Lexapro pain

Continued stuff from this post: https://www.reddit.com/menshealth/s/2ZaNmhUEjO
Hello. I'm a 23 year old male student who’s on the cusp of graduation. However, for almost the entire semester I've had testicular discomfort after having an injury to the groin. This started in February when I went to the urologist and was given an ultrasound and physical examination. Both of those showed no issues. During this time, pain was a 0-3 out of ten, with the constant feeling that things were loose and free roaming inside the sac, like holding egg yolks in your hand. The urologist then said it was probably just pelvic floor issues and to see a Physical Therapist.
I started physical therapy in March. I did see some slow improvement that had me optimistic, but I ended up causing more discomfort and more pain when I tried to lay on my side a couple of times. This, plus some accidental hits when trying to put clothes on in the morning, eventually led to a near constant 7 out of 10, even with medication like Tylenol and Advil. I was also put on Lexapro due to the anxiety it was causing. My follow-up appointments in March and April with the urologist all didn't show anything that concerned the urologist.
The only thing that really made that go away was some neck and back discomfort that led to numbness in the groin. However, that numbness has been slowly increasing over time, especially if there is a crack or pop in my lower back or my neck. I once again had some improvement, but for the past two weeks, things seem to have stalled or even reversed. I have very limited movement when walking because the testicles keep getting pulled to the roof of the pelvic area or to where the legs and pelvis meet and then they keep trying to get pulled further. This has led to occasional spasms down there, as well as getting them squished between the thighs, feeling them getting squished while shrinking, as well as frequent popping feelings on the testis and on the chord. It means that having to go to the restroom may make it worse but I'm not sure. Physical therapy exercises either trigger this reaction or only temporarily relax things for at most a few minutes. Hot baths and showers don’t cause any relaxation down there. They also don't relax all the way down like they used to.
My parents, who I’ll be living with while I try to find my own place, think that this is all or partly psychosomatic at this point. And while I am willing to look into it, I worry that the most recent evolution of the discomfort is causing something serious to the area. I really don't know what to do for my care at this point.

Hello. I'm a 23 year old male student who’s on the cusp of graduation. However, for almost the entire semester I've had testicular discomfort after having an injury to the groin. I have posted about this issue before here but it still continues. This started in February when I went to the urologist and was given an ultrasound and physical examination. Both of those showed no issues. During this time, pain was a 0-3 out of ten, with the constant feeling that things were loose and free roaming inside the sac, like holding egg yolks in your hand. The urologist then said it was probably just pelvic floor issues and to see a Physical Therapist.
I started physical therapy in March. I did see some slow improvement that had me optimistic, but I ended up causing more discomfort and more pain when I tried to lay on my side a couple of times. This, plus some accidental hits when trying to put clothes on in the morning, eventually led to a near constant 7 out of 10, even with medication like Tylenol and Advil. I was also put on Lexapro due to the anxiety it was causing. My follow-up appointments in March and April with the urologist all didn't show anything that concerned the urologist.
The only thing that really made that go away was some neck and back discomfort that led to numbness in the groin. However, that numbness has been slowly increasing over time, especially if there is a crack or pop in my lower back or my neck. I once again had some improvement, but for the past two weeks, things seem to have stalled or even reversed. I have very limited movement when walking because the testicles keep getting pulled to the roof of the pelvic area or to where the legs and pelvis meet and then they keep trying to get pulled further. This has led to occasional spasms down there, as well as getting them squished between the thighs, feeling them getting squished while shrinking, as well as frequent popping feelings on the testis and on the chord. It means that having to go to the restroom may make it worse but I'm not sure. Physical therapy exercises either trigger this reaction or only temporarily relax things for at most a few minutes. Hot baths and showers don’t cause any relaxation down there. They also don't relax all the way down like they used to.
My parents, who I’ll be living with while I try to find my own place, think that this is all or partly psychosomatic at this point. And while I am willing to look into it, I worry that the most recent evolution of the discomfort is causing something serious to the area. I really don't know what to do for my care at this point.

32 f, 5’ 3”, 130lbs, lexapro 20mg, no birthcontrol. I’ve been having pain during ovulation and more than normal pain during menstruation. I’m trying to figure out my ultrasound results as I'm not sure when my doc will get me in. Hoping someone can help!
Uterus measures 7.3 x 3.5 x 4.7 cm [64 cc]. Endometrial thickness measures 13 mm. Right ovary measures 12.4 cc and contains dominant follicle measuring 2 cm in diameter. Left ovary measures 6.2 cc. Slip of fluid is noted in the cervix. Slip of fluid is noted in the adnexal areas. No pelvic mass seen.

