How long before Lexapro works

[jLslp11]

My doctor said 2-3 weeks and I'm on day 12, feeling somewhat better but still not "Me". I'm impatient but just want to know others experiences. I take Ativan at night and xanax as needed to control the panic attacks but both make me so sleepy

[BonnieSue]

Lexapro takes up to 6 weeks for the full effects to be felt. You can definitely feel it working in 2-3 weeks but it's still building up to full strength at that time. You may also have some side effects that will go away before the 6 weeks are up. Even after the 6 weeks you'll feel yourself returning slowly to a better and better state.

The xanax makes you sleepy because you aren't in the midst of a panic attack. But it's useful when your anxiety is bad during the panic attack. After you calm down, the xanax is still in effect for a few hours, unfortunately. The ativan helps you sleep and so it's effectiveness for a long period of time is useful at bedtime.

[GrampaGuy]

Although Lexapro is one of the more "modern" anti-depressents, I found it to be less effective than others due to the side-effects you described. I switched to Sertraline (Zoloft), and the difference is remarkable. I don't feel mushy headed or sleepy, and life's challenges have more of a round edge to them as opposed to a sharp edge.

[jumpingbean]

4-6 weeks for me. I've been on lexapro for a very long time. It worked really well for me - i just recently had to up my dose, but i've been on it for probably 8 years now.