Upped dose Lexapro (escitalopram) causing mania (euphoria coupled with severe irritability then crashing/worse depression)

[PinkCloud]

Hello everyone,

 

Thank you in advance if you read this. I just registered because my friend suggested I get some guidance and she's smarter than I'll ever be, haha. 

 

This is my first time taking an antidepressant. I had a bit of a rough past so I guess that makes me predisposed to depression. I guess as a result I'm a super anxious person but I try to act normal enough.

 

Anyway, my life took a bad turn recently with a lot happening so I became really depressed. I never had mania. I just felt sad, gloomy, depressed and anxious 24/7, even doing fun things. I just "dealt" with it for a long time and periodically tried to figure a solution out on my own, but then it became overwhelming.

 

I started at 5mg on Lexapro and I felt good for the first week and a half, then it went away entirely and I felt depressed again. Then they put me on 10mg and I had a lot of side effects, but I still felt depressed. I gave it 8 weeks to see if it would help but it didn't make the depression go away. Then the doctor upped me to 20mg and I've been on that for two or three weeks.

 

A few of the side effects I've had are:

 

I get nauseous a lot. A LOT.

 

For an hour or two after taking it the front of my brain under my forehead will feel "tight" and hurt in more of a general way. I felt that way all the time after I started on it but now it's only right after taking the pill. I have anorgasmia unless I'm being manic.

 

The mania started a few days after I began taking the 20mg. I never had mania before and it's kind of scary having it now but fun at the same time? I can immediately recognize when I'm being manic because I'll feel invincible, and there will be this extreme feeling or euphoria in my chest (almost like I've had 3 energy drinks and a coffee in one sitting). I run around doing all sorts of stuff like cleaning, making plans, wanting to spend money, buying stuff, going out, etc. I'm usually very frugal and I don't buy things unless I've thought about it for at least a few days, but recently I've had these really intense desires to buy just "stuff" and I've spent a lot of money. I almost bought a Groupon for like $300 for cosmetic surgery at 4am just a day or two ago! I'm trying to save my money for a big purchase so that's very uncharacteristic of me. I'm also extremely irritable while I'm being manic and am quick to lose my patience. I'll also be super optimistic about everything, and talk fast, and call everybody I know to chat a lot, and post a lot of things on Facebook. I feel very impulsive with what I say, too.

 

Insomnia.  I've been up until anywhere from 5am to 8am every night If I lay in bed with the lights off I will simply lie there for hours without sleeping just thinking about "stuff".

 

After the mania wears off I feel even more depressed than ever. I feel gloomy and oddly enough the world seems more grey-ish and gloom and doom. I get mad about everyone and everything. I have no patience for anybody.

 

That sort-of came to a head when I lost my mind at my coworker. She's been making me mad for a while now, but today I called her the c-word and said some nasty things to her in response to a sarcastic thing she said in IM. Then I told my boss I quit my job, but I need my job for the big purchase I plan to make. So that's okay now I guess because I un-quit, but I'm yo-yo-ing with this mania/depression thing.

 

I was thinking that I might need a different anti-depressant since this one doesn't really work for me at lower doses, but makes me manic at this high dose. My suicidal thoughts have almost completely gone away ever since I started taking Lexapro so I've been pleased with that.

 

misc info: Both my father and my brother are paranoid schizophrenic but I don't display any of those symptoms, I was recently diagnosed with PCOS and I'm planning to go on either Metformin or Spironolactone, I take the birth control pill Marlissa, I have problems with my kidneys /urinary tract and so did my mother. My doctor told me that I'm vitamin D deficient so I take vitamin D when I remember, and sporadically I'll remember to take my multi-vitamin. I take Xanax sometimes when I'm having a panic attack or am too anxious but I don't like taking it too often.

 

Thanks for reading. I tried to be concise but that seems like a lot of text.

[Velvet Elvis]

 

I started at 5mg on Lexapro and I felt good for the first week and a half, then it went away entirely and I felt depressed again. Then they put me on 10mg and I had a lot of side effects, but I still felt depressed. I gave it 8 weeks to see if it would help but it didn't make the depression go away. Then the doctor upped me to 20mg and I've been on that for two or three weeks.

 

A few of the side effects I've had are:

 

 

I just wanted to note that with SSRIs it usually takes well over a month to feel the full effect and most side effects such as nausea wear off in time.  Given your probable hypo-manic response, however, it's unlikely you're going to want to give it any more time.

IMHO, you should call the prescribing physician ASAP and  tell them what's going on so you can get this thing back under control.  

I'm a friend of your friend btw.  Welcome to Crazyboards.

[PinkCloud]

Thank you both for your replies, and the warm welcome.

 

I was trying to schedule an appointment today before I flipped out but their office was closed for lunch and I guess I forgot after I caused that mess with work. I am going to call tomorrow when they open and leave a message for the prescribing physician. Usually they require an appointment to speak to the doctor directly since they are always busy with walk-ins so if I can't talk to the doctor over the phone I may schedule an appointment or just walk-in.

 

Today was just a bit scary and a complete wake-up call with this medication. I appreciate the input a lot because I'm the kind of person to just let myself suffer without outside feedback helping me.

 

Thanks so much.

[Keaton]

I agree with the others-- please call your pdoc. If you need any more convincing, once I went manic off of an antidepresant, liked it so much that I didn't call my psychiatrist, and ended up on the verge of psychosis. It was horrifying. Another time I went manic off of a stimulant I was prescribed for my sleep disorder and eventually wound up overdosing on seroquel in an attempt to get to sleep and make my brain stop running in circles. That time I could have died. (I also thought that I could fly that time, so i guess I was a little psychotic in the end on that one too.)

 

I'm not trying to scare you, just trying to let you know what my experiences with mania-caused-by-meds have been like. I know it feels like the best thing in the world but it can go bad pretty fast.

[rowan77]

You need to speak to your pdoc about this manic reaction. I was on Lexapro 10mg in the past and my mood improved, but dipped again. Was put on 15mg and again my mood improved initially and then dipped again. Was put on 20mg and within a few days I was wired to the moon, totally manic

 

Because you responded quickly to lexapro could mean that you have Bipolar, l don't know?? Anyway, speak to pdoc as s/he is the one to talk to about these symptoms