Escitalopram and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Spa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 11, 2016

Escitalopram for Anxiety "Lexapro has helped me so much. I am currently on week 6 of a 10 mg dose. 24-year-old male. I felt the effects almost immediately. The first 3 days it gave me extreme ADD. I could not focus on one thing for more than 1 minute. My brain was jumping from thought to thought like never before. After the first week, I suddenly had a moment of clarity and was able to focus better than I ever was before. My anxiety and depression in the morning completely went away. I was able to get out of bed. No more driving anxiety or thoughts of self-harm. All completely went away. The only negative thing that I have found is one side effect. It now takes a very, very long time for me to reach orgasm during sex. Sometimes not at all. No matter how pretty she is."

• chu...
• March 1, 2015

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have always been an anxious person with major bouts of anxiety and OCD. But I have always managed to keep it under control - except for a few months ago. I had tried healthy eating, CBT, exercise, yoga, positive affirmations, acupuncture, and more....nothing seemed to work for me. The doctor suggested Lexapro, and I was so, so reluctant as I HATE the idea of antidepressants! And I wasn't even depressed!!!! :( BUT - I started...2.5 mg at first. Then after one week, upped to 5 mg - which I am on now. PROS: Feel a lot better, sleep great, calm, no weight gain CONS: Not much energy, little lack of sex drive. I wanted to come off it first, but PLEASE hang in there!! It actually works! Good luck and wishing you all the happiness that I have on Lexapro xxxx"

• Dr ...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 16, 2018

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have OCD from my childhood. By the time it gets worse, especially in traveling and university. I tried paroxetine, it didn't help a lot. Sertraline helps a little. I combined Cymbalta with paroxetine, the symptoms were zero, but unfortunately, I gained 25 kg. I switched to escitalopram 20 mg, it's amazing. Low sex drive, but it's okay for me. Guys, I’m a very successful professional. I want to tell you that OCD needs high doses, so don't give up. Good luck."

• mee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 4, 2023

Escitalopram for Depression "Going to have to stop taking Lexapro. My sex drive is good. But I can't orgasm, even after a week of no sexual stimulation. I normally have 2 orgasms a day. I haven't had an orgasm in 2 weeks now. And I've had sex twice. Couldn't finish inside her even without a condom. I don't even masturbate. My personality is amazing, though. Finally able to get along with people in business and personal life instead of getting angry all the time."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 5, 2015

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "The only drug that has been effective in treating my anxiety that isn't a benzo (Klonopin, Xanax, etc.) has been Paxil CR, which reaches full efficacy within a week. The problem with the benzos is that it only lasts for a few months before I start going even more nuts than before, and the withdrawal makes me borderline suicidal. I told my primary that I wanted to try something new, and she prescribed Lexapro. After one week on 5 mg, anxiety symptoms are reduced greatly, and I'm willing to try 10 mg to see if they are eliminated completely, but will wait out the full efficacy period before asking. No side effects (huge improvement over Paxil jitters) besides reduced libido (which I'm okay with)."

• Amm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 19, 2023

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Taking Cipralex (another brand of escitalopram) 10 mg for 8 days for health anxiety and OCD. So far, quite hard side effects, including increased anxiety, lack of appetite, no sex drive, too much air in the stomach, and going to the toilet to release gas, but no more panic attacks. Intrusive thoughts about health are still coming, but with low intensity. I hope side effects will pass soon and I will get normal days back."

• Poo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 5, 2019

Escitalopram for Depression "I've been on Lexapro for about 4 months. It is good for my issue, but I have developed another issue, my sex drive has gone down a lot, and my lady sometimes feels like it's her, and it's not. I never used to be that way, but it is not fair to her, I have to get my sex drive back. I mean, the medicine works. I mean, I have become a completely different person for the better. That is, but I may have to change meds."

