Lexapro and Low Blood Sugar

Has anyone heard of Lexapro causing blood sugar problems. I have trouble with low blood sugar in the past, however, it's been better the past year. However, about two weeks ago I started having low blood sugar problems again. Constantly dizzy and exhausted. Also I started taking Lexapro three and a half weeks ago. Wondering if there is any connection.

Escitalopram has been correlated with hypoglycemia, yes. But this is typically restricted to individuals already experiencing compromised insulin homeostasis. So, I guess my questions to you are: what sort of 'blood sugar problems' have you had in the past? Are you diabetic? How do you know that what you are experiencing now is directly indicative of hypoglycemia?

Thanks for responding, I really appreciate it. For several years I was exhausted all the time, and felt as though there was a heavy weight on my head. A couple of years ago, I realized that every time I eat anything with sugar in it, or if I haven't eaten for a few hours my vision becomes blurred, I can't process anything anyone says, I get a horrible headache, and I can't stay awake. I called my doctor and told him my symptoms and he said it sounded like hypoglycemia, however, I was never tested. Interestingly enough things seemed to level off for me about a year ago, and I hadn't been experiencing those same symptoms, until two weeks ago it all started back. I'm just curious if the Lexapro that I started taking three and a half weeks ago could be contributing to it. I thought it was odd, but quite wonderful when after having years of blood sugar problems they mysteriously subsided.
I hate that this feeling is back. I am having an incredibly difficult time functioning because of this. I would appreciate any feedback that you can give me.

Well, my feedback is guarded, simply because I don't have enough clarifying data with which to arrive at a more certain opinion. There are a lot of uncertainties about what you've described, and I am wary of giving you any sort of information that may assist you in misconstruing your symptoms in the future. However, I am empathetic to the unpleasant physical symptomatology that Lexapro can cause, and I would like to provide a small amount of medical perspective if I am able to.

I would agree with what your doctor said initially. Those symptoms do sound like hypoglycemia to me, as well. However, since you did not undergo glycemic load testing, it is hard to gauge what you are experiencing now -- and it is even more difficult to view it through the lens of hypoglycemia. I feel it is incumbent upon me to ensure that we are both clear about one very important observation: you do not actually know if you ever had 'low blood sugar problems'. They may have sounded similar, but you did not acquire the objective data that unequivocally stated that you were, in fact, hypoglycemic or that you were experiencing a challenge to your endocrine system.

This is why I say that I am guarded. You may have been having low blood sugar issues. But, you may not have been. And so, when you say that your blood sugar problems 'leveled' off, the only thing that perhaps we can say for certain is that the symptoms that you were associating with low blood sugar problems leveled off. I say this because I am leery of how these symptoms have progressed for you. It is not typical to have symptoms of hypoglycemia for such an extended period of time without them worsening. Far less typical to have them stop entirely. It is entirely possible that you may have been exhibiting diabetic symptoms and managed to control them with a diet change that resulted in your 'leveling off' -- but it is not typical.

So, going on this concept of typicality, I would have to suggest that you consider three avenues:

1. Go get tested for diabetes ASAP. If you do in fact possess compromised insulin status, it is possible that the Lexapro (via serotonin) may be exacerbating the symptoms of diabetes, bringing it to the forefront. It is not typical, but it is possible -- ergo: get tested.

2. Symptoms of dizziness and lethargy are very common to initiating SSRI therapy, regardless of insulin status. They can last for weeks. What is your dosage of Lexapro? Have you been eating properly (Lexapro initiation has been correlated with extremely low appetite and nausea, contributing to low blood sugar levels through simple lack of appetite)? How have you been taking your dosages? Every day, with a constant dosage amount? Or did you start treatment at a prescribed low dose, and have you been slowly increasing your dose to what your therapist has decided is a therapeutic level for you? Increasing and decreasing Lexapro dosages has also been correlated with symptoms of dizziness and lethargy.

3. If your symptoms do not resolve within the next week or two, get a CBC (complete blood count) and blood work up (including checking your iron and vitamin B12 levels) done. Your symptoms are indicative of a lot of potential issues, not just low blood sugar. A CBC and work up may identify any other potential problems.

I have been taking 20mg every morning for 3 1/2 weeks. It sounds like this is something that I should keep an eye on. Thanks for taking it seriously and for the information. This problem has interfered with my life for years. I actually feel that it has robbed me of so much, because of the constant exhaustion and mental fog. I am going to mention all of this to my therapist when I see her Wednesday. I also need to reread all the info you gave me; it's a lot to take in. Thanks again.

No worries. Feel free to PM me if you have any further questions. Keep me updated on your status.

Also: initiating treatment at 20 mg can be a bit difficult. Usually, Lexapro is initiated at 10 mg and slowly increased from there. So, the symptoms you are experiencing may just be an adverse reaction to the strength of the dose.

When I started Lexapro I felt dizzy like that. It might just take a few more weeks to adapt to the meds. :s

ems wrote:When I started Lexapro I felt dizzy like that. It might just take a few more weeks to adapt to the meds. :s

I experienced these symptoms as well when starting on Lexapro... withdrawal from it does the same but worse (I, twice, made the stupid mistake of neglecting to get my meds filled on time, so I started experiencing this... dangerous).

I have been taking Lexapro, a very small amount (10 mg), for nearly 3 years now, along with Lamictal (150 mg. - mood stabilizer) & the combo works well for me.

What dosage are u prescribed?

Also, definitely (and I advocate this to all), getting tested for diabetes is a smart thing to do for a million different reasons. I just got tested in June.

I was started on 20mg, even though I had been off of Lexapro for over a year. I think that it was irresponsible of the doctor to start me on that dosage instead of building back up to it. The past couple of days I am finally starting to feel better physically, which makes me aware of just how bad I was feeling. I have hardly been able to function physically because of the constant exhaustion, dizziness, and headaches.