Escitalopram and Insomnia: What Users Say

• LCa...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 6, 2021

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Anxiety "Currently 10 days into my second time on Lexapro. I’ve been on 10 mg since 2013 for chronic anxiety. Last year, I started to taper off on my own, and I pushed it too far. A severe breakdown over the holidays showed me that I’m more myself with my medication. Oh boy, the first week was horrible. I would read these reviews for encouragement in my darkest moments. Go for walks, talk with your loved ones, allow yourself to lay low, and give the medication a chance to work. My appetite is still missing, and I'm still having racing/disturbing thoughts, but I feel better each day! My insomnia has subsided and the muscle twitches. Lexapro has saved my life once before, and I know it will again. If you’re reading this - hang in there, you’re not alone in this struggle. You can do hard things!"

• Azt...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 11, 2021

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "If only I had taken this sooner, how different my life could have been. I have dealt with PTSD, anxiety, panic attacks, depression and the whole shebang since I was 18. I am now 40. I am a single mom and keeping up with work, kids, school was just draining on top of being in a fight or flight mode 24/7. Going to the grocery store or a simple doctor's appointment for them was a chore within itself. My first 2 weeks, I was very sleepy during the day, no appetite and awake at night. I stuck with it and I am now on week 4. You know how it is working? I was terrified to even think about going into an unknown situation. A week ago I decided to apply to different jobs. Yesterday, I got ready and went to an interview and nailed it! I was not anxious nor did I run out of there. I was calm and collected and my thoughts weren't a fog. I am still in shock! I am so excited for what life will be from here on out. Hang in there."

• Tha...
• February 11, 2020

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "2019 Took a toll on my life in every aspect. I am 45 years old, and my career crashed. My husband left me, and I am battling legal issues. My husband locked me out of utility accounts until shut-off notices arrived. I could not think straight at all. My stress and worries took over me. I began deep depression, and the worries would overwhelm me to a point I wanted to sleep, but I had insomnia. My mind would race. I closed myself off to the world and prayed heavily. I could no longer have normal conversations. I pushed everyone away. I finally called my doctor, realizing it was more than I could handle. I’ve only been on it for one week and can truly say “LEXAPRO SAVED MY LIFE”. I do not feel different at all. I feel “Normal”. I can think. I can decipher between tasks of importance and have been more productive than I have been in a year. I sleep better. I go to bed with a clearer picture and less worry. The stress and reality are all still there, but each day I am managing and making progress now!"

• Ali...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 6, 2020

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "After 3 years on Lexapro, I have a life. I am so grateful that I found a doctor who really worked with me to find something that worked. And also for convincing me to stay on it as I had so many conflicting beliefs around using antidepressants. My moods are stable, it’s helped me during 2 pregnancies and with postnatal anxiety. I notice my mood swings and insomnia creep back if I’m not taking it regularly. It’s a lifesaver for me and it took me approximately 9 days to start feeling normal when I first took it. The initial side effects do stop. Sex drive did come back."

• ano...
• January 28, 2020

Lexapro (escitalopram) 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

Lexapro (escitalopram) 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."

• Bow...
• January 12, 2015

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Depression "I was tired all the time. Everything stressed me out. I was very negative. I found fault in most things. I was irritable most of the time. My thoughts raced with negativity most of the time. I withdrew socially a lot because other people upset me most of the time. I lacked compassion for other people most of the time. I felt like life was worthless. Lots of trouble concentrating at work. Trouble sleeping. More depressed in winter time. These problems progressively got worse as I got older. The doctor gave me Lexapro. I noticed some changes the 1st day I took the medicines but it took a little over 4 months to take its full effect on me. I'm almost exactly opposite of who I used to be now. Lexapro changed my life."

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

Lexapro (escitalopram) 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"

• jes...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 13, 2025

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Anxiety "LIFE SAVER. I had been struggling with severe anxiety since 2021, and nothing was seeming to help. My anxiety cost me my freedom and made it impossible to live life. Before my anxiety got really bad, I was always scared of meds, I had tried a few, and they also seemed to make me worse. So, with the start of my panic attacks and intense anxiety, I refused to take any meds. Fast forward to 2024, my anxiety was much better through exposure therapy and time, but I was still struggling daily and just couldn’t take feeling like I was walking on eggshells every day. I bit the bullet and got prescribed Lexapro, I started at a baby dose of 2.5, and months later got to 10. Pretty much no side effects, except insomnia for a few days. I have been on it for a year now, and I can say this medication has truly given me my life back. After a few months, I noticed my anxiety was basically gone, and my mind wasn’t racing. TRY IT!! Literally didn’t think my anxiety would ever go away."

