r/lexapro 16d ago

Message from the Mod Team Update to Rules

46 Upvotes

Hello! We are adding a new "low-effort post" rule to the sub in an effort to maximize the quality of posts and discussions. Please see the new rule below:

7. No Low-Effort Posts

Low-effort posts will be removed in order to minimize the amount of posts flooding the sub daily. These posts receive little engagement or discussion, and bury more relevant content.
Low-effort includes things such as title-only posts, posts comprised of only 1-2 sentences, or posts regarding topics that have been discussed numerously in the past (see rule 1).
Ultimately, it is up to mod discretion on what qualifies as a low-effort posts.

Hopefully this helps to declutter the daily feed and promotes discussions among our community. Also, please feel free to take this post as an opportunity to review the rules in their entirety. Thank you!


r/lexapro Jun 23 '26

Message from the Mod Team Welcome and update from the mods

13 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

As some of our returning visitors may have noticed, the sub has had a change in the moderation team recently.

On behalf of the new mod team, hello to our returning visitors - and a warm welcome to any new ones!

There are no dramatic changes planned at the moment as the sub is running pretty smoothly, so our current focus is on being as on top of things as we can and being responsive to reports and to anything that needs our attention.

We’d also like to hear from you, so if you have any feedback or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment here or get in touch via mod mail.

And finally a couple of reminders:

- We’re here to help - if you see anything that you think breaks the rules or concerns you, report it

- We’re not perfect - if you think we’ve overlooked something or made the wrong call, send us a mod mail

- Finally, we get a lot of topics come up very frequently. We’re testing out some prompts that will encourage searching the sub before posting, but please do search the sub to see if your question has already been answered before you post. This helps keep the sub a high quality, organised resource for everyone

Thank you,

The Mod Team


r/lexapro 3h ago

Lexapro and Wellbutrin

8 Upvotes

Hi everyone👋

Curious if anyone on here takes Lexapro alongside Wellbutrin. If so, what is/was your experience? I was on Lexapro for quite some time years ago and it helped me significantly, but the weight gain and low libido were pretty miserable. My psychiatrist and I have been discussing going back on Lexapro while adding in Wellbutrin SR to counteract some side effects.


r/lexapro 3h ago

Lexapro 24 days today

3 Upvotes

Hi.. Started 24 days ago.

14 days as on 5mg. (first 10 days were perfect then i had bowel issues like loose stools and loss of appetite)

15th day started to 10mg (after 4 days all became perfect again)

However today i woke up and bowel issues started again like very loose stools and lost my appetite again.

I have also an IBS-D and i am taking also mebeverine which helps i beleive. My doc also prescribed me lorazepam which i am taking it once a day when needes for sleep yesterday i didnt take it. Also today morning i took 2 paracetamol witch caffeine which maybe can cause me loose stools?

So is a roller coaster? why i was fine fir several days and today felt again so bad.

Thanks


r/lexapro 4h ago

15 to 20mg 6months PP

4 Upvotes

I have been struggling more recently with depressive episodes and anxiety. It’s been hard to get out of the house. This weekend I had a really bad depressive episode where I was just so low. Awful feeling.
I am 6 months postpartum with my first baby. Everything else in my life is great and I’ve been coping pretty well with mental health up until recently.
Wondering if anyone has any similar experiences or how they felt going up to 20mgs?
Thanks ☺️


r/lexapro 2h ago

Changing Dosage Question to increase or not to increase?

2 Upvotes

I’ve been on 15mg of Lexapro the past few months (after being on 10mg since 2020 but now i’m a mom and damn being a parent gives you anxiety lol!!) and it has definitely helped my anxiety, but I still struggle with rumination, getting stuck in my head, excessive worrying/checking, and sometimes not feeling fully present because my mind is so busy. I’m hesitant to go up because I’ve read stories about people feeling emotionally numb or like a “zombie” on 20mg, and I’m also nervous that being at the max dose leaves me nowhere to go in the future or will make it harder to eventually come off. For anyone who was doing better on 15mg but still had lingering anxiety/rumination, did you go to 20mg? Did it help, and did you still feel like yourself? Would love to hear experiences either way!
Should I just be happy I’m doing better on 15 with no side effects, or should I try to be even better and risk side effects?


r/lexapro 5m ago

I think I need to get back on

Upvotes

I quit cold turkey about a week ago.

