Escitalopram and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 3)

• GFR...
• February 28, 2017

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I have suffered from anxiety and panic attacks since my 20s sporadically. Now in my 40s, recurrence has significantly increased due to a series of personal events to a point that I was starting to be afraid of being alone. I was hesitant to initiate medication, but three weeks into it, I feel the best I have felt in a long time. The first two weeks are tough, with nausea, dizziness, and headaches, but it is worth it."

• Des...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 14, 2014

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I've been taking Lexapro 10 mg for 4 weeks now. It started to help a little after just 2 days. Now I have very few feelings of guilt, nearly no depression, no suicidal thoughts, and no obsessing over negative things. It doesn’t help much with social anxiety, but it does help with anxiety around angry people. Unfortunately, during PMS, it barely helps me, but once that is passed, I'm okay again. It makes sleep wonderful and easy. Side effects include feeling sleepy off and on during the day and mild, treatable headaches for the first few days."

• 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."

• Goo...
• June 24, 2016

Escitalopram for Depression "So far, I've only been on Lexapro for two days. I am finding that it is helping very much with my negative outlook on life, my mood swings, and my panic attacks/emotional fits. I find that little things like someone cutting me off or dropping something don't frustrate me as much or make me want to scream. I find that my voice is calmer and that I can have mature conversations with my partner without getting worked up. I have a better perspective on life already. I was on Zoloft before, and it did not do anything for me at all. It's so refreshing to see a change, and I can't wait to see what else Lexapro does for me! Negative side effects I've experienced: headaches, stomach upset, dizziness. These are supposed to go away within a week."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 16, 2021

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I put off taking SSRIs for years because I was terrified of the side effects. Even the thought of taking 2.5 mg absolutely sent me into panic, and I hesitated taking this medication due to my own anxiety, but I regret not starting sooner! I have been on Lexapro for 3 months, and I've never felt better. Before starting, I was extremely agoraphobic to the point where I could barely walk two blocks from my house. I avoided making plans with friends, etc. I now feel like I have my life back and NO SIDE EFFECTS!! I am currently on 5 mg, and the first week was way better than I anticipated. Slight drop in appetite, headache, and a little bit of increased anxiety and diarrhea, but nothing that we haven't experienced before! I am so grateful. Please, please give this a try, it will change your life!!! Let me also note that I am extremely emetophobic and avoided taking this medication because I was afraid of any potential nausea or stomach issues, but ZERO. None. If I can do it, you can do it :)"

• 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."

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 29, 2015

Escitalopram for Anxiety "Incredible medication. I don't wake up in a panic anymore, whereas it was occurring almost daily before. The first few days for me were hell, but I just slept through the headache, nausea, and dizziness, and now it's one of the best things that's ever happened for me regarding my anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Reduced daily anxiety equals less panic attacks. Lexapro is awesome."

• Dee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 3, 2019

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I was suffering from severe anxiety, and I have been on Lexapro for 3 months now. You won't notice the difference immediately, it takes time, around 2 to 3 weeks, to notice. It improved my life significantly. I'm happier, relaxed, and more confident. My hands stopped shaking, and I feel more control of myself now. The only issue is that it gives me headaches from time to time, but they are minor, and I got a brown tongue after using it for 3 weeks. The doctor said drinking more water will help."

• hap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2015

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Severe anxiety to the extent I could not sleep at night, coupled with depression probably brought on by the lack of sleep. I have been taking Lexapro for 2 weeks now and it has already been working. I now sleep a solid 7 hours, and I feel improvement with my anxiety and depression every day. I cannot recommend Lexapro enough - fantastic. Side effects lasted for approximately 9 days, these included a very dry throat, headaches, vivid dreams, and extreme hunger. Side effects have almost all subsided, and I'm feeling great."

• Rou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2025

For Anxiety "If you're like me and sensitive to medication side effects, you need to start off low and slow. 2.5 mg for a week, then 5 mg for 2 weeks, then up to 10 mg. It's now been 2 weeks on 10 mg, and a total of 5 weeks since I started at 2.5 mg. According to many others' timelines, I may still have a bit more time to go before experiencing full benefits, but honestly, the change has been so significant so far. The side effects: they are significant, but they do go away. Starting low helps. I had all of it - anxiety, headaches, yawning, debilitating exhaustion (the worst!) and a strange dull out-of-it experience that made me feel crazy. All side effects gone now, energy is back!"

