Good morning all! Hoping everybody has a great day. Mine is off to a rough start again. Hence my question, I am in the middle of week one of being on Lexapro and have weaned off of Zoloft. What are some of the side effects and what are some experiences people have had with their first few weeks of Lexapro. I have done some research and it notes that the side effects should improve over the next two weeks... The heightened anxiety nervousness and lack of sleep are my biggest frustrations right now. Stay strong all have a great day take one moment of a time! With God's grace and the power and support of family friends and a group like this will get us all through! 🙏💪❤️
How long did it take you to adjust to... - Anxiety and Depre...
How long did it take you to adjust to Lexapro
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I honestly try not to look up or think too much about side effects. I don't want to find things because I'm hyper-vigilant about them. I just note how I feel and if I notice something weird then I look to see whether it's attributable to the new medication.
When I started taking Lexapro I began feeling less anxious within about 2-3 weeks. The full effects are supposed to take 4-6 weeks per doctor. I did not have any side effects although after taking it for a year I have gained 20 lbs as my appetite increased. Good luck to you!
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So envious that you did not have any side effects. Just going with it and hoping that each day gets better. I just hate the feelings and how it impacts my daily life. Thank god I work from home and can rest, meditate or taking time to relax and balance myself.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to your doctor as they can always add a temp medication to help you through the transition. You have to be able to sleep or everything becomes compounded. I know, it’s very frustrating waiting around and I’m hyper vigilant about side effects to anything, basically just waiting for them to appear. Staying busy and keeping your mind on other things is key. But ask your doc for help if you feel it’s just too much and you’re not getting enough sleep.
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I have follow up with psych Dr. this Friday. Gonna review all of what is going on. Thanks for the support and kind words. Taking it moment by moment. I know it's gonna take time, just need to have patience and not overthink it!.
Hi Chinaadventure I'm sorry you are experiencing a back lash right now
however, I feel it may be coming more from having weaned off the Zoloft
(depending how long you were on it as well as the dosage)
It takes a little time for the body to adjust to lowering or coming off one
med and going on another.
I agree with KellyKay in that it can take from 4-6 weeks for the Lexapro to
reach full efficacy. That also depends on if the dosage was increased during
that time.
Please do talk with your doctor regarding how you are feeling. During the
transition it is important to get the support you need from your prescribing
physician. I wish you well. I have found Lexapro a good medication for myself
after having been weaned off benzos. xx
Agora1.....I was only on Zoloft for a few weeks, it was horrible on my stomach! I had to get off of it. I was on 100mg a day went down to 50mg for a week.... Then added 10mg of Lexapro with the Zoloft at 50mg for a week. Now as of this week no more Zoloft and only the 10mg of Lexapro asking with other meds....As all have said I'm hoping it's just the adjustment time period. Hey I'm happy for small steps, but the side effects are just annoying and bothersome at times... For example right now so hot and overheated... It's 33 degrees out...I have fans on just to keep my cool... Then I get the chills... Vicious cycle! Thanks for the support and guidance, truly appreciated and very thankful I found this group. Stay strong all! ❤️💪🙏
I am not a doctor Chinaadventure but it sounds like the transition is a little
bumpy at the beginning...Have your doctor address it on Friday but meantime
believe in that the medication in time will bring you relief. Hot/Cold flashes are
normal as well as weird sensations and anxiousness. Don't give up too soon, this
medication may just be the start of your success. My best xx
From what you just said, it sounds like it's the Zoloft clearing your system, not the Lexapro giving you symptoms. Zoloft has more side effects, in my opinion, than Lexapro does. Hold strong, talk to your docs about the increased symptoms, but don't think they're there forever. It does take a month'ish for the Lexapro to fully soak in, but your still clearing the Zoloft too if you were just taking 50 mgs a week ago. I'd say another week to detox off of that fully, but there's no exact time frame. You got this!!!
Not long, about a month of titration- then I tried to come off of it and realized just how much it really was helping me.
Like a lot of people with anxiety, I'm always deathly afraid of side effects 😱
Nausea and insomnia were my main issues. My doctor had me to start taking it right before I went to bed at night and that made all the difference.
Normally, they wean you off one as you ramp up the other to reduce side effects and let the new med ramp up. Depending on how quickly you "weaned off" of the zoloft, you could be having discontinuation side effects. You also don't say how high your dose is, which can also make a big difference.
Thanks for the reply....I was on 100mg of Zoloft... A week later titrated to 50mg and introduced the 10mg of Lexapro. The following week stopped Zoloft and stayed on 10mg of Lexapro.... Also was titrating off of gabapentin at the same time. That was a longer process and titration time frame. Hope this helps you able to understand my current situation. Thanks for and advice. FYI today a little better 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞shhhhhhhh! 🤞❤️💪🙏
That still seems like an awfully fast weaning off period! If you continue to struggle you may want to ask if you can go back on a low dose of zoloft until the lexapro starts kicking in. 10 mg is a low dose, so you may find you need to up it over time. But YAY that today is better. Hoping that trend continues for you!