Lexapro help

I am on week 5 on Lexapro. First week was the absolute worse. Anxiety was horrible. After about day 8 or 9 I started to feel better. Day 14 I went from 5mg to 10mg. I was expecting to get bad anxiety again but I never did. After that I was really good for 2 weeks and then 4 or 5 days ago I started feeling a bit anxious again. Not half as bad as week 1 or before I started Lexapro. From what I hear and read this is totally normal for Lexapro. Hang in there and it'll get better! That's what I am hoping for! Give it 6 to 8 weeks and we'll both be golden!!

Hello and welcome!

I sorry to hear of the loss of efficacy with your Prozac. This is not an unusual experience at all after several years. I know how frustrated you must be, and probably feeling like you are having to start over...but that is not entirely true.

You are better equipped this time around since you have likely learned some management tools along the way of your journey. Dig deep at this time and put them to use for your start up challenges. If you need new ideas, see our Resources at the top of the main forum page here for great material.

You mentioned being a few weeks in, so hopefully in the next one or two, you'll start to feel the benefits and reach your therapeutic level soon.

Hang in there and post as needed for support and encouragement. We care, understand and support is key!

Scaredy Cat

Here you go,

/www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=9&m=104206

S.C.

A.,

Since you already have a few weeks in (how many exactly?) I would keep going...

It can take up to 12 weeks for a full therapeutic effect to be noted...and yes, sometimes you can plateau, then have a setback, as the next increase is needed.

Talk to your prescribing doctor for planning your next step.

Let us know how you are doing again soon...we are cheering you on!

S.C.

I went up to the 10 mg about 12 days ago. Felt pretty good for the first 10 days then started with the heart pounding and palpitations... Normal? My psychiatrist says that I have to give it about six weeks after we reach the target dose (which was 10 mg). I am just feeling a bit discouraged since I had so many good days in a row

Funny how this anxiety works. When I visited my gp in Oct to see why my anxiety is out of control, my bp was a bit elevated. He said it is because of the anxiety. I went to recheck yesterday and my first reading was 132/80.... and I started panicking....then it went o 147/85.....
He allowed me to calm down and got readings of 114/69 and 123/70. Now instead of focusing on the normal readings I am now obsessed with blood pressure.....even though the doctor said it was anxiety driven and the proof is the lower readings after I calmed down.

Oh my do I wish there was a magic cure to anxiety.

Hi Anxious,

Do not worry about a random high reading here or there. My BP usually runs low, like your 'good' reading that you are trying to recapture.

However, when my anxiety is spiked, it can go up like your 'bad' readings.

I put 'good' and 'bad' in quotations b/c I think we need to not label them as such. Our ANS which regulates the blood pressure is designed to bump up the bp when a threat, imagined or real is detected. The elevation in BP is actually a survival mechanism...and for it to go up occasionally is not a danger, but in fact normal.

It is the overall average that matters in terms of cardio health...so if you are in the lower range most of the time, which your doctor seems to think you are (and he is right!) then there is nothing to worry about.

Try not to take your readings very often. Remember that most people only have it checked twice, even once a year.

Keep working on your coping skills including Positive Mantras. You are going to be just fine and reach your goals!

S.C.

(((((HUGS)))))

It is a privilege!

S.C.

I am doing good Anxious144. I am on day 23 of 15mg and am feeling pretty good. it's been about 12 days since I have had an anxiety so I am hoping this is it! I do notice my jaw wants to clench lots some days in the last couple days and not sure if that is a Lexapro side effect or anxiety symptom. Overall I am feeling good though. They say it can be 6 weeks on your target dose before you have the full effect so we just have to be patient. It's hard I know. I am trying my best to stay positive!

Okay....Having a bad day and a half and need some encouragement and assurance. I have been at target dose of 10 mg for 25 days. Had ups and downs....but was really starting to feel encouraged and saw a light at the end of the tunnel. It wasn't perfect, but sure wasn't where I started. Starting yesterday I had mini panic attacks. The kind that hit...make you hot all over and panicky then leave as quickly as they hit....but still leave you feeling an over all nervousness. Today....it happened 5 times before 9:30am. Now I am distraught. I am afraid I am going back to where I started....where all I could eat was a banana a day because of the nausea and extreme anxiety. Help anyone?

A.,

Sometimes we veer off the path for various reasons. It could be hormonal, or lack of sleep, situational (sometimes we are not even conscious of the underlying trigger) or we could be fighting something off..common this time of year...

...and for any of those reasons, we will have a rough day or few. This doesn't mean that we are staring over, or going back to square one, but rather that we just get back on track and continue along the journey...stronger than before for getting through the experience.

Candy gave you some great suggestions above, so increase your coping skills, talk to your doc if necessary...and don't get discouraged...you are going to get past this hurdle!

Update when you can,

S.C.