... I took them for around 18 months they were new here when he precribed them and I could find nothing bad on the internet about Lexapro. After taking them for a long time I was not feeling good, felt strange and found the Lexapro side effects page here. I was/am experiencing pain in my right eye spasmodically but persistantly. I saw that the retina detaching from the eyeball was one of the side effects of Lexapro so I took myself off Lexapro 5mg every 2 weeks and was free of the pills around 2 months ago. 3 days ago I survived a serious pulmonary embolism and I am pretty sure I have deep vein thrombosis in my right leg. Today I came back to the side effects page for Lexapro and have found both conditions listed as side effects of Lexapro. Am I silly thinking taking Lexapro over an 18 month period could have caused this? I certainly have never had any sign of these things previously
I live in Queensland Australia I was suffering from depression and my doctor prescribed Lexapro 10mg
- Posted:
- 3 Nov 2011 by GotchaA
- Topics:
- lexapro, depression, doctor
Added 3 Nov 2011:
Has anyone else had a pulmonary embolism or developed deep vein thrombosis while taking Lexapro or just after getting off Lexapro?
Responses (1)
pledge3 Nov 2011
Hello GotchaA. I understand your concern and am glad that you're doing well. I don't see how the lexapro can be the cause only because you've been off of it, over at least two months. The drug has now, long left your body. Its no longer a player. You tapered off of it in a months time. So, your daily dose for a month was 5mg, which as you know is very low. Most people on a daily dose take 20mg. Having said that we all react differently to a particular drug and dose that accompanies it. But I don't see lexapro being the cause of your circumstances. I'd talk to your doctor, or another, or better, a pharmacist, get a neutral opinion, explain as you just did to us, but leaving you out of the question. So, as in you're asking on behalf of a friend,. in that manner you will get an unbiased answer,opinion. very best to you.
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Hello Pledge, two of the listed side effects of Lexapro are Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulminary Embolism. Deep Vein Thrombosis is a condition that leads to Pulmonary Embolism. I was on Lexapro for 18 months. Deep Vein Thrombosis is not a condition that would disappear quickly once developed so weaning myself off Lexapro would not make the physical condition disappear. I see another site that has surveyed 22,500 people who have used or are using Lexapro, 250 of those people have had a pulminary embolism. I am simply here looking for others who may have had this experience as I have had possibly 4 of the listed side effects. Large weight gain, deep vein thrombosis and pulminary embolism plus possible detached retina althought to be honest I have to have my eye problem diagnosed. The other three are already diagnosed.
I just noticed I posted I came off Lexapro 5mg at a time every 2 weeks, sorry should have been 2.5mg not 5mg. Just for other peoples info... coming off it at that rate did not cause me massive discomfort. I got the occassional "electric jolt" at the base of the back of my skull but nothing I couldn't live with, there was a little anxiety but again nothing too uncomfortable. The pulmonary embolism, well can't say if that was caused by the Lexapro but it is a bad bad experience and a very serious life threatening medical emergency. A life altering event.
I understand. Well, hopefully some of the other members will beable to identify with your situation, and offer there insight. best to you.
Pledge, the other thing that has to be considered is that that survey indicated 250 Lexapro users who had suffered a pulmonary embolism and survived, many people who have a pulmonary embolism don't survive them, some die on the spot or die en route to hospital so those who died couldn't respond to any survey. Pulmonary embolism is a blood clot in the lungs, if the return route of blood from the heart to the lungs back to the heart is prevented by a blood clot the person effectively suffocates on the spot. I guess in my case the clot was either a small one or simply lodged in a section of my lung that still allowed my blood to return to my heart, hence my lucky survival. All things that need to be considered.
Hi again GotchaA. I know what a pulmonary embolism is, whats involved. Having said that, you made a very good point, how many people didn't make it, so are not a part of the study. I was on lexapro for, trying to remember, about a year and a half, back in 2005, '06. I stopped taking it because of almost "chronic" fatique. No matter how I split it up, it left me really tukkered out. Hopefully you'll get someone elses opinion. What you might do, is put out another question, because what happens more often than not, your question is posted on a time basis. As the day (s) go by, the question will not show up as most recent, if you know what I'm saying. You can put up another one, just change a word or two, the site managers are pretty good in that respect.
Hi Pledge, yes I also always felt extremely tired lack of energy to do anything. I've tried two anti depressants what I've found is that I would have been better just dealing with the depression. I didn't want to go on the Lexapro because of the other being a bad experience also, migraines thoughts of suicide which went away after I threw them in the rubbish bin. You can't do that with Lexapro though and I shouldn't have done it with the other either. I definately won't be taking any anti depressants after this scare. I doubt that it can be proven it causes pulmonary embolism but if I had of known when I considered taking them just how serious this embolism is I would not have risked taking it, but there was nothing out there I could find when I first got them. 18 months later there is a list of side effects as long as your arm. It's not right is it?