# How Does Cipralex Affect it's Users?



## toughcookie (Jul 21, 2010)

Hi! I've been on Cipralex for several months now but I'm so freakin tired all of the time! I always want to sleep, I can't get to sleep at a reasonable time at night but am so exhaused in the morning and feel like a zombie all day. A lot of the time I feel zoned out, and my memory is terrible. I often seem like a total ditz! Has anyone else experienced this? I think I have to get off this drug. I didn't realize how bad it was affecting me until the last few days :um


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## alex999 (Oct 21, 2008)

Sounds like you may need to try a different drug. I'm on Lexapro, which is basically Cirpalex (Escitalopram) and I don't feel like that. It has almost eliminated my depression. However, it has only minimaly helped my anxiety issues. But all drugs affect everyone differently. What works for one may not work for another.


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## ottawan (Jul 8, 2010)

I've been on Cipralex for 3 weeks and have incredible insomnia which makes me feel tired and like a zombie all day...then come night, I can't sleep for more than 1 or 2 hours at a time...I hope this wears off soon


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## toughcookie (Jul 21, 2010)

ottawan said:


> I've been on Cipralex for 3 weeks and have incredible insomnia which makes me feel tired and like a zombie all day...then come night, I can't sleep for more than 1 or 2 hours at a time...I hope this wears off soon


If you still feel this way after about another 3 or so weeks, I would probably discuss other options with the doctor because it will really mess you up. Good luck and I hope the bad effects wear off soon!


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Never did like this drug, never helped nor hurt me. I prefer Paxil.


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## rustybob (Nov 19, 2009)

toughcookie said:


> Hi! I've been on Cipralex for several months now but I'm so freakin tired all of the time! I always want to sleep, I can't get to sleep at a reasonable time at night but am so exhaused in the morning and feel like a zombie all day. A lot of the time I feel zoned out, and my memory is terrible. I often seem like a total ditz! Has anyone else experienced this? I think I have to get off this drug. I didn't realize how bad it was affecting me until the last few days :um


This is pretty much my exact experience with SSRIs. I was sleeping like 12 hours a day, had a hard time sleeping, was ridiculously fatigued, was generally more amxious, put on weight....

Lots of people hate it, but Remeron has been a wonder drug for me. My sleep is normal, my anxiety significantly reduced, depression kept at bay, I've dropped 60lbs this year, and my apathy is completely gone. Anhedonia still happens every once in a while. Between Remeron and Wellbutrin I basically have zero side effects.


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## Lainee (Aug 10, 2010)

i've been on cipralex for approx 20 weeks, dosed at 50mg /day. 
I don't find it making a noticable difference in my day to day life, but the ultimate test will be going to college in september.
one thing i did notice, was if i didn't take my meds for 24-48 hrs, I would suffer sickening, terrible migraines. (it oddly enough helps me remember to take my pills.) |


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## HannahMerlini (May 6, 2013)

I've only been on cipralex for about a week and the only side effects I've had was that it kept me up all night I would only sleep 3 hours throughout the whole night! It also made me shaky. But now I don't know if I should continue with it still. I take it in the morning now so I can actually sleep at night but i don't know if it's helping or making it worse. It's hard to explain how it's making me feel. I'm confused on the feelings I have since I've taken it.


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## flopjzm (May 6, 2013)

It has almost eliminated my depression.


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## Burnaby (Feb 13, 2013)

i was on cipralex for 6 years. The insomnia side effects will subside after a few months. Overall it was one of the better drugs for me. Side effects were it would take me way longer during sex to have an orgasm which was frustrating. This is a drug that allowed me to start going out again, start dating a lot at the time, go out to places i had not gone for a long time (parties, get togethers, bars) and i even accepted a job overseas and moved. I owe alot to this drug however i feel that after taking for a while it wasn't really working anymore and i became very careless and unmotivated about my life. so i went off of it a few months back , spent hundreds of dollars on doing blood tests, thyroids tests , seeing a homeopath and a thousand dollars just for all different naturopathy herbs and didn't find anything that worked for more than a few days and then pooped out (i.e. 5htp was amazing first few days! so was lithium orate). Anyhow, i think it took me about 3 weeks to feel the ciprlaxes and it takes about 5 weeks to fully kick in so if you can try to stick it out. Cipralex (lexapro) did give me a few good years but the motivation part wasn't there at the end so i pretty much became a careless zombie. We are all different, i know people who are very satisfied with it and on it for a while , best is to not give up and try it for a 5 or 6 weeks so you know for sure if its for you or not, for some people the switch is turned on suddenly in week 5!

Just for those who are curious i went to wellbutrin recently for 4 weeks but I had massive panic attacks the last week to the point i thought my heart was jumping out, pdoc switched me to zoloft. Now i'm on my 3rd day of zoloft so lets see if its more stimulating and motivating than the other ssri's i've been on. I also take 150 mg of lamictal which helps with the lows and highs and noticed less anger since i've been taking it.

best of luck with cipralex, give it sometime for it to fully kick in and the side effects will mostly go away, everyone experiences something different long term.


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## Getting Better (May 9, 2013)

Hello everyone,

I am new here and would like to share my experience.

I was on Zoloft for depression, OCD and generalized anxiety disorder for about 14 years and the Zoloft worked very well. Recently, I was laid off from my job and consequently - and not surprising - my depression got worse.

My doctor in his infinite wisdom insisted that I stop taking Zoloft and start taking Cipralex. Ever since I've been feeling "dead". I stay up all night but finally feel tired enough to go to bed around 7am. I sleep all day until about 3pm but when I wake, I feel exhausted. I feel like a half ton weight is above me pushing me down. Brutal. I then have "breakfast" while watching TV and an hour later I snooze on the couch for a couple of hours. This is not living.

The wise old doc should never have taken me off Zoloft. At my next appointment, I'm going to insist being put back on Zoloft.

Good luck all.


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## swim (Apr 4, 2011)

Lainee said:


> i've been on cipralex for approx 20 weeks, dosed at 50mg /day.


it's a huge dose, do you take it for OCD?


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## Konami (Jul 5, 2011)

It has eliminated my depression and anxiety. i am on 20mg. great SSRI.


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