Can I change the time of day I take Lexapro?

Question

I've been prescribed Lexapro 10mg and have been taking it for 5 days. I take my dose before I go to bed (around 9 pm), but in the middle of the night, I awaken and have trouble falling back to sleep. For the past two days, I've been sleepy and yawning during the day. I want to start taking it first thing in the morning instead of at night. Should I skip tonight's dose and take it tomorrow morning to get on that schedule or take a morning one now (it's 9 am) even though I just took my dose last night at 9 pm? I'm concerned if there will be any noticeable side effects. Also, for those of you who take Lexapro in the a.m., are there any side effects you experience during the day? Thanks!

Answer 1

You shpuld consult youd MD of course and let him know that you are waking in the middle of the night. Take your dose as prescribed, however make sure that at least twelve hours lapse before trying it in the am. Lexapro takes time to build in the bloodstream, so it may take 14 days for the full effect, being you should start sleeping and your mood should be better( if that is the case). Also, if you start having feelings of suicide let you doctor know immediately! Lexapro has a history of making people feel suicidal!

Good luck and i hope this helps. BTW i am an RN

Answer 2

tell me your age  and for what you are taking this medicine  ?

Answer 3

Lexapro has a very long half-life, so after a few days of taking it regularly, the blood level becomes fairly stable.  If you waited 36 hours between doses one time and then went back to 24 hour intervals, that wouldn't make a difference.

Do consult your doctor about the trouble sleeping though.  Lexapro tends to cause hypersomnia (sleeping too much) more often than it causes insomnia.  Certainly your sleep problem could be related to a Lexapro side effect, but it also might not be.  So I'd talk to the doctor about that, since he/she might recommend not changing the time of your dose.