Posted by Samm on February 18, 2004, at 22:21:01
In reply to Re: Hello, from a novice Lex-er, posted by KathrynLex on February 18, 2004, at 18:10:04
Thanks for your reply, K!
I am in fact taking 10 mg of Lexapro. I actually started with 5 mg, then moved up to ten (I think it's because my doc knows how scared I was to take the meds).
I've taken Xanax in the past and really liked the relief they gave me. But my doctor is very reluctant to prescribe them since they are so habit forming. I can sort his point, because whenever I feel anxious or panicky and I actually have the xanax, I'm so quick to pop one in my mouth. (I know--very surprising from someone who's scared to death to take medication). Now he gave me Lorazapam to help with the jittery side effects from the Lexapro. I'm actually sort of scared to run out because these are my security blanket.
Anyway, thanks for the welcoming words. I'm really glad I found this board.
Samm
> Hi Samm,
>
> Welcome to the board. You'll find a lot of very supportive, helpful people here.
>
> I know exactly what you mean about being anxious to take a pill. When I first started on Lexapro I sat with the pill in my hand for about 20 minutes before swallowing it.
>
> Congratulations on moving forward in your life. Therapy and meds are wonderful tools that can really help with anxiety/depression.
>
> Can I ask how much Lexapro you're taking? I started at 10 mg and have recently increased to 15 mg because I was still having mild panic attacks at 10 mg. You might consider increasing your dose if you still haven't seen an improvement in your anxiety after about 9 weeks. (Six weeks or nine weeks seems to be the magic number with Lexapro. That's when a lot of people seem to get the best results from the med.)
>
> You might also want to talk to your pdoc (psychiatrist) or whoever prescribes your meds about getting a benzo to take on an as needed basis. Benzos are a family of drugs that can really help with anxiety/panic. Examples of Benzos are Xanax, Lorazempam and Klonopin. I've tried them all and they've been very effective.
>
> I hope some of this advice is useful and once again, welcome to the board!
>
> K.
poster:Samm
thread:109458
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040218/msgs/315416.html