Lexapro for Anxiety experience - 7 weeks in

Hi all,

I have found other posts like this helpful, so I wanted to share my experience with Lexapro so far. I am highly interoceptive, so my experience has been a bit rough, but I am beginning to feel better, so I don’t want this to discourage anyone—just hopefully be a point of reference if you are starting medication or having a rough start like me.

I was also starting from a severe shutdown, so that could be part of why my intro phase has gone on longer than most.

Week 1 (5 mg)

Started dose in the evening as recommended by my doctor.

• anxiety still present

• major sleep disruption

• physical tension (arms/legs)

Week 2 (5 mg)

Moved to morning dosing as I found it activating in the first few hours. This helped sleep a bit.

• anxiety fluctuating during the day, peaking at night

• sleeping better but vivid dreams began—panic wake-ups

• major body aches and jaw tension/bruxism

Doctor said I could take Klonopin to help with sleep. This did help, but I try to only take it 3–4x/week.

Week 3 (5 mg)

• more stable mood at times

• tension headaches and body aches still ongoing but lessening

• intermittent anxiety spikes

• still sensitive to stress, but sleep greatly improved

Week 4 (5 mg)

• finally feeling benefits and some relief—experienced joy again, energy leveling out

• first outing since before starting meds (I had stopped leaving the house)

• ongoing tension + nervous system sensitivity, though lessening

Decision made to increase dose.

Week 5 (10 mg – week 1)

• fatigue, brain fog, “bleh” feeling

• nausea / low appetite

• increased muscle tension (neck, jaw, back)

• sensory sensitivity (light, sound, touch)

• vivid dreams intensified

• severe panic wake-ups

Week 6 (10 mg – week 2)

Pattern developed:

• vivid dreams + panic awakenings

• jittery/anxious mornings (body-first)

• afternoon crashes (very tired)

• full-body tension + jaw clenching

• anxiety felt intense and hard to escape

Doctor increased Klonopin from .5 to .75 since .5 wasn’t helping, and added propranolol for physical anxiety. This was the toughest week overall. It was surprising enough that my doctor ordered labs, but we think the jump from 5 → 10 mg was too much for my body.

Week 7 (10 mg – week 3, current)

• some sleep improvement (using Klonopin/propranolol more freely)

• midday crashes, though improving as sleep improves

• brain fog + executive dysfunction (basic tasks feel hard)

• emotional sensitivity (wanting to cry, self-critical)

• get overwhelmed more easily

Overall, my trend from both starting and increasing is that week 2 is the hardest, and it takes a solid 3–4 weeks at a dose to see improvement. I am just beginning to level out at 10 mg and will check in with my doctor in two weeks to decide whether to stay, go back to 5, or increase to 15 mg.

Hope this was helpful.