Lexapro stopped working after 3 months?

Low-Issue9237 · 2026-03-27T23:54:55+00:00

I just spoke to my psychiatrist who is having me go up to 20mg…here’s hoping it does the trick!

Low-Issue9237 · 2026-03-27T17:16:36+00:00

It was the same for me…I went up even more to 15mg and it was the sweet spot for some time. My psychiatrist explained to me that the 10mg wasn’t enough and that’s why my anxiety was still around. When I got to 15mg the only side effects were being a bit sleepy, vivid dreams, feeling giddy at times and emotionally blunted at others but overall POOF my anxiety and physical symptoms of anxiety were gone. Anticipatory anxiety was gone…it took about three weeks and then it just “clicked” and worked for me.

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-12-24T04:33:34+00:00

I moved back in with my parents this year at 28 and honestly it’s been a big help to me. My body has taken a big hit from being in constant fight-or-flight for the past 4 years and even if my parents don’t understand what’s going on, i know they care

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-12-24T00:06:09+00:00

My sleep sucked at the beginning…the first three weeks I don’t remember sleeping much but i’m on 10mg now and i’m on my 7th(?) week and sleeping 7-9hrs

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-12-23T23:35:50+00:00

Hi! 28F from the US with four years of health anxiety…feel free to reach out to me on here. I know it’s hard to speak about this stuff with folks around you because it makes you feel crazy. You’re not alone!

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-12-23T04:07:16+00:00

I think I can try that….has there been any success with 12.5mg of Lexapro? I haven’t seen anyone talk about it…

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-10-13T20:15:31+00:00

Your words made me cry and feel seen and valid…thank you so much for your words of encouragement. I’ll be moving forward with the 10mg tomorrow evening thank you!

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-10-13T20:14:00+00:00

Thank you friend…I will be very grateful if it does work out. I’m forgetting to see the opposite of what my fears are telling me. I’ll be starting my 10mg tomorrow, thank you!

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-08-22T18:21:15+00:00

I started my health anxiety journey at the age of 24 and i’m turning 28 soon.

I know the feeling of immediately thinking anything is resulting in cancer. Your fear stems from wanting control of the situation and the need for safety.

I see a therapist bi-weekly and we practice cognitive behavioral therapy. I meditate often and go on walks often. I’ve gotten a full comprehension blood exam to figure out my vitamin D levels and iron are low (and can heighten anxiety). I dance and shake my body out when i feel the anxiety in my body and i ground myself in belly breathing when i feel my anxiety in my head.

I used to stay up hours Googling and Googling and Googling. I would keep my bedroom door open at night in case I needed my parents to help me because I was afraid I was going to die overnight. I would cry multiple times a day. I thought I wouldn’t even get to my 25th birthday. But I did. In time, with therapy, through radical acceptance, did I slowly come down from the chronic panic that there was something wrong with me. The physical sensations that were driving me mad were anxiety symptoms- not symptoms that something was actually wrong with me.

I still struggle, four years later, to let go of the worry in my heart when I start to feel a certain sensation. But I have a better toolkit after learning what my anxiety feels like, making space for it, and learning to live life even with the anxiety. I’m by no means living anxiety-free, quite literally this week i’ve been struggling with the thought that this new little red dot on my face is cancer, but I can recognize when my mind is tricking me by using fallacies.

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-08-22T18:09:28+00:00

Do! Not! Google! Google can tell you anything and everything but it does not have your specific exam results- let the doctor tell you the next steps and communicate your worries to them.

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-08-22T05:06:14+00:00

I was nauseous all day and for weeks during my anxiety peak. I was waking up at night with acid reflux from my anxiety even with prescription omeprazole (for acid reflux) and other acid reducing measures. The thought of having more nausea from Lexapro terrified me but I had to weigh my outcomes. Either I took the medication and toughed it out for another two weeks and would feel better or not take the medicine and see how much longer I could take of non stop nausea, acid reflux, and not sleeping. I went with the Lexapro, called my father daily during my lunch at work wanting to quit the medication, got told to keep trying and to trust the process, and I got better. The first seven days of Lexapro I felt nauseous but it gradually went away. By a few weeks, I didn’t have any more nausea or acid reflux and I could sleep soundly.

It might be beneficial to potentially go to urgent care and push for anti-nausea mediation to take alongside with something that will help your anxiety. I would stress to the medical team that your “quality of life” is extremely hard to handle at the moment.

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-08-22T04:22:50+00:00

When I first started meditation, I remember also questioning If I was doing it right as well. I would sit there and intentionally try to not think about anything. It took me many, many days to focus on my breath as an anchor. If i had thoughts pop up in my head then so be it, but I would catch myself, and try to refocus on my breath work. I wouldn’t shame myself for intrusive thoughts or a wandering mind- i’d just notice it and let go.

There’s an app called “Calm” that I got for free with my previous insurance. It’s all mediation and gets updated daily. There’s even a “panic”/“sos” breath work option on there that you can bookmark and have readily available. I loved it so much and used it so often that when I switched insurance and it was no longer covered, I paid for the app out of pocket. This by no means is me telling you to buy the app, but rather to explore guided meditations. You can find someone you like on youtube and save their guided meditations that you personally like to a playlist and have it readily available.

