Generic Name: Lexapro for Major Depressive Disorder (escitalopram)
"If you are reading these reviews because you or a loved one are considering SSRIs, please don’t be discouraged or panicked. Between myself and my loved ones, I think we’ve been through 7+ antidepressants. We made it through every single one, and honestly, reading reviews didn’t help in the slightest and harmed us more than anything. START LOW AND SLOW. I started this medication a year and a half ago, I had weaned off fluvoxamine and had a period of about a week before starting Lexapro. For me, Lexapro has been incredible. I’ve been on antidepressants for about 8 years, and I've never been better despite my life circumstances honestly never being worst. Therapy has been a massive help, but I honestly haven’t had a depressive episode since I started the medication, and my anxiety has been a lot better. I’m finally learning to drive, something I’ve always been terrified by. Try and try again with antidepressants. When you find one that works for you, life can be livable again."
"My father had a massive depression at age 50 and shot himself. Even though throughout my life I never suffered from depression or suicidal thoughts, WHAM! at age 51 I began to experience a deep, black depression that even had physical manifestations. Fortunately, I was smart enough to consult with a family physician and he sent me SOS to a psychiatrist who prescribed Lexapro® (escitalopram). I started with 10mg a day, and after a few weeks began to feel better without any side effects, the psychiatrist decided to increase the dosage to 20mg, and after another few weeks, the depression and suicidal thoughts were COMPLETELY GONE without ANY side effects at all. Because of the possible risks of quitting, both doctors advised me not to stop taking it unless I experience side effects. It has been nearly 10 years now, and I'm still taking it without any problems."
"I have been taking Lexapro for almost 2 years now. To me, it is a miracle drug. My husband says the same. He noticed a difference in me at about month 2 of taking it. It's not something that makes you feel better immediately. It takes time. I can tell you this... I haven't felt depressed in a very long time. It's like the Lexapro won't allow me to get depressed. I also no longer obsess about things. I am able to let go very easily. So, it also definitely helps with anxiety. Lexapro has given me a better quality of life. I recommend this medication highly. Remember to give it time."
"For almost three years, I dealt with major depression and anxiety. After my separation, my life fell apart, and I couldn't control my emotions. I was dealing with depression, anxiety, and rage. I am very anti-medication but knew I needed help. I completely broke down and sought help. I was prescribed Zoloft for the first time in my life and felt that I went crazy. My anxiety kicked in overtime, and I lost my job. I will never be able to explain how bad it was, but I tried to just survive for another year thinking nothing would help. Three months ago, I went back to my doctor's office and was prescribed 20mg of Lexapro. I told her I was terrified but would try anything at this point. It took two months to feel like a human again. It saved me."
"I was prescribed this medication Lexapro to help manage my MDD and GAD in January 2020. I started off at 10 mg daily for three weeks, and then I was bumped up to 20 mg. Side effects included late-night panic attacks that woke me from my sleep (which I had never suffered from prior to starting this medication), chronic insomnia (that almost cost me my job), facial twitching, muscle spasms, and involuntary movements of my neck, arms, legs, and torso. Regarding the insomnia, I went from having 8 to 9 hours of restful sleep to 1-3 hours per night. I could not physically fall asleep, not even for a nap. If you are considering this medication or any antidepressant for short or long-term use, please do your research before taking them. Always work with a psychiatrist regarding mental health and prescriptions. Needless to say, that I have weaned off of this medication. I am still having some side effects after use. I'm currently on the path to speaking with a neurologist to take care of the damage."
"I've been on Lexapro 10 mg daily for about a year now for major depressive disorder and GAD. It has done wonders helping my social anxiety, which is basically nonexistent now. I still sometimes feel depressed, but nothing nearly as bad as when I was unmedicated. I take the pill at night because it can make me feel groggy. The only other negative side effect I have had was when I first started taking it, I was getting awful daily headaches. They did stop after about 3 weeks, and I'm so glad I continued with it."
