Escitalopram and Insomnia: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Cla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 16, 2016

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I can't believe a drug like this exists. I've been suffering mentally and emotionally with OCD for so many years because I thought I was out of options. I've tried Paxil, Prozac, Wellbutrin, and trazodone. Most had side effects so bad, I couldn't keep taking them. But years later, I decided to try again. The first 9 days were awful with insomnia, flu-like symptoms, loss of appetite, cold sweats, and a general 'loopy' feeling. I wanted to stop taking it so bad, but the reviews on this site made me want to keep trying because I really felt brand new mentally. When I woke up on the 10th day, I felt amazing! The impulsive thoughts are mild and manageable with the techniques from my therapist, and I feel better than I have in years."

• Gr1...
• September 29, 2019

For Depression "Escitalopram is the best SSRI. It is smooth, no side effects with the exception of fatigue, but that lasted 5 days. Other ones I have tried in the past are Zoloft = insomnia, Prozac = too energizing, Effexor = anger, Cymbalta = lazy, Mirtazapine = groggy. Escitalopram calms you without being lazy or sleepy. You can sleep and wake up normally. No stomach or diet issues. Best of luck to all."

• Hel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2020

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I am on day 9 of Lexapro. I started it to deal with anxiety from insomnia, and the main side effect has been waking up at the same time in the middle of the night. I have never taken any anti-anxiety medication. I am a very fit and healthy 54-year-old male, but experienced insomnia for the last 3 months, so decided to take Lexapro to help with anxiety. I know it is early to tell if sleeplessness in the middle of the night will resolve in a few weeks, but this is so far the major side effect, along with some hot flushes. I will update after 2-3 weeks of treatment."

• MJa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 30, 2019

For Anxiety "I want to thank all who posted to 'hang in there.' Those reviews kept me going when I would have given up. My anxiety was so much worse when I started Lexapro on 5 mg. I would wake around 3 AM with anxiety so bad it was shy of a panic attack. It would be 4 or 5 hours of feeling anxious, restless, and downright horrible. I was sick to my stomach and had no appetite. Eventually, this eased a little when I got to 10 mg, but then we added insomnia. I’m 3 1/2 weeks in now and feel better than I have in months. I can sleep again, and if my anxiety was a 10 before, it doesn’t pass a 2-3 now. Lifesaving med, just a horrible adjustment period for me. Hang in there!!"

• Anx...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2015

Escitalopram for Depression "I am on day 16 of 10 mg. The first 6 days I was very tired, excessively. But the majority of my anxiety was gone by then. Days 6-8 I had severe insomnia, it passed, and by day 9 I had no racing thoughts before going to sleep. Today is day 16. I feel better about my life circumstances. I have a 9-year-old with Asperger's. I am no longer spending every waking moment obsessing over what will become of his future. My cognitive functioning seems clearer. I have been able to keep up more with home chores. Still not as energized as I would like to be. Coffee makes me more jittery since starting the meds. I can now tell the difference between caffeine jitters and my real anxiety, though. I am hoping that by week 6-8 I have even more clarity."

• thi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2019

For Anxiety "I want to thank all the reviewers who had the guts to stick with Lexapro for anxiety for 1-2 months despite lack of relief and even worsening of symptoms, and then who took the time to write encouraging reviews here. They gave me the courage to do likewise. After about 2 weeks on 5 mg, I began to feel some relief from anxiety/insomnia, and after 2 more weeks on 10 mg, the symptoms completely resolved (going on 3 weeks now). This allowed me to simultaneously taper from 0.75 to 0.5 mg clonazepam, and I plan to gradually taper that down to 0, in addition to staying away from alcohol, which probably is the primary cause. Since quitting alcohol 9 months ago, it has been a long, hard struggle to find the right rehab/medical support, lots of dead ends and bad choices, even trips to the ER. But Lexapro seems to be the solution for me. This stuff can work! Just be strong, have faith, and hang in there!"

• Dsm...
• January 16, 2009

Escitalopram for Anxiety "For the first week on Lexapro, I felt weird; a little lightheaded, dizzy, had insomnia and some minor stomach issues but I stuck it out and I'm so glad I did. I have been taking it for 5 weeks now. I take Lexapro around 10 am now as this helps prevent insomnia at night. I feel more energetic, happier and more social. I don't feel out of control or strange or anything. No side effects now. I would highly recommend it to anyone to try this."

• dsj...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 12, 2019

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have GAD, dysthymia, and ADD and have tried Effexor, Zoloft, Lexapro, Wellbutrin XL, Lamictal, Lyrica, Ritalin, Attentin, Vyvanse, and Modafinil. I will definitely say that the most effective medication for me is Lexapro; it also has the least side effects. The problems I have with Lexapro long term are lethargy, insomnia, and some weight gain. The upside on Lexapro is way less anxiety, depression, and rumination."

