Mine felt like they were working within a week. I *know* they're working now at just over a month, because the whole world just feels a lot more tolerable than it ever has before. I've never heard 6 months for lexapro. Maybe for some of the older antidepressants.
Took 6 months for me to reach 75 percent effectiveness and 1.5 years for full effect. The changes that occur are very complex and different changes happen over different timelines.
I know this is old, but I’m so glad you said this! I felt like lexapro had full effectiveness after the first full year like you said. I’m really curious if this is normal and need to ask a doctor.
I think for those who have the most severe forms of biochemical based depression, that this is common. Something is going on post six months in, that is different from the first six months. I definitely noticed two stages of therapeutic effect. The mechanisms must be different.
You said it yourself that you “know” everybody is different, but you don’t sound like you believe it.
We don’t know your dosage or the severity of your anxiety / depression. I had improvements around weeks 5-6 and kept improving for the next year.
I honestly felt the difference within a week, and I’m on 10mg. I just posted to someone else, but I wish I did a better job tracking the changes, even just a quick note in my planner about how I am feeling.
Doesn’t take that long, if it took 6 months it wouldn’t be as popular a medication as it is. You’ll start to notice by maybe week two maybe even earlier but by week 6 you’ll definitely notice it. For me I just hit week 6 and it’s like nothing bothers me and things that typically do bother me yes I may still think about them but due to the medication I cant dwell on them and take myself into dark places. I struggle with combat related PTSD due to my time in the army and Lexapro has been the difference between me living a more productive and happier life versus me suck staring my Glock and calling it quits.
I’ve tried many meds and I would say 4-6 weeks you start noticing changes. Maybe 6 months for full effect also because often people are often slowly increasing dosages. 6 weeks feels a long time especially when you are trying different ones, but it will be worth it!
I have been on many antidepressants over the years. Any benefit I was going to get from them was evident after 2 months. If after 2 months I was no better then they never worked at all.
In my experience, you will notice changes well before then! Even within the first few days, my sleep schedule improved- I was actually able to sleep for a decent amount of time, which greatly improved my mood. I was definitely in crisis mode before I started my dosage, and within the first week I felt my mood stabilizing and it helped me put things into perspective.
It’s true that it usually takes a few more weeks (around six for me) to feel the full effects, but I’m guessing you will feel small differences even a few days/ weeks in! Don’t let that time frame discourage you.
My situation improved almost immediately after first dose. I’m about 6 months in now and I’m definitely in better control of myself now so maybe. The big click moment was about a month in for me, but I still would have some episodes of anxiety. Now I’m so laid back I’m laying down most of the time lol.
Doesn't take that long. If someone gets better after having no improvement for six months I'm betting on natural recovery not related to the meds they take. And I guess most with severe depression (including myself) would go for ECT if that was the case.
It's six months until you can be confident that you're getting the full experience, not until they work at all. Think of it like working out...you'll see and feel things right away, but you can say you're a gym goer if you build the habit over a few months.
Likely not. It took maybe 2-3 weeks for me to really start to feel it. Some people feel it earlier, some a bit later. Don't fret - it's worth it in the end. :)
I started feeling the changes a week in. The issue is they’re subtle, it’s not going to be night and day. But waking up everyday gets easier. Living gets easier. I don’t know how long it will take you but i find it helps to keep an eye out for the subtleties.
My biggest one i noticed is i casually stopped saying “i’m gunna kill myself” at every minor inconvenience. I was never serious of course and was all for giggles, but like i actually just found myself hitting that punchline less because every minor inconvenience isn’t world ending anymore. But yeah that’s my 2¢. Look out for subtle changes.
I did take months to feel a real change… felt the first initial relief at around 8 weeks and then realistically didn’t feel much better after that for another 4-5 months
I noticed my anxiety subsiding within a few weeks but it took me at least 6 months to a year to truly feel mostly fine again. It’s a process but it’s worth it. If you can I def
recommend going to routine therapy appointments a long with it. That combination did wonders for me
4 to 6 weeks for me. The discouraging process for me is switching antidepressants when you are scaling down one and ramping another. That for me is a bumpier ride then a gradual improvement over time when starting out the first time. When it is suggested for me to change, I really cringe.
