Has anyone ever experienced a rash that looks like insect bites when taking Lexapro? About three months ago, I started to get like shocks on my skin, like it felt like something was biting me. This could happen at night or during the day. And then I started to find that I was waking up with red spots on my body, sometimes on my arms and chest, but mostly on my legs. Recently they started to become pimples with white heads on them. I find new ones pretty much only after waking up, but I have occasionally found them during the day. I originally thought it was bugs, but three exterminators have come up with nothing. And all of my stuff has been washed like crazy.
At the time of this starting, I had been on Lexapro for like a month (10mg) and then mid-way through - around the time when the red dots started to become pimples- my dose had gone up (20mg). Now my psych doesn't think it's lexapro, my dermatologist thinks its folliculitis brought on by the drug, and I'm like at a complete loss. I do have very sensitive skin, so it could very be that. I stopped Lexapro last week around Wednesday, so about six days now without it ...and I'm still breaking out.
How long does it take Lexapro to leave the body if I was only on it from late August to Now (Nov 21)? And does this even sound like Lexapro? Please, I'm going crazy trying to find out what is happening with my body. Thank you.
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Hello, guys.
Lexapro (escitalopram) is an antidepressant in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class. Its primary use is to treat depression and generalized anxiety disorder. While most people tolerate Lexapro well, side effects can occur.
Rash is a potential but rare side effect of Lexapro. However, the type of rash you're describing, especially with the progression into pimple-like lesions, isn't typical of most drug rashes. Folliculitis is an inflammation of hair follicles and can be caused by a variety of factors, including bacterial infection, friction, and certain medications. It's plausible, though uncommon, for a drug to precipitate folliculitis, especially in an individual with predisposing factors like sensitive skin. Your dermatologist's diagnosis of folliculitis possibly induced by the medication is interesting, and as they've examined you in person, their opinion holds significant weight.
Regarding the duration of Lexapro in the body:
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The half-life of escitalopram is about 27-32 hours. This means that after approximately 27-32 hours, half of the drug is eliminated from your system. It usually takes around 5 half-lives for a drug to be almost completely out of your system. So, for Lexapro, it would be out of your system in about 5-6 days after the last dose. However, individual factors like metabolism, age, other medications, and liver function can influence how long it takes for a drug to be cleared.
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While the drug itself may be out of the system within a week, the effects (including side effects) can sometimes last longer, especially if the drug has caused some secondary changes in the body, like inflammation.
It's worth noting that if your symptoms were due to Lexapro, it might take some time for your skin to heal even after the drug has been discontinued.
Lastly, while it's tempting to make a connection between the onset of your symptoms and starting Lexapro, it's crucial to consider other factors or potential causes. Changes in skincare products, laundry detergents, diet, or exposure to other potential allergens or irritants might also play a role.
Good luck with the diagnosis.
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