I have been taking 5mg of lexapro for 12 days now. It was prescibed by my doctor to treat anxiety. So far all I have noticed is negative side-effects. Heightened anxiety, fatigue, giddiness, nausea, broken sleep and sexual dysfunction (nooooo!). How long will it take for the benefits to be seen, also will my sexual dysfuntction pass? If not, can I take anything for it without interaction?
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March 19th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Hi, I take generic Wellbutrin SR (150 mg) in the morning and at lunch, and Lexapro (10 mg) with dinner, for depression and anxiety. I’ve been taking that for over two years, and it’s working very well for me.
The Wellbutrin SR seems to help me to be more alert and active – and wanting to do things – while the Lexapro makes me more mellow, and it helps me sleep better, too. They are relatively low doses of each medication, which keeps side effects at a minimum. I really can’t tell I’m taking any medication at all.
What you’re experiencing right now is what is known as "break-in side effects". Some people get them, and some don’t. On 5 mg of Lexapro you shouldn’t really have bad side effects, although it depends on your chemistry. The break-in side effects will last a couple weeks or so, and will eventually go away.
A lot of difference with the drowsiness and fatigue depends on when you take the Lexapro. I found out (by experimenting) that the best time for me to take my Lexapro is about 5 to 6 hours before I go to bed (so I take it with dinner). I sleep better at night, and I’m more awake the next day.
I’ve seen where a lot of people take Wellbutrin with their Lexapro (and other SSRI’s as well). That helps to counteract some of the "less desirable" side effects of Lexapro – drowsiness, weight gain, and the sexual side effects. If you still have those after a couple months, you might ask your doctor about trying that.
Best of luck to you
Paul.
March 19th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Any ssri takes from 3 to 6 weeks to work. I have to say I don’t know your body weight but 5 mil. seems a pretty small dose.
March 19th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
You should START to see changes by 2 weeks. If after 17 days or so you still see no difference in your anxiety level then you should call your doctor. There are other anti-anxiety meds that may work better for you. As for the side effects, you want to give that at least a month to start to wear off. Again if they don’t and are too bothersome you may want to look into switching to another med.
March 19th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
There is no one drug that will work for everybody. What solves all problems for one person might only cause side effects for somebody else, and not treat the symptoms at all.
Give it a few weeks, and see if the benefits do kick in, if you’re not satisfied after a month that anything is improving – and the side effects are causing more trouble than good – go describe everything to your doctor, they might have a better prescription for you – sometimes it can just be a case of trial and error.
but don’t give up yet – you might find in a few weeks your anxiety is improving and these side effects are no longer an issue, just be patient.
March 19th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
So far all I have noticed is negative side-effects. Heightened anxiety, fatigue, giddiness, nausea, broken sleep and sexual dysfunction (nooooo!)
And you want to keep taking that S H I T !