"If you're reading this and feel that deep, heavy depression in your chest that makes you feel empty inside and like nothing matters, I want to tell you that it does get better and to hang in there. It won't always be like that and you'll be able to see beauty again, but you'll need to be patient and kind to yourself. I felt like that for several months before I had the courage to take Lexapro (it's my first antidepressant) and I truly wish I wouldn't have waited as long as I did. I worked up from 5 mg to 15 over 2 months and I never experienced side effects, except the first few days upping the dosage where I was sleepy. My libido has increased because I feel well enough now to have an interest in it. Please know that there is hope."
"I believe that Lexapro saved my life. I'm only 21 and I have suffered with bipolar disorder, anxiety, and very severe depression. I got so depressed I gave up on everything. I walked away from my job over a simple argument. I simply just quit caring. I let my car get repossessed, and I had to declare bankruptcy. I felt so worthless in the world. My doctor kept prescribing Ativan, Valium, and Xanax. Those medications only helped short term. I gave up on life altogether. I drank constantly and quit taking my insulin (Type 1 Diabetes). My doctor finally prescribed Topamax, which caused me to get worse. My doctor got replaced, and the new doctor prescribed Lexapro. I am now happy. I got a great job, and I have reestablished myself."
"I went through about 9 months of the worst time in my life. When it was done, I wasn't the same. I was in a depression I couldn't pull myself out of. The anxiety was raging. I finally got on Lexapro and my life changed. The anxiety is still there, but it's muted and controllable. I have to increase my dosage for breakthrough depression from time to time, but it's all so much more manageable. I didn't know how far away from myself I had gotten until I got on Lexapro. It was an immediate upswing for me, I immediately began feeling better the next day."
"This medicine is great! It helps so much with my major anxiety and depression. The only reason I didn't give it a full 10 stars is because one time I stopped abruptly, and the side effects were pretty bad. But this isn’t something you should ever do because of physical and mental side effects, and so it was my fault, not the drug. Definitely talk to your doctor before stopping, unlike I did!"
"Two years ago, I was majorly depressed and saw a psych who put me on fluoxetine, and I also tried Effexor. Worst medications ever... every day I couldn’t eat from feeling nauseous, and I would have the most violent, graphic dreams that would leave me feeling exhausted when I woke. Both these medications also made me feel like a zombie, I seemed lifeless to everyone. I then tried Lexapro, which, compared to the other two, this medication is amazing. The first two weeks are really yucky, and you need to be prepared for that. It doesn’t seem like it will get better at all. In the first few days, I had very bad anxiety and couldn’t sleep. Just lay low at home until it passes, once it did, I just feel like a brand new person. All the horrible thoughts are gone, and I can function like a normal person and still feel human. One thing I found is taking this medication at night caused me to have bad dreams, so I take it in the morning, and the dreams at night don’t happen anymore. Hope this helps."
"Lexapro has literally saved my life! Before starting the medication, I was terribly depressed & suicidal. I finally got the courage, with the help of my husband, to talk to my physician. I initially began on the 10mg dosage. The first week was rough with bad headaches, nausea, and extreme fatigue. By the second week, the only side effect I had was a little spaciness that I feel was from the fatigue that had continued. However, at week 2, I felt so much better. Now after 2.5 months and moving to a 20mg dose, I have my life back! I haven't felt this much peace in years. I can sleep, I can laugh, I can smile... and I can't imagine taking my own life. Best of all: I can love others because I'm happy and at peace with myself. Worth it all!"
"Ok, so I'm a 26-year-old woman, and I can't tell you how many antidepressants I've been put on. I'll guess between 8 and 10. The only one that I took longer than a few months was Zoloft, and I don't even know why I continued to take it because it didn't help with my major depression or anxiety. I think subconsciously I was just so desperate to feel okay. Anyone reading this who has hit the point of attempted suicide knows exactly what I mean. You don't have to be great and happy, you just want to be okay and feel like yourself. For years, I've struggled and would think it couldn't get worse until it did, over and over again. I've been on Lexapro (generic) for only 2 days, and for the first time in 6+ years, I feel okay. Now I know antidepressants take weeks to work at their best, and I can't tell you how I feel this so soon. I can only tell you that I do. I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially if you've tried many others. I'll check back in a few weeks from now and give an update!"