Hi everyone,
I used to frequently lurk on this reddit looking for some ways to deal with my case of anxiety induced OAB. I thought I’d chime and share a success story that had with my battle with overactive bladder. I just want to start with some background I’m 29m with not major medical or health complications, I’m healthy and physically active (at the time that my symptoms really cracked off I was probably the fittest I had been in my life).
My symptoms all started in August of 2022 and they came on suddenly. To set the scene it was a beautiful sunny Saturday and I had some plans to go surfing with some mates latter in the afternoon. There was some pretty good swell due at one of my favourite beaches in town and I was super exited (maybe a little nervous because it was going to be kind of larger surf that I was used to. In the morning I had breakie and a cup of coffee. I was really excited about this new coffee that I had got from the store. Immediately after the coffee I was a little anxious but nothing out of the ordinary, I thought it was nervous jitters for the surf session. Anyways my mated pick me up and we head to the beach (it was about an hour drive away). On the car trip I remember having to pee but again nothing out of the ordinary. We go surfing for about 2-3 hours, and I didn’t have to go once the entire time I was out. I get out of the water and change, and that when it all started. I went to use the bathroom and immediately afterwards had to go again (I thought it was weird and tried to go again but there was nothing…okay…). pack up the car and start driving, and the urge was strong again, stoped to go again still not much again. So I suffered for the rest of the car ride home feeling like I was going to go in my pants the whole time. It was at this point my anxiety shot through the roof and I felt like a panic attack was coming on (I had one earlier in the year so I kind of recognized the symptoms of it). I get home and try everything I can to get myself to calm down and nothing worked. The plan was to go home and then meet my friend for homemade pizza at their house (20 minute drive away). I get ready and use the bathroom and get halfway to my friends house only to have to stop and go again. I struggle through the dinner have to excuse myself once or twice to go again still there was not too much. By the end of the day I had burned 3500 calories of stress. I figured it was anxiety at the time and I hoped that it would get better in the morning.
But that urge became something I constantly had to deal with, and when I say constant I mean like I’d go and immediately feel like I needed to go again (maybe 5 minutes of relief between visits). This would lead to me having to go to the bathroom maybe 20 times a day or so. I missed out on movies, shows, drinking with my mates, had to start planning my life around bathroom access, and coffee. (At the time I would have done anything to be able to have a pint or a cup of coffee with my mated and not have to worry about my symptoms getting worse). All this worry was starting consume a large part of my day to day thinking. I mean it’s not like it a symptom that you can just ignore. Fomos and the general anxiety around whether was was going to get better This really stressed me out and made the problem much worse as time went on.
I figured I’d wait and see before going to the doctor see what was going on. After about a week with nothing getting better I decided to go see a doctor. They did some test which all came back negative, I had an ultrasound and everything was clear. At the ultrasound appointment with less than 100ml of liquid in my bladder the feeling was so intense the lady even showed me that there was nothing there on her screen (again this clued me into thinking maybe this was a physiological issue rather than physical one). They said there was nothing that they could find that was medically wrong with me but they would refer me to a urologist to give me the all clear. At this point in my mind there were not major medical issues with me, so there were two potential causes (1) anxiety and (2) a nagging injury. Re (2) I had a nagging groin injury that I sustained at the beginning of the year. I was going to pt for it and thought I could have been surfing from a hypertonic pelvic floor and that was causing the oab symptoms. I couldn’t get an appointment for several months so there was a long period of just waiting while still battling with this constant urge to use the bathroom.
After that appointment I figured I’m dealing with the injury with pt already so maybe I should try to focus on the anxiety aspect. So I tired everything that I could do to reduce my symptoms, drink less coffee, meditate (headspace), saw a therapist, stepped back my work as much as I could to get some time to relax, kept physically active (surfing running climbing multiple times a week), spent time with friends and still nothing made me feel better.
I think this was a period where I was the most stressed that I had ever been. Lets just say 2022 was a year I would not want to repeat anytime soon. To list all that I had going on (tw: cancer, suicide(friend), family member death ) :

1. I was living abroad in nz and was far from family, and my partner. My dad earlier in the year had been diagnosed with cancer and was going through treatments.
2. My really good friend attempted suicide twice (The first time I was the closest person to him and he confided in me with his intentions and everything. Probably the most stressful we ek of my life)
3. My friends mental health emergency lead to me having to move flats on short notice because I didn’t feel safe where I lived because I was threatened by my friend after calling the cops on him to do a wellness check. I went from living in boarding situation with 12 really good friends to living in a studio which was super isolating.
4. I felt afraid around the town because of these treats and made it harder to relax. Plus running which was my biggest outlet for stress and the thing that I did with my friend became to hard for me to do. It kept giving my ptsd flashbacks of the event.
5. my grandfather passed away shortly after my father was diagnosed with cancer.

