Positives

• A patient at 20 months long haul started Lexapro 5mg and after 3 weeks the anxiety and depression significantly reduced; they stopped doom-scrolling, gained motivation, and described not realizing how deep the hole was until Lexapro pulled them out Reddit.
  
  

Negatives

• A severe ME/CFS patient tried Lexapro 2.5mg twice and their body rejected it both times with unbearable side effects plus difficulty urinating Reddit.
  
  
• A patient on Lexapro for 2 weeks reported worsened derealization, new insomnia, racing heart, and overall symptom flare Reddit.
  
  

Hurdles & Side Effects

• LC patients are often medication-hypersensitive, with multiple posters describing being terrified to start and several having to stop due to intolerable first-week side effects Reddit.
  
  
• A patient on max-dose Lexapro for 8–10 months reported near-zero libido and sexual dysfunction as a significant trade-off Reddit.