Hi, I am a 23 year old woman currently taking 10 mg of Lexapro a day. I've been on it for 2 years and my panic attacks and major depression has subsided. However, I am still feeling a major lack of motivation and disinterest in activities that used to engage me. I am able to go about my life which involves substantial responsibilities (I'm a psychology graduate student) and still have an active social life but I do not feel the "love for life" that I felt before the depression and medication. I am wondering if this could be a side effect of the medicine or if it is a residual of my major depressive episode. If anyone has had these symptoms while on Lexapro, advice/thoughts would be much appreciated.
Does Lexapro cause lack of motivation?
Question posted by anne9900 on 7 Jan 2006
Last updated on 20 October 2022 by Wiley111
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35 Answers
Any "head med" can affect different patients in different ways. I take Lexapro because it is treats both my depression and my anxiety. "Lack of motivation" is a symptom of depression. In your particular case, it sounds like Lexapro is working for your anxiety, but it is no longer fully controlling your depression. You definitely need to contact your Psy-doc about this. He/she may increase your dosage of Lexapro, add another med that is more effective for depression, or take you off of Lexapro in favor of another drug.
Everybody should have a talk with their doctor before making a decision like stopping the medication, especially stopping abruptly. It's not a poison or something to be afraid of. More often than not this type of problem can be addressed by dosage adjustments or switching to another medication. There's no reason to suffer needlessly for months and even years before getting professional advice.
If you don't find that your doctor is sympathetic take control and find a new doctor.
I’m age 69 and have been taking generic Lexapro for 3 months. It has helped with my overthinking, worry, and anxiety but I feel so unmotivated. All I do is lay around all day long. I don’t want to do anything else. It takes a lot for me to push myself to go outside. The doctor that prescribed it wants to see me again next month to see if it continues. I don’t like feeling this way.
Lexapro is a anti depressant. These medications will slow down the central nervous system. Different people react differently to these meds. I was on it and did very well. Maybe ask your doctor and try another type.
I have been on Lexapro for +/- 9 months, my anxiety is gone but i don't have motivation to study anymore. before, i had the best grades of me class on college. not only that, I'm not able to continue my research (lack of interest), though I truly know that engineering is my passion - but is not enough to put me in a chair and make me study 1 hour straight anymore.
I just wanted to add my experience.
I started Lexapro at the beginning of Sept, 2021. I got Covid at the same time. Since then, I've had this horrible lack of motivation. I don't care if my house is messy (when a messy house was the biggest cause of my anxiety before), and all I do is sit and write. At least I still have a passion for that I guess?
But I blamed all of this on Covid that kept me down for the count for a week. Thought maybe it was just a lingering thing. It's now almost April, 2022, and I'm done. I can't keep just... not caring. Sure, it eased my anxiety and my paranoia about having a messy house, and it's even helping my agoraphobia. I actually have the desire to leave my house, which I didn't have before. But at what cost?
I'm just going to see if I can get on something else that doesn't screw up my motivation. It really sucks because I love Lexapro. I love how it's helped.
How r u now? I'm very curious about the med
Hi, I am 17 years old and I was prescribed Lexapro 10mg a few weeks ago. I was prescribed for my general anxiety disorder but lately i have felt less anxiety but less motivation to do things. Its also like I don't have anxiety about school work so now i don't care if I don't work.
I was at 5mg and went up to 10mg. My anxiety had gone away but I felt pretty numb to everything. Lack of work motivation. Lack of gym work. Lack of feeling, honestly. It's horrible.
I quit the medicine cold turkey. I'm scared of getting the anxiety again, but I'd rather have that and have the desire to enjoy life than just robot on until I die.
I'm not sure if it's a placebo, but I'm feeling so much more motivated now. I love being able to worry again. I fear for life again. It's nice.
I have been taking Lexapro for longer and recently went from 10 mg to 20. I also find that it makes me lazy. Has improve my sleep and my anxiety but I’m wondering sometimes if it is too successful in dealing with my anxiety as I also get that blah feeling that you described and don’t enjoy life as much as I used to.