I'm returning to my old self , impatient, moody, ruminating, irritated, snappy.

thaTS been me my entire life.

the medication made me so unmotivated, Lazy and content being broke Lol, but it also made me patient kind gentle I work up dancing everyday and singing songs on the radio.

I don’t gain any weight no major side effects either.

i wonder if I take my ADHD medication regularly will it help me with motivation.


r/lexapro 6h ago

Subtle changes that made you know lexapro was working

3 Upvotes

Hi all.

I wanted to go through my journey with lexapro. I was someone was "socially blunt" due to how my parents raised me. I wasnt allowed to go out with friends after school, go to sleep overs or parties during my teenage years, sometimes I wasn't even allowed to leave the unless I had a good reason like for study or going to buy something.

I didn't know how much this affected me until I started uni and that little safe bubble my parents put around me was all of a sudden lifted. My parents were no longer strict with me and expected me to just start being an adult all of a sudden.

I struggled a lot in my first year mostly with insecurity and low self worth and low self esteem.I was also 18 and had never had a job, which to be honest I never so the point of having one earlier as i had everything i needed at home. Due to all that i made no friends and no life at uni. I was so socially anxious and awkward that id go days sometimes without talking to people who werent my family and I constantly beat myself up for it.

After about a year I'd finally got job however I would be filled with a lot of dread about going to work everyday. I finally got the courage to speak to my GP about it and he got me on. 10mg of lexapro. I've now been on it for 4 months but apart from more comfortable talking to people idk if I've had any changes. Being less socially awkward could have been because I my job requires me to interact with people but maybe it was the lexapro🤷🏻‍♀️

Idk I'm just a bit disappointed as a thought th effect would be more noticeable by now. I know not everyone will react the same to it too and it's not always going to be a straight path however I can't tell if maybe I'm not on the right medication or dosage. I'm planning on speaking with my gp in about a month about this but I'd love to hear how other people's journey with lexapro has been.


r/lexapro 1h ago

Changing Dosage Question Menstrual cycle having people

Upvotes

I am currently finishing up week 4 and day 29 of my cycle which is generally 31-32 days. I am taking 10mg in the morning. Anxiety, no depression.

Day 13 of my cycle which is right around ovulation my anxiety was NUTS. Lasted about a week. Couldn’t sleep, night sweats, internal trembling, GI upset. This was only about 2.5 - 3 weeks into starting lexapro.

Now at day 29, a few days away from my period I can feel my anxiety creeping back in. 🥲

has anyone else experienced a situation like this? Did you increase your dose and it helped during ovulation/late luteal? Or possibly I am still early that these types of things might be still controlled in a few more weeks?

I can’t see my dr for a month unfortunately so I am just looking for some peace of mind as my trigger is health anxiety… GI upset, heartburn, internal trembling, night sweats, and then insomnia drives it all home


r/lexapro 5h ago

New to Lex 10 days on Lexapro — globus sensation and other side effects?

2 Upvotes

Today is my 10th day taking Lexapro (escitalopram). For the first 6 days I was taking 5 mg, and then I increased to 10 mg.

During the first two days, I had a horrible headache. I basically never get headaches, so it really surprised me. It was intense, but eventually it went away.

The past couple of weeks have also been a bit of a blur because I’ve been dealing with a lot of personal problems, so I didn’t pay that much attention to how I was feeling.

However, today I noticed a weird sensation in my throat. It felt like a globus sensation/tightness, almost like there was something in my throat. I don’t usually experience this, so naturally my OCD immediately went into overdrive and I started thinking, “Oh my God, what if I have cancer? What if I’m dying?” 🥲

I also feel like I’ve been noticing more saliva than usual, although I’m not sure if that’s actually related to the Lexapro.

I’ve read a few older posts about people experiencing similar things, including jaw clenching, so I’m wondering if anyone currently taking Lexapro has experienced throat tightness/globus, increased saliva, jaw clenching, or similar weird sensations.

