Stress Center Peer Support

Hey everyone I have been taking Lexapro (20 mg) for about 4 years and I have been absolutely great. Recently though (about 2 months now) I was hit with anxiety and it just feels that no matter when I take my Lexapro, I feel terrible. Im dizzy(of balance), I feel my heart racing, fearful, lethargic, and its as if the anxiety came back and the Lexapro just stopped working all of a sudden.

Is this the famous "poop-out"?

I am vey happy with my psychiatrist, been seeing him for years. And he never prescribes meds until I am ready to take them. He supports the program and when I told him about this situation he said he wanted to wait another two months before deciding whether or not he should increment my Lexapro dose or change the drug completely. Which I like cause he doesnt automatically look to drug the hell out of me. Anyway its been about a month, and I see him next week so I am wondering if I should change my drug or increment the does.

Has anyone gone through this before?

Also I have to note that I was playing with this pill alot. I stopped taking it for like a week, then remembered, would go a couple of days and then remember. Would take it in the moring, afternoon, midnight. All weird times. My psych told me that could be the cause if this episode, but I have disciplined with it for about a month and a half now and I feel absolutely no change. Is it possible to become immune to the effects of the drug?

Also I was eating alot of grapefruit as I was dropping weight for a competition and I realized only recently that grapfruit shouldnt be eaten while taking SSRI's or so I heard. Can that be an issue too?

Yeah I have alot of issues going on, lol.

Oh yeah I have th program and done it twice with great results, but still need the Lex to keep me under control. And I dont mind taking meds if its going to make me better and calm me down enough to implement my skills from the program.

Sorry I am not sure. I am new to all this and I just started taking Lexapro and Wednesday. I woke up today very nauseous. I am nervous about taking it. Did you really feel better and how long did it take to make you feel better? Sorry I should be helping you instead I am asking for your help?

Hey ThaiBoxer,

I was on Lexapro for about 3 and a half years (10 mg) and was doing fairly well for the most part. Never had any big side effects other than - dry mouth and my over-all my panic attacks were gone.

Then around Aug 07, my situation sounded alot like yours. My anxiety came back out of no-where, I got terrible headaches and my mouth was so dry I couldn't stop drinking water. My doctor mentioned to try taking 20 mg and thought the dry mouth was unrelated. In the end all the side effects became much worse so I wound up stopping Lexapro.

I believe in some people it does stop working. Maybe our bodies get immuned to it or something, but just like your case - it was working just fine and then out of no-where (when even my life became better as a whole) I got terrible panic attacks, crazy headaches and very dizzy and fearful!

In regards to the grapefruit I did hear the same thing, but if you've been eating that for a few years and all of a sudden experienced these side effects, I think it's Lexapro as a whole and not working like it used too.

I wish I had some powerful/encouraging words for you but unfornately I'm still battling anxiety as a whole - but I can relate to your situation.

Fill us in on what happens - or if you switch meds and find something else that works!

I don't mean to scare anyone but Lexapro is a serious medication that effects the way your brain functions. My opinion is that it should only be use over a short term (4 months or less) otherwise it can be very difficult to ever stop using it. Don’t get me wrong, it can be very helpful when dealing with acute anxiety disorders but it’s imperative that you use that “medicated time” to complete CBT training, research your condition and learn to deal with the realities of life on your own. Otherwise the medication can become like a crutch and you’ll eventually wind up right back where you started. We all need to break free of anxiety and move forward under our own power. That’s where CBT comes into play.

I started taking Lexapro in November (10mg/day) but after researching it on the internet I became very concerned about the long term use of it (6 months or longer).
So I have managed to wean myself down to 1/2 dose already and after this month down to 1/4 for another month. So far I feel fine. I just noticed that I feel more like my old self again but without undue amounts of anxiety. Now when I start to getting worried or having negative thought, I just kick in my new CBT training and deal with the issues right then and there.
If at all possible, try to learn the new skills to deal with everyday life without medication. But if you need it, it’s ok for now. Just keep working towards the time when you can get off it.
Remember, you might be taking it long after you actually need it. So give yourself a chance to face life without it at some point.
Be sure to wean off VERY slowly. That way if you ‘seriously’ feel your not ready yet, you can go back up a notch. Kind of like never getting very far from safety.