Lexapro 10mg general question

Hello all

I am into my 10th week on Lexapro 10mg per day for GA and depression. After 1 month anxiety was gone entirely and hasn't reared its head again so that's a bonus Suicidal thoughts have also dissipated but the depression is another story. I find now my days are following a typical cycle mood wise;

Wake around 7.30/8am - instantly exhausted after very weird dreams, very difficult to drag myself out of bed, feeling pretty average and would rather just lie there all day.

Get to work 9-10am - Hard to focus, concentration is very low, yawning most of the day, continuously hungry, every now and then i feel the need to burst out laughing and get the giggles (not the worst side effect for sure!). Work distracts me from low mood though.

I take my medication at 6pm and in the 2 or so hours leading up to this I feel a bit low in mood, grumpy, as if the meds are wearing off?

Iget home and sometimes have a surge of energy a couple of hrs later then get knackered again and go to sleep around 10/11pm.

Overall I like to hide in my house when I'm not at work, I don't feel like socialising at all and whilst I feel bored I can't be bothered doing anything either. My weekends consist of fighting the urge to drink lots of alcohol and or take other substances while hibernating with the blinds drawn, I've also started smoking cigarettes again.

The worst side effect I'm experiencing - less than zero sex-drive and inability to get an erection. This is really making me feel useless as the depression and anxiety were brought on by the end of a long term relationship and with these side effects starting a new one seems unlikely and I just can't be bothered even trying which sucks!

About 8 months ago before depression really got to me I cycled 100-300km a week, ate healthily, slept 8 hrs solid a night, wrote and performed music with a band and had a fairly active social life. I now do none of these things because I'm always knackered and can't be bothered. For a med that is supposed to balance mood I'm skeptical at this point!

Anyone got any similar stories or advice? My doctor is on holiday till end of November so I think I'll just have to stick it out till then with my family and friends for support.

10mg may well be to low 20mg is the norm, start at 10 and rise to 20mg. that said I only take 10mg but have other meds as well . I have trouble with orgasm at 20mg but at 10mg no problem and I am 65. MABYE you should take Lexapro in the morning I do , you may not have cover for the last few hours in the day , you are sleeping away the good bit.

I started out taking it first thing in the morning but was an absolute zombie at work all day so I switched to taking it at night. That was a good few weeks ago so maybe I'll switch back and see if it helps, cheers.

I'm happy to wait it out a couple more months but if the sexual dysfunction continues no way -

"yay I'm no longer depressed but I'm now a eunuch - great success!"

Has you get used to the med things May get better

Thought I might as well update in case it helps anyone else - I went to a doctor as my anxiety has returned somewhat and have been increased to 20mg Lexapro. I have resigned myself to being mr floppy for a while until things fix up in my head!

What kind of side effects if any should I expect from upping the dose initially? Will it be the same as the first 2 -3 weeks on the medication where the anxiety and depression seem to increase? Cheers

Not really you have done start up this is add on , you may feel nothing bad at all, in fact you should feel cool

Great, I will wait it out and see what happens cheers =)

the 20 mg is a good idea seems to me your not taking enough of the med for your needs, you can always come back down if not happy.That's is the best way to start and test a med go up till you feel comfort ,to little is has bad has to much. I take my Lexapro in the morning I don't want to sleep through the best bits by taking it at night, ps, your right about the dreams there ******

Update.

After a few months of feeling like a mindless zombie, floating through life unable to feel good or bad about anything and dealing with a total lack of sex drive and other sexual dysfunction side effects I went cold turkey off 20mg Lexapro a week ago.

I feel better than I have in the last 6 months, I'm starting to have actual feelings again. The only side effect - I sleep a solid 8 hrs a night minimum and wake up feeling great. I also no longer desire food when I'm not actually hungry which is good.

I know this medication is there for people who truly need it but I am way better off without it. Cheers for all the info, hopefully I don't have to update again!

No problen , it did not suit your needs , SO YOU DID THE BEST THING

Ok the brain zaps are in full effect! But no anxiety/bad thoughts/low moods so a small price to pay. Actually feels good in a way, like a rush of blood to the head for a fraction of a second not unpleasant at all but happening every 30 seconds or so!

The ongoing sexual dysfunction caused by this medication makes it not worth it in my opinion. I have had 2 failed attempts at starting new relationships due to an inability to get or maintain an erection, it causes more stress and anxiety and makes me feel inadequate. I don't feel it's fair to put a decent woman through it either. If i can't satisfy a partner then what is the point of this medication? My opinion entirely but I wish I'd just rode out the original depression and anxiety because where I'm at now sucks much more. These meds make things worse, I have read loads of similar stories, how on earth did they get through trial stage with all these "rare" side effects that are all over the internet?

I am 66 and don't have a problem with erections , orgasm takes for ever , you have to give it a tug yourself after sex. Same sexual disfunction on all ssris , if you have stopped the med you should be ok now

Yeah it is not rare. Probably the most common with all the SSRI's is difficulty with orgasm. ED is not as common.

As a side effect this is common, but if you aren't taking the meds it should no longer be as issue- they aren't permanent. Plus tlike the other posters said its the anorgasma that is the more common SE. Even if the ED was caused by the meds initially, you shouldbe back to normal by now. Maybe there is another cause like severe anxiety and depression? Either way I hope you see a doctor because you need help with this.

I appreciate the input of people on this board. I won't go back to my GP for help with mental issues. Here in Australia they have an 8 minute average appointment window in which to diagnose you, you can't tell whether a person needs to be medicated and what they need to be on in this time frame it's ridiculous. I opened the info booklet that came with Lexapro and the "possible" side effects section took up most of the text. That in itself is warning I should have paid more attention to. I'm going to self medicate with intense exercise 5 days a week for a few months and see what happens, pills that make you floppy and turn you into a useless zombie are not even a last resort for me anymore, completely pointless.

I was reading a poisitive forum on Lexapro last night has I have upped to 20mg , this forum was not the usual negative side you read on most forums it was a positive forum on Lexapro. First not 1 person took less than 20mg some 40mg I no the leaflet says max 20mg but all meds have a paper limit and then a real limit. Most said it had saved there lives or gave them back there lifes. Before you post how you 5mg near killed you , I have read all this before this is the other side,s view, It put my mind at ease obout my raise to 20mg. These people had suffered without meds for years and took the plunge , they we not on any med combo,s just Lexapro so they had no interactions .