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

Lexapro (escitalopram) 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

Lexapro (escitalopram) 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!"

• Nur...
• July 31, 2019

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Anxiety "I have been on Lexapro 10mg 3x - most recently was Jan-May and then weaned myself off (under doctor's supervision) over 6 weeks and had no problems with withdrawal. I have recently started back because of recent stress in my life (nasty divorce) which left me worrying constantly, debilitating anxiety, unable to sleep and/or eat. For me it’s the panic that’s horrible. So I started back on Lexapro 10mg 3 weeks ago today. The first 2 weeks were tough... it seemed to take longer to kick in this time and I actually referred to this site a dozen times to reassure myself that it would indeed start to work, and it did! I did have the increased anxiety, loss of appetite (lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks), the “internal shakes”, morning dread, and insomnia for the first 2 weeks. I would say around day 10-14 I started to feel the meds taking the edge off, and by day 18 I had almost no anxiety at all. Literally none. It’s so worth the wait if you can just hang in there through the first few weeks."

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

Lexapro (escitalopram) 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"

• Hma...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 19, 2014

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Anxiety "During a recent stretch of terrible anxiety which crept up very slowly, I suddenly became incapacitated. I was in fear of everything and I couldn't function - AT ALL. I went to my doctor and explained the symptoms, and he recommended Lexapro 10 mg. with Klonopin 0.5 mg. as needed. I took both medications, and the Klonopin erased all the start-up side effects of the Lexapro such as increased nervousness, insomnia, and poor appetite. As soon as the Lexapro kicked in (about three weeks), I was able to step off the Klonopin and have felt great ever since. Anxiety has been wiped out, and sleep has improved. I feel 100% better. Don't give up, this medication WORKS!"

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

Lexapro (escitalopram) 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."

• Jjj...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 27, 2019

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Anxiety "Lexapro has saved my life. I tried all the natural stuff but nothing really works. I'm now up to 20mg. 5mg worked at first. I did have insomnia the first week I started it, but that went away. Once it fully kicks in, it's like the darkness, depression, and anxiety are lifted, and you can see clearly. I've been through some hard times as a single mom struggling with money, court cases, and loneliness. I was suicidal until I increased to 20mg a couple of months ago. I hope I don't have to increase again, but I'm not sure if I would be alive without it. I was able to keep working and function, living a normal life again. Give the medicine 3 weeks to a month to kick in. I wasn't able to be alone or take care of my child because I was doing so bad. Now we are living alone and living a normal life. For those of you in it right now—know that things will get better. The darkness and the fear are not permanent. Lexapro with exercise, journaling, and meditation can do wonders."

• Sb1...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 4, 2019

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Anxiety "Before starting Lexapro, I was a complete mess. GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) had completely taken over my life. I could barely go outside without having an anxiety attack. I started Lexapro 5 mg two years ago and my life completely changed. It took about 2 weeks for me to feel a difference, and I was blown away by how different my life was. I was going to concerts, traveling, doing things I never thought I would be able to do with my level of anxiety. I switched off Lexapro to try a new drug recently to see if it would work better, but it made my anxiety worse than ever. Thankfully I started Lexapro again last week and I already feel so much better. This drug honestly saved my life and even though everyone is different, I would completely recommend trying it if you have GAD. The side effects (for me) were mild, only some insomnia and a little dizziness, so I would say if you're starting it to wait a week or so, and you'll feel a difference. I hope my review helps!"

• Jen...
• September 3, 2019

Lexapro (escitalopram) 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."

• CaB...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 19, 2019

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Anxiety "After enduring a high-pressure job for many years, I succumbed to overwhelming anxiety in middle age. I was first prescribed Effexor XR. The first two weeks were awful, but finally, the bad side effects started to dissipate, albeit my anxiety was still raised. However, more worryingly, I had continuing insomnia. My doctor switched me seamlessly to Lexapro with no issues other than the continuing raised anxiety. I started on 5mg for a week, and this was raised to 10mg, but the raised anxiety was still present. I asked the doctor to raise me to 15mg, and for the first two weeks, the anxiety was still present until finally it abated. One month later, I'm sleeping by myself and back feeling like my old self. I have motivation again and am returning to the workforce. I posted this because frankly the negative reviews on the net scared me senseless."

