Lexapro for Anxiety User Reviews (Page 3)

• Hattie...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 19, 2024

"I came on here in my darkest times, for support, encouragement and most importantly hope. I promised when I got better I would leave a review and my story, so here it is... I hope it helps. I have been medicated for anxiety for 8 years, and had been on 40mg of citalopram the whole time with hardly any anxiety blips. I decided to lower it from 40mg to 20mg and my anxiety came right back. I put it back up to 40mg but it stopped working (I was like this for 3 months). I decided to try Escitalopram (Lexapro). Started on 5mg, after a week 10mg, after another week 15mg, and then a few weeks later 20mg, and this was the sweet spot. My anxiety has been taken away and the depression has lifted. All in all, I'd say it took 4 weeks on 20mg to feel this. I am so happy I tried this medication, the Lord and savior Lexapro!"

• snazz...
• November 26, 2018

"Please give it a try! It works! Here are some recommendations based on my experience. It won't "fix" you, but it'll make it so you can actually breathe again. I used to cry constantly, isolate myself, have panic attacks so frequently I couldn't even sleep, and have horrible intrusive violent thoughts. 1. be proactive when it comes to the nausea side effect. Eat BEFORE you take the pill, and don't let yourself get hungry during the first 3-4 hours after you take the pill. Because once you get nausea it becomes harder to eat, which only makes you more nauseous. It's a vicious cycle that can be prevented. 2. ignore the negative reviews that are like "I took this pill for 1 day and it caused *terrifying side effects*." They only cause more anxiety and they're highly unlikely. 3. From my personal experience, the first things to get better were the physical symptoms of anxiety. Less panic attacks, more hungry, less crying, etc. Keeping a journal is helpful to see the progression."

• Happy
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 13, 2020

"I’ve been on Lexapro for a year now. Started at 5 mg. in Dec. Of 2019 and felt better, but the real improvement didn’t happen until March 2020 when my Dr. increased my dose to 10 mg. I started medication in the first place because I got to the dreaded point where I couldn’t drive anymore because of panic attacks, but now I’m driving again and no panic attacks. I still get anxiety, but I’m able to work through it. Lexapro has improved my life so much! I’m one of those people who didn’t want to take medication and tried everything else homeopathic, but in the end, I needed more. It does take patience because it does take weeks to kick in. But other than that, I have no complaints and feel like I have my life back!"

• Sb144
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 4, 2019

"Before starting Lexapro, I was a complete mess. GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) had completely taken over my life. I could barely go outside without having an anxiety attack. I started Lexapro 5 mg two years ago and my life completely changed. It took about 2 weeks for me to feel a difference, and I was blown away by how different my life was. I was going to concerts, traveling, doing things I never thought I would be able to do with my level of anxiety. I switched off Lexapro to try a new drug recently to see if it would work better, but it made my anxiety worse than ever. Thankfully I started Lexapro again last week and I already feel so much better. This drug honestly saved my life and even though everyone is different, I would completely recommend trying it if you have GAD. The side effects (for me) were mild, only some insomnia and a little dizziness, so I would say if your starting it to wait a week or so, and you’ll feel a difference. I hope my review helps!"

• Bronco
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 26, 2015

"This is the first time I have ever posted a review of anything online, but I feel an obligation to share my experience to other suffering with anxiety. I suffer from GAD which included panic attacks, muscle aches, and a horrible temper. I avoided this medication fearing weight gain (as I already gained 10 lbs over the year) and sexual dysfunction. When I explained this to my doctor, he replied "Have you ever considered whether being anxious has caused you to eat more, drink more, and maybe have sex less often?". I have been on Lexapro for 6 months now, and my only regret is not starting this treatment sooner. I have lost 15 lbs as I don't eat and drink as much anymore, and my love life has improved. Anxiety sucks. You don't have to suffer!"

• Jjjgf...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 27, 2019

"Lexapro has saved my life . I tried all the natural stuff but nothing really works. I’m now up to 20mg. 5mg worked at first. I did have insomnia the first week I started it but that went away. Once it fully kicks in it’s like the darkness, depression, and anxiety are lifted and you can see clearly. I’ve been through some hard times as a single mom struggling with money and court cases and loneliness. I was suicidal until I increased to 20mg a couple months ago. I hope I don’t have to increase again, but I’m not sure if I would be alive without it. I was able to keep working and function living a normal life again. Give the medicine 3 weeks to a month to kick in. I wasn’t able to be alone or take care of my child because I was doing so bad. Now we are living alone and living a normal life. For those of you in it right now—know that things will get better. The darkness and the fear are not permanent. Lexapro with exercise and journaling and meditation can do wonders."

