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What Causes Depression And Insomnia While On Lexapro?
My 35 year old on has been on lexapro 10mg for one month. He did not feel it was strong enough. He is 6 3 and weighs 230. 5 days ago his dr increased his dose to 20mg. He has not slept, is pacing the house, is wired up and has started to cry. Is terribly depressed. I reduced his dose to 15mg today. He is finally sleeping. Should I stop it cold turkey or continue at 15mg?
Tue, 23 Oct 2018
Hi,
I'm sorry to hear your son has been having trouble with his mood and his antidepressant. Actually, the symptoms you describe are concerning for a manic episode, which is a feature of bipolar disorder. During manic episodes patients can have increased energy with decreased need for sleep, with sudden changes of mood, like you have described.
This can happen when someone with bipolar disorder is treated with an antidepressant like Lexapro without a "mood stabilizer" medication. Generally it would be recommended to stop the lexapro until your son can be evaluated, but you should call the doctor who prescribed the medication for their advice.
If your son has not yet seen a psychiatrist, he will likely need to be evaluated by one, and if he does in fact have bipolar disorder or another psychiatric condition, he can be started on the right treatment for it.
I hope that answers your question. Many patients with conditions like your son's find a lot of improvement once they are on the right medications, and I hope that you can get the help he needs quickly. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I'd be glad to try to help.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Aaron Branch,
General & Family Physician
I'm sorry to hear your son has been having trouble with his mood and his antidepressant. Actually, the symptoms you describe are concerning for a manic episode, which is a feature of bipolar disorder. During manic episodes patients can have increased energy with decreased need for sleep, with sudden changes of mood, like you have described.
This can happen when someone with bipolar disorder is treated with an antidepressant like Lexapro without a "mood stabilizer" medication. Generally it would be recommended to stop the lexapro until your son can be evaluated, but you should call the doctor who prescribed the medication for their advice.
If your son has not yet seen a psychiatrist, he will likely need to be evaluated by one, and if he does in fact have bipolar disorder or another psychiatric condition, he can be started on the right treatment for it.
I hope that answers your question. Many patients with conditions like your son's find a lot of improvement once they are on the right medications, and I hope that you can get the help he needs quickly. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I'd be glad to try to help.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Aaron Branch,
General & Family Physician
I find this answer helpful
Hello,
Consult a psychiatrist and get evaluated.
Dose adjustments or additional meds may be required.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Shinas Hussain,
General & Family Physician
Consult a psychiatrist and get evaluated.
Dose adjustments or additional meds may be required.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Shinas Hussain,
General & Family Physician
I find this answer helpful
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