Dear Ladies,
I started lexapro a week ago because I've been having very weird sensations in my head for the last few months. The 2 neurologists I saw both diagnosed me with psychogenic or anxiety related headaches. These headaches are very strange in nature. They are not your typical headaches. Somedays they resemble tension headaches like someone is squeezing my temples and pressing against the back of my head. Other times I feel spasms ro electrical shock sensation running through my head. Sometimes I just feel giddy and dizzy. Sometimes I feel like there are wires pulling me through the throat and the nose. Anyways these weird sensations has been chronic and occurs every day. I was so terrified and anxious.

I was just wondering whether lexapro will cause tingling in the face and legs and whether these tingling is related to my head stuff. I've written to some of you ladies about this because I also had these weird head episodes last year but went away after 6 months.,

I'm also wondering why my anxiety level is highest during when I wake up since I started lexapro. I have panic attacks every morning now thinking negative thoughts like I have a brain tumour or an aneurysm.
I've also seen a psychiatrist who thinks I have abit of anxiety, depression and OCD thus he agree that I should take lexapro or zoloft if the lexapro give me too many side effects?

Any feed back on my head problems, lexapro, zoloft and thier side effects will be great appreciated. Thanks.

Glor

I tried Zoloft once yrs ago and it made my anxiety worse!.....my anxiety is higher in AM also just many people on this forum.......hopw you find relief soon......

I felt worse for the first week after starting Lexapro. After that, I noticed increasing improvement with each passing week. I then switched to the generic

Celexa (for cost purposes) and I believe it has taken me up even another notch.

Hang in there til you find the one that works for you.

Best wishes,

bev

glor,

Once of the reasons so many people feel anti depressants meds are not for them, is because they can't handle the "adjustment" period. When you first start taking an AD it is VERY common for your anxiety level to go HIGHER. Then it will become less and less until one day you realize you have none.

I did read the scientific explanation for this, but honestly can't remember it exactly....suffice it to say, during the time your brain is being rewired by the drug, you feel an increase in anxiety. BUT IT WILL PASS!!! Usually you need to give it a good two weeks to realize that period to end. Then another two weeks after that before you will actually feel an improvement. Patience is key at the beginning of an AD. Most of what you are describing sounds like estrogen depletion. Some women have a particularly difficult time with brain function during peri meno. Everything you describe sounds like typical symptoms, so unlikely you have anything to worry about. Even worrying about stuff is part of it!!!

Please give yourself a full 4 to 5 weeks on the AD before you declare it a failure. It really does take that long to work.

I could not take Lexapro, it made my anxiety worse. I did not know either that I could not just stop it wither and when I did I was vioently ill for two days so be careful. My sister in law who is a nurse told me that you have to come off it slowly. Be careful it also can make you lose your sex drive. It did on me.

I tried Lexapro and my anxiety went through the roof. I was given my first free pack of 10 mg. on a saturday afternoon at a walk-in clinic and by Sunday night I was a wreck! The NP never told me to start slowly or warn me in any way. She just said take one a day. I had no clue what to ask or really why I had this mysterious anxiety in the first place so I did what she told me to do. Needless to say I quit them the next day. Maybe you can take a smaller dose and work your way up to whatever the doc precribed and see if that doesn't help. AD's do cause worse anxiety at first for many. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

Hi Ladies,
Thanks for all your input. My doctor has been starting 5mg of lexapro each day. He also gave me some tranquilizer to calm my nerves as he said the anxiety might get worse while first starting the AD. He was right, I would wake up every morning with panic attacks. After 10 days I seem to feel abit better although the tingling is still there. I went back to the neurologist and he checked me over and said I was fine. I'll give the lexapro another 2 weeks and see what happens. So far the sensations in my head seems to have died down abit but is still not completely gone. The neurologist also said if I really want I can get a MRI to put peace into my mind although he thinks its really unnecessary. I might just get the MRI once and for all.

Glor

glor,

For the sake of piece of mind it might we worth having the MRI, then at least you will KNOW there is nothing wrong with you other than the joys of perimeno!!

Also go to the main page and read about vitamins to take. It says magnesium can really help with a lot of the peri menopasue problems. It really helped with my internal shakeyness and headaches and it is just a mineral. Check it out.

Hi Glor!

How are you?!!! Long time, no hear! ..lol...listen, i think this IS anxiety, because my son has all the things you described too, in his head. He tried tthe lexapro, and it made him much worse! So, what he does is, he takes xanax for the anxiety part, and it SEEMS to help the headache and other head related symptoms .... he may also take Benedryl with it, to get some help when it's really bad. The only prob. with AD's (which, by the way, they give out like CANDY!), is that you brain has to "adjust" to this stuff ... not a good time! I wouldn't take it, i knwo that much! Iv'e seen to many of my friends on that stuff, and boy, it was not good......then, when they tried to get off it, WATCH OUT!

Look, everyone is different, and for YOU it may work. You can give it a go, and see what happens, but just be careful,...like i said, my son has the same head symptoms you described, and they said, ANXIETY! So, maybe like him, if you can control the anxiety somewhat, which I KNOW ALL TO WELL, is nearly impossible,.....(maybe say, with xanax?) then maybe it'll help the head symptoms!

I hope all is well with you Glor!

Hi Laura,
Thanks for your concern. How old is your son? I have been on lexapro for 2 weeks now and still feeling abit anxious. I'll give it a month before I decide whether to stop it or not. The head sensations seem to have wane abit and is still there but just milder. I am also seeing a psychologist and she told me about this music therapy program which helps for stress and anxiety. I bought a couple of those CDs ( they are medical music
discs so very expensive) and she told me to listen to them for half a hour each day. I'll give it a shot. At least its just listening music and it is relaxing.
I have so much going on in my life right now that I'm totally stressed out.
Hope you are doing well. Keep in touch.

Glor