Escitalopram and Depression: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Unk...
• November 22, 2019

Escitalopram for Depression "My experience, unfortunately, was very unsettling. The first few days were okay, although I instantly noticed a decrease in concentration. Then I started to notice my depression becoming worse, and anxiety went through the roof. I started to become consumed by negative thoughts and couldn’t seem to come down from being angry or sad about some things I couldn’t even pinpoint. I thought maybe I could handle it for a week, but then, as symptoms increased, I decided I had had enough because it started to interfere with my relationship and made certain feelings I had more exaggerated and uncontrollable. I instantly called my psychiatrist, and I was told to ease off the medication. It’s been about a week, and I thought I was okay but had another breakdown last night over something minuscule and reacted in a way I normally wouldn’t. The ability to bring yourself out of depression or consumed negative thoughts on this product is impossible."

• Emm...
• July 22, 2019

Escitalopram for Anxiety "Since about the age of 3, I had severe obsessive thoughts (counting, tapping, clicking my teeth) and constant fears. Obviously, back in the 70s and 80s, there wasn't much awareness regarding childhood mental health! I was told to sit still and learn to cope! It wasn't until my 40s and suffering from debilitating panic attacks (ambulance rides, ER visits) that I finally decided I would try medication. Short-term meds like Xanax make me depressed, so I wanted something daily. Wow. What a difference Lexapro has made for me! Certainly, there was an adjustment period, but after nearly a year (and also having to work with the med), I am an entirely new person! No more obsessive counting or tapping, zero panic attacks. I almost had to grieve for a piece of me that is now gone. The only possible downside is that I'm not as obsessive with cleaning or my daily responsibilities (I may put things off a day or so), BUT I'll take the good with the bad as long as I don't have panic attacks!"

• LBa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 17, 2019

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I switched to Lexapro from Zoloft because the Zoloft seemed like it was not working and making me gain weight. Lexapro is working much better for anxiety/depression. Also seems like it may be easier to lose weight. Does not feel strange when I have a few drinks in moderation. Potential downsides: sometimes can feel apathetic/empty of emotions. Urge to eat (all SSRIs). Overall, would highly recommend, especially for those with crippling anxiety."

• ibs...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 21, 2017

For Irritable Bowel Syndrome "My life before this godsend medicine was awful-agitated, stressed with no reason, and lightly depressed. I couldn't think straight. After 2 months of taking this drug, I felt it relieved all my symptoms. I take only 10 mg of Cipralex. Please, all IBS sufferers, I know how painful and embarrassing IBS can be. Please don't give up, try this. You might not feel relieved right away-maybe in 1, 2, or 3 months-but it will work. Don't give up. I hope IBS sufferers find this helpful. Thank you all."

• Mel...
• October 18, 2014

Escitalopram for Depression "I am an 18-year-old girl and diagnosed with depression. My first week with 10 mg Lexapro is beyond horrible: depression got worse, heart racing, sharpened negative thoughts, and no motivation at all when waking up in the morning. I can't concentrate and feel as if I want to cry most of the time. It lingers till the evening and tapers off toward night. At night, I feel euphoric. No problem with sleeping and weight gain. But since my depression got worse, the doctor decided to double my dose to 20 mg. The second week was even worse: nightmares every night, fatigue, lethargy, gases in the stomach. In the third week, it finally helps! Negative thoughts went away, and I feel lightheaded. Side effects: emotional numbness, sleepiness, laziness. But overall, this medicine is a true miracle."

• Sad...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 1, 2022

Escitalopram for Major Depressive Disorder "Okay, so I know everyone has different experiences, but mine was terrible. I started on 5 mg and moved up to 10 mg. At 5 mg, I had almost every side effect (dizziness, anxiety, nausea, headaches, severe exhaustion). The worst was the sexual side effects (which never went away) and initial insomnia. After one week, I went up to 10 mg and started to see some decent results. The insomnia went away after a few weeks. The depression was still there, but the anxiety was nonexistent. Sure, I was completely numb and couldn't feel anything at all, but that meant my anxiety was gone. But the feeling of being numb got worse and worse over time. After a couple of months, it got to the point where I lost all motivation and was tired all the time. I could barely stay awake and was sleeping 12 hours a night most nights. Eventually, the exhaustion and lack of motivation made my depression even worse until I started having passive suicidal ideation. That's when I got off Lexapro and switched to Prozac."

