Escitalopram for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 5)

• Guy...
• April 23, 2017

"I had tried every medication in the books, but with no success and really bad side effects. I now take 20 mg escitalopram first thing in the morning. But around 5 pm, my anxiety kicks in, and I feel panic attacks coming, but that is when I have it timed out to take 1 mg clonazepam. Then around 9 pm, when I am ready for bed, I take 150 mg Seroquel. This is absolutely the PERFECT combination to balance out my day. I have had severe depression for about 12 years, with nightmares and panic attacks. I felt like life was hopeless. I was unable to make any friends because I was overwhelmed with anxiety and couldn't establish relationships. This combination has finally given me hope. I am able to be social now. I am able to feel good. Thank you!!!"

• Joj...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 27, 2020

Escitalopram "The first half year was great, except the first 2 months of sickness and feeling that I would vomit, but the pressure inside was smaller. From a 5 mg dose, I went up to 20 mg. After about 6 months, it just stopped working at all - rivers of tears, flashbacks, insomnia, low energy. But I am strongly concerned now that it's not depression I have but untreated PTSD, so maybe it's not working for PTSD."

• Rya...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 15, 2022

Escitalopram "Started this drug in November of 2021. I wanted to try something that could get me through some difficult grieving I was experiencing from losing my dad. Had a few short stints with it over the years but never made it through the side effects in the beginning, so I stopped. My primary started me on 10 mg for about 1 month and a half and then moved me up to 20 mg. The side effects were brutal: panic attacks, extreme nausea, fatigue, and some lightheadedness. After the effects subsided, I have felt nothing. I am on constant autopilot. I can't cry or even feel emotions. I'm just stuck in a fog and feel so disoriented every day. My anxiety is through the roof and I can hardly get through the day without having a panic attack. I know this isn't supposed to primarily help with anxiety, but some have said it has done something for them. I quit cold turkey in June 2022 and since then have been able to feel things. Sadly, the feelings are so heightened that it's hard to manage sometimes."

• Hec...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 29, 2014

"I have used escitalopram 20 mg for 2 years. For the first period, 1 year, it was very effective. It helped me get out of depression. Decision making became perfect, sexual life wasn't affected. There was no physical side effect on usage with alcohol, but physiologically it changes me a little emotionally and depressively when I drunk. However, after 1 year, this medicine turned me into a feelingless person, like a robot. I cannot cry, I cannot feel anything for a person right now. I am not sad, but I am not happy, too."

• Gri...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 16, 2017

Escitalopram "This is a wonder drug. If you suffer from any type of anxiety, especially PTSD and depression, especially major depression, this drug will ease your symptoms to a minimal. This is a 'clean' feeling drug and works great. Now the bad side: this drug has way too many side effects to recommend to anyone that is not retired or hospitalized. Without adjunctive therapy with an atypical antipsychotic, this drug will make you numb and turn you into the walking dead. Cloudy, foggy, and lethargic with memory issues are the main side effects associated with this drug. Further side effects include, but are not limited to, erectile dysfunction and the libido of a 90-year-old man. Aside from these effects, this is a super SSRI!"

• the...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 28, 2015

Escitalopram "I've had depression since my teenage years but never spoke to anyone about it and didn't take anything for it until two and a half years ago when I had a bad run of luck with a few big things close together. It all got too much, and I took a massive amount of prescription medication to try and end my life. Sixteen hours later, I was woken up by my mom and taken to the hospital. The doctors said most people wouldn't have woken up or at least had severe organ damage, but I was okay, no damage. That's when I had to speak to doctors, psychs, family, and some friends. They put me on Lexapro, and it worked fairly well for two years, but when a few bad, stressful situations happened again, it failed the test. I'm now trying venlafaxine, not sure yet, but hopefully, I get better results."

• noa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 22, 2020

"I don't think this is the medication for me, it worsened my anxiety and my depression. Basically, it did the exact opposite of what it's supposed to do. It depends on the person who takes the medication, so who knows."

• Sxa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 9, 2016

Escitalopram "I'm 17 years old and started suffering with depression a couple of months after my dad died, and that's when I was put on Lexapro 10 mg. The side effects were horrible for the first couple of days: extreme nausea and massive headaches. About a couple of weeks later, we upped my dosage to 20 mg, and it helped me with my depression a little bit for a while, but now (about 4 months later) my depression has gone back to how it was before I started Lexapro. I've also noticed that it has made me extremely exhausted all of the time. I have to sleep at least 12 hours to function, and even then it is hard to wake up and carry out my day. This may work for some, but it did not work well for me. I'm going to try to switch antidepressants within the next few days."