(tw:end)

1. I was in the process of writing my thesis at the time and had my defence deadline approaching nearer and nearer.
2. I was planning on moving back to my home country at the end of the year which meant that I was going to loose my whole support system and have to start fresh again. I had to worry about selling most of the stuff I own (car, furniture, clothes, surfboards etc.)
3. I was also planning a carrier change from one research to a completely different field of study. I’m an academic and I wanted try something new. You either get to pick where you live or the research you do.
4. worried about jobs I was going to get when I moved back and how I was going to support myself. This is related to 8)

I feel like any one of these events would be a lot to deal with on its own. This was all coming off the tail end of covid as well, thing were starting to get back to normal but there were still periodic lock downs. I feel like it had been a year of very high constant stress and everything together overloaded me. It hasn’t been uncommon for anxiety to manifest as physical symptoms for me before. I remember earlier in the year before the oab really kicked off that I couldn’t eat food without it making me feel sick. it turns out that anxiety cracks up stomach acid and that can make you feel nauseous. The doctor was able to help me out with.
Well to continue the story I went and saw urologist and he said that everything was clear and there was nothing to worry about. Just have to wait for things to calm down, he did give me some oxybutynin that didn’t really help. Then shorty after that I had to sell everything I owned and I flew back home. I remember that flight being kind of hard, I was sad to leave the country and anxious for the new life I was about to begin. It really enhanced the symptoms that I was experiencing.
I moved back to the USA at the end of 2023 and that is when I began trying to tackle this problem in earnest. The urologist recommended that I tried bladder retraining while it was helpful to see progress it still didn’t help with the symptoms that much. I tired cbd for my anxiety and had some success. It seemed to help manage my symptoms. I moved from summer in the southern hemisphere, to the middle of the winter in the northern hemisphere and the lack of sun didn’t help my mental health.
At this point I could go maybe 30 minutes between trips to the bathroom. I didn’t have coffee, or alcohol (didn’t even dream of it). Car trips were miserable, would spend most of them stressed I wouldn’t find a bathroom. Still had the constant urge to use the bathroom. Things were not fun. Luckily I had a decent amount of money in savings so I took some time to relax while I was waiting to defend my thesis. (I think I took about 6-7 months to myself)
Okay I’m sure you all know all that symptoms and how miserable they can be. Here’s what worked for me:
First thing I’d say is go see a doctor. Reddit is great but a doctor will be able to tell if there is anything physically wrong with you. Then trust what they say. When are you a dealing with a health related thing that is related to anxiety the most important thing is to make sure that you have a clean bill of health.
Once you know nothing is wrong physically here are some ways of dealing with oab caused my anxiety:

1. Talk: Talk to your love ones about what you are dealing with. Tell them you are struggling with this medical issue and you may need to pull over and use the bathroom or disappear for a couple minutes. They will understand if they love you. I waited a long time to open up to my partner about this, and I felt a lot better after I told her what I was struggling with.
2. Face this head on: Don’t retreat still do things go outside got to shows bars the store. You will be able to find a bathroom you don’t need to worry. Remember that stuff that you love to do don’t let oab rule your life. Its going to be scary but its good to face these anxieties head on. If you start canceling events because you are afraid of bathroom access will lead to further isolation, and eventually agoraphobia (not a good place to end up)
3. Bladder retraining: This gives you a way to track progress and play chicken with your bladder in a controlled manner. You are trying to teach your brain the difference between really and fake signals. This will help you gain trust in yourself again. Remember this is gradual process.
4. Professional help. Shortly after getting back to the states I started getting professional help to deal with all the stress I had in my life. I needed somewhere where I could process everything I was going through. I got the quickest appointment I could and took the first one I could get. By involving doctors and therapist and even your loved ones you are not tackling this problem alone anymore you have a team of people helping you. Plus they can give you ideas on how to manage your stress and anxiety.
5. Headspace: In a similar vein headspace and mindfulness will help with learning how to acknowledge how we are feeling and move on. We are always going to need to use the bathroom there is no way around it and we sometimes will have the feeling that we need to go when we don’t need to. In the same way there is no getting rid of anxiety, what mindfulness does is help change our relationship with these feelings. You could try the session on chronic pain because what we are experiencing is a persistent unwanted sensation from out body like a form of pain. There is also more general ones about anxiety. I think we can borrow some of the ideas that people dealing with chronic pain use to to deal with the urges that we experience ( I don’t know how much there is to this though).
6. (a) side tangent: I saw this guy in nz who said that when people are dealing with heartache sometimes taking a painkiller (like Tylenol or ibuprofen) can help deal with the pain. Even though the pain is psychosomatic the feeling is still real, and the painkiller can actually help with managing the heartbreak. (see)
7. Medication: Trying anti anxiety meds was the biggest thing for me. What I really needed after all the stress was some mental space. For me lexapro gave me this space. I know that finding the right medication to be on can be hard and its a long process to find the one that is right for you. I’m currently on the lowest dose (5mg) and I have been taking it for about 1.5 years with little side effects (only if I miss a dose I feel a little dizzy in the evening). I know anti-anxiety meds get a bad wrap these days and I feel like there is a lot of misinformation about them. People worry that it is going numb them that they are going to feel like themselves, or that people are going to judge them for taking it, but in my case that hasn’t been my experience. If you are at a high level of stress it can help bring you back down to baseline, it can give you the space to acknowledge the things that make you feel anxious and move on. I highly recommend trying this out. I should also say here that it does take 1.5-2 months for the meds to really start working, and during that time your anxiety can increase (but its worth it!!!)
8. CBD: if you don’t want to try an anti anxiety med try CBD, it really helps with stress and I found that it was pretty good at helping with some OAB symptoms at first but you build up a tolerance to it when you are taking it daily, and it can become expensive. What I found that worked for me was around 10-15mg 3 times a day (breakfast lunch and dinner). This helped me be less stressed in the car our when I was out walking places and there was no bathroom nearby.