• Son...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 13, 2025

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "This was the only SSRI that worked for me. I took it for about 2.5 years (with Clonazepam). It worked very well but took about 2-3 months at the 20 mg dose to see the full effects. Then I felt I was no longer getting the most out of this medication after a few years and probably needed a higher dose, but I was already taking 20 mg/day, so I asked to change it and was given gabapentin and a benzo for anxiety. I am considering starting again. I did have sexual problems and also terrible withdrawals, the worst of which lasted about a week (sweating and some irritation). I knew that would happen but was not told about that until I asked if it was ok to stop abruptly, after which my doctor told me it was my choice to decide if I needed to taper or not."

• Hap...
• October 13, 2022

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Female, 28, dose 20 mg daily for 5 months. I wouldn't say I liked the thought of medication. Before medication, I did therapy for about four years, and it did help me a lot, but I still would be so anxious. My chest would literally be sore for the sheer amount of anxiety I was feeling every day. I could function and do life, but I was suffering. My husband finally convinced me to try medication, and I'm so glad he did. The first several weeks, I felt worse, but slowly I started to feel better. A LOT better, things that used to send me spiraling didn't even phase me. I feel like a totally different person. I constantly run into things I know freaked me out in the past and think to myself, “this must be how other people feel every day.” It's fantastic. Now, for the negatives, it did get rid of my sex drive for the first four months, and I couldn't orgasm either. I also gained about 15 pounds. I'm feeling good enough, so I started going to the gym last week. Give it a shot."

• Hap...
• October 13, 2022

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Female, 28, dose 20 mg daily for 5 months. I wouldn't say I liked the thought of medication. Before medication, I did therapy for about four years, and it did help me a lot, but I still would be so anxious. My chest would literally be sore for the sheer amount of anxiety I was feeling every day. I could function and do life, but I was suffering. My husband finally convinced me to try medication, and I'm so glad he did. The first several weeks, I felt worse, but slowly I started to feel better. A LOT better, things that used to send me spiraling didn't even phase me. I feel like a totally different person. I constantly run into things I know freaked me out in the past and think to myself, “this must be how other people feel every day.” It's fantastic. Now, for the negatives, it did get rid of my sex drive for the first four months, and I couldn't orgasm either. I also gained about 15 pounds. I'm feeling good enough, so I started going to the gym last week. Give it a shot."

• SHM...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 20, 2020

Escitalopram for Anxiety "Took this awful med for three months until I could stand it no more. I have regular bouts of anxiety, which I kept at bay for 15 years using Ativan carefully as needed. Unfortunately, after this time, I lost control and had the worst rebound anxiety of my life and had to back out, using Valium. I was put on Lexapro to take its place. After 3 months, I was battling to get out of bed. If I did, it was to the couch. Lost all sex drive and ability. Had no motivation for anything and just laid around all day. Have been off it for a week now, and despite some discomfort with head spins, I feel I have my life back."

• Sar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 1, 2022

Escitalopram for Anxiety "For nearly a decade, I was terrified to try any kind of psychiatric medication. I was afraid it would change my personality, turn me into a zombie, make me go crazy, you name it. Three years ago, I finally tried Lexapro for my OCD and anxiety, and it has changed my life so drastically. I should start by saying I also went to therapy, and that helped tremendously, but I went from being someone who was afraid to drink tap water, had terrible agoraphobia, and weekly panic attacks, to being almost entirely anxiety-free. The only side effects I've experienced are slight decrease in sex drive and slight flattening of highs and lows in my mood. I slowly went from 2.5 mg to 5 to 7.5, and now I take 10 mg daily."

• Car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2015

For Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder "Taking 20 mg of Lexapro. Before I started, I was a complete mess for almost 3 weeks out of a month for the past 1.5 years. PMDD seemingly came out of nowhere and turned my life upside down. I ended up seeing a therapist, which worked for a while, but ultimately my suicidal ideation was scaring me and my overall quality of life was rapidly diminishing. I went to a psychiatrist who prescribed 20 mg. After 4 days, I felt better than I had in almost two years. Not high or euphoric, but like myself. Like me. Alive. Happy. Present. The first 3 days, I did feel kind of out of it. Spacey, sort of. And a slight headache, which was more annoying than debilitating. But that went away. Also, I do experience a delayed orgasm. Hopefully, it goes away."