• Nan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 19, 2025

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "If it weren’t for all the positive reviews, I’d have quit by now. I’m on 10 mg, and the nights are difficult sometimes. At times, I get fortunate to sleep six hours straight, wake up, go back to sleep. Other nights, I panic, and my heart starts racing (feel like I can’t breathe), so I take Valium to help me sleep. Only slept four hours last night, then had to power through today. I’m so hoping to leave a fantastic review in a very short time! I read one review, and the person said they preferred Klonopin over Lexapro, but I prefer to take a benzodiazepine only occasionally as they’re not for long-term use. Actually, I take the generic of Lexapro, but I suppose it’s the same. Anyone starting out, please tell your experience unless it’s TOO bad because you never really know unless it has been given time to kick in."

• MIK...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 6, 2025

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I started escitalopram at 10 mg once daily. I will say the first 2 weeks are brutal getting your body to adjust to the pill. I had no appetite, nauseous, extremely tired, increased anxiety, and insomnia. I would say at about day 18 I started to feel better (I am on day 20 now). My appetite is still not perfect, but my anxiety has calmed down to almost nothing. I would read the reviews on here during the first two weeks, and it would push me to keep going. It will get better, just stick with it! YOU CAN DO THIS!!! Remember it has to get worse before it gets better!!"

• Jan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 27, 2017

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I take 10 mg daily, beginning two years ago for anxiety. The only side effect was for the first week. All I wanted to do was sleep. My body relaxed so much, I was not sleep deprived anymore. Afterwards, it leveled off. My doctor and I keep constant checkups, and it's working out great."

• Gir...
• May 24, 2021

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I was very hopeful about this, taking it for severe anxiety and agoraphobia. But I am quitting after 3 weeks of taking the bare minimum amount. This was a mental and physical torture that I wish I never had to experience. I tried to push through, but it's just unbearable, even with daily Xanax. I had side effects from Lexapro, including horrible constant nausea, shivers, terrible GERD/gut issues, genital numbness, insomnia, memory problems, panic attacks, and suicidal thoughts. The more bizarre ones are sweating a lot, bad body odor, ear ringing, muscle twitches, and jittery hands. Mind you, I am a young woman with no medical condition. And only a couple of mgs of this medication left me with terrific physical problems, and I'm just hoping they will heal with time. I felt a little ease in my anxiety at the beginning, but I'm pretty sure that was just the brain fog numbing my ability to think anxiously (and to think at all). I didn't feel like myself. Horrible side effects even on a quarter of a dose, it's honestly horrifying."

• Anonymous
• April 10, 2009

Escitalopram for Depression "I am a 42-year-old male who suffered from drug abuse, severe depression, and social anxiety disorder. While seeking help for crystal meth addiction, my psychiatrist prescribed Lexapro (10mg then 20mg). It took over 5 months of daily use before I started to feel better, but now I can say that Lexapro has really changed my life for the better. I have been crystal meth-free for two years now and actually enjoy being alive. I also interact with people much more and look forward to the future. Minor side effects included bruising (when taken with aspirin), trouble sleeping, increased sweating, and hyperactivity, all of which disappeared after lowering my dose from 20 to 10mg. This medicine has been a lifesaver."

• Abm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2025

For Anxiety "Started on 5 mg 3 weeks ago. Side effects were almost instant a few hours after taking the first pill. Dizziness and sweaty palms. Then days 2-18 I had a really horrid uptake in anxiety/panic. I was already suffering from insomnia, but this has made the sleeplessness even worse. However, on day 19 I started to feel the anxiety slowly decreasing. I began to feel a little more positive. I still have to take Zopiclone or Phenergan for sleep and will review in 2 weeks when I will either increase the dose or come off it, if the insomnia persists."

• it ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 18, 2019

For Anxiety "Had anxiety for years, but it got out of control in the last 6 months with some stuff that happened in my life. I constantly had a sick stomach from anxiety, I could barely function, wasn't sleeping well, constant racing thoughts, overanalyzing, etc. Started with 10 mg, but after a month, it had no effect, so my doctor upped me to 20 mg. After 3-4 weeks, it started to work, and I honestly didn't know I could feel this good. My brain no longer races, I don't overanalyze things or over-worry. I had no idea just how bad my anxiety was all these years and that I didn't have to live like that. I've gained a little weight from it, and the first month I had some insomnia and vivid dreams, but they went away with time. Just be patient."

• 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!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 12, 2019

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I would say by far this has been the ticket. Postpartum, I experienced horrible anxiety with ruminations. Prozac made it worse, along with the exacerbated insomnia. I’m currently on 10 mg of Lexapro, and I feel 80% better on just week 2. I’m also sleeping like a baby."

• par...
• March 22, 2023

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I was suffering from Tourette syndrome for more than ten years, and I never took medicine for it. I also used to suffer from OCD, which would increase Tourette episodes a lot during some periods of my life. About a month ago, my OCD became a lot worse due to some tensions that I was facing at work. I had many repeated thoughts, I couldn't sleep more than four or five hours at night, and I was so agitated and nervous about things. I hesitated about starting the pills or not. I've been on this medication for three weeks now, and I'm totally different. I wonder how a single pill could change the way you see your whole life. I sleep really well now, I'm so friendly, cool, and easygoing about everything, and no more obsessive thoughts. I'm full of hope and confidence. This medicine worked really well for me."

