On lexapro! help! so much pain!

Hey!

after trials and errors with a couple of different meds, I am now on cipralex (lexapro) and I just wanted to tell you guys, how horrible I'm feeling. My depression has gotten really really bad in the last two months, and it''s only getting worse. The big problem is that I am in so much physical pain, I can't even tell you. I feel so crippled. I can't do anything now, I'm just in my bed all day, maybe going out once a day to the corner store.. but absolutely unable to socialize, work or study.

It's my 5th day (2 on 5mg, 3 on 10mg) of lexapro and so far it has only made things worse. Even more physical pain, totally lack of concentration, fatigue, and now the insomnia has kicked in. I only somehow manage to pull through the day with taking xanax 3-4 times 0,25 mg per day. it has become incredibly harsh. Now I've reached my pdoc on the phone and surprisingly she was happy with the results, she said if I'm feeling this awful, and I couldn't sleep only like 3 hours, that means the drug started to work. So if I get these types of side effects she says that means it's gonna be working for me. Is this true? How long are the side effects gonna take? she said, only a couple of days. When will I start to feel better? If ever? I'm so hopeless, and in so much pain. I rarely post here, but now I felt I needed help and company. thank you guys!

She will also add a mood stabilizer later on, because the last time I had an SSRI I went manic. so I'm probably bipolar... I'm so sick of being unfunctional so tired of the pain and the fatigue, the stress, the side effects. thanks for reading!

Sorry you are hurting so bad. I've never been on Lexapro, but I wouldn't think it would cause that many side effects. Are do you have something else going on that is causing the pain? It can take several weeks to tell if an antidepressant is going to work.

I guess I just gonna have to hold on. My Pdoc told me that pain can be a symptom of depression. And as I had blood tests and everything, I don't have an underlying condition. Just depression and anxiety. But I never thought this could be so bad.

You guys never had any issue with physical pain in depression?

I sorry that you are in so much pain and obviously are worried that the meds may not help. I'm in a similar boat because I'm just starting lexapro (along with some cocktail) and it's too soon for it to be working so I'm just hanging on.

By the way, technically speaking if the cause of mania is medication, you are not bi-polar. Doctors often say it anyway, but the DSM is very clear that it isn't really bi-polar if induced by anti-depressants.

Good luck for you too! We might as well keep in touch, in how things are going! Update each other, encourage etc. that might help pull through this phase

well there is definitely a debate about the bipolar diagnosis. but I've heard that antidepressants obviously don't cause mania for everyone. But I never had hypomania or mania ever in my life, just when it was triggered by paroxetine. But I was so depressed back then - too - I had no choice but to go with an AD. and it's the same again. I really hope I'm just gonna be fine, and not gonna switch to manic again. But since I'm really depressed, it's not gonna happen overnight, and I'm in close inspection by my doctor, so I really hope it's not gonna happen. I'm just really waiting for lexapro's effect to build up, so I can live a normal life again. it's been so long! thank you for your reply! Oh and I have read a couple of articles on depression and pain, and I'm a bit calmer, because it's noted that depression can indeed cause painful physical symptoms. in fact my depression is much much more physical than emotional.

Yes, I've read about physical symptoms. I don't tend to get those directly, but indirectly I'm more sensitive to the physical conditions I have, such as chronic knee pain. I also feel a kind of heaviness in my chest and feel as though my throat is closing. It's not pain but it is related to depression.

One thing my shrink has been saying over and over is to hold on and he constantly reminds me that I'm doing the best that I can. That's reassuring because of course it doesn't feel that way, but it is nice to hear from someone outside that it looks that way to them.

it' incredibly hard to hold on, but what else can we do?
thanks for your support!

Sorry to hear!! For me Lexapro doesn't really cause any side effects at all! I like it! For physical pain I don't think Lexapro is the cause, especially at the low dose you're on, my guess is that's part of the depression. For nerve pain-Cymbablta works wonders and also helps with depression. I'd check with a pharmacist because typically Lexapro has mild side effects especially at a low dose. For a great mood stabilizer I love Latuda, especially for bipolar depression and it's weight neutral!! I hope you feel better!!

day 6 cipralex/lexapro. managed to get some sleep tonight, but still nowhere near enough, or refreshing. I'm staying in my bed, drawing. I feel really weak. not feeling that much pain today, just tired, and fatigue. worn out completely. overall I feel hopeless, and empty. I hope this med will help me.

I hate that you have to wait so much for an antidepressant to start work. And in the meantime depression gets worse, in the first couple of weeks... I really hope to see some positive change soon, because my days are so empty, I have absolutely no energy. It's hard to explain this feeling I am experiencing. It feels like somebody beat the crap out of me...

And it's also really difficult that I don't seem to be feeling anything. I know that's a huge part of depression. I can't even feel sadness, I don't have the energy to be angry, I'm just hopeless, empty and incredibly weak. feels like my soul had been sucked out.

when will I know this med is actually good for me? 2 weeks or so? ty

I just started taking lexapro at the beginning dose so it's not yet at the therapeutic dose which I believe is 20mg. It is supposed to start working even at the lower dose, but it is too early for me. My shrink says a week to 10 days to begin to feel something. It is exactly as you say. A total drag to wait, meanwhile just feeling worse.

My depression is like yours. I just feel like being in bed. I don't feel anything, which is unusual for me because my main diagnosis is PTSD so when something is wrong I usually have powerful feelings. At least with those, you have something you can work with. But this blankness is impossible. I don't feel hopeless, but I do feel exactly what you said about feeling beat up and sucked dry. I don't have any advice. Just hoping that you know you are not alone in feeling this way and that I hope that both of us feel better soon. We are at least on a path that might make that possible. Lexapro has worked for me in the past rather quickly so I know that it is the right med for me.