When this all started I didn’t ever think I was going to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee again or go to a bar and have a pint and drive home with out a worry. After working at this for the last 2 years I’ve been able to get to a place where I can have a coffee and then go for a long car ride and have no symptoms. I’m able to go to a triva night and enjoy a beer without having to get up every 10 minutes to use the bathroom. I’m able to sit through meeting without having to leave 3-4. I’ve been able to give a 1 hr long talk to a large group of people (something I wouldn’t have been able to do because oab at the beginning of all this) with no issues. In my experience there is no instant cure for this, don’t say this to be negative but more so to say that its going to take hard work, and there is hope. I was able to overcome this thing and so can you! I hope this helps and thanks for taking the time to read my post.

Stomach issues / Nausea + Throwing up
Just started taking 10MG of lexapro again about a week ago everyday (I used to take it every other day or even waited days in between bc i would either forget or not take it at all due to me feeling better with just smoking). I’m already a full week in and I’m still very anxious with stomach pain and nausea, and I even throw up even though I haven’t eaten pretty well this whole week (I’ve either haven’t eaten or barely can keep the food I do down because I start to gag for some reason and throw it up).
Any advice?
(Also, I stopped smoking weed this entire week as well after doing it for about a year, so could the withdrawal of that affect this too?)

Stomach issues / Nausea + Throwing up
Just started taking 10MG of lexapro again about a week ago everyday (I used to take it every other day or even waited days in between bc i would either forget or not take it at all due to me feeling better with just smoking). I’m already a full week in and I’m still very anxious with stomach pain and nausea, and I even throw up even though I haven’t eaten pretty well this whole week (I’ve either haven’t eaten or barely can keep the food I do down because I start to gag for some reason and throw it up).
Any advice?
(Also, I stopped smoking weed this entire week as well after doing it for about a year, so could the withdrawal of that affect this too?)

I took about 900 mg of sumatriptan mixed into Gatorade and went to sleep expecting not to wake up. But I did. I feel like shit. My skin feels like it’s burning and my joints are screaming in pain. I feel nauseous and it hurts to move. But it’s not even close to the pain I feel from even being alive. I wish I could have one of those moments that speakers talk about. That instant of regret where they realize that they still want to live. All I felt as I slipped into sleep, was hope and peace. The hope for death and the peace of sleep. When I woke up, I had no regrets other than not adding all of my Lexapro too. If I did that then I might actually have died. Now, not only am I not dead, but I feel even worse. I have to find another way of death. One that’s far more lethal. Maybe I could sit on the train tracks until a train comes, but they don’t publish the schedule. Or maybe I could hop in front of a truck. I don’t want to traumatize more people than I have to so I’ll save that as my very last resort. I’ll have to make sure that I leave a note saying that this was suicide so that the driver won’t get in trouble if I actually do that. I don’t know. Nothing hurts as bad as the longing for death, but being unable to die. My failure only made that worse. To be kept alive when all you wish for is death, that is true torture. If there is a god, he’s one hell of a sadist. Even if it’s “for my own good”, it's my life and I should decide when it ends.

Oh my gosh, I literally balled my eyes out last night because it was the first time I’ve felt normal for months. Let alone the anxiety I’ve had for years that was untreated. The last 2 months I’ve developed severe health anxiety and it’s completely taken over my daily life. It’s over everything about my health and especially over taking pills. Working on getting therapy set up but my insurance is a pain
I know there is a horrible stigma for Xanax and that’s terribly sad considering how helpful it is for people like myself. I was prescribed 0.25mg to take 3 times a day as needed. I took my dose at 7:45 and by 8 I was no longer tense, I actually laughed for the first time in months and felt like I could finally deal with life. Like I can actually deal with my symptoms and not freak out instantly. I understand that regardless of what happens, I will be ok and that’s something I haven’t felt in a while.
I may be going up to 0.5mg, just waiting for my call back from the doc. I didn’t post this to get reticuled about how Xanax is addictive and blah blah blah. I understand the risks and what comes with it. I don’t care, I finally feel a bit like myself again and it’s so so motivating. I’m getting a loaf of testing done for my health and it’s so so hard to deal with. Like heart monitor, adrenal test, ultrasound, eye appointment. It’s a lot
Just my post from yesterday to today is night and day. Thank you guys for motivating me to get on medication and thank you for being supportive :)
Edit- I started lexapro 2 weeks ago as well as metoprolol for my heart and blood pressure. The Xanax is a bridge while the lexapro takes times to work. seems I need to mention that
I’m also getting a ton of health testing done because they think my thyroid or adrenal glands may be overactive. This isnt just a regular case of anxiety. My adrenaline and cortisol levels could very well be out of whack.

