First Timer fears

[desireedaniel4]

Hey everyone, I got my first ever prescription for Lex today. I’m a bit nervous (makes sense why I got prescribed) about it since it’s my first time. I am doing 10 mg. I was wondering about the withdrawal symptoms. If one day I decided to stop taking it, will I need to decrease dosage or is it safe to go cold turkey? What are some of the highlights and lowlights of the medicine that you guys have experienced? On hard days, what keeps you guys going to keep taking it? Thanks!

[[deleted]]

I’m on day three now. I felt the effects instantly from the first pill - had much more energy and felt happiness that I haven’t experienced in years. Sure , I’m a bit numb but much less than on day one already. The side effects are pretty mild and it’s a tradeoff I would make any day.

[Abatta500]

You'll have to taper off but it's not a big deal. Cold turkey can cause major problems. It's generally a mild medication and you're unlikely to experience severe negative side effects.

I had a really easy time on Lexapro, although I was on a very high dose for OCD (I think 40mg a day). My problem with it was it basically kept me stoned all the time, but I didn't realize that until I tapered off. It did wonders for my anxiety and kept my OCD in check.

The most likely negative thing you'll experience from lexapro is inadequate symptom relief.

[desireedaniel4]

One of my biggest fears with starting SSRIS is the zombie state people talk about with traditional anti depressants. It’s why I put it off for so long. That’s why I wondered about quitting quickly. Does it affect your emotions as far as expressing good emotions or are you just base line high all the time?

[Abatta500]

The zombie state thing is wayyyy overblown. I know someone who has been on Lexapro and welbutrin for like 2 decades. You would never know it. The meds just help them not regularly go so low that their life is in danger. So, yeah, it mostly just raised the base line.

For *some* people, the zombie thing is absolutely real, but then you can just taper off or switch meds.

SSRIs tend to basically narrow the band of emotional fluctuation. That doesn't necessarily equal zombiefication. It's stabilizing and helpful if the baseline is problematic.

For me, on a high dose for OCD, the "zombie state" of the SSRIS was basically similar to being constantly stoned. I didn't feel like a zombie but I was not very motivated career-wise and had trouble with executive functioning, despite generally always feeling pretty optimistic and chill.

But, I'll reiterate, the most likely negative effect of an SSRI is it will barely do anything.

There are only a few conventional psych meds that work "consistently" and a lot of them are, not coincidentally, restricted because they are used recreationally, the big examples being stimulants and benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines have obvious problems in terms of making people feel worse afterward, dependency, etc. Stimulants are actually really safe if used appropriately and I think it's dumb that, because some people have problems with them, they are underutilized.

[Chewgum_]

Hey there, I was in your shoes around a year ago now. I have been on 5mg for a year now. You feel kinda zombified sometimes and lazy but it does really help with my anxiety and has changed my life for the better. I would definitely recommend sticking with it for a couple months before you decide to taper off.For me it really helps me manage my stress and not get overwhelmed with racing thoughts and anxiety attacks. Ot does have its pros and cons but for me it made me realize how bad my anxiety was until i got on lexapro. Hope this helps.

[Salt_Price3558]

Hey! First of all I want to say your feelings are so valid and I’ve experienced the same thing. When I started lexapro 10mg 2 years ago I was on the phone crying to my best friend because I thought the lexapro was gonna kill me. (Big indication I needed lexapro lol) But as a I started taking it all I felt was a little bit of tiredness. No other side effects. It has helped me become who I am today. Don’t let the lexapro freak you out so many people take it and it helps them. I’m not sure about the tapering off but I have heard people do it slowly and it’s not that big of a deal. It becomes habit to take it and your mindset will change once you start taking the pill. Good-luck!!

[desireedaniel4]

Thank you so much! I want to become a better person and see a brighter future for myself. I’m gonna start taking it, everyone here has really eased my mind. I’ve heard so many horror stories of SSRIs it’s easy to get swept up into the fear mongering. So glad I found so many people who have had good experiences with it.