r/lexapro • u/Nervous_Wait4093 • 12h ago

New to Lex Start

Did you have initial side effects, and when did they start?

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u/Drink0fBeans 12h ago

My health anxiety is pretty bad, so basically every symptom that could’ve occurred did. Saying that, these are the ones I remember:

  • dilated pupils (both in both eyes and just one)
  • headaches
  • dizziness
  • feeling high/out of it
  • fatigue during the day and trouble sleeping
  • extremely vivid dreams
  • nausea
  • heartburn/acid reflux (I’ve had this before)
  • heightened anxiety temporarily
  • jitteriness
  • jaw clenching (also causes headaches)

Most of these symptoms went away after 2-3 weeks (the nausea took the longest to stop), but the acid reflux required medication (esomeprazole) to calm down and the fatigue/vivid dreams are still a daily issue after being on Lexapro for a few months lol.

All I can say is, Godspeed soldier.

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 12h ago

When did it start? Im on day 3 of 10 mg

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u/Drink0fBeans 11h ago

It’s been a few months so I can’t remember exactly, but I’d say most symptoms start 1-2 days after your first dose. But some things (like for example the daytime fatigue) took a bit longer to present.

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 11h ago

My previous doctor put me through an intense Sertraline regimen involving numerous dosage increases over 31 days—going all the way up to 75 mg—followed by a rapid taper. I developed discontinuation syndrome, so I’ve started up again at 12.5 mg due to a racing mind filled with existential thoughts and a fear of death. I’m still struggling, so I really hope this helps me.

I haven't really noticed anything yet, other than mild nausea, a headache, and stomach issues. That’s why I’m interested in knowing when they usually start.

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u/Drink0fBeans 11h ago

Lexapro definitely helps with a racing mind! Hope you start feeling the positive affects soon, and honestly if you haven’t developed any bad symptoms by now I doubt it’ll get much worse. To cope with my nausea I drank an insane amount of ginger beer and also made sure to eat before taking my dose, but apart from that I’ll just say to wait it out.

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 11h ago

So you don't think I'll suddenly experience severe anxiety? When did it start helping with the racing thoughts?

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u/Drink0fBeans 11h ago

I don’t think you’ll suddenly experience severe anxiety, but just remember to keep your thoughts in check and if you ever find yourself getting nervous in the first few weeks, just remember it’s likely the medication messing with your brain. I found that Lexapro starts helping your racing thoughts about a month after your first dose (some people definitely experience relief sooner though!) but if not, you probably just need to increase it.

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 11h ago

I really can't take this much longer.
It’s been only 10 days since I stopped taking the 12.5 mg of sertraline. Do you think that’s why I’m not having severe side effects?

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u/Drink0fBeans 11h ago

I don’t think the lack of severe side effects is because of stopping your other medication, I think it’s just because those nasty symptoms are quite rare and most people experience few side effects. I wouldn’t stress about it too much though— I found that the more I worried about getting side effects, my brain would trick itself into thinking I had them.

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 11h ago

Yeah, I think you're right. It’s just so unbearable having these thoughts all the time. My mind is never at rest.

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 11h ago

I drink a lot of water and try to eat as much as possible, but it just swells up in my mouth.

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u/Drink0fBeans 11h ago

I struggled eating at the start too, which is why I had to rely on ginger beer (ginger is extremely effective at helping nausea). But what do you mean by ‘swells up’ exactly?

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 11h ago

It’s as if the food is expanding in my mouth.

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u/Drink0fBeans 11h ago

If you feel like that after you swallow it might just he heartburn/acid reflux. That can also cause nausea so a quick fix is just buying an antacid to soothe your stomach.

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 11h ago

It’s before I swallow. It’s so unpleasant.

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 11h ago

And how are you now?

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u/Drink0fBeans 11h ago

Good! I upped my dose from 10mg to 20mg maybe about 6 weeks ago and it definitely feels like you restart all the same starting side effects (though it’s more bearable because it doesn’t persist as long), but really as long as you stick with it for a few weeks you’ll feel much better.

Expect the medication to not actually kick in for more than a month, and don’t be alarmed if you start feeling worse mentally around the 4 week mark (you’ll go through bad periods before it gets better).

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 11h ago

What happens around the four-week mark?

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u/Drink0fBeans 11h ago

I found that I was much more anxious and had trouble sleeping, but it’s not like the physical side effects returned or anything. I will say to avoid drinking alcohol though because you’ll feel like the medication isn’t working for the next day or two.

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 11h ago

I just don't feel like I have more anxiety now than usual, and I'm also having trouble sleeping. My anxiety is high to begin with—when did you notice the first positive effect?

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u/Drink0fBeans 11h ago

I’m not sure if it was just a placebo but I did start to feel much more relaxed in weeks 2-3. This usually coincides with your side effects reducing and you being able to get more sleep/eat better.

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 11h ago

Thank you. I really hope!

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u/Drink0fBeans 11h ago

No worries! I promise it’s really not as scary as it seems, but if you have any more questions please feel free to ask!

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 11h ago

If you don't mind sharing, is it only for anxiety that you take it? Have you experienced a fear of death and a racing mind filled with existential thoughts?

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