Anyone Taking Lexapro?

Hi A., It usually takes about 3 weeks to adjust to the medicine. As far as weight gain/loss I haven't noticed any changes. However If I skip a pill I get a little dizzy and after 2-3 days of no pills(like when I was on vacation at home. I just forgot to take them. never again will I do that) I get angry for no reason at anything that I didn't like. I usually am a patient,understanding,go with the flow type of person.Being on the pills has been one of the best things that ever happened to me. I am usually shy but the pills have given me confidence to do anything i set my mind to . word of advice do not take them with alcohol. I heard bad things happen if you do. I hope this helps. C.

I have been taking it for a while. It started working really fast for me. I haven't had any weight loss/gain. I don't drink so I can't help you with that but good luck.

Of course the side effects can and will be different for everyone, but I've had less side effects on Lexapro than most of the other "happy pills" I've been on.

I really like it. I've not had any bad effects from it. In fact, I also can adjust my own dose based on the amount of money we have that month -- don't do this at home!

It really is one of the more easy going, so to speak, happy pills!

I have taken it and gained weight that I could not lose. Due to the weight gain causing me to go deeper into my depression, I took myself off it so I didn't see good results. I was on it due to having a new baby, moving and my parents splitting up and putting me in the middle (more my mom than my dad). But things resolved themselves so I didn't need it anymore. Good luck, I hope it works for you.

It seems that when i was on it i lost weight. Maybe it was because i wasnt so stressed. It did mess with my sex drive but its also alot easier to come off of than others. Good luck

I took it after my son was born. I had post partum depression and tried a couple of different ones before my doctor gave me this one (Heath was about a year old when I started on it). It was great! I didn't gain weight but I couldn't seem to lose weight. I have heard of others who did gain weight. I was on it about a year and then slowly weaned off of it. But for me it was a life saver and even though I didn't lose weight it was worth it to me to feel better for me and my family. I highly recommend it! Good luck and God Bless! L.

I have been taking it since May. I haven't had any weight gain or loss while taking it. It took about four weeks to fully feel like my old self, but I started feeling a lot better after about two weeks. Hope you have good results. Just remember to take it without skipping any. That is when you will feel a difference. I can really tell if I haven't had mine.

I took Lexapro for about a year, and the only side effect I saw, was a decreased sex drive. My dr. told me to start taking it at night, to see if that helped. It did a little. I liked being on it. We started to try and have kids so I stopped taking it and haven't had the need to take it since. We where going through a very rough time with my husband and his ex and kids.

All is better now!

I have been taking Lexapro for about 4 years now. I took between 1 and 2 weeks for me to get the full effect of it. I had to switch to zoloft, which hasnt worked near as well as lexapro, when I got pregnant but as far as side effects go, I never gained or lost any weight but it did make it very hard for me to cry. Like something could upset me and I would want to cry but for some reason tears just would NOT come out. That was really the only thing I ever experienced though. It helped me out a lot. And as far as mixing with alcohol, you get drunk faster so just watch out!! :)

A.,
I take it. I have not had any side effects. As for weight.. I have lost some.(thank GOD) I dont know if the weight loss is from that or just watching what i eat and walking everyday. Everyone is different with results. My husband noticed it durning my second week. Just make sure you take it everyday in the morning about the same time. If you drink just make sure you limit it. I dont drink, but my mother in law does and she is fine. It just tells you to watch your limit. NEVER take your meds and then start drinking. Hope this helps.

Yes, I do and it works just fine for me. The other hardcore stuff just did not work for me...I felt like a zombie, I told the doctor and they suggested Lexapro. I don't notice and side effects at all. As far as with alcohol, I drink wine and no problem. Hope I have helped!

Hi A., I took Lexapro for a while, but when I wasn't taking it correctly and when I tried to get off of it, I had brain zaps, litterally, it felt like I had electric shocks in my brain. It has to do with the currents in your brain misfiring. Scared me to death! But, my mom's on it and likes it. As for Alcohol, you're not supposed to drink because it will damage your liver and it made my symptoms worse. My mother's obsessive about her weight and she says it makes you eat. Hopefully you'll have better results.