• eup...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 5, 2022

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "This pill saved my life, there’s no doubt in my mind. I was experiencing daily, intense anxiety and panic. My latest episode left me so shaken and traumatized that I immediately scheduled an appointment with my doctor to talk about medication options. I won’t lie, the first week was very tough. Heightened anxiety, shaky, no appetite, both fatigue and insomnia. I almost gave up by day 3. With the help of my support system, I stuck it out and saw noticeable changes in my behavior by week two. My appetite was coming back, I was able to sleep, and my anxiety episodes never progressed to the point of hysteria. By weeks three and four, I felt hopeful about the future again. The mornings and evenings were still a bit nerve-filled, but during the day, I could function, and I had my motivation back. Entering week five, I haven’t had more than a slight stomach ache in the morning when I first wake up. I keep wondering, “Is this how 'normal' people feel every day?”"

• Fee...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 19, 2022

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "This is a miracle medication for me. I am in my mid-40s, and I have a biological kind of anxiety and depression. I've been seeing a psychologist for 5 years and have a lot of useful coping techniques that I thought would see me through if I ever came off medication. I came off Zoloft very slowly after being on it for more than 5 years. At first, I was fine, but then my anxiety crept back in and hit with a vengeance. I had dreadful insomnia, and my anxiety and depression were off the charts. Nothing in my life had changed. I literally woke up one day with a cloud hanging over me that just got worse and worse. No amount of diet, exercise, meditation, or CBT did a thing. I tried all of the non-serotonin antidepressants, like Bupropion and Agomelatine, and they did nothing. Four weeks into taking Lexapro, my anxiety and depression had completely resolved. I am happily married, have 2 wonderful children, and a great career that I can now enjoy. I will happily stay on this medication forever."

• Net...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 10, 2013

Escitalopram for Anxiety "Worked wonders for stabilizing my mood-and my ability to leave the house! I've been taking it for about two years now. The only thing I find is it starts to 'wear off' after a few months. My doctor has me come off it for a month and then go back on when this happens, and I find this much more effective than upping the dose. The main side effect for me has been insomnia. A small price to pay for the huge positive impact Lexapro has made on my life."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 16, 2024

For Anxiety "I have started using this medication for the past 11 days. I was having anxiety and couldn't sleep due to insomnia. After 7 days of the medication, I have started to sleep better, and my anxiety is almost gone. Day 9 my appetite is back, and my mood is good. Please give this medication a chance to work. It really helped me. My life is coming back."

• Ema...
• June 6, 2020

For Anxiety "I started this medication, escitalopram, on 10 mg. It actually worked okay at first. After a couple of months, it didn’t seem to work for me anymore, so I asked my doctor to increase my dosage. He took me to 15 mg for a bit, then 20 mg. I stayed on 20 mg for a few weeks and started having endless energy and insomnia. I began having terrible restless leg syndrome and mania. I decided to taper myself off without talking to my doctor. I went down to 10 mg, then 5 mg. I went back to my doctor to tell him everything, and he told me to stay on 5 mg. After a few more weeks, I went off it. I started having other symptoms being off of it, so my family told me to go back on it. A few days later, I had immense energy, where I felt on top of the world and not in a good way. I believe I was experiencing extreme mania. After days of this, I had a horrible anxiety attack. I stopped the medication immediately and called my doctor. All the back and forth may have led me to the severe anxiety attack/nervous breakdown."

• Soo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 30, 2016

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have OCD, GAD, PTSD, and depression, agoraphobia, panic attacks. It is helping. Early side effects were hard, nausea, insomnia, and some higher anxiety. Take it in the AM if you get insomnia! This helped me. I'm glad I pushed through the early side effects. It took over 7 weeks to start to feel better, so don't give up unless SEs are too bad. Some posts say it's a miracle cure. It's not, you still have to do the work: therapy, diet, self-help, etc., but it can help with the fear and racing thoughts. It's helping me, but if I'd believed all the big claims here, I'd be disappointed. Keep your expectations realistic, give it time, and do everything else you can to be healthy. It's an aid, not a cure, but it can help."

• Tee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 27, 2019

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I am a 34-year-old female with a diagnosis of depression and panic/anxiety disorder in the past [10+ years ago], which was resolved with Remeron. Now, I have been suffering from anxiety and moderate depression, which has been very frustrating due to a stressful job, school, and a lot of tragic events happening. Started Lexapro 3 days ago. Side effects are dry mouth, pelvic pain, the first day I felt a little dazed, insomnia the first day, then on the third day I am very tired and able to fall asleep but not able to sleep through the night. My anxiety has decreased from a 10 to a 2, and my depression is barely there. Will keep you updated."