• She...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 28, 2020

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I'm 43. Was diagnosed with BPD multiple times in my late teens and early adulthood. For the first 6 years, I tried Prozac, Effexor, Paxil, and Zoloft. Finally, I tried 10 mg Lexapro. For the first two weeks, I felt great, even had a huge boost of energy. After my energy level stabilized, the drug mellowed my anxiety and depression between 'episodes,' for the most part. It took the edge off. After about a year or so, the drug started losing its effect. Then, the dosage was increased to 20 mg. I've continued this dosage to the present day. It's hard to determine how much the Lexapro helps. I am a high-functioning BPD. In 20 years, I've gone from a debilitating, low-functioning state to a more stabilized, quicker-recovering state. Most of my progress has been made by learning stress-relieving and communication skills and techniques, but I cannot disregard the impact of the Lexapro. I don't think I'd be able to do the work without the Lexapro taking the edge off the anxiety and depression."

• Ski...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 8, 2020

Escitalopram for Depression "Took Lexapro 20 mg for 2 years for depression. It was efficacious for depression, however, I became lazy and unmotivated with memory deficiency towards the end. I used to spend most of my free time before this medication doing outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, fishing, surfing, skiing, and such. However, while on this drug, all I did was lay on the couch and do nothing. I stopped taking it, and within a week, motivation to do things I once loved was back, and my memory is not nearly as faulty as it was while on the drug. Withdrawal symptoms-yes. Brain zaps mostly occur in the dark hours of the day, in the evening, they slowly come on, but while sleeping, they are the worst. Also, night sweats. Did this drug relieve depression-yes. Did it make me into an unmotivated couch potato and stop doing all the activities I once loved-yes. Did my working memory severely go faulty-yes. Positives are it brought me out of suicidal thinking and, as a male, 47 with normal premature ejaculation, made me last longer."

• Luc...
• October 17, 2017

Escitalopram for Depression "I have been on Lexapro for about 6 months. I started on 5 mg, then 10 mg, then 15 mg, which is what I am on now. For the first few weeks, it lowered my mood, but now I am a whole new person, and it was completely worth it. I am so focused on work, enjoy socializing so much more now, appreciate music, it has really lifted my mood from a 4/10 to a 10/10. I still have bad days every now and then, but nothing compared to before. My social anxiety has also almost completely gone, and people at work comment on how confident I am. I started my job after about 6 weeks of taking it, so they never knew me before. I think it's really good how it has made me so focused and goal motivated too, at work and in life. I am really happy I started this medication."

• sas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 8, 2017

Escitalopram for Depression "I had been on Lexapro 20 mg for years and was tired of the weight gain and thought I was okay enough to be off of it. I weaned myself off of it over a long time and went through all of the brain zaps, confusion, exhaustion, etc. But, finally, I was off it. I was starting to get depressed again and not have very clear thoughts, but I thought I could handle it. Then, I got the flu and was on Tamiflu (never again), and all of the depression and anxiety raised their ugly head again. I could not shake it. The horrible thoughts, depression, hopelessness, insomnia, etc. I started back on Lexapro 5 mg a week ago and already feel much better. I am starting to get more tired during the day, but I do not care. I may bump up to 10 mg. If you need it, you need it."

• I...
• November 13, 2019

For Anxiety "I have an administrative job. Very stressful, but I am confident and handle it well... or so I thought. I all of a sudden started getting dizzy spells, tension headaches, eyesight was funky, feeling of dread, constantly tired. Diagnosed with generalized anxiety. I was prescribed 5 mg escitalopram last year. I could not bring myself to start it. I finally reached a point this year when I said enough was enough. I was terrified of the side effects but decided I needed to get better. I am not going to lie... the first week was awful! I had every side effect: insomnia, the first week was terrible with increased anxiety in the a.m. and through the night, my RLS was really amped up at night, I was nauseous the first 3 days, no appetite for about 8-10 days, very sleepy, lack of motivation, etc. By day 10, I could tell the medicine was starting to work because I was having moments of feeling normal. By day 22, I was 100%. The only side effect now is vivid weird dreams. Stick it out!"

• emi...
• February 10, 2017

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Lexapro has changed my life for the better. When I was in my early 20s, I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety and depression. I took Lexapro for about 15 years until recently weaning off of it because I was feeling great. That was a mistake. Three months after weaning, I started to suffer from severe anxiety and depression, and now have started taking Lexapro again with the help of a therapist and my doctor who specializes in stress management. The day I went back on Lexapro, I started to feel better. I have been able to sleep and focus on my job, and my life has improved greatly. I am convinced that going back on Lexapro saved my marriage and my relationship with my 2 1/2-year-old son."