• Ohio
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 6, 2024

"This is my 2nd time on Lexapro. Took it in my 30s for 10 years and thought I didn't need it anymore. Back on it again in my 50s. Both times for extreme anxiety and depression. I was barely able to function. First few weeks starting Lexapro were horrific due to side effects. This time I was prepared and took a short-term disability while side effects were in full swing: nausea, brain fog, insomnia, panic attacks worsened. After 3-4 weeks I was pretty much back to normal and the medication was working. I returned back to work in week 4. Even at 4 weeks, I was still a little sluggish and medicated. It took a few months to start feeling happy, motivated, and more focused. The 1st time on Lexapro in my 30s, I was going into it blind, unprepared for the side effects, and the doctor had to add Klonopin to ease my panic attacks along with it. This time, I opted not to have any help from Klonopin and just push through it since I knew what to expect."

• Moniq...
• May 28, 2019

"I've been suffering from an extreme health anxiety for the last few years. I've tired a lot of different medication and nothing really helped . I've visited ER sooo many times ..I thought that something is wrong with me. Psychosomatic symptoms felt super real. I'd checked my cardiovascular health with cardiologist multiple times. After a check up I felt ok for a couple of weeks and then I'd started to feel bad again and went back for a check up. I've stopped drinking coffee and exercise because I was scared of a heart attack ! I was put on Lexapro. The first week was unbearable, anxiety worst than ever, but after that I've started getting better and better and two weeks later I was feeling amazing! No more obsessive thoughts about health, I became sociable and fun again , got my life back.. I definitely recommend lexapro. It's gonna be bad for a week or so .. but it is absolutely worth it ."

• Aztec...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2021

"I have suffered from anxiety and depression since I was 19 (now 38) and this past pandemic year my anxiety, stress levels and depression just shot up. I was having to double my dose of hydroxyzine to go get groceries or even make an appointment. I work, I am a student, and a single mom of three kids. The past 2 months I was running on maybe 2 hours of sleep and just out of it. I started Lexapro recently (I am on day 4). My doctor prescribed me 5 mg and advised me to take it before bed. My first 2 days I did feel a little "tired" and napped on and off. Day 3 and 4, and I am noticing I have slept through the night and woken up refreshed. This is very new to me. Yesterday I made it through the day without a nap!! I am excited to see where this takes me. Hang in there. I will be back to review in a few weeks."

• Woman...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 5, 2014

"Lexapro is a lifesaver. Do not worry about the negative reviews, and keep in mind that the majority of them have been written by people who got off after days or a few weeks. Anxiety got a lot worse in the beginning. When it does, you get scared. Scared that the pills won't work. Scared that it will be like this for ever. But it DOES get better. For me, it really took a long time. I felt a very gradual improvement every week, and after about 3 months my anxiety was practically gone. I feel like a new person - it is amazing that a pill is able to do this. And for any emetophobics reading this: It helps against that fear as well. I didn't experience any nausea, but kept Reglan just in case. Sex drive lower, but able to orgasm. Life is good."

• Doodl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 27, 2020

"So I’ve been on this Lexapro for almost a couple months and I’ve been trying to stick it out and see where it gets me I started taking whole pills which was and is terrible the side effects suck so I started taking a half in the morning and a half at evening time I felt like I was finally getting somewhere and my moods were getting better but I keep having what seems like more attacks and for a few days now I’ve just been not myself, dizzy, brain fog, frequent urination, fatigue & it’s so hard to get out of bed in the mornings even when I get plenty of sleep And my sex drive has drastically went down to almost nothing and it’s horrible to where I would rather just deal with attacks and take a Xanax everyday rather than deal with the side effects of this medication. Will be calling my doctor and weaning off it. I want my life back. For all of you that it has worked for I’m happy it worked for you unfortunately everyone’s bodies don’t take things as well as others."