• djd...
• November 18, 2013

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Anxiety "I am a 30-year-old female who has suffered from depression and anxiety my entire life, and it got worse after I had my daughter. Two years after she was born, I couldn't take it anymore, and I had to get help. I talked to my doctor and was put on Lexapro, 10 mg. I hated it at first. I was dizzy and 'swimmy' feeling, couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, felt out of it, couldn't care less about things that were going on. This only lasted about a week! Then, I could gradually feel myself getting used to it. My next appointment, my dosage was upped to 20 mg (he started me on 10 because he wanted to ease me into it knowing I was a mom and worked full-time; I still needed to function). Let me just say that Lexapro SAVED MY LIFE!! I love it and swear by it!"

• Fin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 23, 2016

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Depression "Lexapro made me feel normal again. I was severely depressed and so scared I would never feel normal again. I started at 5mg and worked up to 15mg over a few months. At three months I felt like me again. It was a roller coaster getting there with good days and down days where I never thought I would feel like me again. But at the three-month mark, I feel great! I promised myself that when I felt good again, I would share my experience. Hang in there, you will feel good again, just give it time. And when you have a down moment, think of happy times and remember you will get better. Side effects initially were yawning a lot. I can finally sleep again, and I gained my weight back because I actually want to eat again. Life is good now. Thank you Lex!"

• Joe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 23, 2019

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Anxiety "This medication worked great for me! The first 2 weeks were not great (insomnia, increased anxiety, some GI upset, blurry vision). Wait out the first 2 weeks if you can! The first 2 weeks are not the final result by far! This medication destroys anxiety after 4+ weeks. I took the medication for agoraphobia caused by Xanax withdrawal. It worked great AFTER 4+ weeks. The results are up and down until about week 4. Meaning, you’ll feel worse and better on weeks 1-4. Then in week 4 it became consistent. I did get euphoria on day 3-4 but that didn’t last long. Don’t judge the medication for better or for worse in the first several weeks. Don’t judge it too soon! I had side effects in the beginning but they went away after about 3-4 weeks."

• Asi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 6, 2025

For Anxiety "I had faced severe anxiety, depression, and mood disorder related to OCD. I had sleepless nights due to severe negative intrusive thoughts, and my life went to a point where I didn't want to live anymore. Everything around me feels like a mess, and even brushing my teeth feels like a mammoth task. This drug is a magical pill for me. The first two weeks were like a nightmare. All the side effects came out with full effects. But after their first two weeks, I feel like myself again. No more anxiety, no more panic attacks, and no more mood swings. The universe blessed me."

• Sak...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 23, 2020

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Anxiety "I was prescribed Lexapro after my constant, full-body shaking and dizziness had no reasonable cause, and I have a family history of anxiety. The first week is absolutely the worst. I couldn't eat, sleep, shaking got way worse, felt like passing out, dizzy, restless legs, unable to concentrate. Be warned, you need to take a week off work before starting this stuff. After a week, a lot of the problems went away. I had a day without any shaking in my body or dizziness, then it came back, then went away again. It will work eventually, just stick with it."

• Anonymous
• July 15, 2024

Lexapro (escitalopram) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Like others, I wanted to report back on my experience with Lexapro. Seemingly out of nowhere, I came down with a case of GAD. One day I was perfectly normal and the next I had crippling anxiety all day long, along with brain fog and exhaustion. My doctor prescribed lorazepam and Lexapro 10 mg. I refused to take the Lexapro thinking if this came on suddenly it would go away suddenly, but it didn’t. After about a month I finally had enough and started Lexapro. I cut the pills and tapered from 2.5mg to 10mg over a month or so. My side effects were similar to others, dry mouth, trouble sleeping, night sweats and increased anxiety. Approximately three days after starting my 10 mg dosage I really started seeing consistent benefits. Two weeks after that I was anxiety free all day every day. Now it’s been a month and I am still anxiety free. All sides are gone and I feel completely normal again. For me this drug is a miracle. Hope this is helpful to others"