Lexapro and Nausea: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "First off, I would like to say I feel everybody’s pain, and you are not alone. I went through years of anxiety and panic. Lexapro has changed my life. I’m on day 10, and I already feel a HUGE DIFFERENCE. Please believe me when I say this, while on this drug, it has to get worse before it gets better (exactly what my doctor told me). I had massive side effects the first 6 days at least and then are finally starting to taper off on day 10. Do not give up on the drug. I used to have 10 heart palpitations a day, and now I have MAYBE 1, and it has only been 10 days. I started with 5 mg and on day 7, I jumped up to 10 mg. Side effects included dizziness, nausea, headache, extreme panic, sweaty hands, and feet. You need to let this pass and realize you are going to be fine and get through this. If you play the game mind over matter, you will win, and it can change your life. I feel all your pain and hope this review has at least pointed one person in the right direction."

• Kar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 4, 2020

For Anxiety "I just started Lexapro, and so far so good. I’m on day 4 of 5mg. I had some dizziness and nausea, but very slight. Eating helps, and now I have some tightness in my chest. I’m not sure if that’s normal. I also felt energetic yesterday (I know it’s too soon to tell), but today I have no energy and haven’t gotten out of bed. Everyone has said to keep pushing through, but today has been rough. How do I know if it’s just not for me or if I just need to keep pushing through?"

• ano...
• January 28, 2020

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I just wanted to share my experience with people who are just starting out on Lexapro. This is my 20th day on Lexapro and I must say that the first two weeks are pretty rough. The first week it made my anxiety to the point I've never felt before with nausea, fatigue, headache with a fog. Had insomnia as well. The second week the anxiety started to subside and nausea was gone but started to get hunger pains so I drank a lot of water instead of grabbing food every time I got the hunger pain. I also had some days with dizziness in week two and fog and headaches with fatigue during the mornings (I take it first thing in the morning) and it would subside by the afternoon. Insomnia started to get better. By the start of week number three all the side effects started to diminish little by little each day. At this point pretty much all side effects are gone and no anxiety. It took about 3 weeks for me and now it's great. 10mg a day."

• Her...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 7, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was prescribed escitalopram for GAD with panic attacks after trying 2 other medicines (tricyclic antidepressants). Along with 20 mg Lexapro, I was taking 2 mg of clonazepam daily, 25 mg of quetiapine in the evening, and melatonin for sleep. At that time, I was experiencing all possible symptoms of severe anxiety, breathlessness, rapid heart rate, low mood. I felt overwhelmed and was crying all day. I had upset stomach, fear of dying. I wasn't going out at all. My family was worried and I thought I was dying. When I started the medicine, I experienced side effects: excessive yawning, insomnia, increased anxiety, nausea, sweating which lasted about 2 weeks. After 3-4 weeks of taking escitalopram, I started feeling better. I started therapy, and applied yoga, meditation, etc. Now I feel great. I can enjoy life again, and you can do it as well."

• Aan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 26, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I hope this helps people who feel scared. A few months ago, my anxiety got very bad. I couldn't enjoy life, worrying about traveling, weeks of insomnia, and physical symptoms before starting the pills: nausea, irritability, sugar cravings, twitching, high sensitivity to sounds, or sudden moves. I read the reviews here - terrifying. I started five weeks ago. 5mg - felt a bit sick. Scared for the first two days, a bit agitated - nothing serious. The pills can't hurt you. Most people tolerate them pretty well. The first days I felt extremely tired, but it didn't last. Things started looking up after a week. I increased to 10mg - after 3 weeks that made a difference - 90% better. CBT also helped a lot. I'm responding to anxiety very differently now. Meds are working. I watch my favorite shows again, read, travel, walk. Amazing - happy. I'm back to my old self - fun and engaging."

• Jol...
• February 3, 2020

For Depression "I’ve been on Lexapro for about three months now. I was prescribed 5mg a day by my doctor after experiencing ongoing depression and anxiety. The first week was really hard, my doctor warned me that my anxiety levels would rise, and they did. I couldn’t sleep, I was extremely anxious, and the depression had worsened as well. I was also extremely nauseous. After about a week, those side effects began to subside. I’d say that after two weeks, I started feeling a difference, it was easier to get out of bed and get through the day. After a month, it was even better, I felt like those depression glasses had lifted, and I was feeling like myself again. I have been feeling so energetic, determined, confident, and happy. It’s important to realize that it isn’t a magic pill, all of my progress came with hard work and therapy, Lexapro just gave me a fighting chance. I'd also like to add that I still have bad days, but they’re not quite as bad. I have had no side effects since that first week."

