Posted , 9 users are following.
Hello, i have been on lexapro almost 4 weeks now. The first week was rough with increased anxiety and feeling nausea. The second week i ended up throwing up and th en i started to feel better all the way up to week three. The anxiety has increased a b it again and i have been feeling nausea and having no appetite and when i do eat i throw up! Help!
0 likes, 17 replies
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matts4912 shara16286
Posted
Textbook symptoms for this time... and expect to feel rough for another couple of weeks yet. The first 4 weeks you should anticipate anything from the list on the patient information leaflet. After the first month, you might still have some of them, but they should start to get better. All such symptoms should expect to be cleared around 10-12 weeks. If they persist, or they don't get better within this time, then this is not the med for you and you need to cross-taper to another or wean off.
All the best...
Certate shara16286
Posted
its 4 weeks for me also and I'm still not feeling to great, I wake up shaking, great start of each day right.
what mg are you on? I'm taking 10mg
I'm lucky if I get a couple hours a day without anxiety.
Do you think its the medication or your nerves causing you to get sick?
shara16286 Certate
Posted
Im on 10 mg as well! I wake up every morning feeling anxious like i feel like my chest is tight and my heart is beating faster than normal and it almost feels like i have butterflies in my chest that is warm. Then my arms and legs feel like pins and needles. And it feels like i have a boost of energy corsing through my body. Plus like i said the nausea and throwing up. Experience some insomnia so my doctor told me to take melatonin and hydroxyzine to help with some sleep. Im not sure if its the meds for sure or if its my nerves and the anticipation that im going to be nauseous and throw up or if its a combination.
matts4912 Certate
Posted
The start of the day is always the worst for anxiety as you always have a surge of cortisol in the morning which wakes you up. This is close to adrenaline, so you body reacts by feeling anxious, and it is this that anti-depressants do in the first few weeks while the brain gets used to the drug.
Have you noticed if your anxiety gets better at any particular time of the day?
If the anxiety remains, it is quite likely that your dose may be too high. There are a lot of people who have been on Lexapro and had their anxiety worsened only to reduce to 5mg and feel much better. Because it is such a small amount, people don't think it will do much, but it is a powerful drug.
I am no longer on it as it gave me head fog continuously - I gave it 14 weeks before stopping.
The rush of adrenaline/cortisol is what will be making you feel sick. Imagine you step out into a road not noticing a car, and it only just misses you. Then you need a moment to regain control of your nerves and then you say.. ooh, I feel a little sick. It is exactly this. Same chemicals, same reaction in the brain.
matts4912 shara16286
Posted
Try either hydroxyzine or melatonin - not both at the same time. Lexapro caused some insomnia for me too.
Both of these will only cause you to feel sleepy, they won't keep you asleep. This is where z-drugs come in (eg Zopiclone) but your Dr is right to leave these to the last option. They make you feel awful in the morning and they are addictive.
If you are having trouble falling asleep, then try upto 3mg of Melatonin - ideally liquid - and dissolve under the tongue around 30 mins before sleep. If you are having difficulty staying asleep, then you can take an extra few drops when you wake, or get the extended release Melatonin - but again, this can make you a bit groggy in the morning, but nothing as bad as z-drugs and melatonin is not addictive - it also reduces anxiety in most people.
ann55375 matts4912
Posted
because you found this did not work did you find something that did?
ann55375 matts4912
Posted
the hydroxyzine helped you, is that only available from dr? Did a psychiatrist find right meds or just you alone? I am so scared, he has given me some awful meds and i am not better. now hes left me on vaium low dose but i dont think its working.
matts4912 ann55375
Posted
Hydroxyzine is only available from the doctor, yes. But you can get melatonin from a number of places without prescription.
I have had enough of the awful side effects that these drugs have given me. This time last year before all the changes started, I was much better - I was even waking up most mornings feeling positive. Now after a year of being a test subject I am really not good. Months of side effects will really screw up your mental state. This is why I have gone natural and trying homeopathic remedies now. I am only a week onto them so it is early days.
albert_99155 shara16286
Posted
Sometimes the first medication you try is not the ideal one for you. I never realized how complex mental disorders are to deal with. Its also frustrating because unless someone has experienced it themselves, its hard to get support. I truly hope you start feeling better!
matts4912 albert_99155
Posted
Even then, there may never be an "ideal"!!
I have gone the natural route after trying 5 different meds 😃
ann55375 matts4912
Posted
how are the homeopathic remedies working out. i have given up with psych drugs, none suited me after many trials. are you in uk, if so what do you find helps and where is it available.
matts4912 ann55375
Posted
Well I have just had 10 straight days of feeling "normal" so I am quite encouraged by that as it has been months since that happened. I am still struggling with physical symptoms when I get stressed, and unfortunately, today is not such a good day, but there have been circumstances which have caused me to get quite low. Just hope I can deal with it well. Nothing worst than the first bad day after a string of good days. Really knocks your confidence.
Yes - I am in the UK. I use motark (reverse that word) once a day which helps me relax in the evening. Occasionally use dramamine which helps with anxiety, but neither are available in the UK, so have to ship them in from abroad...
ann55375 matts4912
Posted
yes i have heard of these both, but what a hassle to have to get them from abroad. the one beginning with k is used i notice by a few and they seem better. i assume discussion about these is not to be done with psych drs! Iam still on a low dose of valium, will i need to stop that before i think about anything else?
matts4912 ann55375
Posted
I have not discussed the K with any doctors as they (i) will not approve of its use and (ii) will blame all of my symptoms on its use which is completely wrong as it is proven to help substantially for mental health. I still take valium on occasions along with my Citalopram and K - there is no harm there.
Dramamine taken with valium will for sure knock you out! I stick to one of the other. Valium is used for emergencies, and dramamine is used when I need to get through a relatively long period of work which might induce stress.
K is used most evenings to shake off the anxiety and stress from the day which lets me relax and sleep well without having to worry about anything stopping me getting off to sleep.
andrea08357 shara16286
Posted
first I would report these symptoms to your psychiatrist so he or she is on the same page as you as far as how you are feeling. They may feel something else is better suited for you.
second unfortunately these drugs come with a lot of harsh side effects before they start to level out and actually work for us.
If they are tolerable you may want to stick with it for a little longer to see if the side effects subside.. Most side effects will subside overtime and then start to do their actual work. i do encourage whatever route you take to be discussed with your psychiatrist first.