question about lexapro start up

[supdudes]

Hey everyone,

I'm right now at 5 weeks lexapro. Got this for nine month of debiliating (health) anxiety with every physical symptom imaginable. I started with 5 mg first week, now a month on 10. The first 2 weeks of 10 mg were very doable, some slight unrest, muscle aches jaw clenching and completely spaced out. No significant increase in anxiety. However just when I was starting to think things might start to get a bit better, the complete opposite happened.

Suddenly from one day to the next I was having huge muscle riplings, palpitations, nausea, extreme dizzyness, and my brain was going at supersonic speed. I haven't improved much in the 2 weeks that followed. At first I thought it may have been the benzo's (oxazepam 10 mg for three weeks) but that seems unlikely now as I haven't used them for 2 weeks. So my question to you guys is is anyone familiar with the initial anxiety setting in so late. I've searched all over the internet but can't find anyone with a familiar experience and am starting to panic.

So if you've heard about this, what does this mean for my prognosis? Do you think this is the wrong med for me, or if this is normal, how long should I though it out?

Please answer only if you're really familiar with this phenomena. Speculation will just stress me out more.

Thanks in advance

[KK77]

I think this is actually fairly common. Depending on the individual, a med can sometimes produce delayed side effects as it reaches a steady state in the body. I don't think you should panic but you should mention it to your doctor if it doesn't start to wear off in the next week.

I've not been on Lex before but have had delayed side effects with other SSRIs and meds.

[debs71]

Hi,

This is normal for Lexapro, but unfortunately I think your starting symptoms from the increase are just lingering on a bit, which can happen.

I am also on Escitalopram and have been on and off it over the past 10 years. The first time I started it, I started straight on 10mg and like you, I felt better very quickly, but then after a week or two the side effects were horrendous - spaced out, nausea, a feeling of unreality, even higher anxiety, couldn't sleep, rapid, weird thoughts and the list goes on. It took me longer than a month to actually start feeling the benefits.

The second time, when restarting them after a couple of years off of them, I started on 5mg to work up gradually, thinking this would be a better option, but again, I had horrible side effects which lasted almost a month or so again, but the increase from that to 10mg was actually pretty ok, strangely.

Escitalopram is an EXCELLENT med, but the side effects at first can be awful, but they will calm down. It can be anything from a couple of weeks to longer than a month, it is really different for everyone, and very subjective. It also depends a lot on how severe your anxiety or specific problem was when starting, as that will dictate just how dreadful you feel, as it does heighten your symptoms before you start to feel better.

Hang in there if you can. If things don't appear to be settling soon, I would see your doctor again to discuss. Some meds just don't suit, and it may be a case of finding the one for you that does, but I can assure you that your symptoms are absoloutely not unusual for Escitalopram. x

[supdudes]

Hi,

This is normal for Lexapro, but unfortunately I think your starting symptoms from the increase are just lingering on a bit, which can happen.

I am also on Escitalopram and have been on and off it over the past 10 years. The first time I started it, I started straight on 10mg and like you, I felt better very quickly, but then after a week or two the side effects were horrendous - spaced out, nausea, a feeling of unreality, even higher anxiety, couldn't sleep, rapid, weird thoughts and the list goes on. It took me longer than a month to actually start feeling the benefits.

The second time, when restarting them after a couple of years off of them, I started on 5mg to work up gradually, thinking this would be a better option, but again, I had horrible side effects which lasted almost a month or so again, but the increase from that to 10mg was actually pretty ok, strangely.

Escitalopram is an EXCELLENT med, but the side effects at first can be awful, but they will calm down. It can be anything from a couple of weeks to longer than a month, it is really different for everyone, and very subjective. It also depends a lot on how severe your anxiety or specific problem was when starting, as that will dictate just how dreadful you feel, as it does heighten your symptoms before you start to feel better.

Hang in there if you can. If things don't appear to be settling soon, I would see your doctor again to discuss. Some meds just don't suit, and it may be a case of finding the one for you that does, but I can assure you that your symptoms are absoloutely not unusual for Escitalopram. x

Thanks so much for replying (same for the other commenter), I still have a question for you if its ok. When you say that your start up symtoms hit you after 2 weeks, and you suffered for more than a month, do you mean that month started after those 2 weeks, or after you started lexapro? Its relevant for my expected timeframe. I realise I'm not you but you know how it goes when you're this anxious. You just want to know. Thanks again for taking the time to help me out. If there is anything I can do for you let me know. I have experience with health anxiety cause by xtc and weed probably. If you can identify I'd like to maybe help you out too I know everything there is to know about said subject. Good luck.