"I have suffered from clinical depression and anxiety for many years now and have always been terrified about trying medication to help it. I wasn’t sleeping due to my anxiety, and my mood was always extremely low, and I had little motivation to do anything. I was always extremely tired because I would wake up constantly with racing thoughts but thought I may have a vitamin deficiency, so I used to take multivitamins that didn’t help. Since taking Lexapro, I feel 100% better, literally after the first few days, I felt calmer and more able to sleep. There were side effects at first, like sweating and inability to orgasm, but these have thankfully subsided. Taking Lexapro has really made me realize that people with depression and anxiety have chemical imbalances that sometimes medication can only solve. I’m not saying I am completely cured and still have my low days, but this drug has helped me immensely with managing my anxiety and depression."
"I have been on Lexapro for only 2 days. All I do is lay on the couch all day while my kids are at school. The tiredness finally starts wearing off about 3:00 PM, but I take it in the evening, and by the next morning I’m energy-less and tired again until 3:00 PM the next day. The first day I was extremely tired and had a splitting headache all day. Today again super tired, and sad, and depressed still. I am praying this will go away after the first few weeks, but some say the tiredness never goes away on Lexapro. I don’t want to be a zombie, I just don’t want to have panic attacks, excessive worry, which is my GAD, and severe depression anymore. I wish there was a blood test they could do to see which type of antidepressant fits our brain chemistry best so we didn’t have to suffer through all these changes testing different medications on us. My life has literally had no joy right now... none."
"I started on Zoloft for a month and was suffering from nausea, not eating, losing a ton of weight, and rapid heartbeat. I did not change meds until I had to call 911 due to thinking I was about to have a heart attack. My doctor then put me on 10 mg of Lexapro. This compared to Zoloft is dramatically different. I stopped taking other meds to help me sleep due to it helping me actually feel tired, I was eating again and also gained all my healthy weight back. This is my third month of Lexapro, and I felt my body got used to the dose, so my depression episodes started to slowly happen again. My doctor now has put me on 15 mg, and so far, it is working wonders. I was also a person who did not want to be on meds to help my mind, but wow, I feel like a stable person now. I have more motivation to get out and be productive and to be a more loving girlfriend. Lexapro is seriously saving my life."
"After suffering with slight anxiety and what I now look back and recognize as mild depression for years, my anxiety 'blew up' one year ago. It manifested itself in severe panic attacks about diseases, life, intrusive thoughts, and thinking that I was going crazy. It got worse for 8 months until I figured I was going to die or find a med that worked. I tried 2 prior to Lexapro and they were awful. I had no quality of life and honestly thought I'd be dead by now. Lexapro SAVED my life. It kicked in in about 5 weeks and I had some rough patches for a few more. At week 8 I was me again. At times, I still have severe anxiety with intrusive thoughts but they are easy to push away. I have a life again!"
"I was put on Lexapro when I was 14 years old, and it completely changed teenage me for the better (20 mg). I was social, got great grades, good moods, all my teachers and friends noticed a huge difference in me. When I turned 19, I guess Lexapro stopped working because I was having really intense suicidal thoughts and some suicide attempts. I was so high risk I had to get ECT. I've been hospitalized 11 times since I was 19. (I'm 23 now.) Most of the other SSRIs, like Zoloft, Celexa, Cymbalta, Effexor, and Prozac, were either ineffective or had terrible side effects. So I eventually went back on Lexapro after therapy, ECT treatments, TMS, and ketamine infusions, and it's been working for me again. I've been on it for 7 years in total, and I'm not complaining. I'm on a 30 mg dose. I also take it with four other medications, though. Definitely a game changer for me."