• Jay...
• July 12, 2019

Escitalopram for Anxiety "Extreme anxiety, I was barely able to look anyone in the eye or leave my house. Things were getting very bad, and I didn’t know how to fix or deal with it. I was put on 10 mg Lexapro by my new doctor. I took half a pill a day for one week and didn’t notice any difference. I actually had pretty severe headaches, problems with my sexual life, and extreme exhaustion. I began taking a full 10 mg pill a few days ago (I’m on day 10), and I have noticed I am back to my normal self. The anxiety has completely gone away. It seems it has saved my life. The exhaustion and headaches went away. It seems like this may be common in the first week or so. The negative to Lexapro is some issues with sex (ejaculating specifically). I have heard your body can adjust and eventually that will become normal as well. I would definitely recommend people to give this medicine a few weeks to a month before giving up on it. Mine took about 9 days to kick in."

• Agg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2020

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have been on this drug, escitalopram, for 6 weeks and felt I should share my input for anyone who is considering taking this medication. I have always been against taking any pharma meds, but this drug really helped my life. I have this feeling of optimism that I felt for the first time since I was a child. The first 10 days sucked, I had the feeling of nausea and a headache, but it wasn't debilitating, and they went away. I started noticing my reactions and thoughts change for the better when I was faced with stressful issues. My PMS symptoms lessened drastically, I wasn’t full of rage anymore. I still socially drink on the medication, and the only difference I feel is that I get intoxicated quicker. From my experience, these are my tidbits: take at night if it makes you sleepy, and give it time to work, it’s worth it."

• So...
• December 12, 2016

Escitalopram for Depression "I have only been taking Lexapro for about 3-4 weeks, but it seems to work for me so far. I started this medicine due to very bad panic attacks and depression. I have only had one very minor panic attack since, and it was within the first few days of taking it. I find it a lot easier to calm myself down now, and my panic attacks don't spiral. I used to have crying episodes that would last hours, and I have not cried once since I started Lexapro. Side effects: I have had some headaches and muscle tension, and I can feel quite dizzy and foggy sometimes, but as long as it keeps my panic attacks away, I really don't mind. I felt nauseous the first few days, but it went away quickly."

• cyn...
• December 30, 2019

Escitalopram for Anxiety "Was diagnosed with anxiety recently and prescribed Lexapro. The first few days felt weird, started getting headaches, brain fog, libido gone. These were common effects, so I kept it going. I noticed my anxiety was gone, but I couldn't cry either. I was emotionally numb and had no empathy for others. Eight days in, I started getting suicidal thoughts. Keep in mind I started this for anxiety and NOT depression/suicidal thoughts! I was very scared of myself as it felt like a second conscience was forming in my brain, one that would tell me I'm worthless and ugly, and I'd argue with it with my normal conscience. Three days into these new thoughts, the more I was on it, the more this depressive conscience took over, and I was forming ways on how to commit suicide. I was too scared to continue at this point, so I stopped, and my anxiety is back, but I have not gotten suicidal thoughts since. And this was all only on 5mg. As said by my doctor, please halt using this drug immediately if you get suicidal thoughts."

• Don...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 23, 2022

Escitalopram for Anxiety "Started Lexapro a couple of weeks ago after being on Prozac for a long time. The first couple of days of side effects weren't bad, the usual for an antidepressant. Within a week of being on it, my anxiety continued to get worse and worse, and then about 4 to 5 days ago, the side effects nailed me head-on. Headaches, anxiety that was debilitating, shakiness, increased HR, memory and cognitive cloudiness, etc. Currently, I'm weaning off it, tonight's the last dose. This is absolutely miserable, and I would not wish it on anyone. 10/10 don't recommend this medicine. Made my life a living hell."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 15, 2016

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I started Lexapro after 3 years of severe anxiety and panic attacks pretty much daily. I was so terrified to take anything, fearing it would make it worse or make me crazy. But my anxiety pushed me to major depression from my irrational fears. I kept thinking it's gonna get so bad I'm gonna end up losing my job and becoming homeless. Reviews from others scared me also. Finally, I told myself it couldn't get any worse than this. Well, it's been 2 weeks and I haven't felt that horrible 'dread' feeling. I'm way less anxious. It's pretty much saved me. There are side effects, tolerable though. Nausea and headaches the first few days. It also causes bad urinary retention and sweating. But to me, they're worth not feeling the way I did."

• Lit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 11, 2018

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I have just started my round of Auro-Escitalopram, and I am on day 5 of my 5 mg half-tab before going on a full 10 mg tablet. I take my medication at night time. The first 3 days were sort of rough; I felt different. I could not put my finger on why, but I felt a bit sedated, a little odd, and definitely felt “drugged.” I had a mild headache, some dizziness, and I felt like I was going to faint. My appetite has diminished, my stomach was upset, I am also gassy, and I had some dry mouth. The first 3 nights I was also met with mild restlessness, and it was hard for me to sleep longer than 5 hours. I woke up at 3 AM and was peeing like crazy. With that being said, the side effects have subsided somewhat after day 5, and I am starting to notice that I can start to control my racing thoughts. I get tired at bedtime like a normal human being, and I can finally wake up in the morning without feeling like a zombie."