• Tig...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 30, 2017

For Anxiety "I was once you, anxiously reading reviews for Lexapro. I began getting severe anxiety and mild depression, and my doctor recommended 10mg of Lexapro. I have never liked taking drugs, but I felt like it was my only choice. The first 2-3 weeks, my experience worsened. Every side effect you could have, I had. Drowsiness, sleep problems, nausea, vomiting, decreased libido, constant yawning, the list goes on. However, it started to lighten up every week. By Week 6, every side effect was gone. 11 months later and I'm still on 10mg, and I can't explain how much my life has improved over the past year. My life is back. I'm happier than ever and enjoying every aspect of life again. It may be hard at the start, but it's worth it. I believe in you! peace"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 1, 2012

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Lexapro has changed my life and the lives of my family. I struggled with tremors, nausea, dizziness, chest pains, numbness and tingling in my hands and feet, and muscle twitching. I thought I was dying. After a million medical tests that were all normal, my doctor diagnosed me with anxiety. I did not believe him. I was started on Lexapro, and felt better in a matter of weeks. I cannot adequately express my joy and relief. I do not wish to fall into my bed all day anymore. I am able to enjoy my amazing husband and children again. I am posting to give hope to anyone who is experiencing anything like I was. Anxiety caused me awful physical symptoms that lasted all day for months. There is light at the end of the tunnel."

• Fre...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 23, 2020

For Anxiety "Lexapro saved my life. Prior to starting the medication, my anxiety was severe. I couldn't leave the house and get into a car without a full-blown panic attack - sobbing, nausea, the works. Therapy wasn't cutting it, and neither was meditation or any of the suggestions people threw at me. The first week of Lexapro, the nausea was very intense. But I could feel it changing my brain, and it was such a weird yet hopeful feeling. For three years, I had my life back. I was able to travel and enjoy taking risks without crippling anxiety. At the three-year mark, my Lexapro stopped working. I haven't found a resolution yet, but I hope I can find another alternative that will help me feel the way I have these past few years."

• Tan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 1, 2014

For Depression "Been off and on Lexapro for 4 years now. I dread having to go back on it as the side effects make me feel lousy - headaches, nausea, jittery, insomnia, lightheaded, and anxious. After a week though, I feel back to normal and my energy and love for life return. Being a person who prefers not to take medication, I know that sometimes you can fight too long before you need a helping hand - Lexapro helped me. If you do get side effects at the beginning, I advise you to go with the flow, understand that it's the medication working & think positive - take care to you all."

• Eri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 19, 2023

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I am a 32-year-old, healthy, and happy female who has dealt with minimal anxiety over the years due to hormonal imbalances caused by PCOS. & More recently, I was diagnosed with PMDD. I never had a depressive thought in my life until I woke up a few months ago with a horrendous bout of anxiety. It spiraled into constant panic attacks all day, scary intrusive violent thoughts, and depersonalization, all of which were extremely terrifying and new to me. After resisting, I decided to start Lexapro after my doctor insisted it would help. This page was the ONLY thing that got me through. I truly believed I would feel like that forever. Slowly, the medicine started working. I started with 5mg in the first week and had headaches, nausea, & insomnia. Within a week, all-day panic attacks stopped, & I bumped up to 10mg after a week. Truly, it all started to get better in week 3. Like a cloud lifted, and I felt so much more like myself. Now I've completed week 4, and I feel happy again and love life. PLEASE STICK WITH IT!"

• Iri...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 12, 2019

For Depression "After enduring severe depression, anxiety, obsessive thoughts, brain fog, problems with focusing, and a sleep disorder since childhood, I went on 10 mg of Lexapro at age 40. It took 6 weeks for Lexapro to work, but my entire life changed. All of a sudden, my thoughts became clear, more positive, and I could focus. My severe anxiety was reduced, my sleep disorder dramatically improved, and I stopped thinking about suicide. I was slightly nauseous for a few weeks. The worst side effect I had for a few years was fatigue. I have been taking Lexapro for 15 years in doses of 10-20 mg. I can reduce my dose during the summer months to 15 mg. I have no intention of going off the drug."

