# Lexapro not working



## KerrbearStare (Apr 13, 2006)

I have social anxiety and depression. I have been on 10mg of lexapro for about 3 weeks and it doesn't seem to be working. I felt like it helped a little in the beginning and now I just feel tired and depressed. Should I stick with it and see if it improves or up the dose? Also is there an anti depressant that doesn't make you tired? Also heard that some cause acne (I am prone to it) so which ones don't effect that? Can deal with it if I find a good med but just curious. Thanks. :hide


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## arthur56 (Jul 31, 2005)

be patient as it can take 6 weeks or more, consider upping the dose to 15 by splitting a tablet
take just before bed for thew tiredness
lexapro is one of many prozac type meds


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

I've personally never heard of any antidepressant drug causing acne and I've regularly been reading anxiety forums for the last 6 years, so if this was a common problem I'm sure I'd have heard many a complaint about it by now. I don't think that's an issue you need to worry about.

As for drowsiness, that's a strange thing about ADs. The same pill can make some patients tired, while causing insomnia in others -- you'd logically think it should only go one way or the other in everyone, but I guess this just proves that everyone is different and med response is a very individual thing.

10 mg is a low dose and 3 weeks is a short time. Unless the side effects are so severe that you can't tolerate it, I'd say keep at it for a number of weeks longer and raise the dose if you can handle it. The drowsiness may go away once you get more used to it, hopefully.

It's quite possible that Lexapro will never work for you (didn't work for me), but you'll never know for sure unless you give it more time and a higher dose. If the side effects are truely intolerable, then you have no choice but to stop. I had to stop imipramine after 28 days because I could no longer tolerate the urinary retention -- I'd literally stand in the bathroom for 15 minutes praying to pee and even then sometimes I'd have to give up and try again later. That was just too much even for me to take.


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## wolvie (Jul 3, 2005)

I wonder why they put you on such a low dose. I started on 10mg for a week, then upgraded to 20mg. It took me over a month before I really felt it working. If I miss a day, I realize how much it's actually helping me. Yes, I got tired from it too. Adjust the time of day that you're taking it so you're tired when trying to go to sleep. Don't stop taking it.. stick with it at least until you get a chance to visit your doctor.


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## persistent1 (Dec 18, 2004)

KerrbearStare said:


> I have social anxiety and depression. I have been on 10mg of lexapro for about 3 weeks and it doesn't seem to be working. I felt like it helped a little in the beginning and now I just feel tired and depressed. Should I stick with it and see if it improves or up the dose? Also is there an anti depressant that doesn't make you tired? Also heard that some cause acne (I am prone to it) so which ones don't effect that? Can deal with it if I find a good med but just curious. Thanks. :hide


I have been taking Lexapro for about 7 weeks now and I must say it is working pretty well for my general anxiety and a little for my social anxiety. I use Ativan 1mg when I go to church or a family gathering and I am really calm and more social! I have heard lately that more doctors are adding wellbutrin to Lexapro and Paxil to combat the fatigue and the sexual side effects. If this doesnt make you more anxious it might work for you?


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

wolvie said:


> I wonder why they put you on such a low dose.


10mg is a very standard dose. Some people respond to as little as 5 mg.


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## christeeners (Mar 25, 2006)

i have been on lexapro for about the same time you have and haven't really felt any effects besides fatigue. my sister has been noticing that i have been more stable as far as my depression goes but i don't seem to feel any more different. i still feel extremely anxious in social situations so i'm just waiting it out till i see my doctor (next week) to tell him it doesnt work. good luck to you


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## readytoliveagain (Apr 17, 2006)

I have been on Lexapro for 6 days now and have felt a lot of fatigue.

I found that coffee helps a lot with the fatigue but causes me to be more jittery than usual.

Is it ok to drink coffee while on Lexapro. I am also on Klonapin(sp?)

also, the effect the drugs have done are amazing so far.  It isnt night and day but before taking the drugs I felt a lot of preasure on everything I do in life. Now it is all managable and I care less about what people think of me and I am able to handle stressful situations a lot better.


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

I started taking 10mg of Lexapro on March 1st and continued for about two months. The only thing I experienced was a sudden euphoria whenever I took the pill, and then a gradual sink back down into depression. Even that eventually wore off. It didn't help with my SA. My psych upped the dose to 20mg at my last appointment (April 20th), and it hasn't seemed to do anything yet. He also put me on Xanax XR for my insomnia and anxiety. It's not working quite as well as I'd like, but it's better than nothing, I suppose. Hopefully he'll switch me to another AD at my next appointment, as well as to another benzo.


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## christiem (Mar 1, 2006)

My dr started me on low doses of any of my SSRIs, he said because he didn't want me to experience the worsening effects from too high a dose right off the bat.

On the other note, lexapro did crap for me. Even after weeks I felt like a zombie. I think I was even more depressed on it. I would suggest, like others have to give it a little longer, but then perhaps ask to switch and try something else. Everything works differently for all of us.

Good luck :squeeze ...christie 

ps I have never come across acne as a side effect either. If anything, when my meds work and my anxiety decreases, I get let stress breakouts.


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