Has anyone ever had vivid nightmares on Lexapro?

I’ve been on Lexapro for about a year and have having nightmares every night. Even when I try to nap during the day I wake up in a state of horror. I’m so glad I found this question with these answers. My Dr. says that it’s normal but the type of things I’m dreaming of are definitely not normal. I can’t remember the last time I slept without waking up scared or in a state of awful sadness. I’m going to try to go at it without it for a couple of days and see if sleep improves. Also I’m not feeling any better than before I started taking it. Wish me luck! Thanks for everyone who shared their experiences.

I had horrible nightmares while starting Lexapro. I’m not one who watches horror movies and don’t watch the news because I’m extra sensitive. The dreams I had were vivid and extremely shocking; nothing I had ever seen or heard of... like one I found myself in a room with a bunch of people who cut (More like Slash) themselves and their families were doing the same with them too. I did not know any of the people in my dreams. They were all smiling and had cuts and bleeding out almost to the point of death. Every night while on Lexapro I woke up in a cold sweat

I've been on lexapro for almost 2 months at 10mg. The first month or so it was just being tired, yawning, and clinched jaw that was my biggest issues. Now, in the last 2 weeks I have had horrible vivid dreams that make me talk out loud because I am screaming in my dreams. Plus, they seem to stay on repeat for the night. Due to how bad they are, I am weaning myself off of them. These dreams are very high anxiety dreams or gruesome and horrible. I don't know why they just started but I can no longer deal with them.

I am currently taking 5mg and have been for about a month now. I have noticed my dreams for the past few weeks have been pretty intense, vivid, long and sometimes disturbing. I always dream and always remember my numerous dreams a night. Sometimes they are naturally disturbing, but the (seemingly) length of the dreams and overall content and experience have all been elevated while on this drug. I try to focus my mind on GOOD dreams. Pleasant dreams. I kind of like how this has affected my dreams and has helped me remember them, though a few times now they have ruined my day and mood due to the disturbing nature. Like I said, trying to focus your mind on having good dreams can help, even though you have to consciously work on good thoughts before bed.

I'm about 4 weeks into Lexapro, and I've had some pretty interesting dreams. Nothing violent, but extremely bizarre. I'm loving how it's controlling my anxiety so I'll take the bizarre dreams.

It also makes me fart a lot. But I live alone, and I enjoy farting. :)

Lexapro is the first/only anti-depressant I’ve taken. I have had vivid and sometimes exhausting dreams for about as long, now almost 12months. Not necessarily ‘nightmares’ but dreams where ... I’m at the airport but can’t find the gate. Have some work assignment or task due and am fully unprepared. Trying to get back to a room I can’t find and instead climb endless stairwells and find locked doors. It’s more like anxiety and panic and sometimes when I wake up, I can feel the physical exhaustion.

May talk about Zoloft as an alternative- thanks for sharing.

Yes. I took Lexapro for almost a year and had very vivid and frightening dreams almost every night. My doctor and therapist told
me to realize they were just dreams and not worry about them but I could not do that. Every morning I was traumatized. So I asked the psychiatrist to put me on Sertraline (Zoloft) instead. The dreams went away and the med seems to be effective.

I have been on Lexapro for quite some time as I have been the caregiver for both parents, each with a form of dementia. I have struggled recently, (after years of taking this drug), with very vivid dreams and nightmares. I cannot take much more of this as the dreams are so real that it is affecting my waking moments...

Hi, I've been having horrible evil nightmares for two months now, every night. I wake up about four times through the night, just barely wake, then go right back to a horrible nightmare. It's 5:20 am now, this was one if the worst I've had. I feel tired all the time. My doctor prescribed Lexapro for depression about three months ago. I told my doctor I was having trouble sleeping, but she just wanted me to stay on this medication to see if it would help the depression. I should have told her about the nightmares, but I try not to think about it during the day. I can't do this anymore, these dreams are like nothing I've ever had before, there awful, and so real. I've been on antidepressants for 17yrs, without much luck, I'm scared these nothing else out there that will work for my depression.

"Common (1% to 10%): Abnormal dreams, nightmares, agitation, anxiety, nervousness, restlessness."

"Some side effects of escitalopram may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects."

"Side effects have been reported to be generally mild and transient. They are most common during the first 2 weeks of treatment and decrease in intensity and frequency with continued treatment. They generally do not lead to treatment cessation."

Give it some time and patience and you'll be fine! You don't want to live with the symptoms it was prescribed for and a couple weeks, getting better everyday, is a small price to pay for health, happiness, and functionality.

I am having weird dreams. I'm waking up 1 a.m. looking around and afraid to go back to sleep. My depression and
anxiety worse when i"m sleeping. Omgggg if this doesn't stop in two weeks I will no longer take Lexapro.

Good morning Want SUMMER; jUST AS SAM SAID IN HIS POST, yes I also had some pretty good and bad dreams while on Lexapro but they normally go away in time. However, that being said if they are too upsetting etc. Check back with your doctor and see about getting your medication changed to a different one. But if I remember right they went away within 2 weeks. good luck.

I did for a while when I first started Lexapro. It wasn't only nightmares, it would make all my dreams vivid. Some were actually pretty cool.