• Saw...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 13, 2020

"I'm 29 years old and have suffered with major depressive disorder since I was about 14. I've been on a few antidepressants, but Lexapro is honestly the only thing that has helped. I'm still not 100% (I don't know if I'll ever be), but Lexapro helps pull me out of the bad thoughts and low points. It's definitely the most effective antidepressant I've ever taken. However, it does absolutely nothing to help with my anxiety."

• Twe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 8, 2021

"Taking for MDD. Was prescribed Cipralex in my early 20s, but at the time had started law school and couldn’t handle the side effects. I stopped taking it after 3 days, which I regret because throughout my 20s and 30s I had major problems due to my depression that affected me and my family negatively. This time (in my mid-30s now) we managed to get through side effects by starting low, going slow. This works for me because I also have anxiety and am super sensitive to medication side effects. Started on 2.5 mg and am working up to 10 mg, which is the minimum required dose for MDD, increasing by 2.5 increments, and staying one month each before increasing again. I am really happy with this med-after trying several treatments for my lifelong depression, it seems to work best, along with daily exercise and a healthy diet. Please don’t give up until you find something that works for you ❤️"

• Bar...
• August 26, 2016

Escitalopram "I've been on this med for over a month, and the side effects do not outweigh my symptoms. The withdrawal sucks, and the hyperness and the tiredness suck. I'm 31 and haven't been on a depressant since I was 15. I lost my sister 5 months ago, and it set me into anxiety, panic, and depression."

• Dep...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 9, 2021

"I’ve had severe depression and social anxiety my whole life. I have horrible mood swings and never have energy to do anything. I couldn’t get out of bed, and I was always mad and overthinking. I finally decided to take medication because I was over it. The first month, I felt extremely sleepy, dizzy, and nauseous. I requested a different medication, but my doctor told me to wait, so I did. It is amazing. I have so much energy now, my mood swings are gone, and I don’t get mad at everything anymore. I love going outside too. I can tell when I forget to take it because I start getting lazy and angry and moody again. It takes about four days to get back to normal again if I forget to take it. It might not work for everyone, but for me, it’s amazing, and I am so grateful. I’m taking 10 mg every morning. My doctor said I could get a higher dose, but for now, I'm fine with 10 mg. I am a 24-year-old female with two kids."

• Fch...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 3, 2019

"I’ve been on this drug, escitalopram, for about 3 years now. I cannot taper off at all without becoming very sick and crying nonstop. I started at 10 mg, and because it wasn’t working, they kept putting me up until I was at 30. These meds make me feel as if I had been lobotomized, and I cannot stop sleeping. I have slept up to 48 hours straight. I fall asleep at work, on the train, at parties, everywhere. Caffeine has no effect. Sex drive is nonexistent. I’m always kind of confused, and I feel a lot less mentally agile. After 2 years of trying to taper off, I’m finally at 25 mg. That’s right, I’ve been trying to get off this medication for 2 years, and I have only been able to get down by 5 mg. The withdrawal symptoms are rough. It feels like trudging through water with the flu and having random, uncontrollable crying episodes. SSRIs are different for everyone, and I know they’ve helped a lot of people. I just wish I had known it might take me years to get off of them."

• abd...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 9, 2019

Escitalopram "For the first few days, it felt like it was not working, but after a week it made me feel better. Plus, I do not have sexual dysfunction like it said there might be for side effects, it gives me more erections, and I'm worried."

• Hum...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 21, 2023

"Escitalopram has really been changing my life for the better. Yet, it took months to feel better. I am deeply thankful to my physician who prescribed it to me, starting with only 5 mg to be aware of any uncomfortable reaction to the medication. So, for two weeks, I was on 5 mg a day, could not feel any better right away. I was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (since my childhood), and major depressive disorder with daily, constant suicidal ideation. I could not go through my days without thinking so strongly about ending my life, ending this torture that my life unfortunately was. After the two weeks, my doctor told me that 10 mg would be the next step. For about one month, I was on 10 mg, still no side effects, and my doctor finally prescribed to me the 20 mg. It has been six months now, and I do feel better. But it took time: months. Love + Light to you."

