Escitalopram (Lexapro) Woes
December 12, 2016 8:36 AM Subscribe
Five days ago I started taking 10 mg/day escitalopram (generic Lexapro) to treat depression and anxiety. It seems I'm experiencing every single side effect and I'm curious as to whether the side effects will dissipate as I adjust to the medication.
The side effects I am experiencing to date are: headache (extremely severe the first two days but have let up considerably since then), dizziness (moderate to severe), sleepiness (multiple naps per day), dry mouth, excessive yawning, rushing sound/feeling in my ears, diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite, feeling disconnected to surroundings (feeling underwater), and super sensitive to sounds.
I've read that the generic (which I'm taking) does have higher incidence of side effects for some reason. However, switching to brand name Lexapro is not an option at this time. It is cost prohibitive even with insurance ($275 for a month supply).
Any ideas as to whether the side effects will dissipate as I adjust to the medication? Any anecdotes out there of how long it takes to acclimate? If the side effects don't taper off, are the benefits worth the side effects? Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!
The side effects I am experiencing to date are: headache (extremely severe the first two days but have let up considerably since then), dizziness (moderate to severe), sleepiness (multiple naps per day), dry mouth, excessive yawning, rushing sound/feeling in my ears, diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite, feeling disconnected to surroundings (feeling underwater), and super sensitive to sounds.
I've read that the generic (which I'm taking) does have higher incidence of side effects for some reason. However, switching to brand name Lexapro is not an option at this time. It is cost prohibitive even with insurance ($275 for a month supply).
Any ideas as to whether the side effects will dissipate as I adjust to the medication? Any anecdotes out there of how long it takes to acclimate? If the side effects don't taper off, are the benefits worth the side effects? Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!
I can't speak to Lexapro specifically, but with other SSRIs (Prozac and Celexa), my experience was that most of the side effects let up after the first couple of weeks. I will say that Celexa sleepiness was a whole other deal - that hit me hard and took about a month to go away when I first started. Upping dosages later on led to a shorter (maybe 1 week or so?) resurgence of sleepiness, but not nearly as bad.
You might try playing around with the time of day - try it at bedtime if you're taking it in the morning now, or the reverse. That may help make some of the symptoms more bearable. But if it doesn't go away, the benefit/side-effect calculation is really pretty individual. Personally, I'd decided semi-arbitrarily that if I was still practically narcoleptic at six weeks on Celexa, I was going to call up my shrink and cry at her until she changed meds, because I could not have lived that way long term.
posted by Stacey at 8:48 AM on December 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
You might try playing around with the time of day - try it at bedtime if you're taking it in the morning now, or the reverse. That may help make some of the symptoms more bearable. But if it doesn't go away, the benefit/side-effect calculation is really pretty individual. Personally, I'd decided semi-arbitrarily that if I was still practically narcoleptic at six weeks on Celexa, I was going to call up my shrink and cry at her until she changed meds, because I could not have lived that way long term.
posted by Stacey at 8:48 AM on December 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
I had a really rough time starting out on the generic, but the side effects all subsided for me within the first month. Things that helped:
- *gradually* increasing the dosage. I started at 2.5. It took me 2.5 months before I reached 10mg.
- Codomol for headaches.
Talk to your prescriber. It may be that a lower dosage is right for you.
posted by troytroy at 9:04 AM on December 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
- *gradually* increasing the dosage. I started at 2.5. It took me 2.5 months before I reached 10mg.
- Codomol for headaches.
Talk to your prescriber. It may be that a lower dosage is right for you.
posted by troytroy at 9:04 AM on December 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
I had similar issues on Lexapro for a couple of weeks, but then they faded. It was pretty rough for those first days, though. Hang in there!
What time of day are you taking it? Try taking it at bedtime, if you aren't already -- my doc recommended this because the side effects should mostly be mitigated by being asleep.
posted by vickyverky at 9:15 AM on December 12, 2016
What time of day are you taking it? Try taking it at bedtime, if you aren't already -- my doc recommended this because the side effects should mostly be mitigated by being asleep.
posted by vickyverky at 9:15 AM on December 12, 2016
Another vote for getting on gradually. I think my doctor actually had a schedule -- starting with a half every other day, then a half every day, and so forth. Once you've seen whether you're getting side effects, you can adjust your approach.
Of course, I do this seasonally, so I have a taper-on and taper-off protocol. But still. am amazed somebody would have just said "here, take these" without a bit more guidance...
posted by acm at 10:28 AM on December 12, 2016
Of course, I do this seasonally, so I have a taper-on and taper-off protocol. But still. am amazed somebody would have just said "here, take these" without a bit more guidance...
posted by acm at 10:28 AM on December 12, 2016
I experienced these symptoms and also started putting on weight, so my doctor switched me to a different medication.
posted by raw sugar at 10:52 AM on December 12, 2016
posted by raw sugar at 10:52 AM on December 12, 2016
When I started taking Escitalopram, I was dizzy, had the "underwater" feeling, very foggy and loopy, had no appetite, and couldn't sleep for a solid 10 days. It was no fun at all. I switched to taking it in the morning, mostly because the insomnia was the worst part for me.
