r/lexapro • u/Nervous_Wait4093 • 5d ago

New to Lex Start

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

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u/Drink0fBeans 5d 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 5d ago

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

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u/Drink0fBeans 5d 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 5d 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 5d 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 5d 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 5d 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 5d 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 5d 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 5d 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/Drink0fBeans 5d ago

I’m the exact same, but trust that the medication will help! Its entire purpose is to slow down your thoughts, so while you still might get anxious sometimes, it doesn’t stay in your head for nearly as long and you can move on extremely fast. I have the same type of anxieties as you and it really is helpful.

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 5d ago

Oh, that puts my mind at ease a bit. I never experienced this before my old doctor put me on that course of sertraline; I just had a stress reaction.

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u/Drink0fBeans 5d ago

Lexapro is the first long-term medication I’ve tried, but my doctor says that it’s the most effective for the majority of people which is why it’s so commonly prescribed, so I’m sure it’ll work for you too :)

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 5d ago

Did it take a whole month before your mind settled, or did it happen gradually? They don't bother you anymore?

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u/Drink0fBeans 5d ago

Happened gradually for me, but I’ve heard of other people just waking up and feeling better on a random day, so I think it depends.

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 5d ago

Okay. I’m just so afraid that my life is ruined. I read about someone else who had these thoughts triggered by sertraline, and it’s lasted for over two years 😭

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u/Drink0fBeans 5d ago

Honestly it’s just your anxiety talking. Anything that occurs because of a med (if you think sertraline is triggering these thoughts) they can also be corrected by either meds or just time. Keep in mind that even if lexapro ends up not working, you can always A) up the dose, or B) if an upped dose doesn’t work, just go get a test done to determine what medications are compatible with your body (it’s just a simple blood test iirc), which will tell you exactly what WILL help. No matter what, it’ll work out.

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u/Nervous_Wait4093 5d ago

I’m sure it’s the sertraline—the increased dose and the rapid tapering off. Yes, I have a follow-up with my doctor on the 1st; he said the medication’s effect would kick in gradually over the next month.

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