Switching Lexapro from night to morning (3 reasons you should do) 

In this blog, we are going to discuss the best ways to switch taking your lexapro from night to morning. Lexapro is an antidepressant, which is usually taken once daily. To determine the best possible time, your doctor considers several factors. 

This blog will cover these factors and will discuss the best possible time to take Lexapro. 

How to switch lexapro from night to morning? 

Your healthcare provider may recommend dropping one dose in order to switch your timing. For example: if you take Lexapro at night, your doctor might recommend you to skip your night dose and take it on the following morning instead.

This way you will avoid getting overdosed and will not experience intense side effects of the drug but this should be done only if approved by your healthcare provider. Overdose can cause serious complications. 

Why should you switch to taking lexapro in the morning? 

Lexapro, brand name for escitalopram, is an antidepressant, which is associated with a lot of side effects. There’s a slight chance of avoiding some of them by changing the time at which you take your med. 

If your lexapro gives you insomnia, loss of libido or urinary problem, it is not recommended to take it at night. 

Insomnia 

It is a common side effect of lexapro and reported by almost half of the population taking lexapro. Even if you somehow end up falling asleep, you keep getting up in the middle of the night after short intervals. 

This really reduces your sleep quality and makes you feel tired the following morning. 

Frequent urination 

Lexapro can cause frequent urination as well as urinary incontinence in children and adolescents. In this case, it’s best to take your antidepressant in the morning to avoid the episode of bedwetting, which is quite common in children taking lexapro. 

It can also cause urinary retention which might cause abdominal pain or irritation throughout the night and makes it difficult for you to fall asleep. So it’s better to take it in the morning. 

Sexual problems 

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are well known for its sexual side effects. If your lexapro makes you go through sexual issues, such as low libido, erectile dysfunction, or inability to release, it is extremely important to set an appropriate time to take you medication. 

Studies suggest it’s best to counteract sexual side effects by taking antidepressant after the time you usually spend being sexually active. This means that you can take lexapro early in the morning which can help you to avoid getting sexual side effects at night. 

What is the best time to take lexapro? 

Lexapro should be administered once daily, either at night or in the morning. There is no standard perfect timing to take your antidepressant. It depends on what kinds of side effects you’re going through. 

It is important to discuss your side effects with your healthcare provider, who will guide you to take your lexapro at a time which can help you cope up with your side effects. 

Side effects	Best time to take Lexapro
Insomnia	Morning
Drowsiness/tiredness/fatigue	Bedtime
Nausea	Bedtime
Urinary problems	Morning
Loss of libido	Morning
Loss of appetite	Bedtime

What are the side effects associated with lexapro? 

Common side effects of Lexapro include:

• Anorexia 
• Constipation or diarrhoea
• Sexual issues
• Difficulty in falling asleep
• Vertigo 
• Decreased salivation or dry mouth
• Sweating
• Anxiety 
• Infections caused by decreased immunity
• Nausea
• Shaking
• Weakness
• Sleepiness and fatigue

Some serious and rare side effects include:

• Angle-closure glaucoma causes symptoms like eye pain, vision changes, or swelling or redness in your eyes.
• It could cause low sodium levels which can result in psychological symptoms like confusion, agitation, inability to understand surroundings, memory loss etc.
• It could cause low sodium levels which can result in psychological symptoms like confusion, agitation, inability to understand surroundings, memory loss etc.
• It can cause elongation of QT interval, causing increased heartbeat or arrhythmia
• Teeth grinding
• It may also put you at an increased risk for dangerous bleeding, especially when taken with medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), warfarin (an anticoagulant medication), or other anticoagulants. 

Dosage forms available in the market 

Lexapro (escitalopram) is available in tablet and liquid forms:

Lexapro tablet

Table is available in following strengths:

• 5 mg
• 10 mg
• 20 mg

Lexapro liquid

• 1 mg/ml

The starting dose for lexapro is 10mg, taken once a day, as recommended by your healthcare provider. Deciding an appropriate dose is necessary to achieve therapeutic response of the drug. If your dose is too low, your med will not provide enough support. 

If your dose is too high, your med will produce unwanted effects and might make you even more restless. It is extremely important to match your dose with the severity of your symptoms, in order to avoid therapeutic failure.

What if you accidentally overdose on lexapro? 

If you have overdosed on lexapro, the severity of side effects depend on the dose you took and your tolerance level. If the dose is low, you will surely suffer from side effects, but they would be somehow manageable.

If high doses are consumed, it can cause serious complications. Make sure you report to your healthcare provider as soon as you can and properly inform them how much dose you have taken and when. The side effects associated with lexapro overdose include:

• Seizures 
• Unconsciousness or coma
• Vertigo 
• Drowsiness/sleepiness
• Hypotension (low blood pressure)
• Insomnia or poor quality of sleep
• Arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat 
• Nausea and vomiting 

These side effects occur because of excessive serotonergic activity. As lexapro is an SSRI, it inhibits the reuptake of serotonin by blocking serotonin transporters (SERT). 

