I Need Escitalopram (Lexapro) Reassurance

[Mr Kane]

Hi All

I know there are previous topics for this exact issue but a lot are around 2012. I'm having a rough go in life and kind of need positive success stories/reassuring facts about escitalopram. (Lexapro)

I'm on my 4th day of 5mg and yesterday was one of the worst days of my life. For the first time ever I had a feeling of not wanting to exist. Not suicidle at all just kinda a blah don't want to wake up feeling. I also get hit with waves of panic mostly in the morning.

I'm horrified to go make the move from 5mg to 10mgs in 3 days but that's what my doc wants me to do. I'm scared because this was mainly for anxiety and this feeling of depression is completely out of left field.

Has anyone else experienced this on escitalopram? I know it takes 4-6 weeks but I'm a very negative person and tend to think nothing will ever work on me. Please let me know If anyone has experienced this and if you were able to get through it because my family (as much as I love hem) understandably don't have a clue and I feel completely alone on this one.

[shiznit76]

Hi, be strong. It took me 8 weeks to notice an improvement, and it was like someone flicked a switch. True, those 8 weeks seemed a very long time, but i prersevered and it did work. It is easy to say, "keep going, be patient" but it is true

[Mr Kane]

I'm glad to hear that it gets better and worked for you! Did you ever experience overwhelming depression and the not wanting to exist feeling? Is that a normal side effect? Like I said, before I started taking it these thoughts would never cross my mind. I didn't have that feeling this morning but it's been a roller coaster of emotions so far.

[shiznit76]

yes, my emotions were all over the place, up, down, anxious, ill, its the chemicals working on your brain

[Ina1975]

When i started taking these meds back in June 2014, I thought I'd never have my life back.

I had to take a month off work and just sat in the backyard...as if I didn't care if I was alive or not. These posts here kept me going. It took me around 8 weeks to see the benefits...and what a relief that was. I'm doing good now but the summer of 2014 it will forever be the worst summer of my life.

Stick with it...it does get better.

[shiznit76]

When i started taking these meds back in June 2014, I thought I'd never have my life back.

I had to take a month off work and just sat in the backyard...as if I didn't care if I was alive or not. These posts here kept me going. It took me around 8 weeks to see the benefits...and what a relief that was. I'm doing good now but the summer of 2014 it will forever be the worst summer of my life.

Stick with it...it does get better.

Have you ever had any bad periods depression/anxiety wise since getting over the side effects on these?

[Mr Kane]

Ina1975 I'm glad to hear it worked out for you. These forums have been a huge help even though it's only been 4 days I take comfort in knowing other people had the same side effects and got through them like yourself. February 1st 2016 will be exactly 8 weeks on the medicine, 1 week at 5mg, 7 weeks on 10mg. The countdown begins.

[shiznit76]

i did the same,took 5mg for first week to introduce it to my body, but didnt see side effects get any worse after moving to 10mg, so least that's something to look forward to

[Mr Kane]

That's exactly what I needed to hear. I'm scared to make the jump because I work a 9-5 desk job and the last thing I need is my brain in overdrive, anxious and depressed while I sit around for 8 hours. I know it is different for everyone but I really hope the jump to 10mg doesn't cripple me.

[EDUB]

It's definitely a rough go at the start. I would 100% advise you not to drink alcohol until you get to the therapeutic stage. It just makes the depression hit harder since alcohol works against the lexapro. I had been on 10mg for about 5-6 weeks and decided to go up to 20 because I had a bad few days. So far, the last week has been all good days and I finally feel like I did about 3 years ago before I started down this path of depression. Granted, it's only been a week so I'm not calling it a success story yet, but it is very nice to feel this way again. 

[Mr Kane]

EDUB that is awesome that you feel like you did before the depression. I'm hoping I can get back to that time in my life as well. I'm only 26 but I used to be the happiest person ever. Always smiling, active (played ice hockey all through college), began work right after graduating I even just bought a 1 bedroom coop with my GF of 7 years. You would think I'd be in a happy place. But out of nowhere for most of this year I've been unbelievable anxious. I can't go 5 minutes in a day without my mind going a million miles an hour. Even when I'm sleeping! I stopped playing sports completely. I finally sought help but this depression scares me because it's completely new. But I'm going to go the distance and take it from there.

Also I really found your daily log post super helpful. I started one today just so I can keep track of the good and the bad. But reading through yours make me see what im going through is "normal"

[Mr Kane]

Hi all. So today is my 3rd day on the 10mg but it's my 1st day on 10mg while at work. (Since I started it Saturday) any way today was the first time I've ever woken up and didn't want to go to work because I was so depressed. I kinda wanted to just give up and didn't have any motivation. Obviously I sucked it up and went through my normal routine and went to work but please tell me this is a normal side effect. Has anyone else experienced this on the medicine?! Like I said in an earlier post I have never really been depressed before the medicine, just full of anxiety all the time. Any help?