I'd say by a month in the side effects had worn off completely. Perhaps less. I could feel a difference in my anxiety level after about three days, and that was enough motivation for me to stick it out. I feel much, much better on this medication so I'm inclined to say it's worth it. (It's been years at this point.)
Hang in there!
And as a head's up, once you're adjusted to the medication, if you skip/forget a pill for more than a day or two, you may experience a weird pounding/head rush feeling. It's not painful, just odd, almost like having some of the physical effects of being drunk. It goes away soon after taking your pill again.
posted by ohsnapdragon at 11:00 AM on December 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
I'd say by a month in the side effects had worn off completely. Perhaps less. I could feel a difference in my anxiety level after about three days, and that was enough motivation for me to stick it out. I feel much, much better on this medication so I'm inclined to say it's worth it. (It's been years at this point.)
Hang in there!
And as a head's up, once you're adjusted to the medication, if you skip/forget a pill for more than a day or two, you may experience a weird pounding/head rush feeling. It's not painful, just odd, almost like having some of the physical effects of being drunk. It goes away soon after taking your pill again.
posted by ohsnapdragon at 11:00 AM on December 12, 2016 [3 favorites]
I took the same ingredient with a different name for half a year or so and while the nausea wore off after a few weeks, I always slept for ten or twelve hours on it and dreamt the weirdest things. Granted, I had a lot of sleep to catch up on because I couldn't sleep at all before, and might not actually have had depression, but thyroid problems, but it is a data point.
posted by LoonyLovegood at 11:16 AM on December 12, 2016
posted by LoonyLovegood at 11:16 AM on December 12, 2016
I've been taking it for a year now, and for me the side effects definitely subsided after a month or two. The excessive yawning subsided, for me, after about a month, while the others were not that strong and faded out gradually enough I didn't even notice when they stopped.
posted by Archipelago at 11:31 AM on December 12, 2016
posted by Archipelago at 11:31 AM on December 12, 2016
It does get better. I didn't have quite as many side effects, but my dreams those first few weeks were in technicolor. Like happy, bright, colorful Hollywood musicals. I guess it was a rush of serotonin that had been missing from my brain, but it was fun. I eventually went back to my normal boring dreams. I've been on it a few years now (20mg) and the only complaint I have is the insomnia. I take it in the morning now, that's all.
posted by jhope71 at 11:45 AM on December 12, 2016
posted by jhope71 at 11:45 AM on December 12, 2016
I was on it for almost a year; the side effects never went away for me and eventually I began having anger issues (?!), so it was my second failed SSRI and I switched to a trycyclic and had more success with no side effects.
Good luck.
posted by sara is disenchanted at 2:45 PM on December 12, 2016
Good luck.
posted by sara is disenchanted at 2:45 PM on December 12, 2016
I started Lexapro in 2003, and side effects similar to yours lasted for six weeks. The benefits to the rest of my life, though, were well worth the effects, and hey! it got me to eat more fiber on a regular basis even post-diarrhea.
Another temporary side effect which you have not listed but that generally appears after six weeks: euphoria. I felt wonderful without the crippling depression and anxiety, and actually asked my doctor "Does everyone else feel like this all the time?" Yeah, no, he set me straight, but it's been a decade-plus and escitalopram's still worth it. I did have to move up to 20 mg daily in 2012 though.
posted by infinitewindow at 3:37 PM on December 12, 2016
Another temporary side effect which you have not listed but that generally appears after six weeks: euphoria. I felt wonderful without the crippling depression and anxiety, and actually asked my doctor "Does everyone else feel like this all the time?" Yeah, no, he set me straight, but it's been a decade-plus and escitalopram's still worth it. I did have to move up to 20 mg daily in 2012 though.
posted by infinitewindow at 3:37 PM on December 12, 2016
I have been on 10 mg of Lexapro for about 11 months. I have not really had any side effects, but I started out on 5 mg, and increased to 10 gradually. You might want to talk to your doctor about trying that.
I also take it in the morning.
posted by merejane at 11:06 PM on December 12, 2016
I also take it in the morning.
posted by merejane at 11:06 PM on December 12, 2016
You should taper up slowly. Get a pill cutter. Start at 1.25 mg for a couple days. Then 2.5mg. Take 2 weeks to get to 10. This will reduce side effects.
posted by persona au gratin at 2:07 AM on December 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by persona au gratin at 2:07 AM on December 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by youcancallmeal at 8:47 AM on December 12, 2016 [2 favorites]