hi everyone... I came here to ask a question since its the holidays and hard to get a hold of Drs. I was prescribed Lexapro 10mg for anxiety on dec 15, never having taken any meds for this in the past. I immediately started feeling tremors, all day and all night, depression, nausea, headaches, Diarrhea, insomnia, and figured it was my body getting used to the meds, so I continued taking it for 5 days. I decided to stop because I could not handle the side effects, esp the tremors. news its been 10 days since my last dose, and im still feeling tremors, especially when I am resting. has anyone experienced this so long after taking the medication? will it go away? im starting to get worried ... any help is appreciated...
Took Lexapro 10mg for 5 days, still feeling tremors 10 days later?
Question posted by rickyg1984 on 30 Dec 2020
Last updated on 14 February 2021
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Answers
Mad-T-Train
1 Feb 2021
When starting an antidepressant the symptoms may get worse this is called activation syndrome; however, what you are describing sounds like serotonin syndrome and it can be fatal. It was wise to know this was not just getting acclimated to the drug and stop. The tremors can last for months after discontinuation and hopefully they are not permanent.
rickyg1984
15 Feb 2021
thanks for ur comment. im still feeling them, havent been on anything since. its been two months now. really hoping its not something more serious and completely unrelated to the few doses of lexapro i took. i have read they can last months to go away, so im hoping its just going to go away on its own.
TyreseTl
30 Dec 2020
Hey, Ricky!
Mostly everyone have experience the side effects you mention. The good news is those side effects usually subside within a few weeks once you continue taking the medication. Never quit taking these medication without a doctor advice. Stopping abruptly can cause relapse in the brain. You can split the 10mg since it may be too much for you. Take 5mg in the morning and 5mg at lunch or bedtime. But you should definitely let your doctor know about your symptoms.
Stay strong,
Tyrese
rickyg1984
30 Dec 2020
hi Tyrese,
thank you for your reply. the thing is I did already stop taking the medication... I only took 5 doses, and my last dose was on dec 19. that's why im worried that im still experiencing these tremors. my dr said it was ok to stop the meds since it was only 5 days.
TyreseTl
30 Dec 2020
Is he/she planning to put you on a different medication?
rickyg1984
30 Dec 2020
no I don't plan on taking anything else, I think I jumped into taking meds too fast and obviously it didn't do well with me. I did reach out to my primary care dr but haven't heard back. at this point im just more concerned about the tremors.
TyreseTl
30 Dec 2020
Did you have tremors prior Lexapro?
rickyg1984
30 Dec 2020
no I did not
TyreseTl
30 Dec 2020
Monday may be the best time to reach out to your primary physician. I’ll recommend you to get a blood test. Check for any vitamin deficiencies. I hope you get well soon. Try to relax.
masso
30 Dec 2020
Tyrese is spot on!
Usually it takes 2 weeks, give or take, for side effects from discontinuation of this SSRis to work themselves out, plus you only took it for such little time, you will be fine... just do not get anxious, not good for you.
rickyg1984
31 Dec 2020
ok makes sense. im trying to not worry about it but its hard since it happens most when im trying to rest and relax. its very weird to experience since I've never felt that before.
TyreseTl
31 Dec 2020
You should try start off on a lower dose of Lexapro. It may be the medication that you need. Don’t let your anxiety control you too much, it’s no good. you should take Lexapro for at least 2 weeks. Taking it for 5 days won’t consider a fair trial. Give the medication time to work. Give it all you got, you will feel better soon.
Rlgudites
4 Jan 2021
The tremors were awful and so scary. After about a month, they have finally gotten better. I still feel it a bit when I first wake up, but I am sticking with Lexapro because I think it is really helping my anxiety. I started with .5 and am now taking 10mg. I am glad I stuck it out.
rickyg1984
4 Jan 2021
I guess if I was still on the meds, id get it. but im not and haven't taken them since the 19th. still feeling the tremors, after weeks of being off of the medications. glad to hear yours went away somewhat... I couldn't imagine continuing the meds for myself because the side effects were too awful to "put up with" for weeks or months...
Related topics
lexapro, anxiety, tremor, prescription
Further information
- Lexapro uses and safety info
- Lexapro prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Lexapro (detailed)
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