because I'll take funny any way I can today...

[padawanhilary]

From crazymeds.org: "Lexapro's Freaky Rare Side Effects: Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate) hasn't been on the market long enough for the really freaky side effects to come out.... It's noted that in the clinical trials someone on Lexapro complained that their muscle tone increased. There's no pleasing some people."

Comments

[glendaglamazon]

I missed where you started taking Lexapro (which isn't surprising, as I've missed a whole lot on the Internets of late).

I started taking it in June of 2004 and it basically changed/saved my life. I've been off of it since last August (mainly because I can't afford it), and I'm anxious (ha! See how that works? Don't have the anti-anxiety meds, get anxious!) to return to it as soon as I can.

I'd be happy to share anything you want to know about my personal experience with it, but overall, I will say my side effects were negligible and entirely easy to cope with.

I saw you wondering about sleepiness. I slept about 14 hours a day for the first week I was on it, mainly due to how much anxiety my body was letting go of. After that, I would say that I just fell into a "normal" sleep pattern. Meaning that I would get tired at night, fall asleep within five to ten minutes of getting into bed and turning off the light, and wake up refreshed and rested after 8 hours or so. This pretty much NEVER happens when I'm not on the meds. I'm way too wound up to sleep and my brain won't shut up for ages (sometimes hours) after I turn off the lights, and I generally wake up groggy.

I also dropped about 20 pounds immediately in the two months after starting Lexapro, but that had as much to do with the fact that I could leave the house and walked (my therapist was right on Central Park, so I took to walking the entire length of the Park--from 102nd St. to 59th St. or about 2 miles after every session) and wasn't self medicating with beer, as it did with any chemical effects of the drug. But, yes, my muscle tone was greatly improved! LOL

Thank you for the link to that site. It's got a lot of interesting stuff on it.

[padawanhilary]

Your sleep pattern story is very encouraging. I have always had trouble with sleep, off and on.

Given the latest news from the home front though, I am seriously wishing I had Valium to snort.

[glendaglamazon]

I just read the news, and jesus, I'd be feeling the same way. Please drive as little as possible for the next little while, okay? I don't think cars like your family very much right now. Which is really weird.

*hugs*

[padawanhilary]

It's my own personal version of "Trucks"!