Escitalopram and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Sky...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 19, 2019

Escitalopram for Depression "I was prescribed Lexapro 10 mg daily for severe depression. Within an hour after taking it, I felt incredibly drowsy and proceeded to fall into a fake sleep-not sleeping yet not quite awake. The next 24 hours were a pure nightmare. Insomnia, severe nausea, brain fog, shaking, dizziness, headache, and stomach ache. I also felt an increase in anxiety and paranoia and kept telling my husband I felt sick and that something bad was going to happen. All this after only ONE 10 mg dose! This stuff is toxic. Never again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2019

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I was trying to find a review like mine where I was supposed to take half a 10 mg pill for a month first, but after one half pill, I had so many bad side effects like a really bad headache and flu-like stuffy nose symptoms. I called my doctor, and he told me to take a quarter of this pill once a day instead of the half. I did, and I feel calm and balanced-a noticeable difference. So I am so happy because after the half pill episode and feeling so bad and so miserable, I did feel like giving up on this medication. I'm so glad I took a breath and listened to the doctor to try a quarter per day. Hard as heck to cut to make a quarter pill, lol, but I manage. I am truly feeling very balanced. I am being treated for anxiety from PTSD. I hope my experience helps someone who may get horrible side effects right like I did. Try a quarter of a pill instead of the half of a pill, and then after a month take a half pill, and so on."

• Sil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 19, 2020

For Anxiety "Male, 23 years old, social anxiety. Put on 10 mg escitalopram, after 3 weeks increased to 20 mg/d. In the beginning, I had some trouble falling asleep, increased bowel movements, and some nausea. No sexual side effects aside from more frequent erections. Slight decrease in appetite. Mild morning somnolence and rarely a headache. The biggest improvement happened at week 6 of treatment, so you gotta be patient and give it time. I feel like I have a lot more energy now, and weirdly my movements feel a lot more precise. But most importantly, my anxiety levels are close to non-existent, and social interactions are incredibly easy. I feel like my mind is clear and the fog/white noise in the back of my head is gone. I find myself smiling a lot more and just generally being really content with life. I'm still seeing improvements currently at month 2 of treatment, so it really does continually get better and better. I hope this helps others because escitalopram has truly been life-changing for me."

• Wen...
• March 9, 2016

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have currently been on Lexapro since 2/22/16 and I am starting to feel relief from my anxiety. The first week was terrible with the side effects of headache, nausea, upset stomach and I was extremely sleepy, but starting at the end of week 2, I was able to tolerate it much better. I have noticed now at week 3 that the things that used to bother me don't bother me anymore, or at least I feel like I can tackle them without being irritable, snappy, and moody. I don't sweat the small things anymore, and I have no side effects anymore. I am glad I stuck it out. I had determined in my mind that I was gonna take it for 4 weeks straight and faithfully, and I'm glad I did. I am so much better now. Be encouraged...there is hope!"

• ski...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 17, 2019

Escitalopram for Depression "I've been on Lexapro 10 mg for four months to treat depression and PTSD. Anxiety and depression have significantly improved. The adjustment period was challenging. For the first 2 weeks, I felt like my depression was gone. During the next 3 weeks, I felt lethargic with low motivation. After 1.5 months, I thought the medicine was no longer working, as my depression worsened. My psychiatrist upped the dosage to 15 mg. At 15 mg, I had fatigue, nausea, headaches, and slept 13-hour nights. I went back to 10 mg, and the negative side effects ceased. After 4 months, I think Lexapro is effective. I don't have inner negative chatter and don't feel like my brain is shutting off from being tired. I feel happier and more confident. I have improved motivation to go to work, exercise, and socialize. I feel more relaxed. No weight gain and SI is gone. Some days my brain is foggy. Depression still comes one week prior to my menstrual cycle. I'd say try to get through the adjustment period. Good luck!"

• For...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 25, 2025

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I've been on Lexapro for 8 years, it's the only SSRI that I can tolerate. I don't have any side effects that I know of from taking it, but I did get bad withdrawals if I missed a dose: brain zaps, dizziness, and headache. Also, just a fair warning, as someone who has 3 autoimmune diseases and takes a lot of medication. Lexapro interacts with quite a few in my experience, so just be cautious when combining it with new meds (which your doctor should advise you of anyway). Overall, my experience has been okay, not as depressed as I used to be."

• Sta...
• June 10, 2016

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I am a 22-year-old female, and I have been on 10mg of Lexapro for 2 weeks now. 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 through 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, and I am just generally happier. I will also mention that I had none of the sexual side effects."

• Anonymous
• July 19, 2013

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I never comment on these, but I feel this website sharing positive experiences helped me a lot. I had my first panic attack two months ago after a night out. Weeks of having 3-4 panic attacks a day and massive levels of anxiety followed. I tried to carry on with life as normal, going to work, etc., and started CBT, which helped me establish it had started due to increased stress from work. I struggled to get on trains, tubes, eating in restaurants, shopping...pretty much every day-to-day task. When I was put onto Cipralex and for the first four weeks I had high levels of anxiety, headaches, disassociation, tight chest, chest pains. Now on week 5 on Lexapro I am feeling much better and can do everything I did before with only low levels of anxiety."