I just tried Lexapro, but it started causing jaw pain and other issues and just made me irritated. I'm supposed to try Wellbutrin along with it. If the Wellbutrin doesn't work, how do you get off it? With the Lexapro I use a pill cutter and just cut it. Do you have to taper on the lowest dose of Wellbutrin too?
I'm trying to find something that helps with depression and lack of motivation.

For the last two years I’ve done every holistic thing under the sun to try and control my anxiety and stress and what used to work no longer does. The last several months have been the worst I’ve felt. Wake up crying. Daily chest pain. Dread my day even on the weekend I just feel meh instead of relaxed. My brain won’t stop worrying and stressing and my work product has been terrible. I finally had enough and seen my doctor who really seemed to validate and listen to me and care. She said I have classic Generalized Anxiety Disorder and wants me to do counseling and Lexapro. I’m really scared of the weight gain and side effects. Sometimes I wonder if this is part of perimenopause and that it will eventually subside but deep down I know that my family has anxiety and depression in its history.

I’ve been on Ecitalopram (Lexapro) for almost five years. 20mg. Starting the meds was pretty easy for me. Started at 10mg but quickly got to 20mg, and honestly didn’t feel much difference between the doses.
Now I’m one week into tapering (15 mg) and oh my god the headaches are insane. It feels like my neck is squeezed and the tension goes all the way up to the side of my head. I’m on all the available pain killers but nothing helps.
Does anyone have any tips for me on what may help? Has anyone else experienced this and how long before it stopped?
If this is how it is it’s going to take a long time before I dare to go down to 10mg..
Appreciate all the help 🖤

TLDR: I need to lose a lot of weight. I am successful when in a consistent calorie deficit, but I feel so hungry and irritable when doing so. Does it get better or are people just hungry all the time when losing a lot of weight and maintaining?
I (32F; HW 240 CW 225 GW 165) nailed a healthy diet in January and lost a good bit of weight, but I struggled with feeling so very hungry and deprived during that time.
I was aiming for a 1,800 calories a day goal after working with my doctor, and usually found myself between 1,400 and 1,800 cals. I had a higher calorie day about 1-2 times a week. I had fewer processed carbs, a protein goal (80-100mg) and water intake goal (130oz). I was also getting 10,000 + steps a day, even if it meant walking around my house for 45 mins at the end of the day lol. It was working! I was a bit less consistent in February/March, and then almost completely fell off in April/May.
I have a prescription for Wegovy and I'm on week 2 and have decided I don't want to continue. Side effects are honestly ok, and it really does affect my appetite and make eating fewer calories so much easier. I see why it works so well - if I always felt like this I would rarely ever even reach 1,400 cals a day. I really am anxious however to be on a medication forever, and the long term side effects and stigma around it just freak me out. Plus, I've kind of proven to myself that if I'm consistent, I can lose and maintain for a while. I really want to be able to do this.
I gained 60+ lbs in two years after taking Lexapro for postpartum anxiety and depression and I was relieved to finally be off the meds last year. Unlucky for me the weight wouldn't budge after simply stopping. I'm mostly healthy but at high risk for type 2 diabetes and have developed high cholesterol and back pain.
Anyways, I want to get back into what I was doing earlier this year and make it a lifestyle, but I have a hard time imagining spending most of my time feeling very hungry and unsatisfied.
Do you eventually feel more full from less? Please tell me that if I can push through for longer than before and I can maintain a deficit without feeling hungry, tired, and irritable.

TLDR: I need to lose a lot of weight. I am successful when in a consistent calorie deficit, but I feel so hungry and irritable when doing so. Does it get better or are people just hungry all the time when losing a lot of weight and maintaining?
I (32F; HW 240 CW 225 GW 165) nailed a healthy diet in January and lost a good bit of weight, but I struggled with feeling so very hungry and deprived during that time.
I was aiming for a 1,800 calories a day goal after working with my doctor, and usually found myself between 1,400 and 1,800 cals. I had a higher calorie day about 1-2 times a week. I had fewer processed carbs, a protein goal (80-100mg) and water intake goal (130oz). I was also getting 10,000 + steps a day, even if it meant walking around my house for 45 mins at the end of the day lol. It was working! I was a bit less consistent in February/March, and then almost completely fell off in April/May.
I have a prescription for Wegovy and I'm on week 2 and have decided I don't want to continue. Side effects are honestly ok, and it really does affect my appetite and make eating fewer calories so much easier. I see why it works so well - if I always felt like this I would rarely ever even reach 1,400 cals a day. I really am anxious however to be on a medication forever, and the long term side effects and stigma around it just freak me out. Plus, I've kind of proven to myself that if I'm consistent, I can lose and maintain for a while. I really want to be able to do this.
I gained 60+ lbs in two years after taking Lexapro for postpartum anxiety and depression and I was relieved to finally be off the meds last year. Unlucky for me the weight wouldn't budge after simply stopping. I'm mostly healthy but at high risk for type 2 diabetes and have developed high cholesterol and back pain.
Anyways, I want to get back into what I was doing earlier this year and make it a lifestyle, but I have a hard time imagining spending most of my time feeling very hungry and unsatisfied.
Do you eventually feel more full from less? Please tell me that if I can push through for longer than before and I can maintain a deficit without feeling hungry, tired, and irritable.

