"i&#039;m a 39 y/o female who experienced increased anxiety and finally anxiety attacks at night due to a series of health issues i was dealing with. after other treatments and trying to get off klonopin i decided to try an ssri. i started with 2.5 mg of escitalopram with immediate results of reduced anxiety. the next day i bumped it up to 5mg and then began experiencing terrible back pain from neck to hips and sciatica. i tried to stay on for a week but gave up and i am trying zoloft now. lexapro was very effective for my anxiety and panic. i did have 2-3 nights of bad insomnia that first week of lexapro but it started to improve. i would be on it if not for back pain."