Lexapro and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 5)

• J88...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 14, 2015

For Anxiety "This med is amazing. 23-year-old Christian college grad with every type of anxiety for the past 2 years. Could barely go to class or the grocery store, felt dissociated, distant, and terrified of people (including friends). Was scared to try any drug, but after losing my job and needing to go out and interview, I decided to try something. 3 days in and I feel totally changed. No anxiety. Clear head. Feel like I could even move countries to work, and I've been out more in a weekend than I have been in 3 months combined. I take 5 mg and 25 mg of hydroxyzine to balance out the side effects (blurry vision, headaches, muscle spasms, etc.). Don't be scared, just try it. I regret not going on this sooner."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 12, 2017

For Anxiety "I've had anxiety and severe panic attacks for a year now. 10 mg helped but still had attacks on the weekend. I just started 20 mg, so hopefully that will stop them completely! The two weeks of side effects (headache, insomnia) are worth the end result!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 10, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've been on 10 mg of Lexapro for 5 months now for MDD and GA. I woke up this morning feeling great, no bad headache, absolutely wonderful. Everyone says 6-8 weeks, for me, it was the anxiety it helped after that time frame. Depression took 'til today to lift and completely get out of the headache foggy state, so please give this med quite some time for full therapy. Soul hugs, Jill."

• Anonymous
• March 9, 2021

For Depression "I was prescribed Lexapro in September of 2020 for OCD and depression. Starting at 10 mg, I gradually worked my way up to 40 mg. I was on it until December of 2020. I naively thought Lexapro would help alleviate my anxiety and depression. Only a few weeks after starting the prescription, my brain fog went from bad to absolutely awful. I began to have searing headaches, 24/7; it felt as if someone was tightening a belt around my head and making it swell up. Electrical shocks/'brain zaps' were frequent. My intrusive thoughts got 10 times worse. I also acquired a voracious appetite. I gained 40 pounds in three months while on Lexapro. I still suffer from intense brain pain and headaches, and I'm now seeing a neurologist to help deal with this excruciating pain. I can hardly get up and do work in the morning. Be warned: even if you stop taking Lexapro, the side effects continue well after you've tapered off of it."

• hjj...
• September 25, 2013

For Depression "I was prescribed 10 mg once a day for depression and anxiety. After 3 months, I did notice a change in my mood. I would say it took about 3 weeks for me to notice a difference. I wasn't as anxious, fewer panic attacks, and I wasn't as 'down in the dumps.' However, for me, the side effects nullified the good. My sex drive decreased a good bit, which caused problems in my relationship. I also experienced increased headaches, brain 'zaps,' and I was ALWAYS tired. I would yawn all day long, LITERALLY. Being a full-time college student, this was not good. I was too tired to enjoy life. All I wanted to do was sleep. I am now on Prozac."

• Sta...
• June 9, 2016

For Anxiety "I am a 22-year-old female, and I have been on 10 mg of Lexapro for 2 weeks now, and I thought I'd share my experience, although everyone will react to medication differently. The first three days were awful. Nauseous to the point where I could barely move, terrible headaches, incredible hunger, yawning constantly, and waking up all throughout the night. On the 4th day, most of the side effects just stopped, mostly the headaches and nauseous feeling. You really have to push through the initial side effects. All the racing thoughts immediately stopped, I am so much more calm, no more mood swings, social situations no longer bother me, I am just generally happier. I will also mention that I had none of the sexual side effects."

• Emi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 19, 2013

For Depression "I was only on Lexapro for 2 weeks, but in that time, I had a headache every day, would get extremely tense muscles in the back of my neck, was very drowsy (took a few 2+ hour naps), felt dizzy (had some vertigo effects), couldn't focus on anything, and completely lost the ability to orgasm, which caused my partner a lot of stress and made sex frustrating instead of enjoyable. I was on 5mg for a week, then 10mg. It just wasn't worth it for me. I'm now taking Wellbutrin SR and like it so far (only on my 3rd day)."

• RVA...
• April 25, 2017

For Anxiety "Lexapro was a miracle drug for me as far as treating my severe health anxiety and PTSD. It gave me my life back. I can truly say I was my normal self 98% of the time. However, it caused me to have extreme muscle tension and headaches. I was even diagnosed with TMJ and was sleeping with a mouthguard at night. Weaning off Lexapro was horrific for me. It took a good 3 months for all the withdrawal symptoms to subside. Thankfully, the headaches and stiff jaw got better as well. I'm sad I can't take Lexapro anymore. It saved my life. I'm about to start on Prozac. We'll see what happens."

• Lau...
• February 11, 2012

For Depression "I am 21 and was recently on this medicine for 4 months. I was prescribed Lexapro, it helped in more ways than one. I've always dealt with daily anxiety, but I had never known any other way. A single worry could ruin the entire day. While on Lexapro, it raised my emotional state to where it needed to be and also suppressed my anxiety. It was nice to be giddy and to care about people again. No weight gain/loss to be noted, but it made me very tired and disrupted my sleep. I woke up about 3 times a night compared to my usual zero, and my dreams were vivid and disturbing. Don't go off cold turkey, even if your mood stays positive. There are physical withdrawals such as hand-eye coordination off, headaches, shakiness, and clumsiness. Good luck!"