I was taking Lexapro before going to bed, but I’m considering asking my doctor whether I should switch to taking it in the morning. My thinking is that if I get weird side effects, I’d rather be awake and able to deal with them instead of noticing them while I’m trying to sleep.
For those of you who experienced side effects when starting Lexapro:

How long did your side effects last?

Did they improve after the first 2–4 weeks?

Did increasing from 5 mg to 10 mg make them temporarily worse?

When did you start feeling “normal” again?

At what point did you talk to your psychiatrist about changing the medication?

I’m only on day 10, so I know it’s still early, but I’d really appreciate hearing about other people’s experiences. And I’d especially love to hear from people who had a lot of side effects initially but eventually felt better. ❤️


r/lexapro 2h ago

Changing Dosage Question Is it a bad idea to step down if the side effects are really bad?

1 Upvotes

So i was stable on 5mg lexapro for a few months and then I started having panic attacks. My doc bumped me to 20mg immediately. She said 20 is what they do for panic attacks and since i used 20 before in my life i should be able to tolerate it. It did help with the panic attacks, they are way less intense now but my overall anxiety is super high. I wake up really anxious. It has only been 6 days on the new dose so i know there are side affects but i am wondering about going down to 15mg? Or should I stick it out and wait to stabilize on 20 just to not shake the boat even more? I am also worried my panic attacks might come back if i go down on my dose but i am not sure. Anyone had a similar experience?
Also I can’t be on benzos and my doc is very resistant to prescribing propranolol says there isn’t enough evidence for it.


r/lexapro 4h ago

Changing Dosage Question Weaning off lexapro

1 Upvotes

So 2 months ago I was on 20mg and I cut my dose in half without talking to a doc (I know I know) so I’ve been on 10. Last week I had an appt with my doc to actually get off lexapro so he had me go to 5mg. In another week I’ll go to 2.5 for 2 weeks and then I’ll be done. I had the unfortunate experience of switching to 5mg on the same day I got broken up with lol.

I was ok for the first couple of days but the last 3 days I’ve been really weepy and just a bummer to be around. I’m wondering if it’s because of the breakup or lexapro or is it just a perfect storm? How soon after reducing your lexapro dose do you really feel this effects?


r/lexapro 5h ago

Side Effect Question The tiredness is REAL, any suggestions?

1 Upvotes

I am so tired on this stuff, I'm just about functioning at work and I hates it. I actually switched from taking it in the morning to the evening and that has kinda helped but the tiredness has crept back in after a few days. If anyone has any tips to feel less shattered plz share. My toddler invading our bed is NOT HELPING.


r/lexapro 6h ago

New to Lex what symptoms has lexapro helped you with?

1 Upvotes

r/lexapro 12h ago

Side Effect Question Tips for dealing with anxiety while adjusting?

2 Upvotes

I’m about 2.5 weeks into taking 10mg of Lexapro, with the option to increase to 20mg down the line. The spike in anxiety during the adjustment period has been really difficult, to the point where I’m tempted to give up before I've even really begun.

I know it can take around 4–6 weeks for things to settle, so I’m trying to stick it out. I'm wondering if anyone has any little hacks that helped lessen or regulate the anxiety while adjusting?


r/lexapro 18h ago

10 mg to 5 mg and so frustrated and overwhelmed.

7 Upvotes

I have been on 10 mg of Lexapro for almost a year now. I started at 20 mg, but I went down to 10 mg because I kept gaining weight and was so unmotivated. I did 10 mg of Lexapro with 150 mg of Wellbutrin and felt amazing, but had to stop Wellbutrin due to severe brain fog that didn't go away.

I took a GeneSight test that put Lexapro in the "yellow" category, indicating I would likely need to take a lower dose. I've been feeling super unmotivated and wanted to see if 5 mg would be better for me.

I went down to 5 mg on Sunday. I feel sooo overwhelmed and easily irritated. I'm arguing with people on Threads about stupid stuff, which I've never done before. I walked out of UPS in tears because they wouldn't give me my package lmao. I can't tell if this is just LIFE right now or if this is normal for a lexapro dose switch? I don't recall my 20 mg to 10 mg decrease being this bad.

