Originally Posted by
LisaS
My question is, that although I know it takes 4-6 weeks to get full effects, how long have I been on it? Do I count my weeks from when I started the 5mg or when I started the 15mg?
The clock starts running from when you start taking a therapeutic dose, Lisa. Just how much this is varies from person to person, but the minimum recommended Lexapro (escitalopram) dose is 10mg so you can be sure that will be having a positive affect. Also, while most people do begin to get a response in the 4-7 week range, it can take longer for some, perhaps as long as 12 weeks.
infact feel more anxious than when I started
Despite the common myth that serotonin is a 'feel good' neurotransmitter, it is in fact the *opposite hence the spike in anxiety. After a few weeks the brain and body (other organs make/use much more than the brain) will respond to the extra serotonin activity by down-regulating its synthesis and expression and the heightened anxiety and other side-effects will then usually begin to diminish, but they may return for a while after dose increases.
* not strictly true as neurotransmitters don't have any intrinsic qualities, their action is determined by the receptors they bind to, not the molecule itself
I'm curious why you've been prescribed 15mg as the usual initial dose is 10mg, increasing only if that proves insufficient. Have you been on escitalopram before and needed the higher dose?