Lexapro for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• Chr...
• August 15, 2020

"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."

• Exc...
• January 17, 2020

"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."

• Tor...
• March 22, 2015

"I have been borderline depressive my entire life, I am now discovering. It finally came to a point in my life where I was spinning internally and out of control. At a normal doctor checkup, I began to cry, and my doctor handed me tissues and waited. When I was done, he calmly asked, okay, tell me what's going on. And I talked. He prescribed 10 mg of Lexapro (generic, and I can't begin to spell or pronounce it). He told me it would take about a month before symptoms would disappear and peacefulness would return. It didn't take a week, and there has been such a change in me. Everyone in my life (including my disagreeable boss!!) has noticed, and things are just nicer all the way around. Wish I'd been on this stuff decades ago."

• CGI...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 30, 2021

"Oh my God. I feel like I have my life back. When I used to feel stuck and unable to move, just paralyzed in bed, I couldn’t function. Now, I can just get up. I cannot rave enough about this drug. I have my life back. I have goals and ambition and plans for the future again. I tried several different medications and several different doses before settling on 20mg Lexapro, and it’s the only one I never had an adverse reaction to. I will always recommend."

• kik...
• September 16, 2015

"I have been on Lexapro for 5 days now, and I feel so much better! I can't believe it! I am not feeling all down in the dumps and the feeling of just not giving a care about anything. I find that it has helped me with my overeating as well. I am having less of a struggle in the morning with getting up and getting on with my day."

• Mon...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 26, 2024

"Lexapro has been a life changer for me. The first two weeks were awful, throwing up, headache... push through! After 2 weeks it worked wonderfully! My anger went away, no more depression. Unfortunately, I've been on this medicine for 20 years and it stopped working."

• lee...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 14, 2023

"Out of all of the other antidepressants that I have been on, Lexapro was the most successful at keeping me stable and able to slow my negative thoughts down to help me get them under control and recognize them. I am on 20mg 1x/day. I don't notice a difference in taking morning or night, not many side effects aside from (unfortunately) lowering some folks' libido. I do not get tired from it. No real interactions with other meds that I am on."

• Ems...
• November 9, 2014

"I was a very emotional teenager and couldn't handle small problems. After trauma around the age of 17, I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, anxiety, mood swings, and a personality disorder. I started taking escitalopram 10, and of course, the first weeks were still as bad as before or even worse, but for me, it felt like I was already in hell. After a month, I felt great! Just a clear head, stable, no running thoughts or emotions, and just happy and peaceful. After one and a half years, I quit drop by drop in a time lapse of 3 months, but I had to start again because all the symptoms came back. It is really hard to just start taking again or to admit you need it. All side effects are, in my opinion, way nicer than uncontrollable emotions."

• Pra...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 21, 2021

"I thought this worked great, but after 12 years or so, I find myself extremely reclusive, apathetic, and lonely. I take this with bupropion for major depression and anxiety (GAD), along with Buspar, trazodone at night for sleep, and 0.5 mg clonazepam as needed. I find myself drinking or vaping cannabis to feel happier or more numb and less anxious. I feel alone but often content always being alone. I'm usually very tired and often sad."

• Kri...
• March 21, 2017

"This changed my entire world. I'm 21, female. I've been on Lexapro for 3 months now. My experience, there was a very quick change in my life. I was not aware I had major depression, that was the real kicker. I do not remember a time I felt this alive, 'normal,' 'happy,' 'connected.'"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 9, 2019

"OK, so I started taking Lexapro (5 mg) after a horrible experience with Zoloft. When I started taking Lexapro, it was to treat anxiety mainly, but also depression. But as my life changed, I got more and more depressed and went to a new therapist. She bumped me up to 25 mg. It was a high jump, and I just switched one day. Aside from the first month of the up in dosage, which consisted of more depression than usual, headaches, body aches, and fatigue-since then, I haven’t had any problem with it. Lexapro has helped both my MDD (major depressive disorder) and anxiety a lot. The only thing I’ve noticed is weight loss, fatigue, and hand trembling, but none of it is like miserable (on Zoloft, I was throwing up and passing out sooo). I have been switched for a while and don’t plan on messing with it. May up my dosage eventually. I hope everyone finds what they need!"

• Hap...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 5, 2015

"I have suffered through depression most of my life (I am 16 now), and I have gone through many antidepressants, but most left me feeling even more depressed (due to weight gain, which is one of my triggers with depression). Lexapro is the only antidepressant I have been on that has not caused excessive crying, weight gain/loss, suicidal thoughts, etc. The only thing I noticed is I sleep a little more than normal, but hey, sleep isn't bad for me."

• avm...
• October 28, 2014

"Rating - 10 - 11 Very good and very effective. Taking Lexapro since 2009. Few problems. Have a very serious depression/minor schizo-psychosis problem. Took generic and am taking Lexapro again. Had a few problems with generic. Don't have the same calm reaction with generic. Lexapro puts me in a good mood most of the time. Feeling of equilibrium mentally. Am happier/relaxed/calmer. Does make me very sleepy/drowsy, and a few other minor side effects. Only antidepressant I have had few problems with. Able to be more relaxed. Can fall asleep in a matter of minutes instead of hours. Have had a very good experience with it. Trying to get insurance to pay for it."