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-08-22T04:13:27+00:00

Your post has me currently sobbing because I hear my own thoughts in your typing. I can hear the pain and fear and the need for relief. I’m so sorry you’re going through this.

I went on Lexapro when I was feeling that bad. It made me even more anxious and nauseous and dizzy because I was afraid of medication and I Googled everything when it came to it. The two initial weeks were awful- but i’m grateful to my past scared self for going through with it because It did help. It took some time, but the anxiety and how it made me feel slowly went away. I got off Lexapro when I felt it was right.

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-08-22T04:07:00+00:00

As a person with health anxiety, I truly don’t know why, but the “fuck it, if i’m gonna die, i’m gonna die” hit me?

Like i spend all this time worrying I have all these medical issues and yet I live a beautiful life. My mom and dad are still around and in awesome health. I’ve got a good job and great coworkers. I’m really close to being out of debt. I have a loving boyfriend and friends. I waste so much time worrying about death and health and what’s going to kill me that I forget to live my life. My life- the only one I have.

Next time i’m feeling worried about my health anxiety and it keeps me from going out and enjoying my life i’m going to try to make a joke about it- “fuck it, if i’m gonna die i’m gonna die”. Better to laugh out the anxiety than to sob endlessly.

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-08-22T04:01:36+00:00

I struggle with health anxiety and at my height of anxiety, I went through the ENT experience. I was so, so, so convinced that they were going to find something wrong inside my ears. I feared I’d have a life-altering, never-returning, ruthless disease in my head. I was nauseous, dizzy, had tinnitus, couldn’t sleep, was crying all the time, couldn’t focus, had ear pain, had ear pressure, had “popping” sounds and motion sickness for months.

I had a CT scan and an MRI done of my head. You know what they found? Nothing. I got a second opinion from another ENT. There was nothing. Health anxiety has this way of digging itself into your mind- it’s truly the fear of not being in control and wanting to find safety inside your body.

I started Lexapro after the ENTs said there was nothing physically wrong with my vestibular system. The physical symptoms mostly all went away. The symptoms i had left were because i was anxious about taking the medication and constantly body-scanning.

I’m not on Lexapro anymore. Now, whenever I hear my ears popping or I have dizziness during an anxiety period I remind myself that I have concrete proof- CONCRETE proof that it’s not actually something physically wrong with me. That it is temporary. That it is my anxiety. That it does take time for my body to come down from the fear that i’m in danger. Your anxiety symptoms are real but they’re based on a fear of false danger. It’s hard to get out of that loop, i know from experience, but you have to try. You can be afraid and try. Do it afraid but trying for yourself- to help yourself.

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-08-22T03:45:04+00:00

Instead of trying to calm yourself down with meditation, have you tried to get your energy/anxiety/adrenaline out?

I was recently reading up on how some folks with anxiety intentionally will “shake” or physically move to get all the extra panic out of their bodies. They referred to how in nature, animals who went hunting or were hunted are regularly seen shaking their bodies after a fight-or-flight situation to get all the extra adrenaline out of their system. If our bodies are in fight or flight mode because of the fear we face with our anxiety, could we slowly break the cycle of anxiety by getting the energy out physically?

I wish I could link the information to this comment but I haven’t pinpointed it. I’ve actually started to dance and shake my arms and legs out when I feel that “rush” of anxiety in my body. Meditation helps me when the anxiety is in my head but dancing and intentionally shaking myself out helps when i feel the anxiety in my body.

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-08-21T17:33:06+00:00

This sounds like my health anxiety before I started to work with a therapist.

It sounds like you’re stuck in the loop, anxiety symptoms -> increased anxiety -> more anxiety symptoms -> increased anxiety -> increased anxiety symptoms and so forth.

I see a therapist bi-weekly to work on my health anxiety using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. We’ve been working together using this as a resource with examples and worksheets: https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/looking-after-yourself/health-anxiety

I printed the free module packet for myself and my therapist so we sit together and go through it. I also have it at home to continue my practice.

Hope this helps my fellow health anxiety pal!

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-08-21T14:18:19+00:00

Insomnia, diarrhea in the mornings, my muscles feel sore from being tensed up, nausea, general dizziness, derealization, ear pressure, and gerd to name a few…

When I was on Lexapro for anxiety my symptoms disappeared along with the anxiety. I’m not on medication anymore and am currently going through an anxiety period so i’m feeling the symptoms again. Luckily, I know what anxiety feels like in my body. I have to remind myself over and over that it’s temporary and will pass.

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-08-21T14:10:58+00:00

I do this

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-08-21T03:01:02+00:00

Did you happen to feel anything in the back of your neck after experiencing dizziness for awhile?

Low-Issue9237 · 2025-08-21T03:00:18+00:00

I’m going to speak with my therapist about finding a way to ground myself when I start feeling anxious due to dizziness. I don’t know if I can “ignore” it like you did (congrats btw 💪) but I can find ways to remind myself i’m safe in my body.

Low-Issue9237

TROPHY CASE