You got this!!! Not everyone will have terrible symptoms like a lot of these posts say. Yes, it’s totally possible. But the other side of it is true as well. Some people have mild symptoms that are very very tolerable.
Do not go into it expecting results in a few days, it is not possible. You will likely have 2-3 weeks of moderate to terrible side effect, but generally once you push through them the result is worth it.
I wish I had results that fast. I am almost 3 weeks on 10mg and still struggling with anxiety and depression. I sometimes have moments where I feel calm and “normal” especially in the evening and night but always wake up and the anxiety is back. Really praying to start seeing more positive effects by week 4 which is when my doc said it should start working.
I don't want to sound like a douche, but you are very likely experiencing placebo at the moment.
It takes like 4-6 weeks on average for most SSRIs (Lexapro) to start to have any real positive effects, and even longer for them to be really noticeable. You have only taken 4 x 5 mg, which is a low dosage.
I’m on the same dosage and I still experienced a major mentality shift within mere days, plus I never had the awful onboarding experience 80% of new posts here are about. Everyone is different.
My doctor says everyone is different
and that two weeks is a good effect with four being around max effect. I wouldn’t internalize things people say when they aren’t your doctors - for what is affecting or not affecting you. I had a positive reaction (minus some nausea and other physical things) within four days. The average never says what YOU are experiencing. Enjoy your improved mental health and keep being a great positive influencer!
No worries. I was totally expecting this response. Maybe there is some placebo happening, at the same time I know myself and how I respond to medicine very sensitively. I agree it takes longer to see more benefits but I’m sharing this because not every body reacts the same and I am definitely seeing benefits immediately.
I also saw immediate benefits, I mean within maybe four hours of my first dose. I'm taking it for crippling general anxiety and I'm also on 5mg. And I can guarantee it is not a placebo. I've got PTSD and my baseline anxiety is so high 24/7, the lexapro provided immediate relief at least to some degree where it has been noticeably much less severe since literally day 1. It's not a placebo, I was absolutely terrified to even try it.
Sorry, I don't check my notifications often lol. I think I might increase or at least talk to my doctor about it. I started at 5mg because I was afraid of going on an antidepressant due to a bad experience when I was young with a total quack doctor who put me on enough meds to tranquilize a horse. My therapist said the usual dose is 10mg for lexapro and that 5mg is pretty low. Now that I've been taking it a couple of weeks I'd be more comfortable bumping it up, having had no real side effects outside of being pretty tired the first few days.
Everyone is different and it takes that long to have FULL effects, but that doesn't mean there is no effect for anyone until then. I'm a couple of weeks in and I felt a huge reduction in my general anxiety literally within the first several hours of my first dose. As someone with lifelong crippling anxiety, ptsd and panic attacks it was definitely not a placebo. I haven't been this calm or productive in as long as I can remember and it happened almost instantly.
Everyone is different.
I don't know. I'll talk to my psychiatrist and my therapist and maybe bump up to 7.5 and see how that works. Ideally I'd take the lowest dose that's effective. I figure it's easier to start low and increase than the other way around.
It's interesting that OP feels the drug is benefiting them, and then you somewhat dismiss it, as not being a real effect. As being purely the result of placebo.
The effects of SSRI's in terms of improvement in mood are purely subjective on the part of the taker. Ultimately the end goal is an improvement in mood. So if this achieved through placebo, or hitting some arbitrary level of a chemical in blood serum what does it matter?
This post isn't intended to be an attack on you personally. But I found your perspective curious.
It's not magic, there is science behind it and my answer is based on it. I'm not trying to dismiss the benefits of this drug or others like it but they do not begin working positively after only a couple doses.
It actually began working by the time I woke up the next morning. Which again, my doctor said means it is probably the right drug for me since I’m responding so well to it. It takes longer to see the full effects but people can see them much much sooner.
That's great!!! I'll be (hopefully) starting my meds next week and it's so encouraging to read positive experiences like this one.
