Side effects of escitalopram causing me major problems

[Tash026]

Hi I am a lady with mild/moderate spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, which also makes me clench my jaw at night.

I also have general anxiety disorder and depression and have been prescribed 10mg of escitalopram, which I have been on for 4 weeks.

However the medication is making me have lots of very vivid dreams, where it feels like I am living another life at night. This is making me exhausted during the day and suffer from severe brain fog and lack of concentration. It is also making me clench my teeth even more than usual and I have been bedridden with the severe headaches, jaw, neck, shoulder pain. The tightness in these areas also cause me to feel very nauseous and off balance. The tiredness and bruxism symptoms is severely debilitating.

Does anyone know of another drug that would help my anxiety and depression, but not affect my sleep structure so much? Due to my limited mobility I would also not want to go on a drug that caused weight gain.

I have previously tried Veneflaxine 75mg, which caused the same side effects as above and recently Moclobemide, which did nothing for my anxiety and depression symptoms. Any advice would be really helpful.

[MikeyT]

I have come off escitalopram and now back on, side effects no where near as severe for me, but they do increase the anx in the beginning.
I would say after 4 weeks you should be through the worst of the side effects, if not then I would go back to your GP. Its just a case of finding what works with you,, not easy I know.
Non of us want these feelings and the drugs make them worse when you want them to make things better.
All the best