• Dev...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 4, 2024

Escitalopram for Anxiety "This has been such a game changer! I had a major health event causing severe health anxiety. Never experiencing anything like this, I kept thinking something was still wrong with me. I finally realized it's anxiety and asked my doctor to prescribe me a small dose of 2.5 mg. I noticed relief the next day! Side effects have been very mild, some headaches and nausea. I take it at night, hoping I can sleep through the worst of it-which I suppose works. I'm about to move up to 5 mg as I do still not feel back to my old self. But this has been a great start, and I only wish I had started taking it sooner!"

• Rac...
• June 20, 2015

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I love Lexapro. I started taking it when I was 14 for severe anxiety and OCD. My doctor basically begged my parents to put me on medication because I could not leave the house. I'm now 20 years old and about 6 months ago I thought I no longer needed the Lexapro because I was feeling better. WHAT A MISTAKE. After the taper, my OCD came back just as bad as it was when I was 14. So my Pdoc put me on Prozac. It made me manic. I then tried Brintellix, again, it made me feel crazy. So I went back to the Lexapro, and yes, the start-up side effects suck: headache, dizziness (that whoosh feeling in your brain), upset stomach, and brain fog. Every time I bumped up the dose, I had an increase in anxiety, but after 5 weeks, I finally have my life back. Stick it out!"

• 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."

• Bum...
• January 30, 2016

For Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder "This drug has changed my life. I take 5mg only in the luteal phase and it has completely cured my severe PMT symptoms. I was anxious, paranoid, angry, and tearful. I was pushing my family and husband away and falling out with friends. At the point of suicidal thoughts, I couldn't take it anymore and contacted my GP. My only regret is not doing it earlier. I began on 10 mg but it was too strong for me, I was dizzy and hyper. After halving the dose, it was like a magic switch being turned on, and I immediately felt like my own self. I have no side effects coming off the drug at the end of my two weeks, just a headache for an hour when I restart them. No weight gain either, I've actually lost 10 lbs because I'm energetic enough for the gym!"

• roc...
• November 19, 2007

Escitalopram for Depression "I am a 29-year-old female who has been taking Lexapro for about 5 weeks now to treat depression - 5mg for 2 weeks, then 10mg, and now up to my full-time 20mg dose. 5mg didn't affect me much, but now I feel better than I have in years. Side effects were minimal, except for waking up with headaches recently since increasing my dosage. People in my life notice a significant change in me. I wish I hadn't waited so long to seek treatment...this stuff is amazing!"

• Rrr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 31, 2015

Escitalopram for Anxiety "This medication has been very effective for me. After years and years of living with anxiety and doing all the right things to get rid of it organically, I finally bit the bullet and started on 5mg. Decided after a particularly bad month of anxiety to start a script I had been given a year ago. Read reviews, most of them saying you need to stick it out to pass the side effects and get the full benefit, so that's what I did. I took the 5mg for a week, went up to 10, and have now been on it for 3 whole months. The initial side effects were as follows: nausea, sleepiness, memory deficits (short-term), headaches. Those went away after 2 months. And anxiety is gone. I am calm and collected, I no longer sweat the small stuff. No insomnia."

• Mav...
• October 8, 2014

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I've had anxiety and panic attacks for many years. I've tried diet and exercise, meditation, herbs, and when I finally realized how many things I was missing out on with my family and friends, I knew I needed to try medicine. First, I tried Buspar, which offered no help and made me really dizzy. Next was Lexapro. The first couple of days on Lexapro, I noticed nothing. By day 4, I was really tired and had a headache. Day 5-6 was the same, and I was very anxious and couldn't sleep. By this point, I am so tired I have to sleep late, sleep at lunch, and go to bed early. On day 8-10, my ears rang, and I almost gave up. On day 11, I FINALLY started to feel better. Waiting for 4 weeks to see full benefits, but the side effects DO go away."

• All...
• July 26, 2016

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I had been experiencing milder depressive symptoms for a couple of months, but then suddenly one morning I woke up with all the physical symptoms of a panic attack, which I'd never had before (never had any anxiety symptoms before), and symptoms persisted almost nonstop for 4 days until I could get in with my doctor. I wasn't having anxiety about any one specific thing, I just felt hopeless and like I'd lost control of my thinking. She prescribed me Klonopin for immediate relief (big help) and the generic version of Lexapro (10 mg) to actually address the problem in tandem with counseling. I'm only a week in but feeling LIKE MYSELF and so much better in general. Had some headaches and sleepiness/yawning in the first week but lessening now"

• Ham...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 11, 2016

Escitalopram for Depression "I started feeling the calming effects of Lexapro after about three weeks. I'm high-achieving, driven, and I love being productive and challenged. Episodes of depression have made dealing with everyday life somewhat difficult, mostly due to the insomnia that comes with depression/anxiety. I was having difficulty sleeping for about a week when I broke down and spoke with my doctor. I was prescribed Lexapro, and my symptoms are almost entirely alleviated. I work midnights, so I take Lexapro at around 3:00 PM. The first week I had very bad headaches and felt dizzy. I took 5 mg instead of the 10 mg, which decreased the intensity of the headaches, and again, the side effects subsided pretty quickly. In addition to this, I lost eight pounds."