42F 250lbs Asthma, no thyroid, anxiety, allergies, vitamin D deficiency Medications - Levothyroxine, Phentermine, Xyzal, VitaminD, Flonase, Singulair, Lexapro
I'm currently having an issue with my Ortho's office, so they won't let me have an appointment. They suddenly said 2 months ago that I owe them over $2,000 for my surgery back in 2019, so I'm here. (Yay American Healthcare. )
I had flat for reconstruction in December of 2019. They removed the extra navicular, replaced a tendon, fixed some ligaments, and broke my heel so my foot would point straight. I have no feeling around my scar on the inside of my ankle. I also have an arthritic spot on the top of my foot that can NOT handle compression. Everything hacked fine, and it looks like I have to random screws in my heel on xrays.
A couple days ago I was out and doing a lot of walking/standing. And some then I've had pain in that leg/ankle. The pain is right above the outer ankle and about

Over a decade I'm severely depressed and I've been living actual despair every single day. I don't know where this anguish comes from, but it hurts so much I want to scream, cry and hell, cause harm to my body. I want this pain out of me...... I don't want to be this way for even one day more, much less another decade. Are you kidding me? Despair for another decade? ...... God god god.... despair for one day is already more than I can bear. I know there are many people like me, but they take "medication" and are now relaxing on the bed, having fun with their partner, exploring, living... while I'm here.
The question is, how the hell can they do it? Please, tell me how. When I think of doing the same, panic and RAGE comes within me. Even if the damn thing works, it's fake and I feel it's fake. I feel something funcking controlling me and to make everything worse... it's an actual drug that will give me withdrawal if I stop, if it doesn't make my life hell before. And I'm already suicidal and paranoid. How could I go through all of this drug-induced pain and survive? How can I take fucking klonopin knowing it will make me wish death when I stop a million times over than now? Or how can I take lexapro if I feel it using me, lying to me and then hurting me if I ever say I no longer want it? I'm paranoid and rebellious. I can stop after a day or a week or a month of taking, and then what? Be punished with withdrawal that can also make me wish death?
But these people..... they take. They take, they enjoy and they never want to quit and they never do. How? Because I can't be like this anymore. If there is a way for me to calm my paranoia, my rage down, please, I want to do it. I want to be the one on multiple psych drugs that lives stress-free. His world falling apart, but he being fine. Not missing any friend, any love. Hope and love and friend being his wonderful medication that saved him from despair. I want to be that person... and I wish someone taught me how.

Female Age 26 On Lexapro for 4 years Also on 60 mg Strattera
Like many throughout this sub, I’ve had the unpleasant experience of gaining a TON of weight since starting Lexapro.
While it may be quite wordy, I wanted to share my story in case someone can relate.
Back when COVID started (March 2020), I was pretty much the skinniest I had been during my early adult years and quite muscular for a woman (coming off being a college athlete).
A couple weeks into March 2020, I unfortunately got very sick with (I believe) an early strain of COVID which feels like it completely changed my brain chemistry/gave me crippling full-body anxiety that is still present to this day.
I couldn’t function socially, I constantly felt like I was about to have a heart attack at any second, yet every test said I was perfectly healthy. An onset of chronic pain in my ribs didn’t help much either.
When my doctor asked if I had tried Lexapro, I was eager to see if this new medication would be the magic fix to my new-found anxiety. Luckily… I was right.
Since about mid-2020, I’d primarily been taking 10mg Lexapro - seeing great results with anxiety relief and finally being able to talk myself down from panic attacks. The new downside, I went from being a 5’2” 130 lb college athlete to a 175 lb work-from-homer that barely gets off the couch.
The last two years have been increasingly difficult for me. I’m constantly in pain from the added body weight, physical activities I used to do with ease have only gotten more difficult even though I still have a desire to do them, and I just feel overall shame and embarrassment.
While I know the Lexapro is NOT fully to blame here (my switch to a more sedentary lifestyle makes a major impact as well), it’s wild thinking back at how fast I put the weight on and how it correlated perfectly with when I started my Lexapro journey.
I should’ve realized that the Lexapro was probably not helping my weight gain, however at the time, I really didn’t think of that side effect and mainly attributed my weight to my new life of trying not to upset my chronic pain by sitting all day.
About two months ago, I felt more anxious and upped my dose from 10mg to 15mg all while starting to watch my calories and MAJORLY increase my physical activity. It stumped me why I started also feeling bigger than ever…
TWENTY POUNDS GAINED! I couldn’t believe I actually weighed 195. Surely I was doing the right thing by increasing my exercise and making progress towards my goals?
While I’ve always been a “the number on the scale doesn’t define me as long as I make good decisions for my body” type of person, I immediately made an an appointment with my Psych.
She thankfully heard my concerns and lowered my dose back to 10mg of Lexapro, and added Wellbutrin to see if it would help combat some of the “unpleasant side effects” I was going through (sex drive had completely tanked as well).
I just picked up my script and I’m starting my journey with NOOM, trying to do whatever I can to get on the right path here.
If anyone has had a similar experience or any advice for starting Wellbutrin on top of Lexapro, I would LOVE to hear feedback! It’s been a very tough road for me with all of this, but I finally feel like I’m on the right track and have a clear mind of what I want to work towards.
TL:DR- In total, gained about 65 lbs since starting Lexapro, finally adding Wellbutrin to try to help. Let me know your experience!

