Lexapro users??

[JESW]

Would anyone like to share their experience with this medication?

I will be starting on it tomorrow to treat anxiety due to a lot of things going on around here that have been going on for a long time. Since I can't eliminate what/who stresses me out, my dr. wants to treat me. I am a bit aprehensive about medication as the last time I tried prozac I gained 40 lbs. that never came off. I realize that these are not the same meds (my dr. even spoke about that) but in my mind it is still a medication. This is not a route I want to go on, but I also cannot contine the way I am.

Any positive and even negative comments about your experience on this
medication would be greatly appreciated!

Jill

 

[Serena]

It helped me a lot. There is a thread around here somewhere about it.

 

[Christine]

I tried it for a few days and had to stop because I cannot tolerate side effects. I guess if I didn't have to get up and go to work everyday, I could probably ride them out but I can't do that.

Also, all of the SSRIs are kind of "stimulating" and they exacerbate my panic. You may find that it makes you more anxious in the beginning. Sometimes they will give you some Xanax to use while you are getting used to the meds.

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

I have had great success with Lexapro. I would say that I have gained around 5 pounds that is VERY hard to get rid of. Feeling emotionally stable far outweighs the weight issue though. My doctor feels I will be on it for a long time. Good luck and here's to feeling better.

 

[hydster]

My dh is on it and loves it! He had a side effect that after 18 months finally went away. He'd lie in bed and his leg would just jerk and he didn't realize it and didn't do it on purpose. It was a rough time for me trying to sleep with his jerking legs but it's better now.

It may take a few different types of antidepressants to help you the way you need to be helped. Just because Lexapro says it can help with issues such as yours it may not help you. Don't get discouraged. You'll find one that will help.

I'm on Wellbutrin XL and I really like it because it has a low risk for weight gain and sexual side effects. I take it once in the morning and love it!!!

I hope you can get something to help you feel better. It's such an awful feeling with panic or depression!!!

 

[rabx5]

My doc put me on it in November of 05. I was stuck in a funk and just couldn't pull myself out of it.

I was on it for 3 months and I loved it. I was actually happy- hell, I actually had feelings.

It's great for short term use.

 

[keishashadow]

just took my elderly mom off of it, had been taking for 3 weeks; terrible side effects...

disorientation, forgetfulness, fatigue

she's back to normal, her doc & I will be bumping heads on this one...he prescribed for "pain control"...she's already on a 2 other anti-depressives.

 

[Panthra529]

I was on Lexapro about a year and a half ago. It is not just an anti-depressant, it is also an anti-anxiety drug. It helped me with the anxiety part. I didn't feel like jumping out of my skin everytime someone walked near me. I also didn't get angry as quickly. I tended to have more patience. However, I did not feel more energetic, I did not feel less depressed. I did have sexual side effects, and I did gain weight. I have since found out I may not have been on a high enough dose.There are so many different drugs out there for depression, each one acting very differently. My family dr was the one who perscribed the Lexapro. I went off of it after about 9 months as I didn't feel I needed it anymore. Unfortunately, I am in the same boat now. This time, I have been seeing a counselor for the last 3 months to try to get to the bottom of my depression. Now that we have cracked the surface, he has referred me out to a Psychiatrist. Even though I totally trust my family dr, he doesn't specialize in depression and the effects and meds. I now would only trust a doctor who knows all the meds out there what they do, how they work, what their side effects are, and how to perscribe them. I haven't seen the Psychiatrist yet, so I don't know what he is going to recommend. I am a little anxious about the whole thing. So I guess what I am saying is I totally understand. If I may, I highly recommend to you and anyone who will be taking anti-depressants to make sure they are getting counseling as well. Don't rely on the Psychiatrist to give you your counseling. Psychiatrist's specialize in treatment of the mental health, not the counseling of the mental health. So make sure you take care of both! Good Luck to you! I hope you start feeling better.

 

[Christine]

Mish,

I totally agree. Psychiatrists are the BEST for prescribing these meds. They handle is so much better than GPs.

 

[karynnix]

I was on Lexapro for about 2 months and I got to the point that I was always too sleepy to function. I remember going to Cracker Barrell with my DH and DMIL and falling asleep WHILE walking through the shop. I had to stop taking it and once I stopped and it got out of my system, I was fine.