It took me about 4 weeks to see positive results from taking Lexapro. But when I did, it was amazing!!!
This summer I switched to a differnt antidepressant (trazodone) since I was having lots of trouble sleeping. Long story short, I got extremely, extremely depressed, thinking about death and horrible things all the time, I couldn't even enjoy my little 2 year old son... anyway, what i realized was that coming OFF of Lexapro is not something you should do cold turkey! Just remember that if a time comes when you are feeling a lot better.. you need to wean yourself off very very slowly. I was only taking 5mg which is the lowest dose, and I still had severe depressive symptoms while going off of it.
I took the generic (citalopram) for a year, and it was much cheaper, but I noticed side effects of restless legs (so much that it kept me up almost every night)... and those side effects have gone down a lot since going back to the Lexapro.

Good morning A.! I take Lexapro and have come to love it. I too experience decreased sex drive. Within 4 months of being on it, I became pregnant. My doctor has kept me on the Lexapro (what a blessing). I had postpartum depression with my first child (which went untreated for over a year) and with the stresses of everyday life, just needed additional help. I noticed immediately feeling on cloud 9. But then I felt like I leveled off after 4-6 weeks and wasn't feeling that cloud 9 feeling anymore. My OBGYN prescribed the medicine and didn't want to increase me just yet. I didn't want to go to a psychiatrist, so I started working within myself to understand what triggers my stress. Making some adjustments in organization and preparation have really helped me. It's funny though, if your depression is off kilter, then all the energy for preparation goes right out the window! DO take it everyday at the same time. I'm horrible about remembering and it causes such a roller coaster affect if you don't. I haven't noticed weight gain (in the amount of time I was on it before I got pregnant). Of course, now all I want to do is eat...but I think that's the pregnancy talking. Before I was pregnant, I drink on occasion and didn't notice any side effects. I like Lexapro because it just makes me feel normal. I don't feel void of emotions or on edge...just normal. I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have. I wish you all the best.

Warm regards,
D.

I was on it for a year. Definitely lost weight and lost sex drive. I was on bc at the time, so the sex drive thing could have been due to that.

I will say something I didn't see in the posts that I read- I had horrible withdrawals from it when I decided to stop. It took over two months to wean myself off of it. My doc kept saying that it doesn't happen- esp. with Lexapro. I was telling him it was happening to me. He tried to make light of it- it was not a light situation. It was like I had the flu. I tried to go cold turkey initially- made it a whole week, with no let up of flu-like symptoms. My husband kept telling me it was the lack of Lexapro and I disagreed and said I could get through it. He finally forced me to take one and all the sick went away. It was definitely a chemical addiction. I did research online for it and found that, albeit rare, it does happen with some people. Unfortunately I was one of those people. Just keep that in mind.

As far as mixing with alcohol, I can't remember. I'm quite sure I had some to drink and I don't remember any bad effects.

It took just 10 days to see results for me- like night and day. I was very happy when on it- a different person. Looking back, I just should not have gone off of it. Then I wouldn't have had the withdrawals and I'd still be happy and motivated.

I was on lexapro for a couple years and I liked it alot. If anything I'd say weight loss is what I had from it and also a marked decrease in sex drive. I drank socially while on it and that never seemed to effect the drug. I'd say it took a couple weeks to kick in all the way. Good luck. Personal Message me if you need some info on docotrs (psychiatric) or other medication questions. I had a horrible post partum depression after my first child and I tried a lot of things before I started to fell better.

I have been taking it for 4 years and it has a side effect of increased appetite, which has affected me. So, I guess you could say it might cause weight gain, but indirectly. For me that is the only side effect and the benefits far outweigh that side effect for me. It has really helped with my PMS headaches and depression/anxiety. You should give it a good 4-6 weeks to get the full benefits... although I noticed benefits within a few days. I take 20mg at night because it does make me a bit drowsy. Also, I do drink occasionally and have found no ill effects, but of course I always make sure I have plenty of time for the alcohol to digest before I take any of my medications, especially the Lexapro. Good Luck.
A. K.

I've been taking the stuff for years. I have gained weight but this is with my other hormonal problems and I think that's what it is mainly from. This medication has helped a lot and it only took about 2 weeks to see some results.

As for the alcohol - well, I don't really drink so I don't know.

HTH!

