Lexapro, now having side effects. How's your experience?

Hi @tiffany22 , I started Lexapro 10mg back in June for generalized anxiety. The first 2 months was difficult. I was also prescribed klonipin to help with the anxiety. I feel fine now it took a couple of months to reach the therapeutic level.

Thanks so much for your response. I knew there were different side effects but wasn't sure higher anxiety was from the Lexapro or just the anxiety in general...but i definitely feel it's worsened on it. (My doc didn't seem to agree on that so much).

I started at 10mg and didn't have too many side effects. My psychiatrist upped me to 20mg after a month, as I was not feeling much relief. One month later I started on Abilify at 2mg upped to 5mg a month later, and that's where I am now. I had more side effects, dizziness, from the Abilify than I did from the Lexapro, but it's been a long time, so my memory may not serve me well. Today, with the Lexapro at 20mg and the Abilify at 5mg my depression is under control, and my anxiety is significantly lessened. I also practice Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to help with my negative thinking and with the anxiety when it rears up.

Your welcome @tiffany22. I know for sure it was medication induced. In my case I had a panic attack. First time ever having one. It freaked me out so bad for a week after that I was having really bad anxiety and a physician I worked with prescribed me Lexapro and said it would help. The first month or so I took it it was hell for me. The anxiety would start when I woke up till I tried to go to sleep. I couldn't sleep as soon as I would drift off I would just start panicking. I didn't sleep for awhile untill I was prescribed the klonipin which helps whenever I have an attack. It sucks I know but it will pass soon. Now I really don't have any anxiety. Sometimes I feel anxious but over all I feel fine and haven't had to take any klonipin in the last month or so.

This really helps. I never had a panic attack either until taking it...just general anxiety. I too wake with the anxiety and trouble sleeping. I'm going to stick with this 10 mg dose and hopefully I'll adjust as you did.

Thanks and so glad you're doing better and I was also told to try to find a CBT psych just a few days ago.

@tiffany22 Hi, I am wondering how much KIonipin you were taking?

So i was in the psychiatric hospital for 12 days for brain fog. They couldn't figure out what was causing it, even after an MRI.I just feel like my brain is out of gear. They told me that they think i have Post COVID syndrome, which I'm not really sure is what's going on or because they needed to come up with something so i could be discharged.It's been 3 months since i was discharged and over 6 months since i had COVID and I'm still feeling like this.Ever since they put me on Lexapro in the hospital i noticed jaw pain and numbness all over my cheeks since they increased my dosage to 15mg a day. I even feel i cannot pop my ears and i just saw an ENT yesterday and she said that there is nothing wrong with me.Does anyone think that this facial numbness and jaw pain could be from Lexapro? I'm debating getting off of it, despite i feel it actually has helped me with my depression.

Hello @divinewisdom28 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Clearly you are feeling something different/off, so it is good you continue to advocate for yourself to get answers.

It seems as though there is a known correlation with jaw pain and Lexapro. See the information below in case this is of help.

"Does jaw pain from Lexapro go away? → Bruxism associated with antidepressant use is an underrecognized phenomenon, particularly among neurologists. → Antidepressant-associated bruxism/jaw pain most commonly begins within 3–4 weeks of medication initiation or dose titration, and can resolve within 3–4 weeks of drug discontinuation."
SSRI-associated bruxism - PMC - NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5914744/

Have you heard of the term bruxism? Does this sound like what you are experiencing?

Hi Amanda,
thank you for taking your time to reply to me.

I actually have read this article before. I'm not 100% sure if everything I'm experiencing would be included under bruxism. I don't grind my teeth. Just my cheeks get numb and feel puffy and I'll have pain in my jaw next to my ears. I also feel my sense of taste is not as good as normal and i feel I've been producing more saliva than normal and sometimes less than normal...
I've also been having pain in my left leg, foot, arm, and hand. And also just feel weaker in those left extremities. It even bothers me when I'm driving or just doing very simple tasks.. kind of just trying to piece everything together...it's hard with this horrible brain fog.
I just turned 28 years old the other day.

Thank you,

John