• Ple...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 22, 2013

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I am a 20-year-old male and have been on 10mg of Lexapro for about 2 months. I was experiencing panic attacks (minor and major) at least once every day at its worst and would have one driving or at the movies assuredly every time I went or drove. I have never taken medication regularly in my life and am otherwise a healthy person. After experiencing a traumatic event last year, I began having panic attacks. In the last month, I believe I have had two panic attacks. This medicine has helped me substantially. The first week is tough, I experienced a little nausea, headaches, and neck/back muscle tightening, but that went away fairly quickly. Just stick with it!"

• Dul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 19, 2014

Escitalopram for Anxiety "There are a lot of negative reviews about this medicine and its side effects, and that makes a lot of people beginning the medicine, including myself, freak out. The people having a positive experience with Lexapro are out living life. Don't be discouraged. For me, Lexapro started working in the second week, but would work on and off for the first month. I started at 5mg and slowly went up to 15. I'm on week 5 and it hasn't done much for my anxiety (yet) but it has helped my moods tremendously. For the first month I had muscle aches and headaches, and I was really tired and unmotivated. That went away in week 4 and I'm feeling better than I have felt in two years."

• Liz...
• December 28, 2015

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was prescribed Lexapro for severe generalized anxiety and moderate depression (the depression was a result of the anxiety). I'm on day 16. I experienced some mild nausea and increased anxiety for the first 2 days, and headaches for about 5 days, but after day 5 the only remaining side effects are being jittery on and off, and a feeling of tightness in my chest at times. I started feeling decreased anxiety from day 3, and by day 7, the anxiety was significantly less. The depression got better from about day 5. Overall, at day 16, I feel significantly better and am living my life as I used to, for the most part."

• SCo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 17, 2017

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I struggled with severe postpartum anxiety and depression for two years after my daughter was born. I went to therapy but was still struggling. I didn't want to take medication for a very long time because I just didn't want to be a 'medicated mom.' I always thought it would get better. It didn't, and I was exhausted. I am taking only 10 mg of Lexapro now (therapeutic dose is considered 20 mg), and I'm staying at 10. My life is COMPLETELY different. I feel joy and happiness again, my anxiety is gone, I sleep well, my sadness and anger are gone. It is life-changing, and I can't believe I didn't do it sooner. And I'm actually a better, happier mom now! Give yourself a chance to get better. Mild side effects at first - mild nausea and headache."

• rk1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 28, 2016

Escitalopram for Major Depressive Disorder "Lexapro has saved my life. I have been on it for one month, and I have gone from a severely depressed recluse full of anger, rage, and self-hate, not wanting to see or hear from anyone ever. I am back at work, socializing, eating normally, playing sports, and am about to book an overseas holiday. I felt some positive effects after two weeks and felt good after one month. Depression and social anxiety have definitely improved. I don't have any constant racing negative thoughts anymore, these disappeared after about a week and a half. I had very minor side effects, but it was nothing that wasn't manageable-a few minor headaches and feeling spacey for the first week. I take 10 mg at night because it makes me feel tired, and I have a great sleep."

• Deb...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 23, 2016

For Fibromyalgia "Have been taking 10 mg for over a year. It originally was to try to help with fibromyalgia. I also had some emotional issues I was dealing with. The first two weeks were not very good. My main side effects were dizziness, sleeplessness, some nausea, and headaches, none being bad enough to want to quit. After reading others' comments, I pretty much knew what to expect. One day after about two weeks, I suddenly realized that the symptoms were disappearing and I felt a calmness I hadn't experienced before. Not a drugged feeling, just calm, and the edge had been taken off, a great relief. No weight gain and more drive to be active and productive. I don't ever plan to stop taking this med, it's helped me so much."

• 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!"

• Cal...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 14, 2019

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I've been on this medication (10 mg) for the past 18 months, and after a few days of tiredness and mild headaches, I felt relaxed, less irritable, and energized. My adulthood had consisted of daily mood swings that affected my marriage, relationships with my kids, and work colleagues. I can honestly say that has now stopped, however, since I felt so great, I decided to have a break from taking the medication as we went away for a week, and I had no tablets left and wanted to see if I still needed it. Well, unfortunately, a week later, my mood swings were back, and I started to self-medicate with wine. Needless to say, I'm back on the medication."