While the first two weeks of taking Lexapro can come with bothersome side effects, the symptoms often go away on their own. As your body becomes used to the medication, the symptoms might decrease. If symptoms persist longer than four weeks or worsen, you should contact your doctor right away for additional direction.
Frequently Asked Questions. Does Lexapro make you feel worse at first? Due to side effects during the first few weeks of treatment, some say that Lexapro can make you feel worse at first. Side effects usually start to subside after about two weeks, so know that feeling “worse” doesn't last very long.
Headache, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, increased sweating, feeling nervous, restless, fatigue, or having trouble sleeping (insomnia). These will often improve over the first week or two as you continue to take the medication.
Common side effects of escitalopram when you first start taking it include gastrointestinal issues, headache, dry mouth, and insomnia. These generally start to subside as your body begins to get used to the medicine. Talk with your doctor if you're concerned about any side effects you may be experiencing.
SSRIs release two chemicals in the brain that kick in at different times, causing a period of negative effects on mental health, the authors report. The first chemical is serotonin, which is released very soon after an SSRI is taken but might not lessen depressive symptoms until after a couple of weeks.
While you won't notice changes from these medications overnight, you should start to feel some difference in 4 to 6 weeks, with the best results sometimes coming in 8 to 12 weeks. If you don't feel better by 3 months or your symptoms get worse, let your doctor know. Your depression gets worse.
Share on Pinterest Doctors advise against drinking alcohol while taking Lexapro. Doctors usually do not recommend drinking alcohol while taking Lexapro or any other antidepressant. This guidance is because alcohol can make depression worse and can counteract the benefits of a person taking antidepressants.
Lexapro is a SSRI that is FDA-approved to treat anxiety and depression. It can be taken at any time of day, with or without food. But if it causes you to have trouble sleeping, you can take it in the morning.
Nausea, dry mouth, trouble sleeping, constipation, tiredness, drowsiness, dizziness, and increased sweating may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor promptly.
Generally, common side effects from Lexapro may improve within 2 weeks of taking the drug. Although some side effects can be serious, these reactions are rare. If a person has concerns about Lexapro, they should speak with their doctor.
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.
Lexapro is no exception, so you should not expect to immediately feel better after starting treatment. In fact, you may even feel worse initially. When you start taking Lexapro, you may find that your anxiety symptoms get worse before getting better.
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.
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®).
Role of serotonin
That said, if high serotonin acts on a certain part of the brain, such as the dorsal raphe nucleus, it can also induce sleep. This may explain why people either have insomnia or feel sleepy after taking an SSRI.
The good news is because escitalopram has been shown to help improve sleep disorders,⁴ your initial insomnia or increased fatigue should not last long.
Escitalopram is a kind of antidepressant known as an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor). These work by increasing levels of a mood-enhancing chemical in your brain called serotonin. Usually you will be prescribed escitalopram to treat depression.
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
The combination of Lexapro and alcohol should be avoided due to potentially dangerous side effects. Even a small amount of alcohol can lead to a large amount of unpleasant effects. Mixing these two substances may actually lead to heightened symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Lexapro weight gain can be a common side effect, but it doesn't impact everyone who takes this medication. Multiple studies conclude that SSRIs like Lexapro can result in weight gain. However, it varies from person to person depending on individual factors such as age, lifestyle habits, diet, and activity level.
SSRIs are usually the first choice medicine for depression because they generally have fewer side effects than most other types of antidepressant.
Lexapro has an average rating of 8.2 out of 10 from a total of 515 reviews for the treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. 78% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 10% reported a negative experience.
Side Effects Specific to Lexapro
Some patients complain that Lexapro causes decreased appetite, weight gain, vomiting and vivid dreams. Patients also reported a tingling sensation in the arms, hands, feet and legs. Lexapro users may experience more difficulties sleeping compared to patients taking other SSRIs.