7 weeks on Lexapro and I feel like I can breathe again.
I originally posted this as a comment on another post but I figured it would be good to share it here too :)
Hi! 21F here, just over 7 weeks on Lexapro. Years ago, I stopped taking birth control because I hated how it made me feel, so I was very nervous about Lex. I had also been prescribed an antidepressant years ago which I stopped taking because it made me feel emotionless. I am a certified paranoid scaredy cat when it comes to adding a new medicine to my routine.
When I first started Lexapro, I saw a bunch of scary stuff on TikTok about it, took the pill for two days, got scared and stopped taking it. I was also taking it in the middle of the day, and the side effects felt very strong. I got bad headaches, and was really struggling with the nausea/lack of appetite. I put it off for about three weeks out of nerves.
I tried again three weeks later, but I decided to switch to taking it right before bed. I’m talking, whether I go to bed at 10pm or 3am, I leave the bottle on my nightstand and I would take it right when I was tucking myself in for the night. I know a lot of people will have a lot to say about not being consistent about the time you take the pill, but I’m glad I did that because it allowed me to get started. My side effects were MUCH less noticeable after that.
At first I didn’t notice the change, until my doctor asked specifically about my anxiety. In just under a month, I realized I no longer felt that sense of impending doom. Little by little my social and academic anxiety have tapered off. Of course, I still feel stressed when a big deadline is near or when a big issue comes, but it’s manageable now. I feel like a huge invisible weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
A big problem for me was the feeling that everyone hated me and that my friends didn’t actually like me. Honestly, Lex has helped so much with that. For example, two months ago if my friends hung out and I didn’t get an invite, it would ruin my night, maybe even my weekend. I’d spend all of my time worrying about what I could have done to make them hate me, or how I could make them like me again.
Now, things might still sting at first, but I don’t dwell on them. I look at things more objectively, and can make peace with the fact that, if I’m not invited, I likely wouldn’t want to be there anyway. It also made me think about who my true friends are, and has helped me reflect and stop craving attention from people who’s opinion I don’t truly value. I’ve found myself posting a lot less on social media because I don’t feel the need to, and I enjoy my time alone a lot more now. Even so, my real friendships feel much stronger now, since I feel like I gained a deeper appreciation for them.
I also have felt much better about my academic anxiety. I still stress over projects, of course, but Sunday deadlines used to ruin my entire week. Now, I just spent my finals week on vacation (due to my less than stellar planning) and was able to get my work done while still enjoying my trip to the fullest.
As for side effects, I would say I mostly only felt them when I first started and was taking it during the morning. I never had any issues with insomnia, and I do think that the libido one mellows out. I did have some problems reaching ‘completion’ at first, but that hasn’t been an issue recently. I haven’t gained or lost any weight outside of the 5lbs my body has always fluctuated around, but I’ve always been fairly thin and very short, I also have an annoying digestive system, so that could be keeping the Lex from affecting my weight at all. I’m also on a small dose (5mg nightly) but as a smaller person I don’t know how much of a difference that makes.
Honestly, I feel like Lex saved me. I’m not a regular reddit poster, I’m more of a silent watcher, but I remember being so scared of starting a drug that would do more harm than good. Now, I know everyone’s experience is different, but if my experience could possibly help you start something that could improve your quality of life as much as it has mine, then it’s worth it. I truly hope this gave you some insight :)