Lexapro.....is this normal??

sarita279 · Aug 10, 2005

My psych put me on Lexapro 10 mg two weeks ago. So far, I have been very nauseous and very sleepy. I yawn what seems like incessantly! No problems sleeping, even though I take it at night. If anything, I seem way sleepier during the day than I did pre-Lexapro. I don't feel any different at all psychologically. I am, however, also in my first month of NS..:chuckle Do I need to give the med more time or do you think it is not right for me?? I have an appt with my psych in a few more weeks but wonder if I should wait that long. The sleepiness is annoying..
I felt pretty good on Wellbutrin, very few side effects, however my PCP prescribed that and my psych disagreed with that very strongly, given my diagnosis of GAD. Should I ask to go back on that anyway? Honestly, I feel like I have been zombified on this stuff and haven't felt a thing!!!???
Thanks all!:)

You're symptoms seem quite normal to me for the first two weeks! they should subside after a couple more weeks I would say (thats exactly how I felt first 2-3 weeks)

Curious1alwys, BSN, RN · Aug 11, 2005

Thank you for the reply. It is MUCH appreciated. I suppose I will stick it out longer. It is very hard being so lethargic though. I hope it will pass, as you say...I think I feel worse than before... :rolleyes:

Curious1alwys, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2005

I absolutely HATE this med!! The drowsiness is NOT subsiding......the nausea did about a week ago. I never feel awake and can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. It is horrible!! Plus, I am noticing no difference at all in my outlook or behavior.

Can I get off of it before I see my psych next week? Taper or something?? I really need to be functional this week and this pill is really making my life a living hell! :angryfire :cry: Any help would be great!:)

elizabells, BSN, RN · Aug 18, 2005

I absolutely HATE this med!! The drowsiness is NOT subsiding......the nausea did about a week ago. I never feel awake and can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. It is horrible!! Plus, I am noticing no difference at all in my outlook or behavior.
Can I get off of it before I see my psych next week? Taper or something?? I really need to be functional this week and this pill is really making my life a living hell! :angryfire Any help would be great!:)

DO NOT GO OFF IT COLD. I tried that a couple of months ago and it was living hell. I've never felt such nausea, headaches, and I felt like I was being shocked repeatedly (parasthesia). Talk to your doc. Seriously.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Aug 18, 2005

Call your psychiatrist and talk to him/her about it before stopping it. Never stop an antidepression med cold turkey. Also, it's usual for them to take at least a month to be fully effective, and the sleepies should go away eventually. You might also consider taking it at another time of day. Figure out when the sleepies happen and adjust accordingly (and you can ask the psychiatrist about that too).

Will Benson · Aug 18, 2005

There are several things about Lexapro you should understand.

1. Lexapro (as well as ANY SSRI) takes at least 6-8 weeks to be effective. If you've only been on it for a month, you probably haven't given it a fair trial.

2. Nausea and vomiting may be dose related, but it may also occur if you are taking it on an empty stomach. Try coating it with butter or margerine, it will slow down the absorption rate and possibly eliminate the nausea.

3. Lexapro, as well as many of the SSRIs, can have a withdrawal effect if stopped "cold turkey".

Sounds like you need to have a talk with your physician. Mediation alone often will not be effective. Are you receiving some sort of counseling / therapy?

Good luck.

Curious1alwys, BSN, RN · Aug 18, 2005

Thanks to all of you for helping me out.

I won't stop cold turkey. I know better, I was just angry. However, the last few days I *think* I may be noticing some change. So........I won't stop. I see my psych next week.

And yes, I am in therapy as well. I am covering all my bases!:)

So, I will wait it out another few weeks. Thanks again.

ZZTopRN, BSN, RN · Aug 19, 2005

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I absolutely HATE this med!! The drowsiness is NOT subsiding......the nausea did about a week ago. I never feel awake and can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. It is horrible!! Plus, I am noticing no difference at all in my outlook or behavior.
Can I get off of it before I see my psych next week? Taper or something?? I really need to be functional this week and this pill is really making my life a living hell! :angryfire Any help would be great!:)

I had the same reaction you did. I worked part-time when I started on the Lexapro. I just worked 4 hours in the am and came home and slept the rest of the day. Took awhile for the nausea to go away. It also took a long time to get over the sleepiness. I had started out at 10 mg and I was just so aggravated by the tiredness and sleeping all the time that I started cutting back to 5 mg a day. It took quite a while and now I feel really good with just the 5 mg. I am quite happy about it because no other drug worked or if it did it stopped working.

Hope this eventually works for you or something else does. I was afraid I would never get over the depression.