"26/f and I have been taking this medication Lexapro (started at 5 mg dose, now been at 20 mg) for several months for major depression and generalized anxiety. The main side effects I’ve noticed: lack of ANY motivation, fatigued all day long (wanting to sleep 12+ hrs a day), mild dry mouth. I will say it’s taken my anxiety from about a 9-10 to about a 6 (on 20 mg). However, I’ve seen it do nothing for my depression. I’ve been crying almost daily, and there have been very dark thoughts I’ve experienced off and on. Honestly, for myself, I’d rather deal with my anxiety without this med than deal with the severe fatigue. Also, if I forgot to take my medication one night on Lexapro, I felt like I was hit by a train the next day. No energy, would sleep 15+ hours, and feel incredibly low. Please follow your doctor’s orders and take medication on time. I will be asking my psychiatrist for a change of meds soon, because Lexapro isn’t it for me."
"I have suffered with depression and anxiety for most of my life. One of my best friends convinced me to talk with my doctor about an antidepressant. I tried several different medications. Finally, I was prescribed Wellbutrin 100 mg, which worked pretty well for several years. However, it stopped working so my doctor increased the dosage to 150 mg. Bad idea. I had a seizure and was hospitalized for two days. After this experience, I decided to not take anything. Another bad idea. The depression got so bad, I could hardly function. I went to a new doctor and he prescribed me Lexapro. What a miracle drug. It took some time to get used to the medicine but once my body adjusted, I started feeling great. I don't recall ever feeling so happy as now."
"Every morning for years I'd wake up and the first thought that ran through my mind was "this is the day I kill myself." I could hardly leave the house without having a panic attack. For twenty years I've committed to and paid so much money on many therapeutic modalities. From the first week of using Lexapro (10mg), I started to feel relief. Three months in and I'm feeling so calm, happy and free. I have no intrusive thoughts, I see the future as hopeful, I can focus on tasks at hand instead of fretting about the past or future. My relationships with friends and family are stronger than ever. The only side effect I experienced was a little queasy stomach that a ritz cracker or two calms down."
"Okay so I know everyone has different experiences, but mine was terrible. I started on 5mg and moved up to 10mg. At 5mg I had almost every side effect (dizziness, anxiety, nausea, headaches, severe exhaustion). The worst was the sexual side effects (which never went away) and initial insomnia. After one week I went up to 10mg and started to see some decent results. The insomnia went away after a few weeks. The depression was still there but the anxiety was nonexistent. Sure I was completely numb and couldn't feel anything at all, but that meant my anxiety was gone. But the feeling of being numb got worse and worse over time. After a couple months it got to the point where I lost all motivation and was tired all the time. I could barely stay awake and was sleeping 12 hours a night most nights. Eventually the exhaustion and lack of motivation made my depression even worse until I started having passive suicidal ideation. That's when I got off lexapro and switched to Prozac."
"I was severely depressed for 7 years, horrible years, along with anxiety and started to then have panic attacks towards the end. I had a 'good' day maybe twice a month. I was then diagnosed with cancer. It was time to stop telling myself I can fight depression on my own. I started off on 10 mg Lexapro. I could tell it was working at 10 mg but not to its full potential, so my doctor upped me to 20 mg. I tell you what, I haven't had a depressed episode in the 2 years I've been taking Lexapro. I sure wish I had tackled depression long ago, but I'm grateful now to finally be free."
"This medication is helping me get my life back together after sexual abuse and assault that I experienced in my teens and 20s. I would recommend it to anyone who has experienced any kind of abuse or bullying, or is just generally going through a tough time. Mental illness is real, and you deserve to feel better. I take 10 mg daily. Side effects are bad in the beginning but eventually go away. Started to work after 2 weeks. Better than other SSRIs/antidepressants like Zoloft. Don’t give up on yourself. ❤️"
"Lexapro has saved my life. I have been on it for one month, and I have gone from a severely depressed recluse full of anger, rage, and self-hate, not wanting to see or hear from anyone ever. I am back at work, socializing, eating normally, playing sports, and am about to book an overseas holiday. I felt some positive effects after two weeks and felt good after one month. Depression and social anxiety have definitely improved. I don't have any constant racing negative thoughts anymore, these disappeared after about a week and a half. I had very minor side effects, but it was nothing that wasn't manageable—a few minor headaches and feeling spacey for the first week. I take 10 mg at night because it makes me feel tired, and I have a great sleep."