• SMP...
• January 29, 2018

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I’ve been suffering from chronic anxiety and regular bouts of deep depression since my mid-teens. I’m 28. I’ve tried everything, including therapy for many years, and was starting to fear I was doomed to feel sad for the rest of my life. I was desperate to see if anything could make me feel better, so I set aside my stubborn anti-medication stance. I am so glad I did. I’ve been on Lexapro for 3 weeks now (still at a tiny 5mg dose) and saw an almost immediate improvement. My emotions have leveled out and my anxiety has toned down. Side effects were: weird kaleidoscopic closed-eye hallucinations when going to sleep, fluttery chest, and increased anxiety in the evening...but only for the first few nights. Still experiencing a bit of sleeplessness. I also found my ability to orgasm disappeared for the first 2.5 weeks (to my horror), and I was considering stopping because of that, but lo and behold, it came back-so if anyone else experiences that, I encourage you to hang in there a few weeks!"

• Han...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 24, 2019

For Anxiety "I was referred to this medication due to severe anxiety I was experiencing. I was a 'normal' mom of 2, who went through some stressful times and experienced crippling anxiety 24/7. It took many painful weeks for the escitalopram to finally work at its full potential. I am forever grateful. In the beginning, I would experience a 'high' or strange feeling. As time went on, it cleared itself. The other side effect is the inability to orgasm. All will pass with time, and I now feel no side effects. I thank a totally normal, happy life to this medication."

• Jan...
• January 15, 2018

Escitalopram for Depression "For 8 years, I had depression, which I did not realize I had. Tired after waking up, low motivation, lazy, crying for nothing, stressed easily, gained weight, low libido, insomnia, no social contacts, etc. Until I asked for help from a doctor. I started with 10 mg for 1.5 months and, from today, 15 mg. I am very happy now as I see huge improvement - tiredness is gone, I cannot cry actually anymore (just cannot), I enjoy cleaning and organizing my home, playing with children, I am patient with children's mistakes and loudness now again, motivated to improve life, social contacts are a pleasure. The first 3 weeks were awful - felt sick, panic, depression, worthlessness, insomnia, but now after 1.5 months, I feel back in my skin! Happy. Libido is back again."

• Jac...
• August 26, 2015

Escitalopram for Anxiety "So basically, since I was around 20 (I'm 36 now), I've suffered from general anxiety and horrible panic attacks, really bad hypochondria. I've gone to the hospital thinking I was dying of everything. I graduated from an Ivy League college and suffered the entire time. Finally, I decided to bite the bullet and try Lexapro (brand name, not generic). I started at 10 mg and had a week of terrible side effects including: depression, couldn't cry, weird feelings hard to describe, insomnia, increased anxiety, fatigue, and an all-around shaky feeling. I couldn't deal with it, so I started to cut the pills in half to 5 mg, side effects went away, except I have increased libido (it gets annoying). No panic attacks. Still have anxiety a little tiny bit."

• Ueh...
• December 15, 2016

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was having a terrible time with anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia. It took 3-4 months to fully kick in, but I'm back to my normal self. I tried tapering off once I felt better, which went well for a couple of months, then my issues started to return. I went back on 10 mg, and I'll stay here for another year to try to slowly taper off. I don't mind being on this drug. The only downside is that my sex drive is noticeably decreased."

• sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 14, 2019

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I am a 62-year-old male and have been taking 10 mg of Lexapro for 7 weeks and have been experiencing a myriad of side effects. I have had mild headaches, teeth aches, gas that could launch a small rocket, heartburn, loss of libido, inability to ejaculate, and extremely sleepy shortly after taking it. I have gained about 10 lbs in 7 weeks due to eating everything in sight. While my family says my mood has improved, I personally do not see or feel enough of an improvement to put up with all these side effects."