I rapid tapered lexapro in September of 2023 as I was getting unsettling symptoms from Lexapro (I have been on since late 2018). In December I had weird brain shocks and arm tingling so I decided to get back on thinking it was all me. I continue strange symptoms through late February 2024 and it bothered me so I tapered down into April and jumped off of 2.5mg on about the 9th. Two weeks later I started have severe neurological symptoms (waves of chills and heat, numbness, shock sensations all over) then deathly anxiety and rapid heart rate with insomnia. In fear for my life I reinstated and my doctor told me to take 10mg which shocked the hell of my system (kindled). I then reduced to 1.0mg but felt I was still in withdrawal and then moved back to 2.5mg. For the last two weeks on 2.5 I have felt like I was actually on fire. I’m in survivng antidepressants and aware of everything but please someone tell me I can be better. I have a 2 year old and another baby due in 7 weeks and I can’t even take a melontimin without activating myself. What do I do?!?!?
Sever anxiety insomnia Nerve pain Cog issues Hypersensitive to all things- supplements, light, sound Lost 24 pounds Developed monophobia
Was a normal dad a month ago
Part of me wants to jump off and ride the beast of withdrawal because sometimes it feels like it’s getting worse.

I just started taking Lexapro last Tuesday at 5mg. I started taking it because of chronic neck pain that we causing anxiety and depression. I just started on 10mg today and I have noticed for the last week that my neck pain has gotten way worse, like debilitating now where I can. Barely get off couch. It looksike this could be a side effect of the medication. I think want to quit because the pain is awful. Will I have any issues with withdrawals quiting after one week? Should I go to 5mg tomorrow and Thursday and then quit? I'm still waiting to hear from doctor but this pain is unbearable and I don't think I can deal with it if the meds are making it worse. Thanks for your help!

15 yr old female, 5’2, 115 pounds, lexapro and Wellbutrin
My wisdom teeth have been growing for a few years now and I was planning to have a consultation in June to get them possibly removed. I even had a gingivectomy to prepare for it, which was successful, but I woke up a few days ago with so much pain. It’s only getting worse now, I can’t swallow anything, my gums are swollen and bumpy, my lymph nodes are huge and I can barely talk. Specially my right side is super painful but it hurts everywhere and im wondering if it could be an infection either from the wisdom teeth or possibly my surgery? Idk pls help me 😭

I am a 31 year old female, about 140 lbs. Medications I take are: Lexapro, Seroquel, Ritalin, Gabapentin.
I was bitten and scratched by one of my outdoor cats earlier while trying to break up a fight. I am not worried about rabies as they are vaccinated. I have been hospitalized before for a cat bite infection, the bite went into my finger tendon and I did not wash it for about an hour after I was bitten. That said, I am ultra paranoid and do not want to spend days on an IV drip if I can avoid it.
Here are photos of the wound and here is what I did to care for the wound:
https://imgur.com/6Wre1zH https://imgur.com/WywQGeR https://imgur.com/iLYID7h
Immediately after the bite I came inside and ran hot water over the wound and used Hibiclens surgical scrub to clean it. I made sure the soap was inside the wounds and washed for about 5 minutes straight. Then I used antiseptic wipes to clean it even further, even squeezing the solution into the wounds. Then I used an alcohol prep pad to do one more wipe over everything before covering everything with neosporin. Then I wrapped it in gauze and soft tape to keep it covered. I also took 500mg of amoxicillin since I had a bottle from a dentist appointment I never used.
SO, do I need to go to the hospital or urgent care still?
UPDATE: I went to urgent care where they prescribed amox-clav. This morning the swelling has gone down significantly as has the pain. Thanks all for your input!