I have been on Lexapro for almost 3 years now Started out with 5 mg then after 3 weeks I moved up to 10mg and felt better but still a bit off, tired, unmotivated and lazy feeling so I moved up to 15 and felt great .. I stayed at 15 for several months then my doctor recommended that I move up to 20mg. I started feeling a little tired and unmotivated but nothing really bad. On it for 2 years I decided to come off of Lexapro so I dropped to 15 mg for a few months where I felt really good. I went down to 10mg where I started to feel lazy, weight gain, unmotivated, blahhh feeling without very much excitement for much of anything I went back to 15 mg where I plan to stay. Lexapro is a great medication, you have to find the dosage that works for you, everybody is different. At the correct dosage you will feel energetic, happy, confident and highly motivated. I see a lot of people hear are unfortunately giving up before finding out their correct dosage.
Some are starting out and quitting after a week or two. It took me 6 weeks before it started to make a difference. Hang in there, find the dosage that work for you. You will not regret it.
Jamie
Hi I have been on lexapro 3 weeks for anxiety, started increasing to 7.5 mg with goal of 10 mg last week. I think I’m feeling a little less anxious but I’m feeling really down now and not motivated to do anything. I’m not sure if I should continue it or stop.
How r u now ?
Absolutely! I’ve been on it for 12 years. Tried and tried to get off of it. I finally did. I’m not sure why it worked this time but it did. This was the hardest drug for my to wean off. Strange... so unmotivated, did nothing and ate. I have fibromyalgia so I felt it was that. Couldn’t remember anything. I was on 10 mgs. Went to 5 mgs for a week and I feel great! May be a fluke... it’s only been a few days
I cant answer this question, but ive been on Lexapro, about three months. Definitely, helped with the anxiety, I dont really care what people think, about me. I dont have the same repetitive, negative thoughts. But I completely loss my sex drive, and motivation to do anything. I cant even work sometime, and I dont know why. Its a chore, to get into the shower, or do laundry, or anything. I just stopped taking it, two days ago. Dont know whats next, but I could lose my job, and my relationships, behind this.
I read allot of feelings in these replies, for people who say they are numb. I have been on Lexapro 10 mgs for a little over 3 months. I was on it before, but due to a heart condition and the meds they put me on to get me to surgery, I had to quit taking it. I have sever OCD, so the Lexapro really does help with that. It doesn't take away any motivation for me, I just don't care about anyone or anything. Doesn't matter to me if I am in a room full of people or all alone, I just don't care. Recently a doctor found an issue that I have been looking for answers to, and it's not a good outcome I guess. I have a artery that supplies my brain stem with blood that is slowly being cut off by the vertebrates in my neck. He said I should live a couple years, and with the advancements in medicine they might have a fix. Now of course my family acts like this is a big deal of some sort, I personal don't care, if I live or if I die, not really my problem.
So Lexapro helps me deal.
I guess my answer to the no feelings on Lexapro is it all depends on where you are in life, and what you have going on in your life. If you find a lack of motivation I think that could be a problem, but if it's a lack of emotion... well you have to ask yourself if you want that.
They dull down your emotions that's how come your depression resides because it becomes less intense and you can cope with it but by making it less intense it makes everything else duller, mediocre, it takes away needs and desires and stops your urges that's how it helps OCD, and it stops repetitive thoughts which are usually negative. Hense better mood but without your true thought patterns you don't hold onto thoughts your spaced out and aloof that's why ppl above say they stare off in the distance or do nothing these are drugs they are drugging us. Its bullshit that ppl say no your still depressed let me tell you no drug is without its side effect, that's why they are drugs and taking them aren't fixing you they are helping you cope. Its just life is not worth living depressed and life is not much better medicated either but at least when your drugged out you don't want to neck yourself. That's your answer right there.
Oh and I have been on lots of different meds and they are predominantly all the same ie not without side effects and I have also seen how they have improved yet hindered other close ppl in my life. Its a curse
Related topics
Further information
- Lexapro uses and safety info
- Lexapro prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Lexapro (detailed)
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