• nat...
• November 2, 2016

For Depression "I started taking Lexapro for major depressive disorder about 8 months ago. It started to work great, and I got my energy back. I wasn't as depressed either, but that only lasted about 7 months. After a while, my sex drive completely went away, and it put a strain on my relationship. I also noticed I started to become more depressed as the time went on. I started to lose all the energy the medicine gave me. I tried to wean off of the medicine, and it gave me terrible headaches and horrible nausea. I currently have been prescribed Effexor, hoping that will help with the sex drive."

• mil...
• June 5, 2017

For Anxiety "I started taking Lexapro my first semester of sophomore year in college for depression and anxiety and have been taking it for about six months now. My anxiety causes me to have extreme panic attacks where I break out in rashes and get frequent bloody noses. Since being on Lexapro, I have not had a single attack! I also haven't had any extreme side effects, although I have had an increased appetite and have gone from 95-100 lbs to about 115 lbs. However, the withdrawal symptoms are very serious, take it every day and try not to skip any days. I got a nasty cold and stopped taking it for a while and then spent a whole week thinking I had a horrible flu (nausea, vomiting, headaches) only to realize I was going through withdrawals."

• Tru...
• February 20, 2016

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I'm on day 5 of half a tablet. Pretty much getting all side effects that I don't want. Brain not slowing down, insomnia, nausea, less sex drive, no appetite, and headaches. However, having read all the reviews today, I will persist. Like everything in life, we have to give it a go. My manic depression has been up and down all my life, and I've been mainly on Zoloft in the past, but that just didn't work in the end. I will give it the four weeks but think I will stick to half a tablet. Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories, you inspired me to take today's tablet. Here's hoping I will be back to functioning with a less hyper, mood-swinging personality soon."

• Moc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 23, 2012

For Anxiety "I'm on day 2 of taking Lexapro, and it's causing unpleasant side effects. I don't have an appetite, a slight headache, nervousness, and stinging chest pain, along with a stomachache. My doctor told me to stick with it because the benefits outweigh any issues right now. He also said that they will go away in 2 weeks or so. I'll continue to take it and update my progress."

• 562...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 6, 2018

For Depression "I was on 10 mg for about 3 months. It did help me get out of bed and made me more alert. However, it also made me very talkative (I'm usually quiet) and also gave me mood swings. I would get out of control when the medication would wear off. I had to stop taking it because my anger would get out of control. Overall, it helps with depression, but I couldn't handle the mood swings, so I had to stop. I started cutting the tablet in half for 1 week, then stopped without any major side effects, only bad headaches for about 2 weeks."

• abi...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 17, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "I was prescribed Lexapro for anxiety and depression, also OCD. Side effects of terrible dry mouth, headaches. It did, however, help my insomnia. Months in, my anxiety had slightly subsided, and my depression was noticeably gone. But I wasn’t happy either, honestly, I felt numb. The doctor upped my dose to 20 mg about 4 to 5 months in. Again, awful dry mouth and headaches, and now nausea and heart palpitations. Terrible nausea and headaches, and I had crippling nihilism and suicidal thoughts worse than when I wasn’t being treated. My anxiety came back full swing. I slowly stopped taking it. The withdrawal is almost as bad as the side effects. I’ve been off of it for a week now, and the withdrawal sucks, but I’m glad I quit."

• mat...
• August 16, 2015

For Anxiety "Been on Lexapro for 2 days. Horrible nausea, headache. My husband asked the pharmacist about help with this. She recommended an over-the-counter liquid called Ematrol. Used by children and adults. It helped. Also sipped ginger ale as needed. Feel very out-of-body, shaky but trying to stick it out as everyone seems to say the first day/week is hell, but then all is good. Am continuing on Klonopin, per my psychiatrist's recommendation, until the Lexapro kicks in. Will try taking it at night, as this seems easier to 'ride out' the side effects through sleep."

• Thi...
• August 31, 2017

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Anxiety has been crazy since moving cities and hard finding work. I can't calm down. Started Lexapro or the generic brand at 10 mg a day. Had orgasm problems first like 4-5 days, hard to urinate. Mild headache. And vivid dreams. But I stuck it out, after two weeks, side effects mostly went away, and the doctor instructed to up it to 20 mg a day, and now I honestly feel no extra side effects, most have all gone away already by week 3. I feel a little better about being able to control my anxiety and intrusive thoughts. But still feel kind of depressed and antisocial. I'm gonna keep trying, though. It's helped the anxiety already, so I think it'll take longer for everything to settle in. I take it at night because it makes me sleepy. Wake up fine the next day."