• Oli...
• June 10, 2017

Escitalopram for Anxiety "A year ago, I had a major health scare that turned out to be fine in the end, but I ended up crashing, developing severe insomnia, severe anxiety, muscle twitches all over, major joint pain, brain fog, and finally, depression. I resisted taking drugs as I thought I was going to get lots of side effects. I tried everything under the sun: yoga, meditation, acupuncture, tinctures, craniosacral therapy, psychotherapy, kinesiology, etc. My psychiatrist and GP both strongly recommended I should take Lexapro. When I started pondering why I was living, I started taking the meds. I started sleeping better, and after some weeks, the worst dread was gone and so was the anxiety. After 2 months, I feel MUCH better, and I hardly had any side effects at all!:)"

• Ben...
• November 24, 2022

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I started taking Lexapro about 2 months ago. The first week and a half, I was a bit out of it. I was extremely hungry, and my anxiety and depression seemed to be worse than it ever was. I had just separated from my wife and was falling all the way apart. I was on 5mg, and in week 3, I started feeling amazing. It came out of nowhere. One month in, my doctor upped my dosage to 10mg, and I’m just two weeks in on that dosage. I have to say, I was skeptical at first (especially considering my continued declining mental state even after I started). I was suicidal and so very depressed. I still get anxious and sad at times, but it’s nowhere close to what it was. I’ve been patient and giving it a chance to do its thing. I feel better. I feel so much better. My anxiety and depression have been cut in half. Be patient. I can see the light finally!"

• Exc...
• January 17, 2020

Escitalopram for Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on Lexapro for only 2 days. All I do is lay on the couch all day while my kids are at school. The tiredness finally starts wearing off about 3:00 pm, but I take it in the evening, and by the next morning I’m energy-less and tired again until 3:00 pm the next day. The first day I was extremely tired and had a splitting headache all day. Today again super tired, and sad, and depressed still. I am praying this will go away after the first few weeks, but some say the tiredness never goes away on Lexapro. I don’t want to be a zombie, I just don’t want to have panic attacks, excessive worry, which is my GAD, and severe depression anymore. I wish there was a blood test they could do to see which type of antidepressant fits our brain chemistry best so we didn’t have to suffer through all these changes testing different medications on us. My life has literally had no joy right now... none."

• Exc...
• January 17, 2020

Escitalopram for Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on Lexapro for only 2 days. All I do is lay on the couch all day while my kids are at school. The tiredness finally starts wearing off about 3:00 pm, but I take it in the evening, and by the next morning I’m energy-less and tired again until 3:00 pm the next day. The first day I was extremely tired and had a splitting headache all day. Today again super tired, and sad, and depressed still. I am praying this will go away after the first few weeks, but some say the tiredness never goes away on Lexapro. I don’t want to be a zombie, I just don’t want to have panic attacks, excessive worry, which is my GAD, and severe depression anymore. I wish there was a blood test they could do to see which type of antidepressant fits our brain chemistry best so we didn’t have to suffer through all these changes testing different medications on us. My life has literally had no joy right now... none."

• Lis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 23, 2019

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have both anxiety and depression, and when I started on the Lexapro medication, it was hard for me because my anxiety is really bad, and I just wanted it to work ASAP. But as I talked with my doctor and kept taking the medication for two weeks, I started to notice a little difference, and then a month passed, and I’ve noticed that I have not been freaking out as much, and I haven’t had an anxiety attack or felt the need to go to the hospital (I would go to the hospital every week due to anxiety). I have been happier knowing that my anxiety is more manageable and I can sleep at night without being scared that I am going to die the next day. I did have the side effects the first two weeks, I felt emotionless (I was told that was normal and would go away), sweating, headache, and blurred vision, but all that went away over time. I was afraid of the medication because it can give you sexual difficulties, but luckily I have not had any problems in the bedroom."

• Ale...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2023

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Let me just begin by saying thank you to those who post their reviews on this forum... It gave me hope. This medication has been an absolute godsend, but please note the first 2-3 weeks were probably the worst weeks of my life. All my symptoms, including my intrusive thoughts, depression, and anxiety, became worse, but I pushed through it, thankfully, with the help of my family. It took about 8-10 weeks to feel the full benefits. I know they say 4-6 weeks, but I feel like it takes much longer. For OCD and anxious depression, this medication completely obliterated my symptoms. Thank God for science, right? With this medication, I am finally able to live my life the way I want to. Give this medication time, and I mean TIME, because it feels like forever before it started working. In the end, all is well, and I know you will be too!"