• Mon...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 26, 2024

Escitalopram for Major Depressive Disorder "Lexapro has been a life changer for me. The first two weeks were awful, throwing up, headache... push through! After 2 weeks it worked wonderfully! My anger went away, no more depression. Unfortunately, I've been on this medicine for 20 years and it stopped working."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 16, 2021

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I was prescribed Lexapro about a month ago. They started me at 5 mg. The side effects I had were dry mouth, racing thoughts, terrible thoughts, restlessness, loss of appetite, insomnia, my right leg would uncontrollably shake on its own, and I felt like my stomach was burning. After about 2 weeks, the side effects went away. Before Lexapro, I would wake up every day feeling like crap. I always had a headache and was always nauseous. Going to work was such a struggle. I always got so anxious before work, driving was becoming scary, I felt like I was crying every other night, and I was easily irritated. The bad side effects made me want to lose hope in them, but I kept taking them. Now I have noticed that I don't get nauseous, I don't get headaches as often as I used to, I don't panic at work (or before), and waking up has been easier. I recently got my dose raised to 10 mg, and I feel like it's been making me tired, but I know that day by day I will get better! DO NOT LOSE HOPE!"

• ban...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2013

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I used Lexapro about ten years ago for a year and went back on it a couple of months ago. For a couple of days at the start, I felt a bit of pressure in my head-a mild squeezing sensation-but nothing too bad. Now, no side effects at all, and I'm feeling decidedly better. The constant feeling of dread is gone, and my thinking is clearer. A wonderful help. I'm not worried about going off it eventually. Last time I just tapered down. I had some vivid dreams, but that was it."

• dom...
• June 21, 2013

Escitalopram for Depression "I gave birth three weeks ago. About two weeks ago, I was hit with postpartum depression like a ton of bricks. I started Lexapro four days ago after I could no longer handle the awful depression and anxiety. My overall feelings have dramatically changed. I laughed yesterday for the first time in two weeks. I'm still depressed, but I am seeing a huge difference. Side effects are very minimal, they include being a little tired, a slight headache, and some nausea, but being where I was, I would definitely take the side effects over my depression."

• Hap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 10, 2018

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Lexapro saved my life and marriage. My anxiety was so bad I feared going to the grocery store, driving, talking on the phone, talking to neighbors. I was scared that nobody liked me, I was moody, I thought I was a bad person and parent and destined for failure. I drank every night and cried all the time because of family issues. I was mean and irritable to my husband. One day, I decided enough is enough. My doctor put me on Lexapro, and I’m not looking back! Ever! I am confident, happy, focused, and insightful. I’m able to be HERE and NOW instead of an anxious prison in my mind. I still have major problems in my family, but I can deal with them with a clear mind. The first days on it, I felt weird: headache, anxious, dry mouth, diarrhea, shaky hands. Now, three weeks later, I’m good. My hands shake more than they did before, and it gives me dry mouth, but it’s worth it. I’m back!!!!"

• C19...
• July 12, 2013

Escitalopram for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I am on my 9th day of taking 5 mg of Lexapro, and I feel much calmer than I normally would be. I had horrible headaches and dizziness at first. It's starting to get better, and I'm starting to feel normal and relaxed. It's working great so far for me."

• rkn...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 24, 2016

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I am 23 and have had extreme anxiety/panic since around 20. I am super sensitive to meds/side effects. I have tried so many ADs, and none have worked. Recently, I have tried Remeron but had to switch due to drowsiness-I have hypersomnia. Lexapro, by far, has taken away my worrying mind more than anything, which is amazing. The first month was pretty horrid besides that, though. Constant nausea, yawning, worsened anxiety at first, headaches. I still have some nausea, and now I have noticed extreme drowsiness again. I really love how it helps my anxiety, but (like always) the side effects really bother me. Try it out, get through the first month. If you don't have bad side effects, it's the best anxiety med I have ever had. Good luck!"

• Cha...
• March 13, 2021

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I have had anxiety my whole life, panic attacks and everything. Anxiety runs in my family as well. I have been on Lexapro for about 2 to 3 weeks now, and WOW. I had no idea my life could feel this good. I was totally unaware of how much my anxiety was controlling my life and how it was causing my physical pain. I am only on 5 mg, and it has been amazing. I had a headache for about a week, one day of nausea, and a little bit of shakiness. It wasn’t anything that kept me home from work, and I would take some Advil for the headache, and it would subside. I was always one of those people who would never take pills. I regularly exercise and eat healthy, and I finally decided to get help, and I am so glad I did. Definitely don’t be afraid to try Lexapro, it could change your life!!!!!"