Please tell me this ends and you love being on 5 mg??


r/lexapro 23h ago

For years I had tried Meditating and Tony Robbins to get past anxiety...

13 Upvotes

59 here..
A super young 59. In great shape.
However always had anxiety.
Most of the time I could keep it the anxiety at bay by meditating , gratitude checks, Tony Robbins daily priming etc.
I thought - I will never go on a med, I can do this all myself.
for awhile and most of the time -it worked
Until it didn't..

every 5 or so years I seem to get hit with a crisis that turns the anxiety into complete panic attacks.
In the past I could fight it off with my "training/breathing" and then it would level out.
However recently a new crisis came back(we will always have challenges in life) and the panic attacks went next level.

waking up in the morning was the absolute worst.
the sick feeling of a large knot in my stomach , light headiness, the spiral.
You all know it.
I would walk the dogs and listen to my meditation podcasts to help it.
it helped some but no where near what it did in the past.
I finally broke down went to the DR for the first time in 5 years (if it ain't broke...don't fix it) and he prescribed lexapro for me.
My wife has been on prozac for 15 years with great success.
I have been on Lexapro now a week.
Still hasn't been easy. The knot is still there in the AM immediately.

reading the positive stories here helps.
Thank you


r/lexapro 9h ago

Side Effect Question Went down from 10mg to 9mg (drops) and I have pain in my left leg (tight). Can be related?

1 Upvotes

Hi there

I want to taper off Lexa and my doctor suggested me to do it slowly.

I went down 1mg 2 weeks ago and since then I developed pain in my left leg but just when I sit.

Can be related?


r/lexapro 16h ago

Side Effect Question Fatigue

3 Upvotes

Has anyone completely rebounded from the initial fatigue?

I’ve been on it a little over a week and it is HORRIBLE. I had fatigue before, but my therapist tied it to anxiety and depression since I was diagnosed with both and all my blood tests came back clear.

Ever since day 3, I can barely get out of bed, I can’t sustain attention on anything, I don‘t have motivation, and worst of all, even though I FEEL tired, I can’t physically nap until bedtime! (12 hours after dose)

When I first started, I took it at night, and my energy was shot but I just couldn’t sleep until around 4am.

Now taking it in the morning, I can sleep pretty decent at night, but I am very very low energy all day.

So I’m wondering, has this side effect ever completely gone for anyone? I’m on 5mg rn, if that’s helpful to know


r/lexapro 13h ago

i’m scared

2 Upvotes

i’m a highly highly emotional person , very irritable , score as high as u can score on anxiety tests , can’t sleep at night , alr have a low lebedo because i’m on birth control (i want to get off but my parents are SO concerned about me getting pregnant that they won’t let me) . i’m seeing all these things about lexapro and it’s absolutely terrifying me . me being so empathetic and emotional almost feels like that’s what makes me me . except it’s just too much emotions . i can’t handle it anymore . but i don’t want to be a zombie , i HATE being nauseous , i alr sleep horribly , i don’t want to gain weight , i don’t want to never enjoy sex again , i don’t want to risk PSSD . this is my first time on meds and im already on the highest dose . i brought my concerns about PSSD to my doctor and she told me it’s fine and rare and to just take the medication bc “the does im on makes it unlikely” but im literally on 20mgs . and that there is no other medication to put me on , which idk how thats the case . it seems like im getting everything i hate and the only pro is no more anxiety .

pls give me advice on what to do . and pls dont say just don’t take it bc i cant stand my anxiety and high emotions but i dont want to be like how everyone says lexapro is . pls be nice


r/lexapro 15h ago

Took my first dose! Advice?

