Can Lexapro Cause Brain Fog? Yes. Brain fog is a common symptom for many patients, both when starting and stopping Lexapro.
Yes, Lexapro can cause brain fog. Most people report experiencing brain fog when starting Lexapro. In fact, this is one of the most common side effects associated with the drug. Brain fog is most likely to occur in the early stages of treatment but can persist long-term for some people.
While antidepressants are generally intended to help with brain fog, some can cause brain fog as a side effect, depending on the medication and your unique response to it. Sedatives, pain medicine, bladder control medicine and antihistamines are some of the other types of medications that can lead to brain fog.
Results: Escitalopram had no significant effect on WM accuracy or reaction time. Preliminary analysis of the imaging data revealed no significant (p(corrected)<0.05) differences in memory-load-dependent activation between conditions.
Tranquilizers, antidepressants, some blood pressure drugs, and other medications can affect memory, usually by causing sedation or confusion. That can make it difficult to pay close attention to new things. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you suspect that a new medication is taking the edge off your memory.
Medications that doctors currently use to treat depression do not improve brain fog symptoms and can actually make them worse. Research into new ways to treat these symptoms is still ongoing, but some at-home tricks may help reduce them or make them more manageable.
Antidepressant Drugs
Tricyclic antidepressants are believed to cause memory problems because they block the action of norepinephrine and serotonin, which are two of the key chemical messengers in the brain responsible for modulating cognition and memory.
If you have been feeling better for 6 months or more, your doctor may suggest coming off escitalopram. Your doctor will probably recommend reducing your dose gradually over several weeks, or longer if you have been taking escitalopram for a long time.
Although most current and common medications prescribed for depression do not seem to improve brain fog symptoms, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) generally appear to be more effective than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Check with your doctor right away if you have confusion, headache, memory problems, trouble concentrating, weakness, or unsteadiness. This medicine may cause some people to become drowsy, have trouble with thinking or controlling body movements.
Common side effects of Lexapro include nausea, sexual side effects, and insomnia. For some people, these go away as your body gets used to the medication. More serious side effects of Lexapro are rare. These include suicidal thoughts or behaviors, abnormal bleeding, and serotonin syndrome.
In time, the brain readjusts and people should experience a return to their normal state. If depressive symptoms do arise and gradually worsen, it's best to consult a psychiatrist or doctor, if they don't improve within a few weeks or if they become severe.
You may be tempted to stop taking antidepressants as soon as your symptoms ease, but depression can return if you quit too soon. Clinicians generally recommend staying on the medication for six to nine months before considering going off antidepressants.
Do I have to take antidepressants forever is a question that some ask as they struggle with depression. This is one of the more common myths associated with the condition. You do not need to take antidepressants forever nor do you need to get a prescription from a counselor or therapist.
Improved mood: One of the most common indications that Lexapro is working is improved mood. Increased energy levels: Another sign that your body's adjusting well to Lexapro is increased energy levels throughout the day.
Do not use escitalopram with buspirone (Buspar®), fentanyl (Abstral®, Duragesic®), lithium (Eskalith®, Lithobid®), tryptophan, St. John's wort, amphetamines, or some pain or migraine medicines (eg, rizatriptan, sumatriptan, tramadol, Frova®, Imitrex®, Maxalt®, Relpax®, Ultram®, Zomig®).
Lexapro may cause serious or life-threatening side effects such as birth defects, heart conditions, serotonin syndrome, and an increased risk of suicide. These severe side effects linked to Lexapro have been the basis of lawsuits filed against the manufacturer.
Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of drug-induced liver injury associated with escitalopram use, when initiating depressed patients on antidepressant treatment.
Administration: The examiner reads a list of 5 words at a rate of one per second, giving the following instructions: “This is a memory test. I am going to read a list of words that you will have to remember now and later on. Listen carefully. When I am through, tell me as many words as you can remember.
Sometimes, antidepressants can interfere with your blood sodium level, which can cause headaches or confusion. Low sodium levels, called hyponatremia, are more common in older people. The risk is also a lot higher in the first 2 to 4 weeks after you start an antidepressant.
Short-term memory loss is when you forget things that have happened recently, such as an event or something you did, saw, or heard. It can be caused by a number of factors, including a nutritional deficiency, sleep deprivation, depression, side effects of some medications, or dementia.