I could really use some similar stories right now. I’m at such a weird point in my life and I hate it.
I (18F) was diagnosed in Oct.2023. To sum it up as quick as I can, from March-September 2023 my health very quickly started to plummet. There were symptoms I had before then but my doctor thought nothing of it and continually pushed me off (ofc) it wasn’t until I got a new PCP, and my symptoms worsened tremendously that I got the attention I needed. I was completely bedridden for almost all of august, (had my incredibly sad graduation party on august 2nd, during which I had to stay sat on a park bench for the entirety of it because of how sick I felt, and everyone was excusing it for “college stress” and I would hide in the bathroom crying). That was the last time I left my house. From then through all of September and October, I couldn’t leave my bed and was living to and from the bathroom and my bedroom. (Expect for appointments which I very slowly had to painfully wobble myself to the car) finally got in with the GI; got the diagnosis, started treatment (started on Humira) and have been slowly uphill from then. Some good things did happen, I saw family across the country in December which was amazing.. but ever since I got to a manageable level of feeling okay, I hit such a wall. I’ve lost a lot of relationships that I can’t get back. Friends from high school I promised to stay in contact with, and my girlfriend (whom we mutually ended the relationship) because who wants to date someone who’s sick all of time? In December, taking my injections started getting really difficult and I began to have bad reactions to the injection site. (Surprise surprise the meds aren’t working). Had my second scope just a couple weeks ago and it’s still extremely inflamed so I’m on steroids again, and will be trying a new med soon. I just don’t know what to do with myself. I’m only 18, I “have so much ahead of me” but I’m so depressed and anxious all the time. My PCP wants me to try a new antidepressant again (I tried lexapro awhile ago but it wasn’t working so I stopped) I haven’t had any interest in starting any again because it just feels like one more thing I have to medicate and one more thing my body is failing to do correctly. So I’m sitting at the “well.. it’s severe but you’re managing” conversation I had with my PCP about it and my attitude is, I DO have a choice in medicating for my anxiety, I don’t have a choice for medicating my Crohn’s.
I don’t know guys I just want to be healthy, I want to be happy, I want to meet people again and see friends again. I wanna go to school and travel, I wanna do all the things I’m supposed to be doing now. But I’m not. I’m living at home, working part time down the street, miserable. I wanna leave so bad but all my doctors are here and no choice I put on the table seems realistic or appealing. I feel so “unwell”. My pain is up and down, but most days there’s not debilitating pain that gets in the way. But the fatigue kills me. And I just feel sick, like I know something’s wrong. I don’t feel right and there’s nothing I can do about it.

81F, 170 lbs, 5 ft 4, not a current smoker, caucasian
Previous Diagnosis: COPD, Heart Failure with preserved ejection fraction, Kidney Disease (3a – brought on by medications), Heart Attack (19 years ago, 2 stents placed), Pulmonary Hypertensions, Hypertension, Minor Stroke (2 years ago)
Medications: Plavix, Protonix, Singulair, Lexapro, Trelegy Ellipta, Lisinopril, Lipitor, Daliresp,
I’m not quite understanding what is going on with her heart. Because of her COPD she often has shortness of breath. Anytime she visits the ER, it seems they end up doing an ECG to rule our heart issues. Below is information from her 5 most recent ECGs. We were told back in March that it seemed she had had a minor heart attack at some point in the past, but they couldn’t really tell when. What I can’t tell based on the info below is whether or not she is continuing to have minor heart attacks or if they keep seeing the same heart attack from the past. It’s the most recent ECG that has me most confused because it seems to reference the same possible MI from the past, but then also says “compared to the ECG on 4/29, Myocardial infarct finding now present”. Her doctors certainly did not mention anything to us about this (she was in the hospital for a fall and was having pain in her chest, which was attributed to broken ribs – we were told her heart was fine. My concern is this – is she having repeated minor heart attacks and if she is, are they indicative of a larger heart attack likely on the horizon?
3/4/24
SINUS RHYTHM
POSSIBLE LEFT ATRIAL ENLARGEMENT [-0.1mV P-WAVE IN V1/V2]
LOW QRS VOLTAGE IN PRECORDIAL LEADS [QRS DEFLECTION < 1.0 mV IN CHEST LEADS]
POSSIBLE ANTERIOR MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION , PROBABLY OLD [30 ms Q WAVE IN V3/V4,
OR R < 0.2 mV IN V4]
ST DEPRESSIONS
SLIGHT DELTA WAVE NOTED BUT PR > 140 ms
No stemi, rate 92, sinus rhythm, normal axis, narrow complex
4/17/24
SINUS RHYTHM
LOW QRS VOLTAGE IN PRECORDIAL LEADS [QRS DEFLECTION < 1.0 mV IN CHEST LEADS]
POSSIBLE ANTERIOR MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION , PROBABLY OLD [30 ms Q WAVE IN V3/V4,
OR R < 0.2 mV IN V4]
Compared to ECG 03/04/2024 16:14:33
ST (T wave) deviation no longer present
Myocardial infarct finding still present
4/26/24
SINUS RHYTHM
NONSPECIFIC ST T-WAVE ABNORMALITY
ARTIFACT LIMITS INTERPRETATION
4/28/24
SINUS RHYTHM
Compared to ECG 04/26/2024 11:56:08
T-wave abnormality no longer present
NO STEMI
5/8/24
SINUS RHYTHM
LOW QRS VOLTAGE IN PRECORDIAL LEADS [QRS DEFLECTION < 1.0 mV IN CHEST LEADS]
POSSIBLE ANTERIOR MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION, OF INDETERMINATE AGE [30 ms Q WAVE IN
V3/V4, OR R < 0.2 mV IN V4]
Non specific ST abnormality
Compared to ECG 04/29/2024 11:51:42
Low QRS voltage now present
Myocardial infarct finding now present