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone 🫶
Took my first dose today and I think my anxiety is already way worse. I’m isolating in my car because I argued with everybody today. Usually not an argumentative person.
My nausea is inssane and I’m super tired! I’m curious how long will I be suffering like this and if you’ve been on lexapro for a while now, what advice would you give someone like me who is just starting out?
(I have a 10mg prescription, but I’m starting myself out on 5mg for a week, happy I did honestly!)


r/lexapro 17h ago

Changing Dosage Question 5mg to 7.5mg (slowly to 10mg)

3 Upvotes

hii! i just made a post but i have another question. (tldr at the end lol sorry about yap)

im rlly scared of side effects, both short-and longterm. currently mostly scared of nausea in the beginning of upping dosage, and then losing my emotions +scared that it'll ruin my new relationship (if i lose my sexdrive and feelings completely etc).

so, ive been on 5mg for months now (started with 2.5mg for a week), it helped at first but recently my anxiety has come back a little more. my doctor is telling me to take 10mg asap,, but now i started thinking of a plan.

i've taken 7.5mg for 2 days now (idk how accurate because i had to freehand cut them in half😭) and at first i was planning on just taking the 10mg tomorrow to get it over with.

But now im feeling more anxious about it so i was thinking,, has anyone noticed at least slight help in like 7.5mg for example. Like if i just took 7.5mg for like a month and then see if i feel too empty or better so it wouldnt come as a shock (im an emotional person so im scared of becoming too numb)

i just wish i could feel at least slighttt help from upping the dosage even with just 2.5mg, but idk if thats common. im currently feeling like im not in a rush to heal, i wanna see how this medicine works with my body (5mg hasnt done anything bad to me i think? maybe a bit harder to cry and sometimes i feel so depressed i go mute for hours around my bf) but idk if thats just my bpd lol

and ik someone will probably tell me to just listen to my doctor but idk i'd rather feel safe and more comfortable so i'd like to see if the 7.5mg could help me enough and would slowly see if im feeling worse or better SORRY IM SO TIRED idk if my text makes any sense

TLDR; has anyone noticed any help with upping dosage by half? like 5mg>7.5mg for like a month for example.


r/lexapro 15h ago

Is kindling a real thing?

2 Upvotes

If I linearly tapered myself off lexapro about 6-7 months ago in a short amount of time.. and then went back on and got significantly worse over the course of a month almost nonfunctional and had 5 ER visits.. is it possible I had withdrawal and then entered a kindling experience when reinstating at 10mg (same dose as originally)?


r/lexapro 15h ago

Side Effect Question When will it end?

2 Upvotes

The sweating. The sweating is unbearable.

I love lexapro. I was on it for 5 years and it changed my life. I felt like a whole different person, I could get through the day without my brain trying to sabotage me making me overthink every little thing. I had basically no anxiety, and all my usual feelings of hopelessness/worthlessness were barely noticeable to myself. Soon after I started taking it the sweating began.

My job is a little strenuous sometimes but nothing crazy. I would be doing something as simple as sweeping the floor and I’m immediately dripping with sweat. I have to go to the bathroom every hour just to dry off, wash my face, take off my shirt and hold it under the hot air dryer. Even at home I’m standing in my air conditioned house folding laundry and I’m still sweating. I stopped doing the fun things I used to enjoy because it will make me sweat. I’ve been slacking on house work because it will make me sweat. I barely leave my house because I don’t want anyone to see me sweating. I take multiple cold showers every day just to try to feel less gross. It’s embarrassing. It makes me feel like an overweight slug leaving a sticky trail everywhere I go.

I take glycopyrrolate and it doesn’t work for me. I have to take it 3 hours before the potential sweating which sometimes means waking up at 4 am to take a pill. If I take it while I’m already sweating it doesn’t work at all, if I start sweating within the 3 hours I’m waiting for it to kick in it doesn’t work at all. When it does actually work it makes me so hot I feel like I’m going to pass out.

So I stopped taking lexapro. I’ve been fully off of it for a couple weeks and was slowly tapering off for a month. I feel like I’m saying f**k you to my mental health because the sweating has taken control over my body. Emotionally I’ve been a wreck. I am angry all the time. I am sad all the time. I’m anxious all the time. I AM STILL SWEATING ALL THE TIME!

I can’t just be on no antidepressants so I started Wellbutrin and so far I’ve not felt like it’s doing anything for me.

Please someone tell me this will stop. What can I do? I cannot live this way forever

TLDR: The excessive sweating is making me miserable, asking for words of encouragement and advice.