My Experience with the Side Effects of Lexapro: Drug is Not for Everyone

Side effects of Lexapro can be very serious; they usually are mild and should go away with time.

I first sought help for my depression a few years ago, and when I went to the hospital, Lexapro was the first med I had been prescribed. I did not notice any effect at all after nearly 4 days. After it being increased a bit, I noticed a happy feeling. It was not until maybe a week or so later that the medicine began to make me more depressed and moody.

I was also on Seroquel, and it had no effect other than drowsiness, which just compounded my irritability. I have my whole life been laid back. I had become a madman when I was on Lexapro. I had the usual side effects of any medicine of this type but the psychotic behavior and irritability was so bad that I stopped taking it. I then went through withdrawals which are not pleasant. My shrink at the time was not a good one at all he did not listen to me about the symptoms I was experiencing and refused to change my meds. Needless to say I ended up in the hospital again. The doctor put me on a different set of meds and I was feeling better immediately.

Most common side effects of Lexapro are: nausea, insomnia, E.D., somnolence, increased sweating, fatigue and decreased libido. Source: http://www.healthyplace.com/lexapro/side_effects.asp

My experience differed from 3 other people I know who were prescribed Lexapro. It seemed to be the preferred med of the week because we were all experiencing different symptoms yet all prescribed Lexapro. Lexapro is generally prescribed for depression and Generalized anxiety disorder. The other people felt fine and got better relatively quickly with only a few of the mild side effects which they said were gone after a period of a couple months. It is recommended to drink water often for dry mouth or chew gum. It is also recommended to eat high fiber food for help with constipation. Generally all over the counter cold and flu meds should be avoided without first speaking with your doctor or pharmacist. Good luck to you on your journey to recovery and I hope you have a better experience with the side effects of Lexapro than I did.

Sources:

http://www.healthyplace.com/lexapro/side_effects.asp

http://www.lexapro.com/default.aspx?WT.srch=1&PlacementGUID=DDCB23D1-3F8E-4A69-9EE9-053F356E0406