It results in excess availability of active serotonin, which is an excitatory neurotransmitter. When serotonin amounts in the body get too high, it causes a condition called ‘Serotonin Syndrome’. 

It is important to monitor your dose closely. Do not deviate from the prescribed dose. Do not drink alcohol while you’re on antidepressants. The combination can make your symptoms or your side effects even worse. Cut back as much as you can. 

Conclusion 

In this blog, we learned about an appropriate way to switch taking your lexapro from night to morning. You should switch your lexapro if it causes symptoms like loss of libido, insomnia and sexual issues like loss of libido, inability to release etc. 

These side effects can ruin your night time and your doctor will definitely ask you to switch taking it in the morning. The best way to switch is to skip one dose and take the next dose at your new timing. Make sure you properly discuss your side effects with your healthcare provider. 

Be careful not to accidentally overdose on your lexapro during this switching process. As lexapro is an SSRI, it inhibits the reuptake of serotonin by blocking serotonin transporters (SERT). 

It results in excess availability of active serotonin, which is an excitatory neurotransmitter. When serotonin amounts in the body get too high, it causes a condition called ‘Serotonin Syndrome’. 

FAQs: switching lexapro from night to morning

Why should you take Lexapro in the morning?

You should take your lexapro in the morning if it causes side effects like:

• Insomnia, which means inability to fall asleep. Even if you somehow end up falling asleep, you keep getting up in the middle of the night after short intervals. This really reduces your sleep quality and makes you feel tired the following morning. 
• Sexual issues. Lexapro can make you go through sexual issues, such as low libido, erectile dysfunction, or inability to ejaculate. 
• Frequent urination. Lexapro can cause frequent urination as well as urinary incontinence in children and adolescents. In this case, it’s best to take your antidepressant in the morning to avoid the episode of bedwetting, 

How do I switch my antidepressants from morning to night? 

Doctors usually recommend to drop one dose in order to switch your timing. For example: if you take your antidepressant in the morning, your doctor might recommend you to skip your morning dose and take it at night instead. 

This way you will avoid getting overdosed and will not experience intense side effects of the drug but this should be done only if approved by your healthcare provider. 

Is it better to take antidepressants in the morning or at night?

It depends on what kinds of side effects you’re going through. 

• If it causes insomnia, morning is preferred.
• If it causes drowsiness, night time is preferred.
• If it causes nausea, night time is preferred.
• If it causes urinary problems, morning is preferred.
• If it causes loss of libido, morning is preferred.
• If it causes loss of appetite, bedtime is preferred. 

Can’t sleep after taking Lexapro?

Lexapro can cause insomnia in some people, which makes it difficult for you to fall asleep. Even if you do, you keep waking up and your sleep quality becomes extremely poor. It gives you a headache and fatigue the next day. It is recommended to take lexapro in the morning if it causes insomnia. This way, the side effects will wear off, to some extent, when the night comes. 

When does Lexapro fatigue go away?

Lexapro induced fatigue starts to fade away within a few weeks of your treatment. You just need to give your body enough time to adjust to the medicine. 

Antidepressants don’t work overnight. These meds alter the amounts of excitatory neurotransmitters in your brain and they need sufficient time to do that.

How long does it take to adjust to Lexapro?

It usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to adjust to lexapro. This time duration is not standard and can vary from person to person, depending on the dose and the fact that how well they can tolerate lexapro. Some people can take up to 6 to 8 weeks to adjust to lexapro. 

Is it best to take Lexapro at night?

If lexapro makes you tired, fatigued, drowsy or dizzy, it’s best to take it at night. This way you will be able to avoid these side effects at day time and can perform your daily tasks efficiently with full mental alertness. It is also best to take Lexapro at night if it causes nausea or loss of appetite. This way you can enjoy your food during day time without this side effect. 

References 

• Escitalopram (Oral Route) https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/escitalopram-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20063707
• Connie Sanchez, Elin H. Reines and Stuart A. Montgomery (2014) – A comparative review of escitalopram, paroxetine, and sertraline: are they all alike? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4047306/ 
• Andrea Cipriani, Claudio Santilli, Toshi A Furukawa,  Alessandra Signoretti, Atsuo Nakagawa (2009) -Escitalopram versus other antidepressive agents for depression https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4164382/#:~:text=The%20most%20commonly%20observed%20adverse,sweating%2C%20fatigue%2C%20and%20somnolence. 
• Karly P Garnock-Jones, Paul L McCormack (2010) – Escitalopram: a review of its use in the management of major depressive disorder in adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20806989/ 
• Lexapro – Uses, Side Effects, and More https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-63990/lexapro-oral/details