I was on lexapro for anxiety and it was the best as far as side effects. I am super sensitive to medications and the only thing I really had was if I didn't take it consistently (if I took it one morning and then didn't take it again until after lunch the next day) I would find myself in a mild anxiety attack. I don't drink so I can't help you on that one. The first few weeks sometimes my anxiety would get a little more edgy but less frequent. I know eating well really helps with this medication it really turns off that voice that constantly worries without making you feel like you are stuck inside yourself. Hope this helps and it works for you.

I take Lexapro and it is weight friendly. I have not gained any weight and have been on it for about 5 months. I really like it. I take 20 mg/day. I've had no side effects. I don't drink much, but when I do I have no effects with the Lexapro. Good luck and hope you do well.

I took it for a week. it made me lethargic. I had to concentrate on concentrating to hold a complete thought...so got off that one really fast.

You shouldn't mix alcohol with ANY anti depressant. kinda defeats the purpose...

Good Luck to you.

A., I am taking Lexapro and have been for a while. It has worked well with no side effects, really. I see the results within 2 days usually. I would recommend it.

YES!! I have been on Lexapro for over 5 years now. I have had no side effects whatsoever. I take mine in the morning. It took about 6 weeks for me to see results, but those close to me could tell a difference sooner than that. I will say this--I tried several other medications that other people do well on (no side effects) prior to the Lexapro and was not successful with those. I'm not sure if this is your first go with anti-depressants or not, but if it is, give it a chance and don't be afraid to tell your doctor how things are going. He may want to switch you to another.

I'm not sure about consuming alcohol while on Lexapro. I do drink on occasion and get drunk pretty easily, but that may be just because I'm a "light-weight"!! :)

BTW, Lexapro does not have a generic--I've been paying big bucks for awhile now. I asked my doctor if there was something very similar that I could take instead that would be cheaper, and he switched me to citalopram. I think it's the generic of something similar to Lexapro. I haven't started taking it yet. If it works out, my cost will be going from $200 for a 3-month supply to $11.90 for a 3-month supply!!!! Yes, eleven dollars and ninety cents for 3 months. Hello?!?! I'd be rich if I'd known this sooner!

Good luck to you, and please PM anytime if you need any more info.!!!!

took it twice in a 5 yr span. I took it to get over the humps in life. Longest i took it was for 6 months at a time.
the change was immediate. I felt stoned the first couple of weeks, then more calm and collected with time. I stopped taking it because calm and collected was turning me into a zombie. It numbed my whole being.
effects Weight loss..(that was nice) NO sex drive (not nice).
I hope i don't need any of this junk in the future, but you never know what life will throw you.

My husband takes it. No weight gain, no weight loss. But, don't drink alcohol with it because it will cancel out the reason you are taking it. You will see a difference in a few weeks. It takes time to build up.

Weight loss for me...I am a beer drinker - so problems with that - However I do not recommend drinking wine or hard alcohol, the effects were crazy for me. Allow about 5-7 days to notice the effects of the med's. Good luck!!!

I took it for about a month, but it kept me so sleepy. I switched to Wellbutrin and have had much better luck with not feeling so tired. Each body reacts different though!

I did lose my sex drive too.

GL!

Did you not get a writeup from the pharmacy with all that information? You can look online at the Physician's Desk Reference and there's information there as well..As a rule you should not drink alcohol with ANY prescription medicine. Some of these newer drugs have not been on the market long enough to see the problems that arise when the drug goes to retail and the general public uses it. The clinical trials are strictly controlled and they won't know the real effects for decades.....

Hi A.,

I've been taking Lexapro for about 4 years. It has worked really well for me. I take it for anxiety. I have gained about 7-8 lbs. during this time, which my doctor said is common. I have been able to cut down from 10mg to 5mg over the past year. I haven't drank alcohol with this at all.

It takes 2-3 weeks to see results. When I take 10mg, I notice I am very sleepy during the afternoons. Best wishes to you. Hang in there, things will improve.

I took Lexapro for about a year. I loved the way I felt on it, but I gained 15 pounds in that year and had a decrease in sex drive. I tried it again a while later, but immediately started gaining weight so I switched to another drug. I never have found on that worked as well as the Lexapro, so I've got off them completely.

I never had a problem mixing it with alcohol, and I'm a lightweight :)