• Bee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 16, 2020

Escitalopram "This antidepressant Lexapro actually helped my depression a lot. But it made my bipolar disorder worse. I rearranged my whole apartment, furniture and all, 4 to 5 times in a month. Anything misplaced by someone living there, I would start yelling at them."

• RJC...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 30, 2017

Escitalopram "I went through withdrawal from Cymbalta and benzos at the same time 7 years ago. It was torture, and after two years, I was still feeling wrecked. Some things improved, I think mainly benzo-related, but I was still in a nightmare. I finally gave up and risked going back on an antidepressant, so I started Lexapro. I couldn't believe how well it worked, and it seemed to take away the lingering withdrawal symptoms. I could think straight and enjoy things again. It worked for three years until it seemed to not help much with my mood anymore. I switched to Prozac, which helped for the next couple of years and quit working. I'm still on it and feel a lot like when I was withdrawing from Cymbalta. I am going to try Lexapro again. Wish me luck!"

• Kat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 4, 2021

"Prescribed escitalopram for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. I was on it for a number of years, and it worked well, but stopped working eventually. Side effects were mild. I had a bit of fatigue and brain fog, but that's about it. Probably the best medication I've tried."

• Lar...
• July 15, 2017

"I have taken anti-depressants since the age of 40. This one helps a lot in my thoughts of suicide. I was very suicidal a couple of weeks ago, and this med has helped quiet down the thoughts of suicide to a point where I can consider treatment for my depression. This med is helping me to ignore the voices in my head that tell me to kill myself. The only side effect I have is insomnia. I can live with that."

• Aus...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 21, 2021

"Was put on escitalopram 5 mg, then slowly titrated up to 20 mg over several months. This medication has helped me tremendously with my depression and anxiety. I would definitely recommend it. The only side effect that I have had from it is a mild headache, but nothing too bad."

• Nex...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 29, 2016

Escitalopram "Didn't do much for me at all, often felt sedated. Motivation is really bad. It stopped me from crying 24/7, and now I have an appetite, but that's about it. Onto the next med, I guess. I need the next one to be much better."

• Slo...
• October 23, 2019

"Starting Lexapro for my 4th time. Last time, I stuck with it for 12 months. I’ve tried dozens of meds for depression and anxiety, including Zoloft, Prozac, and Buspar. All SSRIs give me severe side effects for the first 2-3 weeks. They induce akathisia—severe restlessness and restless leg syndrome, extreme irritability, racing thoughts, panic, inability to sit still, feeling like I’m crawling out of my skin, insomnia— as well as worsening depression, some nausea, hot flashes, and sexual side effects (trouble reaching orgasm and tingly sensations). The worst side effects start to go away by the 3rd week, but it’s unbearable up until then, so I understand why these meds have a black box warning. In my 12 months on Lexapro 10 mg, the insomnia never relented, and I still had bad bouts of depression. It may have slightly helped with anxiety. I plan to go up to 20 mg this time to see if a higher dose is more beneficial. Going to look into TMS now. Keep fighting, one moment at a time. ❤️"

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 28, 2016

Escitalopram "Was absolutely awful for me. After 1 pill at the lowest starting dose, I experienced horrible anxiety, insomnia, and panic attacks in the morning, so bad I was worried I'd have to go to the ER for my heart. The prescriber told me to halve the dosage, and this only somewhat lessened the effects. I could not tolerate this med at all."

• you...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 13, 2021

"I started using this medication four months ago. My experience with it has been generally positive. It did not make me happy out of nowhere, but it did help with my depression. I also do carry anxiety symptoms, and this medicine really helped with them. One thing I love about this medication is that the side effects are considerably and visibly milder than other antidepressants I've been on. My body tolerates it better than many other antidepressants. I would recommend it to people who struggle with depression and anxiety."

• Nan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 3, 2022

Escitalopram "I was 4 weeks on the generic, then switched to the name brand for 5 weeks. So, total 9 weeks on this medication. I was super scared, this was my first medication ever. I just remember feeling really panicky the first couple of days and kept waking up in the middle of the night feeling anxious/nervous. I always had a headache and nausea, didn't care if that was a side effect of this drug. I just remember feeling really confused on this medication and more depressed, so my OB-GYN told me to stop it. Coming off the medication was not hard for me. I was taking 10 mg and never went up a dosage. Hope this helps."