 

[dcentity2000]

Well, I'll tell you what I know, quoted from a site I'm making:

Escitalopram

Brand names: Emovit®, Lexapro®, Vivalan®, Vivarint®, Vicilan®
Formula: C20H21N2FO
Half life: ~ 30 hours
Single unit dose: 5mg per day
Recommended outpatient dose: 10mg per day
Maximum outpatient dose: 20mg per day

Escitalopram is a derivative of the drug citalopram, an antidepressant of the same family, whose main advantage over the parent drug is in tolerability. The drug entered patent as citalopram left its own, prompting cynicism and speculation that the drug company was in fact marketing a near identical drug at a higher price.

This drug is the most selective SSRI antidepressant available and has proven its worth in clinical trials; it still sports the typical side effects that SSRIs tend to have, including those in withdrawal.

As with all antidepressants, Lexapro takes a while to take full effect - we're talking about three to four weeks.



Rich::

 

[Ms. Belle]

I'm on Lexapro and I love it. I haven't had any weight gain at all. The only side effects I've had were a mild stomach ache for the first week that I took it. It has really helped me. I started taking it after I had surgery and had a very bad recovery. I became very anxious about being in pain and couldn't find joy in anything, so my dr. gave me the Lexapro. It cured my anxiety and has made me a happier and more patient person.

 

[MoniqueU]

I'm on it, have been for awhile. If it helps with anxiety it hasn't helped me. I allso and this is tmi have no sex drive whatsoever. Not that it matters I am so fat my husband isn't interested anyway. I gained weight from quitting smoking though and stuffing my face when I was bored and not excersising.
I have daily and sometimes hourly anxiety attacks and am on ativan too, neither one works. I havent been normal since I quit smoking. I would go back to smoking just to ease my mind but I have lost my desire to smoke too. It just holds no appeal to me. Maybe they should prescribe lexapro to smokers.

 

[JESW]

Thanks to all who have responded - I appreciate you taking the time to do so as I know it can be very personal. I have taken my first dose and will see how it goes...

Jill

 

[rie'smom]

gained 13 lbs. am now off lexapro and the lbs. are leaving.I also heard from a doctor on a morning talk show-Today or GMA?-that Lexapro has a larger potential for drug interaction problems.

 

[lesroi]

Any mood-altering medication should ONLY be taken as an adjunct to therapy. My sister is on Lexapro and she has had some "episodes" that were very bad. Turns out she is not getting any counseling in conjunction with this medication (which was prescribed by her GYN.)

No one should be on anti-depressants without having a concurrent therapy program in place. It really is sad that anyone with an Rx pad and a pen can prescribe this and just let you go on about your day. The therapy really IS NECESSARY...

Sorry but this one apparently hit a nerve, huh?


Tracy

 

[ImMarcik]

I was going to make a new thread but searched and found this one. A couple of months ago I tried Lexapro one day and was very anxious so I didn't take anymore. Well since then I had gone back to the dr and he says I really need to be on one, if I can't take the side effects of Lexapro after a couple of weeks he would switch me to Zoloft. He prescribed Klonopin to take with it for anxiety for a week or two. I've been taking a half of pill now for 6 days and I can actually smile. I'm trying to take the Klonopin at the most once a day, he told me to take it every 12 hours if needed but I just don't want to take too much of it. Well I've also been having major sleep problems and night time anxiety so he had given me something to sleep since tylenol pm wasn't working. He told me once the lexapro kicks in good I should be able to sleep fine. Anyway, I am taking the lexapro at night and I am starting to think it's making my insomnia worse. I didn't take the Klonopin yesterday to see if I can handle the lexapro now but I was up at 2 a.m. so I took one then. Anyone else have problems sleeping on Lexapro? I think I'm going to skip tonight and take it tomorrow morning to see if that makes a different. I am really liking the fact that I can smile now and I think as the weeks go by I should get even better. (I guess I need to really watch that I eat lowfat so I don't gain weight). Thanks to anyone's help.

 

[ImMarcik]

Just bumping to see if anyone else has any insomnia experience on Lexapro.

 

[Christine]

Just bumping to see if anyone else has any insomnia experience on Lexapro.

I don't have personal experience with Lexapro but, I do know that most of the SSRI drugs cause insomnia. It's very common with these meds.

Have any of you visited that website www.crazymeds.org. It's kind of a funny place but it talks more in-depth about the types of side effects you might have.

 

[Christine]

Here this link makes it easier to find. I couldn't just post the info because some of it is "racy."
http://www.crazymeds.org/lexapro.html