I've just taken my first dose of 20mg of Lexapro. I was on it before but came off it. Now I'm starting again for severe depression and anxiety. I know they say that it takes approx 2-4 weeks at least before you see an effect. But having taken it a couple of hours ago, I feel very strange. I feel like my jaw is really tense and i feel really twitchy. Could it be the medication? Or is it just my imagination? Just wondering if anybody felt a side effect straight away? Perhaps when they say 2-4 weeks to feel anything they are only referring to an improvement in symptoms and not the side effects? thanks for any replies
Anti-depressants are SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) As the name implies they block the Serotonin from being reabsorbed which in effect creates a larger pool of Serotonin. This is not natural. Thus I would not say it is making your brain chemistry right. In effect it creates more Serotonin so it helps people with Serotonin deficiencies. However, since it is unnatural it has some negative side-effects.
Thanks for the replies! I woke up this morning with a bad head cold so that's probably why I felt so crappy. I'm gonna take my tablet at night to minimise any side effects I feel though, just in case.
Yes. While the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of SSRIs often take two or more weeks to surface, they nonetheless can exhibit sometimes strange effects right away. The reason they take so long to kick in is because by elevating brain-wide serotonin levels, the drugs work to slowly but surely DOWN regulate certain post-synaptic serotonin receptors, namely the 5-HT2C receptor. When this receptor is DOWN regulated, the wonderful consequence is that Dopamine levels in the brain increase substantially, leading to pleasure. But it takes a week or more. However, SSRIs can activate OTHER 5-HT (the chemical name for serotonin) receptors immediately without down-regulating them. For example, activating the 5-HT2A receptor is KNOWN to increase levels of anxiety and general uncomfortableness. And activating 5-HT7 receptors does the same thing. That is how SSRIs really work. Just increasing Serotonin doesn't make you happy.