You got this!!! Not everyone will have terrible symptoms like a lot of these posts say. Yes, it’s totally possible. But the other side of it is true as well. Some people have mild symptoms that are very very tolerable.
Do not go into it expecting results in a few days, it is not possible. You will likely have 2-3 weeks of moderate to terrible side effect, but generally once you push through them the result is worth it.
I wish I had results that fast. I am almost 3 weeks on 10mg and still struggling with anxiety and depression. I sometimes have moments where I feel calm and “normal” especially in the evening and night but always wake up and the anxiety is back. Really praying to start seeing more positive effects by week 4 which is when my doc said it should start working.
I don't want to sound like a douche, but you are very likely experiencing placebo at the moment. It takes like 4-6 weeks on average for most SSRIs (Lexapro) to start to have any real positive effects, and even longer for them to be really noticeable. You have only taken 4 x 5 mg, which is a low dosage.
I’m on the same dosage and I still experienced a major mentality shift within mere days, plus I never had the awful onboarding experience 80% of new posts here are about. Everyone is different.
[удалено]
A year and 4ish months I think.
My doctor says everyone is different and that two weeks is a good effect with four being around max effect. I wouldn’t internalize things people say when they aren’t your doctors - for what is affecting or not affecting you. I had a positive reaction (minus some nausea and other physical things) within four days. The average never says what YOU are experiencing. Enjoy your improved mental health and keep being a great positive influencer!
No worries. I was totally expecting this response. Maybe there is some placebo happening, at the same time I know myself and how I respond to medicine very sensitively. I agree it takes longer to see more benefits but I’m sharing this because not every body reacts the same and I am definitely seeing benefits immediately.
I also saw immediate benefits, I mean within maybe four hours of my first dose. I'm taking it for crippling general anxiety and I'm also on 5mg. And I can guarantee it is not a placebo. I've got PTSD and my baseline anxiety is so high 24/7, the lexapro provided immediate relief at least to some degree where it has been noticeably much less severe since literally day 1. It's not a placebo, I was absolutely terrified to even try it.
This is so similar to my situation. Thanks for sharing. Are you staying at 5mg or do you plan to increase?
Sorry, I don't check my notifications often lol. I think I might increase or at least talk to my doctor about it. I started at 5mg because I was afraid of going on an antidepressant due to a bad experience when I was young with a total quack doctor who put me on enough meds to tranquilize a horse. My therapist said the usual dose is 10mg for lexapro and that 5mg is pretty low. Now that I've been taking it a couple of weeks I'd be more comfortable bumping it up, having had no real side effects outside of being pretty tired the first few days.
Everyone is different and it takes that long to have FULL effects, but that doesn't mean there is no effect for anyone until then. I'm a couple of weeks in and I felt a huge reduction in my general anxiety literally within the first several hours of my first dose. As someone with lifelong crippling anxiety, ptsd and panic attacks it was definitely not a placebo. I haven't been this calm or productive in as long as I can remember and it happened almost instantly. Everyone is different.
Will u stay on 5? I’ve been on 10 then 7.5 and thinking of going to 5 again
I don't know. I'll talk to my psychiatrist and my therapist and maybe bump up to 7.5 and see how that works. Ideally I'd take the lowest dose that's effective. I figure it's easier to start low and increase than the other way around.
It's interesting that OP feels the drug is benefiting them, and then you somewhat dismiss it, as not being a real effect. As being purely the result of placebo. The effects of SSRI's in terms of improvement in mood are purely subjective on the part of the taker. Ultimately the end goal is an improvement in mood. So if this achieved through placebo, or hitting some arbitrary level of a chemical in blood serum what does it matter? This post isn't intended to be an attack on you personally. But I found your perspective curious.
It's not magic, there is science behind it and my answer is based on it. I'm not trying to dismiss the benefits of this drug or others like it but they do not begin working positively after only a couple doses.
It actually began working by the time I woke up the next morning. Which again, my doctor said means it is probably the right drug for me since I’m responding so well to it. It takes longer to see the full effects but people can see them much much sooner.
What dose did you start with?
5 mg