Originally Posted by
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