• lyd...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 13, 2025

For Anxiety "I am on escitalopram 7 months now, and I would say I am satisfied. First days were a bit rough since I had stomachache and sometimes diarrhea. The good thing is that my psychiatrist had informed me about everything, and after 5 days everything was normal. The drug needs around two months to settle in our body. I would say I started feeling the difference after 2 and a half months. My thoughts are clearer and I can be more focused on tasks. Anxiety is at normal levels. I would recommend it since my only problem with it is my libido drop. It's not that bad, but I can tell the difference. PS: It's important to visit a psychiatrist, don't try or start a treatment by yourself or because someone has tried it. The first step is the psychologist and then the psychiatrist."

• Den...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 7, 2017

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I never realized I had OCD until I saw a therapist after having my baby. My whole life I was labeled as 'high strung,' and to be honest, I didn't believe the therapist when she diagnosed me. After a long and agonizing series of events, I reluctantly started Lexapro 10 mg (didn't believe in taking meds). After 3 weeks, I could not believe how much more relaxed I felt. I never realized how severe my panic and anxiety was until I got to experience life without it. My rituals even subsided (never knew I had rituals until I stopped doing them). In the end, I am glad I started the meds. The only side effect has been decreased sex drive, but it's manageable, and both myself and my husband are much happier now that I can function better and enjoy daily life."

• Cyn...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 20, 2024

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I started taking escitalopram 5 weeks ago to treat GAD and depression. I did 3 days on 10 mg, but the side effects were unbearable, especially the inability to sleep. I cut them in half for another 10 days before going back to 10 mg. So, the first two weeks on escitalopram were a nightmare, I would come here often to read reviews. As for side effects, I had nausea, I was thirsty, sweating a lot, unable to sleep, feeling weak, I had jaw stiffness, it was hard to reach orgasm, and I felt anxious, irritable, and my appetite decreased. Frankly, I couldn't work for a solid 2.5 weeks. Then I was prescribed a small dose of benzo to help with anxiety and Zopiclone for sleep... but I wish I had those from day 1 to help until day 20, because I started them around day 10, and it would have been easier on me. Now, I don't have many side effects, but my mood and anxiety are completely different. I look up to do things again and don't panic as much. My energy level is already way better. It is worth it."

• Pam...
• November 16, 2015

Escitalopram for Depression "I've tried almost every antidepressant. I read the reviews on Lexapro and was prepared for a rough introductory period. I was pleasantly surprised that I felt better than ever... not suicidal, no general anxiety issues, I even felt like I could stand up for myself and not be a doormat. But after the first 6 weeks, I started feeling numb in my heart (you know, no true emotions) and became a cold, mean person. Not to mention the sexual side effects, making it even harder on my marriage. I've backed off of it now to try yet another pill, so I'm suicidal and severely anxious and depressed again, but I haven't felt any other emotions yet."

• Bs1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 23, 2019

Escitalopram for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Horrible drug in my experience. I started this Lexapro for GAD. Dr. started me on 10 mg, I took it for 2 weeks and had shivers, sweating, no sex drive, insomnia, dry mouth, headaches, blurry vision, night terrors, dysphoria, 12-hour panic attacks, and suicidal thoughts. Returned to the doctor, and they said because it had only been 2 weeks at 10 mg, I could stop cold turkey and should be okay because the drug needs longer than that to really build up in the system. I’m on day 2 without taking it, and although I don’t feel great yet, I do feel much better. I can live with my anxiety, but I absolutely cannot live with those side effects! I urge anyone thinking of starting this drug to think long and hard about it before starting!!"

• Anonymous
• January 4, 2012

Escitalopram for Anxiety "I was prescribed 10 mg a day for anxiety/panic attacks. I'd never taken any sort of SSRI before. I took one pill and it scared me, I threw up several hours later and had the worst panic attack of my life. But I don't know if that was me or the pill. So, two weeks later, I chopped it in half and have taken 5 mg every day for the past 6 months. It has completely turned down the volume of anxiety and paranoia. I may never be able to go off of it. I have not had weight gain, anorgasmia, or decreased sex drive. I love it. I can live my life, it has taken that fog surrounding everything away. If you are super sensitive to medications like me, I encourage you to start with the lowest dose possible."