• Ora...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 7, 2021

For Anxiety "(Male/24) Initially Lexapro made my anxiety worse, quite significantly. I experienced both anxiety & panic attacks at a greater frequency compared to prior to starting. Despite this, I have continued to take the medication with the hope that this side effect would lessen, despite most of my thoughts begging me to stop this medication. After about 12 days, I felt my body adjusting to the dosage. The last two days I have felt really great, no anxiety or racing heart rate (another initial side effect), no panic attacks and improved mood and enjoyment in things. I wanted to share just in case others are experiencing initial worsening anxiety and are unsure if this improves over time. Although my one experience is anecdotal, I am glad I stuck with it. I experienced headaches, nausea, jitteriness and trouble sleeping the first week as well, those too have gone away. My appetite has improved, and I have had no complications with sexual dysfunction. I hope this helps"

• twe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 7, 2013

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I noticed that many of the reviews on here were extremely negative, but I can't say enough good things about this medication. It absolutely changed my life for the better! Most people won't go to the trouble of leaving a review unless they had a really bad experience. Don't let the bad reviews scare you... there are a lot of success stories too! I had VERY few and mild side effects (nausea the first night and cold sweats at night in the beginning). This medication reminded me what it felt like to be happy again and I finally got my life back! I used to be the first person to condemn using medicines for things like this and I went to it as a last resort because I was desperate, but I could not possibly be happier that I did it. Good luck! There is hope!"

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2025

"I started Lexapro 3 and a half weeks ago. I was terrified to start because I couldn't afford to be any worse off mentally. I couldn't go shopping, constant panic attacks while driving, waking up 5+ times a night in a panic. Racing thoughts, etc. It almost killed me one day. My BP jumped up to 220/190, and my pulse was 120 at rest. Severe panic, they called it. Day 1, immediate results for me! Slight nausea, but that was nothing in comparison to my anxiety and depression symptoms. I was blessed to experience 0 symptoms of worsening anxiety-it only got better. Please, please give this medicine a chance. I have gone about 2 weeks without a panic attack. I can feel myself coming back better than I ever was. The risks of this medicine do NOT outweigh the benefits long term. Ask yourself if you're ready to live a happier life again and give this a true chance? I'm praying for all of you who are here right now reading these comments. Have faith, please. Alongside God, Lexapro has completely changed my life!!"

• OMA...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 2, 2025

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have always dealt with mild to moderate anxiety for most of my life. About a year ago, it started getting worse and worse. I work as a tour director, and I’ve been at my job for 23 years and know it inside and out, and all of a sudden, I would have extreme anxiety every single morning coupled with panic attacks. It got to the point where I was thinking suicide would be my only way out. I’ve always been against taking drugs, but I finally broke down, went to my doctor, and she put me on 10 mg of Lexapro. I am now two months in, and I feel better than I’ve ever felt in my entire life. Why I didn’t do this earlier, I don’t know, because it would’ve saved me a lot of heartache. I will be forever grateful for this drug. The first few weeks on it, as others have said, were rough, the side effects I experienced were night sweats, nausea, and diarrhea. But by week four, that all disappeared, and now I’m on week eight going into week nine, and I will never ever look back. Thank you."

• Tha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 19, 2021

For Depression "This medication pulled me out of a deep and very severe depression. Almost instantly after taking it, my mind felt much clearer. My anxiety went away, and I noticed my sense of humor had returned with a vengeance. My ability to enjoy simple and not-so-simple things in life skyrocketed. I was basically smiling all the time. I’ve been on it for about five months now and have no plans of discontinuing it ever. This medication was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my entire life. The side effects were difficulty reaching orgasm for about a month and a half, nausea, insomnia, and general discomfort for about a month. I couldn’t sleep no matter how hard I tried for about a week straight. Then I would get maybe an hour or two a night. After a month, my sleep cycle went back to normal. My sexual function began working properly, along with my libido. The anxiety relief, depression relief, and energy levels skyrocketed from that point forward."

• sna...
• November 26, 2018

For Anxiety "Please give it a try! It works! Here are some recommendations based on my experience. It won't 'fix' you, but it'll make it so you can actually breathe again. I used to cry constantly, isolate myself, have panic attacks so frequently I couldn't even sleep, and have horrible intrusive violent thoughts. 1. Be proactive when it comes to the nausea side effect. Eat BEFORE you take the pill, and don't let yourself get hungry during the first 3-4 hours after you take the pill. Because once you get nausea, it becomes harder to eat, which only makes you more nauseous. It's a vicious cycle that can be prevented. 2. Ignore the negative reviews that are like 'I took this pill for 1 day and it caused *terrifying side effects*.' They only cause more anxiety and they're highly unlikely. 3. From my personal experience, the first things to get better were the physical symptoms of anxiety. Less panic attacks, more hunger, less crying, etc. Keeping a journal is helpful to see the progression."