• CaBy
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 19, 2019

"After enduring a high pressured job for many years, I succumbed to overwhelming Anxiety in middle age. I was first prescribed Effexor XR, the first two weeks were awful but finally the bad side effects started to dissipate albeit my anxiety was still raised. However more worryingly I had continuing insomnia. My Doc switched me seamlessly to Lexapro with no issues other than the continuing raised anxiety. I started on 5mg for a week and this was raised to 10mg but the raised anxiety was still present. I asked the Doc to raise me to 15mg and for the first two weeks the anxiety was still present until finally it abated. One month later, I'm sleeping by myself and back feeling like to my old self. I have motivation again and am returning to the work force. I posted this because frankly the negative reviews on the net scared me senseless."

• Deb
• December 16, 2020

"I've been on Lexapro for 6 weeks for severe anxiety with depression. I'm feeling better than I have in years! Finally found something that works for me! Hang in there y'all. It just really started working in the last week."

• Heck
• February 29, 2020

"I had issues with random fainting and severe vertigo. Drs couldn't find anything wrong and my anxiety was intense from these which led them to believe it must be panic attacks. First week low dose felt really messed up but I was encouraged to keep it up. Then one day I suddenly dropped into paralysis and felt a fear I that I didn't know I was capable of feeling. I've been bad before many times and never felt this kind of fear. It felt like my organs were shutting down. I couldn't scream. I couldn't breathe. I was deaf and blind, while sweat poured off me. Everything was paralyzed. It lasted a few minutes and I hyperventilated when it finally stopped as I had been unable to breathe that whole time. The Dr told me it was a panic attack and to keep taking them. I said I couldn't and he said it's just a placebo anyways. He didn't believe my reaction and became angry with me. Because of this I now have a huge fear of SSRIs and distrust in the medical system."

• Dee
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2021

"Day 3 on Lexapro. Had been on it a few years ago and it worked great. I have severe anxiety, intrusive thoughts and panic attacks. Got side effects the first time I used it and was started at 5mg. I think some of that was fear of a new medication. This time was started on 10mg. Except for being tired about an hour after taking it (which is why I take it after dinner) I haven’t had any other side effects. Slept great. Woke up feeling better just knowing relief is coming. I usually wait months trying to cure my anxiety naturally which sadly I haven’t been able to. I suffer for months, finally take the med & then regret waiting. Gave in much faster this time. Life should be more than nonstop worrying. I’ll post an update in a few weeks."

• Mii
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 26, 2019

"The first couple of weeks I had nausea but it went away! I had anxiety & depression. I’ve been taking for about 4-5 months, This pill has changed my life I get excited about a sunny day I have for the first time in 6 years made new friends and the colour is back in the world for me. I used to be very underweight like 40kg and hated food to gaining 10kgs in 4 months and enjoying food & loving my body. After a couple months on this pill I just noticed “hey I don’t cry at the bottom of the shower anymore”. Things are better. I hope this helps someone out there"

• Landb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 5, 2020

"I started on this drug on my doctor's advice to ease the anxiety that was occurring from taking blood pressure medication. I wish I would have found it year's earlier, even before the blood pressure medication highlighted my anxiety. It took about 2 weeks to start kicking in. It negates anxiety and enables me to deal with what is in front of me far better. Plus, silly or repetitive, negative thought loops cease and I get over things that upset me way faster and easier. The only negative for me is that I know I am on something. The positives far outweigh this negative and my doctor says after about a year she will wean me off and hopefully my serotonin levels will remain at a higher level, so I don't have to be on it forever."

• Chris...
• March 24, 2017

"I was prescribed Lexapro after some fairly rough depression and anxiety. I had been in the hospital 3 times in 2 weeks for anxiety attacks. The first day after Lexapro, I felt the depression gone. Literally the first day. However, the first 3-4 weeks were rough. I definitely had nausea and was VERY sleepy. But after about a month, the nausea and sleepiness went away. A nurse at our doctor's office basically told me to suck it up, and that I had to give the medicine time to work. I toughed it out, and after about 6 weeks, it was like a cloud was lifted and I have felt AMAZING ever since. I didn't realize that I have probably had depression and/or anxiety for decades until I found out what it was like to feel great. Still great after a year."