• Jul...
• March 26, 2015

"Lexapro was the first medication for what was first diagnosed as adjustment disorder and later major depressive disorder. Lexapro (escitalopram) had me relaxed within a couple of days. I was so chilled. Any more relaxed and you'd think I was asleep. I have a highly stressed, involved workplace where I lead teams of people, and I was able to get my patience, communicative persona, positive outlook, and collaborative nature back on track. My home life improved immensely. I was able to regain my perspective on the importance of issues, meaning I could let small things go. The most important thing is I felt better in myself. I was so happy until two years down the track. Unfortunately, it stopped working."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 31, 2015

"I was really suicidal before I started this, and it's helped me a LOT. I take this for my anxiety also, and I don't find that it helps, but it does help with my depression. I had problems with self-harm and ripping my hair out before I started Lexapro, and I haven't relapsed on that. This medication has also helped a ton with my anger issues."

• Nor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2022

"I was a little bummed about the duration of time it took to experience the full benefits. I was a full-blown meth head before a devastating crash and rehabilitation landed me at the mercy of a treatment center. The mental condition I was in was extremely empty. I'm at 20 mg, the max dose. It has been 120 days so far clean and working a solid program. I feel blessed, happy, and my family got their son back. I'm back in college. I actually scored pretty high on my placement test where prerequisites weren't even required. I have an awesome job and I'm pretty thrilled about life now. This medication has absolutely saved my life."

• Lyn...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 30, 2021

"After my daughter was born, I developed severe postpartum depression and anxiety. I started Lexapro 20 mg. Now, 9 years later, same dose. There is good and bad. My anxiety was much better, and I was able to function again. I have dealt with the side effects for 9 years - extreme apathy and carelessness, no natural affection for my family, weight gain. I get in a terrible way when I try to taper off and quit. Very ill physically and mentally. I will likely take it forever."

• mh1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 6, 2015

"Was once on Lexapro 20 mg many years ago. Stopped taking because of pregnancies. Been 20 months since my youngest was born and started to struggle badly. I finally caved in and went back on them. Have been on them now 12 days and still get a bit of nausea and always tired. Constant yawning. But mentally I have been great! I do feel a little dull in the emotions part, but to be honest, it's better than it was before. Hopefully, the side effects subside :)"

• Luc...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 5, 2016

"Lexapro has been the only antidepressant I've taken that has alleviated my depression at all. It worked well for me, and it started working within 2 days! I could laugh again, and my anxiety went down. I took 20 mg daily. Unfortunately, within 6 months, I gained 25 lbs! That was the only drawback, and I had to stop taking it because of the weight gain. The first couple of times I took it, everything looked fuzzy and psychedelic, but that went away quickly. I'd say it's definitely worth a try if you're depressed or anxious."

• cj ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 26, 2014

"I have been on Zoloft for 5 years, and it was horrible for the first 4 months! Then it began to work. But after 5 years and having recently upped to the highest dose, it stopped working. So, after discussion with my psychiatrist, I decided to try Lexapro. I was weaning slowly off the Zoloft and was doing good, then boom! Horrible brain zaps, unorganized thinking, it was terrible! My psychiatrist told me to start with a quarter of a 10 mg tab as I continued to wean off the Zoloft. The very next day was great...no more brain zaps, mood stabilized because the side effects from weaning off Zoloft were gone! I'm now on the full 10 mg Lexapro and down to about 10 mg of Zoloft. Lexapro is great so far. I am well pleased. I also take 1 mg Klonopin twice daily."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 22, 2023

"I first got hit by a brutal wave of depression and, to a lesser extent, anxiety. I tried to deal with things without medication but felt like I couldn't, so I was prescribed Lexapro. The good side: Lexapro helped me get my life back. Before, I could barely sleep, eat, and had no sex drive, and felt awful 24/7. After Lexapro (started at 10mg, then went to 20mg), I was able to live my life again and do the things I ordinarily would do. I have been on it for 8 years and the only side effect is I sweat a bit more. The bad side: I have had 4 relapses since starting. The first 2 were depression, and the more recent 2 have been anxiety. I also felt emotionally numb even at my 'best.' So Lexapro was an important first step, but it didn't solve my emotional struggles entirely."

• Cor...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 2, 2018

"I suffer from schizoaffective disorder, which is like schizophrenia combined with major depressive disorder, and I take Lexapro as my antidepressant/SSRI, and so far love it. Been on it for about 1 year, and what it does for me is lessen anxiety, prevent panic attacks, prevent traumatic flashbacks, and control my depression and prevent me from harming myself. So I have nothing but good things to say about Lexapro. Before this, I was on Celexa, but that had stopped working after a number of years. My psychiatrist explained Lexapro is supposed to be a newer form of Celexa that is more effective and has fewer side effects, and based on my experience on this medication, I would have to agree with that."

• pts...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 31, 2023

"Started to feel gradually better over the course of a couple of weeks. The drug does take time to adjust your body's chemistry. Taking it in the afternoon is the best, as it helps with easing into sleep at night. I do feel a lot better on Lexapro than before. Because of this medication, I can live a normal life, including working, being with friends and family, and completing daily tasks. I struggled severely with anxiety, depression, panic disorders, and social phobia to the point where I couldn't hold a job. It takes time to work. It's not an instant fix. Take it as prescribed and talk to your psychiatrist."

• Its...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 9, 2021

"Been on Lexapro for 20 years or more. Had a traumatic situation, and I needed additional help. Drs put me on two different meds and took me off Lexapro. Last week, I'm back on my original 10 mg and going through the ramp-up period. I'm going through constant crying (not uncommon for me), fatigue, and trying to get through the day. Lexapro worked wonders for me for all those years. I'm so hoping that I'll be back to me again soon."

• Ste...
• June 19, 2015

"With a rough family life, it's hard to know if this drug is working to its full potential. I've been taking Lexapro for almost three months now, and I can hardly tell a difference. I don't really think of suicide anymore, but happy? Is anyone truly happy? Maybe it's just my situation at the moment that brings out my pessimistic side, but I don't feel much different at all."