I think it’s safe to say that my Lexapro journey thus far has been much easier for me than I thought it would be. Going into it, I only really knew what my doctors told me and what people on the internet said. After many days straight of doom-scrolling on Reddit, I discovered that I probably shouldn’t be doom-scrolling on Reddit while on anxiety medication. I fed myself information about the most extreme experiences. On one end of the spectrum, I might have a little bit of digestive discomfort and fatigue and possibly sexual side effects. On the other end — the Reddit side of the spectrum — I might suffer from night sweats, sexual dysfunction, extreme digestive distress, and intense suicidal ideation. Luckily, I found myself somewhere in the middle, but it didn’t stop me from looking through the internet just to find evidence of similar experiences.
Moving into week 5, I was riding the high of a slightly better mental state and higher level of functionality in my day-to day life. Throughout the week, I noticed that my anxiety levels weren’t quite leveled out yet and I still had some bouts of increased anxiety, but my sleep started to improve even more. I was starting to fall asleep without needing sleep aids and supplements every other night. Some nights were better than others and I was still waking up during the night, but I noticed improvement and that’s all I could ask for.
If you know me, you know I am not a caffeine drinker and generally don’t drink alcohol often either, so the only thing I could depend upon to fix my sleep besides a sleep mask and earplugs was some form of meditation at night. One of my close friends recommended meditation to me and sent me a bunch of guided meditations. From what I’ve done so far, my best recommendation is to find a guided meditation that you like, though it may take a few tries. I started using the Insight Timer app, which has a great collection of guided meditations for various circumstances. I have found the most success with the “Relax Into Sleep: Guided Practice.” It’s about 18 minutes long and the narrator’s voice is one of the more soothing voices that I’ve heard since diving into the world of meditation. I don’t use it every night, but it definitely helps me on nights where I’m feeling extra anxious and can’t fall asleep. Because it’s so short, I sometimes replay it once or twice as needed. And I think it’s important to add, as someone who usually has a really hard time falling asleep with background noise, that I have fallen asleep multiple times to this particular meditation.
The one thing about week 5 that really threw me off was the return of my dry mouth. It had disappeared after week 2 or 3 and I’ve got to say I did not miss it. When it returned, I noticed the swollen salivary gland again and made sure to hydrate as much as possible. Luckily, it disappeared again after a few days but it was definitely not any more fun than it was before.
As I ended week 5, one thing came to mind: my adjustment period is technically almost over. Usually the adjustment period is about 6-8 weeks, meaning I only had about 2 or 3 weeks left. I found myself feeling really grateful and hopeful that Lexapro will work even better in the coming weeks and months.
If you are considering taking medication for your anxiety, be sure to talk to your doctor and therapist, if you have one, to work out the best plan for you. Chances are, you’ll be happy you took the leap into improving your mental health.