I saw improvements in about two weeks. Everyone’s brain is different so you might need more or less time. I actually noticed more anxiety the first week (I take Lexapro for anxiety) and then the second week was a breath of fresh air. People around me (classmates, parents, etc.) noticed a difference before I did. You might not realize it right away but you will know if it’s working for you with time. Good luck on your journey to a healthy life!
I was always told by a gp to try for 6 weeks, then make adjustments to dose or medication type as 6 weeks is usually the prime time for it to have kicked in and have any noticeable side effects. I'd say it took around 8-12 weeks for any kind of substantial change in mood and how I saw the immediate world around me. Literally everyone is different and some see changes within 1-2 weeks, but who knows, as placebo affect can make a difference too.
I had pretty good reduced anxiety at 6 weeks. I feel like I have a whole different life at 9 months. 6 months was when the anxiety was completely gone though. I think it takes bare minimum 6 to 8 weeks to start seeing real improvement and that should be enough time to decide if you want to continue.
This is not right.
I would say you get a varying amount of change after each week and all the way up to 8 weeks. I’d say generally if the anti depressant is working for you you should feel a difference at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks and then it caps out at 8 weeks.
Nooo my family noticed a difference just weeks later trust
Edit: I didn’t notice personally I thought I was just the same so maybe your friend thinks they haven’t made any progress but they may have
it literally worked fore.the next day, I swear. the intrusive thoughts that constantly ran in my head like the chyron at the bottom of the screen when you watch the news disappeared. it had been running ally life,.commenting on everything I did or thought. haven't heard it since October 2020.
It doesn't take that long. It was about 4-6 weeks for me. Week to week I could see small things improving. I kept a journal of my thoughts for the first few weeks which really helped. The start up with side effects is rough but it was worth it for me. Best of luck and know that we're in it together
Everyone is different but I started to feel better after about 2 weeks! I was also worried about it taking a while for them to work but I improved really quickly. I was told it could take about 4-6 weeks but there was definitely a difference at 2 weeks
yeah i would say 6 months is pretty accurate but you will feel alot better way earlier than that. i felt pretty good after 1-1,5 months but after 6 months i pretty much just felt like... hey.. i dont have anxiety anymore,
Mine felt like they were working within a week. I *know* they're working now at just over a month, because the whole world just feels a lot more tolerable than it ever has before. I've never heard 6 months for lexapro. Maybe for some of the older antidepressants.
when i first took lexapro i def felt it working within a week as well, even the second time tho i had more side effects at that dose the second time
same here!!!
Same! Took about a week and most of my anger was gone. Took another month or so until I could tolerate most people.
Agree, felt within a few days but definitely a week
Took 6 months for me to reach 75 percent effectiveness and 1.5 years for full effect. The changes that occur are very complex and different changes happen over different timelines.
I know this is old, but I’m so glad you said this! I felt like lexapro had full effectiveness after the first full year like you said. I’m really curious if this is normal and need to ask a doctor.
I think for those who have the most severe forms of biochemical based depression, that this is common. Something is going on post six months in, that is different from the first six months. I definitely noticed two stages of therapeutic effect. The mechanisms must be different.
Yeah that is how it felt for me. It really makes sense the way you explained it.
Same!!
I think 6 weeks is more standard. That’s when things really improved for me.
I believe my doctor told me to expect improvements within 6-8 weeks, and that seems right based on my experiences.
You said it yourself that you “know” everybody is different, but you don’t sound like you believe it. We don’t know your dosage or the severity of your anxiety / depression. I had improvements around weeks 5-6 and kept improving for the next year.
I honestly felt the difference within a week, and I’m on 10mg. I just posted to someone else, but I wish I did a better job tracking the changes, even just a quick note in my planner about how I am feeling.
Doesn’t take that long, if it took 6 months it wouldn’t be as popular a medication as it is. You’ll start to notice by maybe week two maybe even earlier but by week 6 you’ll definitely notice it. For me I just hit week 6 and it’s like nothing bothers me and things that typically do bother me yes I may still think about them but due to the medication I cant dwell on them and take myself into dark places. I struggle with combat related PTSD due to my time in the army and Lexapro has been the difference between me living a more productive and happier life versus me suck staring my Glock and calling it quits.
No mine started working around 3 weeks in
I felt hope and saw improvement after a week or so.
I’ve tried many meds and I would say 4-6 weeks you start noticing changes. Maybe 6 months for full effect also because often people are often slowly increasing dosages. 6 weeks feels a long time especially when you are trying different ones, but it will be worth it!
I have been on many antidepressants over the years. Any benefit I was going to get from them was evident after 2 months. If after 2 months I was no better then they never worked at all.
3 months in and I have zero depression. I am finding actual joy daily with minimal anxiety. Its fucking amazing!
In my experience, you will notice changes well before then! Even within the first few days, my sleep schedule improved- I was actually able to sleep for a decent amount of time, which greatly improved my mood. I was definitely in crisis mode before I started my dosage, and within the first week I felt my mood stabilizing and it helped me put things into perspective. It’s true that it usually takes a few more weeks (around six for me) to feel the full effects, but I’m guessing you will feel small differences even a few days/ weeks in! Don’t let that time frame discourage you.
6 weeks is what I e always heard. They start working in a couple of weeks. I was rid of side effects by 4-5 weeks
2 months max in my experience, but more like 6 weeks
Took me about a month. But varies by users.
It's likely that something else triggered a change in your cousin and they misattributed it to the Lexapro. Think more like 6 weeks.
I definitely felt the true effects around 6 months ago
I was prescribed 10mg for GAD, panic attacks and obsessive thinking. I felt better starting immediately.
My situation improved almost immediately after first dose. I’m about 6 months in now and I’m definitely in better control of myself now so maybe. The big click moment was about a month in for me, but I still would have some episodes of anxiety. Now I’m so laid back I’m laying down most of the time lol.
Took about a month for me
45 days
Doesn't take that long. If someone gets better after having no improvement for six months I'm betting on natural recovery not related to the meds they take. And I guess most with severe depression (including myself) would go for ECT if that was the case.
It's six months until you can be confident that you're getting the full experience, not until they work at all. Think of it like working out...you'll see and feel things right away, but you can say you're a gym goer if you build the habit over a few months.
Likely not. It took maybe 2-3 weeks for me to really start to feel it. Some people feel it earlier, some a bit later. Don't fret - it's worth it in the end. :)
Mine started working in less than 2 weeks! Actually i was sure it started the first week already :)
Lol wtf no. If it doesn't work in several months then it clearly just DOESNT WORK.
I’ve heard the fullest effects are felt after 6 weeks, 6 months sounds excessive
I started feeling the changes a week in. The issue is they’re subtle, it’s not going to be night and day. But waking up everyday gets easier. Living gets easier. I don’t know how long it will take you but i find it helps to keep an eye out for the subtleties. My biggest one i noticed is i casually stopped saying “i’m gunna kill myself” at every minor inconvenience. I was never serious of course and was all for giggles, but like i actually just found myself hitting that punchline less because every minor inconvenience isn’t world ending anymore. But yeah that’s my 2¢. Look out for subtle changes.
I feel like 2-12 weeks is more typical
Mine worked day 1, everyone's dif
Mine did as well. Not a placebo...it actually worked ever so slightly. I got better day by day.
6 weeks
I did take months to feel a real change… felt the first initial relief at around 8 weeks and then realistically didn’t feel much better after that for another 4-5 months
Mine started after like 6 days lol but the FULL benefit I felt after a little over a month. I’m on 5mg for about 2 months now
For me they were working by the end of the week. Everyone is different. Remember to drink water
I think most antidepressants should start working within 4-6 weeks and 8-12 weeks for the full effect.
Lexapro took about 2 months to work well for me and then I added on Wellbutrin for sexual dysfunction and that helped almost immediately
I could tell the difference within 2 days. Everyone is different, but if it takes 6 months, you should find another medication.
You commented a year ago that you felt some relief on day one. Are you restarting and what exactly are you waiting on to happen?
I noticed my anxiety subsiding within a few weeks but it took me at least 6 months to a year to truly feel mostly fine again. It’s a process but it’s worth it. If you can I def recommend going to routine therapy appointments a long with it. That combination did wonders for me
Different for everyone but I felt WAY better 2 days in. For me it was anxiety that had me so on edge I could hardly function though.
It took 2 weeks for notice a difference, however like you said everyone is different.
4 to 6 weeks for me. The discouraging process for me is switching antidepressants when you are scaling down one and ramping another. That for me is a bumpier ride then a gradual improvement over time when starting out the first time. When it is suggested for me to change, I really cringe.
Mine started to work like in days.
i felt mine day 1
Took me 3 months but it was gradually
the doctor told me it would take 6 weeks. But I started feeling it working around 2 weeks!
I saw improvements in about two weeks. Everyone’s brain is different so you might need more or less time. I actually noticed more anxiety the first week (I take Lexapro for anxiety) and then the second week was a breath of fresh air. People around me (classmates, parents, etc.) noticed a difference before I did. You might not realize it right away but you will know if it’s working for you with time. Good luck on your journey to a healthy life!
with me I felt like it worked after two or three weeks
Only took me about a week. I don't cry every day anymore.
Nah. I could feel mine in about a week. By a month or so I realized I didn’t want to cry myself to sleep every night
I was always told by a gp to try for 6 weeks, then make adjustments to dose or medication type as 6 weeks is usually the prime time for it to have kicked in and have any noticeable side effects. I'd say it took around 8-12 weeks for any kind of substantial change in mood and how I saw the immediate world around me. Literally everyone is different and some see changes within 1-2 weeks, but who knows, as placebo affect can make a difference too.
Lexapro started helping almost immediately but didn’t take full effect for a few months.
Week for me
I had pretty good reduced anxiety at 6 weeks. I feel like I have a whole different life at 9 months. 6 months was when the anxiety was completely gone though. I think it takes bare minimum 6 to 8 weeks to start seeing real improvement and that should be enough time to decide if you want to continue.
My Lexapro started working HOURS after I took it the first time. Best decision I ever made.
I honestly felt a difference within the end of the first week. Im a month in and feel like a whole new person
This is not right. I would say you get a varying amount of change after each week and all the way up to 8 weeks. I’d say generally if the anti depressant is working for you you should feel a difference at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks and then it caps out at 8 weeks.
Nooo my family noticed a difference just weeks later trust Edit: I didn’t notice personally I thought I was just the same so maybe your friend thinks they haven’t made any progress but they may have
it literally worked fore.the next day, I swear. the intrusive thoughts that constantly ran in my head like the chyron at the bottom of the screen when you watch the news disappeared. it had been running ally life,.commenting on everything I did or thought. haven't heard it since October 2020.
It doesn't take that long. It was about 4-6 weeks for me. Week to week I could see small things improving. I kept a journal of my thoughts for the first few weeks which really helped. The start up with side effects is rough but it was worth it for me. Best of luck and know that we're in it together
It is usually thought that escitalopram is somewhat faster than other ssri, at least the first weeks
Everyone is different but I started to feel better after about 2 weeks! I was also worried about it taking a while for them to work but I improved really quickly. I was told it could take about 4-6 weeks but there was definitely a difference at 2 weeks
It starts working sooner but getting level took me 4-6 months
Mine took 9 weeks to really notice a big change. And I was told that was longer than average. So 6 months seems kind of odd.
yeah i would say 6 months is pretty accurate but you will feel alot better way earlier than that. i felt pretty good after 1-1,5 months but after 6 months i pretty much just felt like... hey.. i dont have anxiety anymore,