I'm happy to hear that this medication worked for you in the past! that's some good news! yeah, my doc said something about 7-10 days. and she said we might increase the dosage to 15mg soon. i really hope we will find relief soon! it's good to feel that we are not alone! I'm rooting for us!

I get pain when I am really depressed too. No physical problems according the tests but I am hurting so much when I am that low.

Lexapro did nothing for me. I hope it starts to work for you. Hold on! If this one doesnt work another might.

I got the okay to move the dose up to 20mg, which is the therapeutic dose, in fact a little bit over. I'm starting to feel a tiny bit better and am going to try doing some things today to see if my energy comes back. Like I said, Lexapro has worked in the past. It hasn't "cured" my depression, but it made it manageable so that I could do things and work on the feelings and ways to get out of the dark hole I was in.

I hope the same for you.

Thank you! What day are you on? It's my seventh day, 2 on 5mg, 5 on 10 mg. I can see some small improvements. Mainly on the outlook, and I'm feeling less pain. Although i am still very tired and spend most of my time in bed, drawing. But i am much more hopeful. I am gonna meet my pdoc tomorrow at 10am. (mornings are horrible so its not the best time to meet but whatever). We will discuss the dosage upping then. I hope we will find relief soon! At least I got to the point where it's not getting worse at least sometimes I actually find myself having positive thoughts good luck! It helps alot not being alone with this.

So sorry to hear!! Hang in there and maybe ck with your pdoc about increasing dose to 20mg!!

It's interesting now. I don't feel pain, but I just can't get out of bed, I have so little energy. If I force myself to get ou then I get tired fast and all I can do is crawl back to bed.. But I don't feel that upset.. I kind of feel now that it's gonna get better. I hate having this low energy.

gosh i hated the low energy, now the pain is back too. what the fuk is this? I'm so impatient. I mean days do go by sort of fast, but during an AD onset, it's weeks, not days, that matter...yuck. I'm so fed up.
and people call depression a mood disorder... wtf. i would be so thankful to just have a low mood.

Sorry you are feeling bad again. So am I. I was more hopeful this morning but I haven't done anything. I haven't eaten in days. I haven't showered or changed clothes. I'm supposed to be working on a paper and there is just no way I could do that. Plus my shrink is away for another week so I have no support. It totally sucks. And when I post here I hardly get any responses. It feels awful.

Hey!
Can you reach your shrink on phone? It's sometimes very relieving to talk to my pdoc on the phone. She always assures me, that no matter how bad i'm feeling its gonna get better. Sometimes, when i feel really sick i tend to convince myself that its not depression but something else, and i get freaked out, but when i talk to her she gives me hope that everything's gonna be okay. Hold on! I am here for you, I always respond! We are in the same boat and hopefully its gonna get better soon! We are strong and we can pull through! Don't worry about the paper you have to write. Don't worry about anything. I personally don't have any expectations for these days. Just to cope. And that's it. And really days are starting to go by faster hold on, and if there's anything you want to share, just go ahead, post it! Good luck!

I'm sorry in advance if this was already talked about and you have moved on, but I can't seem to concentrate to read more of the thread.

I had pain issues when using AD's for an extended period of time. IT was horrible and debilitating. It would keep me up at night. I get pain with depression, but it's MUCH worse when I am on meds (even ones that are supposed to decrease the pain). Mine was severe joint pain, and it was only eased by heat.

I had been on Lexapro for a while. It was a "milder" AD for me and did not do much of anything. I am a poor example however, as I tend to react badly to psych meds.
Just wanted to let you know that I had similar issues.

Hope it resolves soon. (Also, that is the first I have heard a doctor say that such severe side effects were a positive sign...)

Thanks for your response! Well I think it's just worse due to the initial start up, because i already had pain with depression and the med just stirred things up in my brain. I really hope the physical symptoms will lift soon. In some cases (like in my case) depression is progressively getting worse, and obviously thats why I started the medication, so in the first few weeks, when the effects haven't yet built up, it's only natural that the depression continues to get worse. Just like before the med. So the side effects are one thing, the other thing is that my body is much more sensitive to pain when i have depression.

Hey, wanted to let you know that the Lexapro is kicking in a bit now. I'm at 20mg just for two days after a week at 10mg. I'm taking other stuff two, but I believe that this is what is giving me just a little bit of energy and slightly more positive outlook. I might even eat, take a shower, do laundry, and try to see about some school work. So hang in there.

Hey! I'm happy for you! For me so far today has been a lot worse than the last two days. The same old "beaten the crap out of me" feeling.
I've been to my doc today, and she said she's not gonna up my dose yet. The problem is that we might not even go up to 20mg because my past case of mania. I feel really sick today. I thought there was an improvement starting, but now back to really bad. I suppose this is normal, right?
I forgot how it was on paxil. Are there some better and then worse days ? it not like a steady uphill road right?
I'm glad it starts to help you though! yay!

My shrink worries about possible mania because I have had an episode when over medicated, highly over medicated. That isn't technically bipolar though. The DSM is very clear that when a hypomania or mania is induced by substances of any kind, especially anti-depressants, it can't be classified as bipolar. It is often called "Bipolar III" to make a distinction. It is a possibility I suppose, but I've been on 20mg of Lexapro before and it just helped my depression.

My shrink says that anti-depressants are kinda like teflon in the sense that things don't stick to you and roll off better. It doesn't provide a "cure." It just helps lift energy and mood so you can manage.