• LLano
• July 13, 2021

"About 2 months ago I started having severe panic attacks, I was then put on Prozac and had a horrible side effect and then on another med which was even worse. I researched Lexapro and got prescribed 5 mg for a week then upped it to 10mg. At the time I couldn’t go anywhere without having a near panic attack and only Xanax would help calm me down. I couldn’t sleep well taking Lexapro at night so on week 2 of 10 mg I started taking it in the morning instead. It made my anxiety almost worse at first but I just kept sticking w it after reading reviews. I’m so glad I did. It didn’t actually start working well until week 4 of 10 mg and now I’m at week 6 and I can finally go anywhere without having a panic attack and I’m finally back at work. This med saved my life . Stick with this med. it takes 4-6 weeks to start working!!! It will be worth it."

• DadTo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 2, 2019

"Literally had one foot off the bridge. I have suffered from a heart arrhythmia that was causing me to just give up on life. I was on a beta blocker for it and the beta blocker intensified the depression. My two kiddos were the only thing keeping me in the game. No one of course knew this...but I was one foot off the bridge with my kids holding my other foot firmly planted. Then came lexapro. I had tried it a year or so before and gave up on it...too soon. Told my doctor I had to try something. It was like my body remembered the Lexapro I swear to God. About 10 days after taking it, it was like a switch flipped. I woke up feeling better. The heart arrhythmia stopped for the most part and the depression was almost lifted. I take 10mg daily. I would rate this a 20 if I could"

• Anonymous
• July 27, 2008

"Without going into my whole story about this drug and the events that lead me up to the point of taking it, I will just say my piece about it and move on. At the risk of sounding cliche, it is a miracle drug. It completely changed my life, for the better. I really cant even begin to say all the specific things it helped me change about myself. I'm not normally the type of person who will get on the Internet and give kudos to a product of any kind, but with this I am. Look into it!"

• Phantom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 15, 2016

"I have had three very good experiences with Lexapo. To any readers in deep depression and with anxiety, rule one is to not take bad experiences you read on the web as your future experience. Each time I have experienced major depression, I started on 10 mg and had to grind my way through at least 4 weeks to feel any positive effects and the worse side effects were gone. I was bumped up to 20mg and it took two weeks of living through hell again and than suddenly it was gone. Exercise, get out and face your demons, and remember it can and will get better (yes, hard to believe when they could scrape you off the wall but it will happen). Good luck ... you have my sympathy and encouragement."

• El441
• June 21, 2016

"After months of cbt with my psychologist for severe anxiety and panic disorder i decided to seek help from a psychiatrist. I was perscribed 5mg then 10mg of lexapro to start and it gradually incresed to 20mg. In the first few days i had never felt worse. More frequant and severe panic attacks and my general anxiety went through the roof and i had the most extreme feeling of hopelessness. I was a mess and calling my drs telling them i needed to stop taking it. They reassured me these side affects would go away within weeks, and they did. I continued with the cbt, mindfullness, lifestyle changes and stayed on the lexapro and within months i felt i was back to my normal self. Post like these kept me going. Hang in there, you're not alone!"

• Elvis...
• October 9, 2014

"My experience thus far on this mediicne is absolutely life changing. I have never taken any form of medication in my life bar antibiotics on a couple of occasions, however when anxiety hit me out of nowhere I thought I was losing my mind. I could not think or function. I didn't have the strength to stomach food and was afraid all the time. I could not work and thought that living was becoming impossible. As a result of this I became depressed and the vicious cycle continued. I thought I would never escape this feeling. It all became too much for me after about a month and I went to my doctor a blithering mess. He prescribed me 10mg Lexapro and I regained my life. 14 days later I am back to normal and happy smiling. Get your life back."

• djdae...
• November 18, 2013

"I am a 30 year old female who has suffered from depression and anxiety my entire life and it got worse after I had my daughter. Two years after she was born, I couldnt take it anymore and I had to get help. I talked to my doctor and was put on Lexapro, 10 mg. I hated it at first. I was dizzy and "swimmy" feeling, couldnt sleep, couldnt eat, felt out of it, couldn't care less about things that were going on. This only lasted about a week! Then, I could gradually feel myself getting used to it. My next appt, my dosage was upped to 20 mg (he started me on 10 because he wanted to ease me into it knowing I was a mom and worked full time; i still needed to function). Let me just say that Lexapro SAVED MY LIFE!! I love it and swear by it!"