• Lil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 25, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "I was prescribed Lexapro for severe long-term anxiety and depression. Even though it didn't work on my depression after 5 months of use, I wanted to leave it a positive review, since these drugs have the power to save people's lives. Initially, I experienced basically every side effect possible: nausea, loss of appetite, night sweats, bad vivid dreams, changes to taste, dizziness, short-term memory loss, inability to orgasm, blurred vision in the morning, heart palpitations, headaches, and extreme moments of anxiety to the point of throwing up, extreme depression to the point of having to sleep all day. But you know what - this list of side effects sounds horrible, but they are worth it if you start to feel even a little bit like yourself again. After about a month, the side effects decreased in severity, my anxiety was gone, but it still left me with the inability to orgasm and had no impact on my depression. I've now moved to Cymbalta (SNRI) and will review that in a few months."

• Jam...
• October 9, 2016

For Depression "Lifted my mood within the first few weeks of taking - upped dose from 10 mg to 20 mg, but didn't see any change. Kind of flat-lined after that (felt like a bit of a zombie). Side effects weren't too bad though - night sweats, some minor headaches, and restlessness."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 21, 2017

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Pros - fast onset, felt it in just a few days. Works well for anxiety/depression. I no longer obsessively worry. No weight gain, decreased appetite (fabulous). Cons - constant head/neck/shoulder/lower back pain, can't sleep a full night without waking up at least 5 times (really frustrating), decreased interest and ability to have sex. I have tried all the SSRIs, and this will be the last one before I give up on SSRIs altogether. Will probably have to take Remeron to sleep, I didn't really want to be on 2 meds, but I need to sleep!!!"

• Btj...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 28, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "This medication has saved my life! Literally! I was in a dark, deep depression along with severe anxiety. I couldn’t get through my day without constant worry and couldn’t get through my nights without wanting to die. I started on 5 mg for two weeks, then went to 10 mg. All the anxiety is gone and the depression is subsiding. I’m enjoying life again, laughing and going out. I’m way more focused at work. I’ve been on it for 6 weeks now. My only regret is that I’ve lost so much of my life, I wish I had found this sooner. Yes, there are some side effects - primarily some headaches and ejaculation problems, but these far outweigh the benefits."

• Car...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 9, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder at age 11. I had been on paroxetine up until the age of 18, when it stopped working, apparently because I was on it too long. For over 2 years, I was struggling to find the right medication. It was hurting my mental health to constantly switch medications and go through the trial and error process. Prozac, Zoloft, Lamictal… You name it. Lexapro saved me and helped me become a functioning member of society again. I no longer suffer from panic attacks or have a horrible pit in my stomach whenever I go into a situation that would’ve made me pass out. Side effects were minimal to none. A headache and stomachache here and there, but other than that, I was seeing results within 2 weeks. After it was in my system, I have absolutely no side effects. Miracle drug for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 9, 2019

For Anxiety "A trauma resulted in acute PTSD-related panic attacks and anxiety. I put up with this for 10 days and then started Lexapro 10 mg. I experienced increased anxiety, dry mouth, clenched jaw, muscle twitches, feeling of having to pee, nosebleed, insomnia, headaches, and stomach aches. I still had anxiety attacks. I eventually increased the dose, which was hard on me and caused suicidal thoughts for about 3 days. I was on Lexapro for a total of 3 months and felt better but was still having some anxiety attacks. I decided to switch to Celexa 20 mg. I have been on Celexa for 3.5 months now. No anxiety attacks and able to do everything I did before. Unsure if this is due to time evolving since my trauma or the medication. I have general sadness some days. I definitely am in a way better spot than 6 months ago. You don't always think you are getting better in the moment, but if you look at the big picture and compare to how you felt 1 month ago, 2 months ago, etc., you will notice improvements."

• Cou...
• June 27, 2017

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Lexapro was fine. It wasn't great, but it also wasn't awful. It did lessen my anxiety, but not as much as I had hoped. Every time I went up in dose, I would start to dissociate more frequently, so that didn't really help. I completely lost my ability to orgasm, was constantly constipated, had headaches, and needed 10-12 hours of sleep a night to even begin to function the following day. Coming off of Lexapro was a disaster. I had brain zaps and sweats and developed major depression, which I hadn't really dealt with ever before."

• Joe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 22, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was in your position not that long ago. I read every review on every single website about Lexapro and other antidepressants. I've been on Lexapro for over 5 weeks, and let me tell you, it works. I was in the worst depression of my life, and now I find myself dancing to music again. I have severe anxiety, and it isn't gone by any means, but it is bearable. I can function without anxiety controlling every single move I make. For the first time in my life, my body feels calm, I don't get physical anxiety hardly at all. It takes a lot more for my anxiety to spike nowadays. This medication is worth a go. You owe it to yourself to try because it can help you. For side effects, I got headaches and increased anxiety, but they subsided. Do yourself a favor and try this medication, you never know if it could change your life."