• Zed...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 19, 2022

Escitalopram for Anxiety "As I was at my lowest of lows, I had panic disorder, general anxiety disorder, agoraphobia. I found myself reading positive reviews on this forum, so I felt obligated to provide my experience. I started Lexapro just 3 weeks ago after dealing with horrible anxiety that evolved into crippling agoraphobia for months prior. The first 2 weeks of Lexapro were a nightmare. My symptoms were intensified by 10, and I had zero energy. I also felt depressed all of the time. 3 weeks later, at the time of typing this, I feel GREAT! I feel happy, motivated, and am living life how I did pre-anxiety and panic. I am able to leave the house, drive, work, and function as a normal human being again! I will say I can still feel myself anxious at times, but the feeling is so numbed down that I don’t feel it and it doesn’t bug me. It’s the weirdest thing. If you are thinking about starting Lexapro, I highly recommend it. If you’re currently taking it and worried that it’s making you worse, trust me it gets better! Stick with it!"

• JJ1...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 4, 2017

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I took this for years, and it greatly helped my GAD. I led a normal, happy life on 20 mg. Never any real side effects until this year when my white blood cell count dropped very low, and it was determined that the Lexapro caused it. I was taken off the medication, and within 6 weeks developed horrible anxiety and depression. I’ve tried several new medications since and can’t get relief. It’s been 5 months of hell. I miss my Lexapro. I’m tempted to go back on it and take my chances, as so far nothing else is working, and my life totally sucks! This medication was wonderful for me for 17 years. It totally stopped my previously horrible GAD."

• Sue...
• September 21, 2020

Escitalopram for Depression "Have been on Lexapro for approximately 2 years. The side effects came slowly. The past few months, could barely get out of bed, suffered from vertigo, no motivation to do anything, sat on the couch most of the day. I am weaning myself off the medication right now. The change is amazing. I have energy, I look forward to getting up in the morning. We'll discuss with the doctor and alternative. I take bupropion, so I should be okay."

• Lex...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 4, 2021

For Anxiety "I don’t understand why people write their negative reviews here about this drug after their first, second, fifth day of using this drug. People, this drug takes at least a month to kick in! And unfortunately, during the first two weeks, you may have increased anxiety and depression and other unpleasant things, which will go away. If you suffer from anxiety, you must start with microscopic doses (2.5 mg) and go very, very slowly up to the therapeutic dose of 10 mg or higher - such an approach may take a couple of months. Most negative reviews here are written by the people who haven’t been patient enough. This drug does work, but you need to be at least one month on the therapeutic dose."

• Gal...
• June 2, 2013

Escitalopram for Depression "Lexapro is amazing for blocking out overthinking, anger, and rage. It's a miracle pill. BUT, I was 120 pounds, model skinny. I'm 5'8, I had an amazing metabolism, my body was rock solid. After 2 years of Lexapro, I am now 170 pounds. Even when I try to work out and eat healthy, the scale doesn't move. Sure, I will lose about 4 pounds and that's it. Don't take this medicine if you don't want to gain weight. I have never been fat in my entire life, and now I am more depressed than ever."

• Mas...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 5, 2015

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "My first post was 5/15/2015. Here's more. I'm doing OK, but want to share the trouble I had when increased to 20 mg. I had really good days on 10 and 15 with manageable side effects. 20 threw me for a loop after a couple of days - felt worse in every way - heightened anxiety and dark depression. But it started to get better - a bad day - a good day - two bad days - two good days. This medication takes patience and a pdoc that will explain (mine didn't) all you can be in for. I feel I'm going to 'win,' but almost feel I deserve a prize for tolerating so many side effects. I had to resort to Xanax on the really bad days. Funny, those who really need Xanax hate it? Still going to stick with Lexapro - I see the light at the end of the tunnel."

• Ahm...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 17, 2018

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I have been suffering with severe OCD, it had severely impacted almost every single aspect of my life, which led to severe anxiety that was utterly crippling, social anxiety, panic disorder, and mild depression. I tried numerous types of medication, even the BIG ONE - Anafranil. I remained on this medication for several months on a high dosage, it assisted with the OCD (not so much with anxiety). However, the side effects were utterly terrible, so I decided to give it up. My psychiatrist suggested Lexapro. I began on 5 mg and slowly worked my way up to 30 mg (currently on this dosage for the last three months). Pros: Anxiety has GREATLY REDUCED, very few panic attacks, it hasn't stopped the thoughts, however, they have become much easier to brush off. I am able to think more rationally, and I feel somewhat more hopeful and optimistic. Cons: Constantly tired, extremely sleepy (I could sleep all day if I wanted to), I feel somewhat emotionally numb."