[shiznit76]

Got to keep going Mr K, need fight throuh it, thats the advice i got here, did it, and the feelings eased. The first few weeks are by far the worst, your brain chemistry is all over the place, and does make depresion and anxiety worse while you build up seratonin. Keep going , it should all be worth it, but it does take time

[Mr Kane]

Thanks shiznit. When was the hardest time for you on 10mgs? 1st week, 2nd week, 3rd week or beyond? It's hard to imagine it being worse than today but I'm sure it will be

[BrotherZoot]

When I started and every time I increased doses, I had the worst depression on Day 3. The first week was the roughest and it got progressively better from there, though it was still a bit rough-going for quite a while. When I increased from 10 to 15 mg, after 9 days is when I saw the biggest improvement in my symptoms.

[Mr Kane]

Thanks Zoot I hope that's the case with me because today was brutal and I can't imagine/handle if it got much worst. I'm glad it improved for you though.

[BrotherZoot]

Three days after I started I was online searching crisis lines, worried that I might be losing my mind and need to be hospitalized. It didn't occur to me that it might be partly the medication (I was otherwise at an extremely low ebb too). I experienced some degree of depersonalization too. That was the worst I've ever experienced and I recognize now that it was likely panic and depression brought on by the start up of the medication. Some doctors will prescribe a benzo to get you through the start up anxiety if it's bad for you. I had one prescribed but only took a couple because of worries about addiction, but I wish now that I'd taken more to ease the start up.

 

I hope you begin to feel better soon. It's a difficult time waiting for some relief and having to endure worsened symptoms.

Edited December 22, 2015 by BrotherZoot

[shiznit76]

Thanks shiznit. When was the hardest time for you on 10mgs? 1st week, 2nd week, 3rd week or beyond? It's hard to imagine it being worse than today but I'm sure it will be

there were no better or worse weeks for me I'd say, just seemed to get better very suddenly

[Mr Kane]

Hi guys I know it's Christmas Eve but I REALLY hope someone is on today. So today is my 10th day on lexapro (4 on 5mg, 6 on 10mg) I'm having every side effect possible. Increased anxiety, increased depression, feelings of not wanting to go on and many more. I've accepted those are normal and usually lift by the afternoon with the help of Xanax.

But for the last two days I don't seem to care about anything. My girlfriend talks to me and I just seem to be spacing, not listening and not caring. I also come home from work and don't even turn the TV on or watch sports which is a pretty significant deal because that's a daily thing for as long as bean remember.

Is this normal? More importantly does it go away?!? I can't live like this. Hopefully you guys have encouraging news.

[latrisha001]

Hey Merry Christmas Eve. I am on day 31 of 10mg grams of Lexapro and yes everything you are feeling I went through. My mornings was also rough till about mid day, Monday -Wednesday of this week wasn't too bad at all but this morning I was anxious and getting discouraged I know its a process though so Im not giving up and you don't give up either. Things will get better

[Mr Kane]

Hey latrisha happy holidays! Good for you, sticking with it for 31 days must be incredibly tough considering Im ready to give up after 10 days, but I know it's a process and I will continue on. But it's brutal. My main/only issue was anxiety before I started. Now I'm experiencing major depression and the awful not wanting to exist feeling. thanks for the response though it helps to know others experience similar feelings.

[shiznit76]

Hey latrisha happy holidays! Good for you, sticking with it for 31 days must be incredibly tough considering Im ready to give up after 10 days, but I know it's a process and I will continue on. But it's brutal. My main/only issue was anxiety before I started. Now I'm experiencing major depression and the awful not wanting to exist feeling. thanks for the response though it helps to know others experience similar feelings.

Need to stick with it Mr K, 10 days is really not long at all, it took me about 8 weeks till i found any success. 6-8 weeks is a target for SSRI's to have a noticeable effect. It is hard, but please try. Your GF will hopefully understand that the way you are now is because of the meds and it will pass as the side effects pass.

[birch]

Mr Kane, I agree with Shiznit that what you're feeling is normal for this med. It's an awful adjustment period but you should start feeling a lifting of the anxiety and dark thoughts soon. The med worked on me faster than normal. I started catching some feelings of what I think of as a serotonin sun-shower after a few days and then actual improvement around 2-3 weeks but it was another two weeks before the benefit really kicked in. I can say that in my case that it was worth it. And I was one who wanted to stop after a couple days. My doc didn't give me any Xanax either which would have helped.

[Mr Kane]

Thanks guys. I knew all the other side effects were normal from reading other topics on the forum but the not caring and having no emotions was new to me. No way I'm stopping before at least 8 weeks but I just take comfort knowing it's a normal side effect. The Xanax helps so much but some days I try and go without it to see if I have any improvement and I feel awful. Mornings SUCK. I feel much better by mid/late afternoon. The problem is I don't know if it's the lexapro beginning to work or the fact I'm two Xanaxs deep at the point. Probably the latter.

Anyway I apologize if I seem like a whinny repetitive baby but this sucks and when I try to talk to family and friends they say things like snap out of it or stop being negative. Haha gee thanks. Love them but hard for them to know what is really going on with me and the side effects when they never even heard of the medicine. Merry Christmas!

[shiznit76]

how are you getting on now Mr K?