• And...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 26, 2022

For Anxiety "On this for depression and anxiety. I started having suicidal thoughts and felt so hopelessly sad. I started therapy but didn't notice much difference. I was against taking meds, but eventually I gave up and asked the doctor to prescribe SSRIs for me. She had me start on 5 mg a day of escitalopram generic. The first week, I felt good with some weird dreams, a bit of euphoria, and some nausea. Week 2, I started having vivid and horrible nightmares, and my anxiety got worse. Week 3 was also not fun, very similar to week 2, I felt a bit more sad. Week 4, I started feeling a bit better. Week 5, the doctor upped the dose to 10 mg. I felt good for 4 days, then my body started adjusting to the new dose, and it took 2 weeks of lower mood again. Nausea came back for the first 4 days of 10 mg in week 6. I started to feel much better. Now in week 8, no anxiety, no depression - I feel great. I've been exercising, cutting caffeine, eating healthy, no weight gain, no sexual problems. Life is beautiful again. Give it time."

• Jen...
• September 3, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I want to share my detailed experience so far with Lexapro because, let's be honest, anxiety is an awful beast. I started experiencing panic attacks recently. I kept thinking 'I am not taking medicine.' I can control this on my own. Well, in my case, that was wrong. I went to counselling and learned breathing techniques, which helped some but it did not prevent my panic in the middle of the night. After letting go of my pride, I decided to see the doctor about medicine. For about 8 days I experienced different side effects-nausea, insomnia, headaches (some bad), and still some anxiety. DO NOT QUIT THIS MEDICINE. Now, I am 2 weeks in on medicine. GUESS WHAT?! FEELING AWESOME. I am sleeping great now. My anxiety is 99% gone. I feel like my happy self again. I am thankful for this medicine and how it is helping me."

• Chr...
• March 24, 2017

For Anxiety "I was prescribed Lexapro after some fairly rough depression and anxiety. I had been in the hospital 3 times in 2 weeks for anxiety attacks. The first day after Lexapro, I felt the depression gone. Literally the first day. However, the first 3-4 weeks were rough. I definitely had nausea and was VERY sleepy. But after about a month, the nausea and sleepiness went away. A nurse at our doctor's office basically told me to suck it up, and that I had to give the medicine time to work. I toughed it out, and after about 6 weeks, it was like a cloud was lifted and I have felt AMAZING ever since. I didn't realize that I have probably had depression and/or anxiety for decades until I found out what it was like to feel great. Still great after a year."

• Gai...
• February 13, 2020

For Anxiety "I started on Lexapro in November on 10 mg dose. Then January moved up to 15 mg, and I am now at 20 mg dose. I feel and always felt horrid. Diarrhea and achy and nausea. The docs say each time that I increase the dose I should give it time and that the side effects will get better. I don’t know what to do. Help me anyone have these side effects and do they go away."

• Mii...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 26, 2019

For Anxiety "The first couple of weeks I had nausea but it went away! I had anxiety & depression. I’ve been taking for about 4-5 months. This pill has changed my life. I get excited about a sunny day. I have for the first time in 6 years made new friends and the color is back in the world for me. I used to be very underweight like 40kg and hated food, to gaining 10kg in 4 months and enjoying food & loving my body. After a couple of months on this pill, I just noticed “hey I don’t cry at the bottom of the shower anymore”. Things are better. I hope this helps someone out there."

• Kma...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 29, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I promised I would come here & write a review if I experienced any form of relief on Lexapro. When at my absolute rock bottom, I would spend hours reading reviews begging & pleading for any semblance of hope during such a horrifically dark time. I was POSITIVE with every fiber of my being that it wouldn’t work for me & that I would be a shell of myself - anxious, panicky with doom dread & hopelessness forever. I was certain of it. The first 4 weeks were absolutely brutal. I held on by a thread as my body adjusted to the medication. I had morning dread, nausea, zero appetite, anxiety, hopelessness + more. I started feeling relief at 4 weeks almost exactly. I had to use lorazepam to sleep during this time and am weaning slowly off now, but at 8 weeks on Lexapro I feel 10000x better. I cope now. I get through the day with little to no anxiety, and little to no depression. It took around 6 weeks to get what I would say is relief & I am SO grateful. I am so much better now!!"

• lul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 14, 2017

For Depression "All I can say is wow. I can't believe the difference Lexapro has made in my life. I used to have horrible anxiety, suicidal thoughts, no motivation. Now I am excited for life, chasing after it. Colors are brighter, everything tastes better. Memories of my childhood that I couldn't recall before came back. I've also been waking up early when I used to fight to wake up at noon. Now, these results took a while. I felt an improvement in mood at about three weeks, and an increase in motivation at about five weeks. The first two weeks were rough - I experienced many side effects including mood swings, night sweats, nausea, increase in intrusive thoughts... but boy was it worth it."