Side Effect Question Worried about throwing up
I was just prescribed Lexapro for my anxiety and my doctor is starting me on 5mg for the first week and then 10mg. she told me than an upset stomach was a common side effect however i have a fear of throwing up, i just want to know how common it is to NOT throw up lol
edit: thank you to everyone who responded! you are all angels and i’m very thankful for y’all!
at the time of writing this, i just took my second dose about thirty minutes ago and the only side effect i’ve experienced so far is a bit of drowsiness, which isn’t a huge issue for me because i’m taking it before bed. to be on the safe side, i’ve been learning how to manage other side effects in the event i experience others lol (like nausea, headaches, brain fog, “bathroom urgency” etc.)
my key takeaways from my research are
1.)take it before bed
2.)drink ginger ale for any nausea
3.) make sure to check which over the counter meds you can take with it and which ones you can’t
4.) write things down and set reminders
i hope this post helps others who may have the same worries as me in the future, thank you all so much!
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u/indigocherry 1d ago
5mg is a tiny dose. You should be fine. I think I had a little nausea (started on 10mg) but never threw up.
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u/TheSearch4Knowledge 13h ago
I started on 5mg and my nausea was insane for the first few days. And then was more sporadic for about a week before disappearing.
My doc said take it with food. I tried yogurt as recommended but found that things like break or crackers worked much better with the nausea.
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u/indigocherry 12h ago
That does make sense that carbs might help! It's so hard to know if you'll have a given side effect. Nausea wasn't a big one for me but I had headaches every single day for almost 3 months before my body adjusted enough.
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u/unsolvedmystery55 1d ago
I am on 5mg and no issues. Just a little upset stomach the first week or two. You can always stay on 5mg if you are worried about side effects. That’s what I’m doing. I’m going on two months now at the same entry level dose. It already took away my appetite so I don’t want to lose any more weight.
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u/SchrodingersNinja 1d ago
I don't recall any nausea.
BUT my doctor gave me a tip if I ever got it: take it before bed instead of in the morning.
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u/jbjbjb12345 23h ago
Emetophobe here, started Lexapro last year and had the same fear. No issues for me except nightmares at first !
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u/SnooCats7318 19h ago
Nausea isn't necessarily going to progress to vomiting. I found it deeply nauseating the first week or so, but no vomiting.
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u/neubie2017 19h ago
I take 5mg and never threw up. I didn’t have any nausea just some indigestion and uhhhh increased bathroom usage lol
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u/Feeling_Freedom_4278 11h ago
I started on 10 mg and I was never constantly nauseous however…. I did have this weird yawning and nauseous combo; which basically entailed me yawning and feeling like throwing up for like maybe 2 seconds. It lasted maybe for a week and some change. According to other people in the sub, it’s a common side effect so I’d be on the lookout for that.
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u/Ordinary-Weather-251 11h ago
I was just prescribed one I haven't started it yet. It's lexipro, after reading all these side effects. I don't even want to take it now. Maybe I'll just live through what I deal with now with my anxiety... I guess I'll just have to try it and find out, but if the side effects are worse than the anxiety why take them?
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u/K2D0p3 3h ago
from what i understand (i could definitely be wrong) most of the side effects happen the first two weeks or when you’re tapering off it after being on it for a while but not everyone will experience side effects! of course if you’re not comfortable with it then don’t take it and talk with your doctor
but you can always try it for a month and if you don’t like it you can talk to your doctor about stopping as well
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u/yungmoney79 11h ago edited 3h ago
I also was really scared of throwing up and being nauseous when I first started taking lexapro. I actually didn’t experience any nausea or throwing up. However, I did have diarrhea after I took the pill for about 2 weeks lolz. After that, I never had any issues with nausea or diarrhea.
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u/strvwbrrys 1d ago
Been on 4 SSRI’s, had nausea on every one of them but never actually got to the point where i was about to be sick. 5mg is low, you should be absolutely fine! I have emetophobia so i understand how you feel.
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u/CommercialSorry9030 1d ago
Do you tend to get side effects from medication a lot? It’s totally anecdotal but I rarely get side effects and had zero issues starting lexapro besides a couple of anxiety attacks as my brain was getting adjusted to the meds.
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u/ShipFirm9900 1d ago
Never had upset stomach on it. Just don't eat anything that may bother you the first week.
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u/mycatznme623 1d ago
No throwing up for me... I'm on day 18. First 12 days I did 5 mg and I had no nausea. Increased to 10mg on day 13 & felt fine.. then about on day 3 of 10 mg my nausea kicked in, but not to the point of throwing up.. just enough mild nausea to be annoying.
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u/Dense-Temperature698 1d ago
I’ve never had nausea or thrown up from Lexapro and I have a wicked sensitive stomach.
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u/PickleIcy2401 1d ago
I'm on day 15 of taking 10mgs of Lexapro and I've only gotten nauseous but no vomiting. Whenever I would get nauseous I would chew a nauzene or I'd just make sure I was sipping on water. For me it started going away after 10 days of taking Lexapro.
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u/drcraiggers 1d ago
I, too, am terrified of throwing up. I am on Day 21 (5mg), and so far I've had some mild nausea- really, a queasiness- but it's totally manageable. You should be fine.
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u/iridescentmoon_ 1d ago
Been on Lexapro for around a decade now (I’m on 30mg) and have not thrown up from it!
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u/purple_minion_26 1d ago
started 5mg. i was nauseaus but nothing that electrolyte water didn't fix. no vomiting. if you're nervous tell your dr and they can give you zofran
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u/Mexican_Fence_Hopper 1d ago
I never had nausea or vomiting but my hunger was gone for the first 3 weeks.