Is taking Lexapro and getting sun exposure a life-threatening combo??!!

Is there any truth to this? Are there other medications out there where you have to strictly avoid sunlight after taking them?😢

amiodarone, thiazide diuretics, sulfa drugs, tetracyclines, tricyclic antidepressants, tretinoin, AHAs, NSAIDs (like ibuprofen or Aleve...), birth control, chemo...

Amiodarone and tetracycline are the usual suspects when it comes to sun sensitivity, but the rest? Not so much...

What kind of fallout am I looking at if I spend too much time out in the sun, say between 10 AM and 4 PM, when it’s hitting 90°F or so, while I'm on Lexapro? I think I read somewhere that it could potentially lead to something as serious as a ruptured blood vessel in the brain.

Angela Kim39 said:What kind of stuff happens if, say, I’m out in the sun way too long—like from 10 AM to 4 PM—when it's hitting 90 degrees out? Especially while I'm on Lexapro. I read somewhere that it could actually cause blood vessels in your brain to burst or something.

Man, that sounds like an extreme scenario... I was on Lexapro for a whole year and I used to hit the tanning salon once a week, plus I spent the entire summer hanging out at the beach... most of the time you just end up dealing with sun allergies or weird skin spots and blotches.

Angela Kim39 said:What kind of side effects am I looking at if I'm out in the sun too long? Like, say, from 10 AM to 4 PM when it's hitting 90 degrees out, all while I'm on Lexapro? I read somewhere that it could actually cause a brain hemorrhage or something like that.

A brain hemorrhage?😁 Man, if it were really that simple. Of course not. That’s just nonsense. If the meds are actually helping you feel better, stick with them.🙂

Brenda Sanders46 said:That sounds like an extreme scenario... I was on Lexapro for a full year while hitting the tanning salon once a week and spending the entire summer out by the coast.... Most often, you end up dealing with allergic reactions to the sun or skin blotches.

That would certainly explain those massive breakouts I ended up with on my arms after sunbathing.🍿div>

Moza, I know this isn't exactly where this topic belongs—my apologies to the mods—but I’ve been tapering off my meds from Inc. for about two weeks now. I sat down with my doctor to discuss it, and she advised me to take it slow, suggesting either cutting the pills in half or just taking one every other day. I'm wondering if anyone has experienced specific side effects during a taper like this, and more importantly, is there a real risk of the condition coming back?

Angela Kim39 said:Moza, I know this isn't really the right spot for this topic (sorry mods), but I've been tapering off my Lexapro for two weeks now. I talked to my doctor and she told me to take it slow—like, half a pill daily or maybe one every other day. Are there side effects? And can the illness come back?

First off, go with half a pill every single day. Definitely don't do the every-other-day thing.
Do that for a few weeks. It honestly depends on which Lexapro you're on and how long you've been taking it, because sometimes you have to taper by quarters instead of halves.
As for side effects, yeah, they happen, but I don't think they're nearly as bad as the withdrawal symptoms from being on the meds. You might deal with psychological stuff, obviously—anxiety, restlessness... depends on what you were treating. But honestly, just try not to overthink it so you don't mess things up with autosuggestion.
And, well, it goes without saying... the illness can always come back.

Haha, if only life were that simple...
Of course Lexapro doesn't cause burst blood vessels or anything nearly that dramatic. You can go ahead and soak up the sun while on it, or any other SSRI, for all I care.

Luckily, I’ve been taking Lexapro and haven't really noticed any issues with being out in the intense sun so far.

Brian Young40 said:Regarding sun sensitivity, I'm taking Lexapro and haven't noticed any issues with the intense sunlight so far.

Same here. I've been on a half-tablet daily dose for just over six months now.

I haven't noticed anything either, honestly, whether it's Lexapro or Paxil🤷
I guess now I'll just be terrified of the sun too