effects were/are still pretty bad, but eating regularly did help and Lexapro is helping with my anxiety... slowly.

Best of luck to you!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply