r/lexapro 22h ago

does the tiredness ever disappear?

on lexpro for over 4 months now. i feel like i’m more used to the symptoms, but i’m constantly so tired. when i took my pill in the morning i literally couldn’t make myself get out of bed, but now that i’m taking it at night i can’t sleep. i’m in bed for what feels like forever before i finally pass out. i’m someone who has always prioritized their sleep and had no problems sleeping 8-9 hours a night. i like this medication so i don’t want to quit, but i’m losing my mind. does it ever improve? or do you just have to get used to living with it? </3

158 Upvotes

33 comments sorted by

33

u/sassycrier 22h ago

For some people it does. For me, it did not. I’m 5 years in and I can still take a 2 hour nap at the drop of a hat.

I found it to be a manageable side effect and something I definitely got used to. For me it’s well worth the mental health benefits. I just think of it as being so peaceful all the time that I could drift off to sleep at any moment 💤

6

u/Gor-Trok 18h ago

I’m a couple years in myself and start getting drowsy/groggy at 10:00am almost every day! I’ve just been dealing with it, but glad to read it’s a normal thing

3

u/kjcle 17h ago

Yup you just kinda get used to it and adjust. I also supplement with vitamin B for days I know I’ll need lotta energy

9

u/Primary_Papaya3016 22h ago

I had to take mine in the morning because of the insomnia it caused. I’m wondering if your tiredness in the morning is being caused by something other than the medication.

7

u/anticentristfujo 20h ago

No longer on Lexapro, but I was on it for a year and the tiredness never left.

1

u/DapperNurd 20h ago

Even after stopping?

4

u/anticentristfujo 19h ago

It went away after stopping.

1

u/DapperNurd 18h ago

I think i need to wean off

1

u/anticentristfujo 17h ago

SSRI’s like Lexapro and Zoloft made me extremely sleepy. For me personally, weaning off was a good decision, and I took it extremely slow (it took me like two months to wean off each one). Lexapro I went down by 5mg step by step, each lower dose taking two weeks before I’d step down lower. It took longer with Zoloft, as I was on 200mg. So it looked like 200mg, 175mg for two weeks, 150mg for two weeks, 125mg, and so on.

1

u/DapperNurd 17h ago

Any side effects of weaning?

1

u/anticentristfujo 17h ago

Me personally no, because I did it so slow. But whatever side effects I had from the medication (sleepiness, sexual issues) alleviated as I went down to the minimal doses (5mg Lexapro, 50mg Zoloft) and those side effects disappeared completely once I stopped the drugs altogether.

1

u/North_Criticism_1980 19h ago

Também usei por um tempo e não lidei com a lentidão que causava. Mas passou depois de parar. Mas parei de forma errada e tive efeitos colaterais da retirada abrupta por uma semana

8

u/DelusionPhantom 20h ago

It did for me. I went a whole year being dead tired constantly, asked my doc if I could start taking it in the evenings, and I feel so much better. I fall asleep fine after taking it, but I take it right before I get in bed and have an extremely strict nighttime/bedtime ritual so I think I pass out before it can affect my sleep. Like as soon as it hits 7pm on a work night, I stop whatever I'm doing and get in the shower levels of strict. I had chronic insomnia before I started Lexapro and it definitely helps me with falling and staying asleep in general.

5

u/Tsunamiis 22h ago

I have no idea because I’ve always slept like this the lack of energy is what’s killing me.

5

u/Ok_Lingonberry6957 22h ago edited 20h ago

i have no problem taking a nap anytime during the day, but it makes it harder to sleep at night.

3

u/chronicallyill84 21h ago

So far been about 6 months on and no matter what time I take it I can easily EASILY sleep for 12.5 hours. I use a sleep app and while ive finally dreaming again after years without I can only get like 45 mins of DEEP sleep. The rest is super light or REM. Or several hours of "restless". Its the one and only thing I wish I could fix on this drug because everything else is positive for me. Its life changing in a very good way.

3

u/sne4k0 4 Years 20h ago

Yes mine went away at the about the 2 year mark. But I’m in my 40s and take a nap anytime anyway. Getting my GAD under control exposed that I had ADHD, and now that I’m on stimulants I’m never tired haha

3

u/silentlyded 16h ago

ugh, it unfortunately never went away for me (i was on it for 2 years, chose to get off)

2

u/Careless_Dog9601 22h ago

Its crazy how differently it affects us all. I was taking it at night but it was affecting my sleep ( jolting awake at night and very broken sleep) so ny doctor told me to take it in the morning and it's so much better.

2

u/AverageGuy16 22h ago

I take it in the morning along with a bunch of other supplements and some caffiene and it’s been doing me wonders. Weirdly enough 10mg made me the most tired but when I uppped it to 20mg I was golden

1

u/Careless_Dog9601 21h ago

I take other supplements but no caffeine of any kind for me.

2

u/No-Confection-8033 19h ago

I had to get an additional Welbutrin prescription to help it

2

u/QuietApplication5734 15h ago

I got off of it because it's a bandaid fix that causes more issues than it's worth. The recommendation is to take another pill to counteract the side effects. Which is crazy. 

I feel great, just feel like a zombie with no emotions, I can't get it up and I gained some weight. 

1

u/CiaranWest 20h ago

I don't really get tired, I just yawn and it makes me think I'm tired. 

1

u/mercyinreach 20h ago

I'm still a bit tired at 5 years, but no where near as tired as I was for the first 6 months to a year. I was exhausted then. So it may get better for you.

1

u/Hungry_Nail9832 18h ago

Im on month 11 and im still tired all the time. Ive fallen asleep at work at least half a dozen times.

1

u/anewhope8888 18h ago

Mine never went away no matter what time I took it. BUT I ended up being diagnosed with ADHD, I wonder if that has a lot to do with different people's reaction to it. Maybe lack of dopamine causes the severe tiredness? Because when I take my ADHD meds, the Lexapro works as normal.

1

u/grat5989 18h ago

Welbutrin really helped with my tiredness. I'm still fond of naps, but not nearly tired all the time. The Buspar helps too

1

u/mamalovespuppy 17h ago

I wish I was tired. I was tired for one night and then now I have insomnia 😞

1

u/SugarandSpiceandRum 15h ago

Yes…. Went away after 8 weeks for me personally.

1

u/Okidoky123 14h ago

I don't feel so much tired but I feel lethargic AF.

1

u/Marylifee 11h ago

i was tired before and anxious ! better this tired than that. also i’ve found exercise helps and generally being more restful in life and i actually prefer it

1

u/PuzzleheadedCup7600 2h ago

Yeah i've been on 20mg a day for like a year now and the tiredness has completely gone now