Posted by dr. dave on November 26, 2002, at 9:05:33
In reply to Re: 5 Days on Lexepro = Efficacy side effects, posted by Rich B on November 26, 2002, at 7:26:52
> OK, When I started this thread, somebody got off the subject right away and it turned into some heated debate. So, I am going to repost my previous message to see if I actually get responces that are relevant.
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> I have been on Lexapro for 5 days (including today) for Anxiety. So far, it has done nothing for the anxiety. If anything, it has made it worse. I grind my teeth allot and when I am working on something, I do it very intensely and the anxiety is even worse than it was before. When I am not doing much, am often tired. The tiredness is on and off and I get very tired early in the evening. I have not had insomnia, but when I get up at night to go to the bathroom, I have a hard time getting back to sleep. I have dry mouth and this very light constant headache in the back of my head. This is caused by a tightness in my neck and the back of my head that I believe Lexepro is causing. Can anyone shed some light on my situation? I know I need to give it more time, and I plan on it, but so far, it doesn’t look to good. I am trying to work on my anxiety problem (GAD) through therapy and I was hoping this medication would help bring me down a little and relax. Its hard to work on when the physical systems act as this counterproductive force holding me back.
> Thanks in advance.
> RichHere are some thoughts, which should not be taken as definitive.
SSRIs in general can cause an initial increase in anxiety and tension. This is a very tiring state to remain in for any length of time - your muscles are tensed up all the time - so it leaves you feeling exhausted even if you haven't been doing much. Dry mouth can be caused by anxiety, and muscle tension in your neck and scalp can give headaches.
So all the symptoms can be accounted for by an increase in anxiety due to starting an SSRI. The good news is this is likely to wear off in a week or two and you may begin to feel a lot better. It's just a question of waiting and seeing, but it may be worth giving it six weeks before making a judgement as to whether it helps or not.
poster:dr. dave
thread:109458
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021122/msgs/129391.html