I understand that a lot of people have had rough withdrawals and vent about it here, so I just wanted to pitch in my two cents to those of you who are just starting on it. Don't panic. (There, that'll be two pennies!)
I took
Lexapro for about a year, under supervision of my family doctor and my therapist. COMMUNICATION with your primary care person is really important, and I recommend keeping notes if you can on how you're feeling -- it will help you AND your doctor know whether the medication seems to be working for you. We did it as simply as rating my depression on a scale of 1=10, and me giving her a list of any new side effects each week.
I didn't have any major side effects during "ramp up" other than jaw pain (muscle tension) and dizziness. While taking it I had some weight gain but for me that was just much less important than the fact that I was now able to get out of bed in the morning and get through my day, actually interact with other people... care about my life.
But anyway, I want to bring some balance to this thread. I read the lexapro withdrawal threads, and scared the ******************** out of myself, but in actuality... not so bad. No worse than banishing any other steady-dose chemical from one's system. I weaned very carefully and slowly because I was terrified. The dizziness and the jaw pain came back a little bit... I had a couple of days where I felt more irritable or moody than "usual.." and since then I have really been okay. My libido, well, I guess that's not as vital to me as it is to some (and that's fair!), it has taken some time to 'recover,' but the affection and the happiness are there and I'm finally in an emotionally healthy relationship again so really, that's more of a priority for me. With exercise and paying attention to what I'm eating the weight has come back off and I'm feeling FINE.
So. Again, to sum up: Don't panic.
...breathe...