Mental Health Lexapro - High Starting Dosage/Shaking

[ra ra rumbles]

I was on Lexapro 20mg for about a year. I had no trouble starting on it minus some nausea right at first (started at 10, moved to 20 just a few weeks later) and it was working really great for me. It basically killed my GAD and I felt like a normal person. Seven months ago, however, I lost my insurance and had to go off it. That didn't cause me any problems either, no withdrawal, etc. I just didn't have Lexapro curing my depression/anxiety anymore; both of which eventually resurfaced. I recently found a clinic for poor people (like me) in my area, went in and got a Rx for Lexapro again.

Since I was only off it for 7 months and had no prior problems with it, the doctor said that it would be no issue for me just to go right back on 20mg, rather than starting low and stepping up to 20mg. So, that's what I did. I've been back on the medicine for 9 days now.

I've had the typical flu-like symptoms many people get when starting this med, but those have mostly went away at this point. I'm waking up with terrible anxiety though, but I take the pill as soon as I wake up, and it goes away.

Here's the problem: About five hours after I take the medicine each day, lasting until I go to sleep, I feel like my insides are shaking or as if there is a phone vibrating inside of my chest. The sensation is localized to my chest/core only. This is not how my anxiety ever manifests; it's a totally different feeling than anxiety-related jitters. When this Lexapro-induced, internal shaking starts up, it is not accompanied by anxiety. My mind is calm. Nevertheless, the physical sensation is very unpleasant. In fact, at this point, it's driving me crazy.

Does anyone have any advice? Is this a side effect that should go away soon? I suspect that I got some bad advice when my doctor said it would be fine to start at a high dosage/not step up. Even though I have no idea if it would help or not at this point, I'm considering dropping my dose down to 10mg for a couple of weeks and then stepping back up, but I hate to do that if it's a normal side effect that will disappear at the two-week mark. I'm almost there!

 

[jammin83]

When I was 18 (31 now) I started on SSRIs. As time went on and I went on and off of them they changed. I was only ever able to tolerate them for a few months at a time because I like having orgasms. I can no longer tolerate them at all but maybe that has to do with my particular type of bipolar. At one point they did help me for a few months at a time, but now they give me racing thoughts and scatter-brained feelings. I don't know, they seem to effect brain chemistry in a strange way. I think the more you start and stop them plays a factor in whether or not you eventually become treatment resistant. You should always use the lowest effective dose possible. It's very possible that the high dosage is a factor. Go easy on toying with dosages, stability is key.

 

[deos68]

dosing is always key when dealing with ssri's
the dosage can determine if they help you or make you feel worse which seems that is what is happening to you
in all honesty they sometimes right out dont work for some people but fiy u said they helped you before then get back on them
talk to the doc and see what the person says if that was me i would lower the dosage and see how i would respond and take it from there thats just me though

 

[wezface]

After seven months off, you should definitely have been titrated back onto your Lexapro. talk to your doctor asap and ask about forming a titration schedule which should help deal with this feeling.

 

[ra ra rumbles]

thank you all for responding. i really appreciate it. i couldn't take the feeling anymore and dropped my dose down to 10mg two days ago. I still have the sensation, but it is MUCH improved already, and will hopefully disappear altogether in a few days. I'll step back up to 20mg in a few weeks, if necessary. This was brutal.