Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 109458

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Re: Just to clarify » sip

Posted by Mariposa on January 3, 2004, at 8:41:14

In reply to Just to clarify, posted by sip on January 2, 2004, at 22:17:32

> I am coming to the end of my 5th week on Lexapro. First 4 weeks on 5 mg and this week I've been on 10 mg.
>
> > I can't find my old post responding to this thread. I think I wrote it earlier in the week re: feeling a little down in my 4th week. I increased to 10 mg from 5 mg on Sat. nite 12/27, about a week ago. I forgot to take my Lexapro New Year's Eve, when I also got my way overdue period and had one hit of marijuana but no alcohol. Yesterday 1/1 I was very tired and at night I took my usual dose. I woke up extremely tired and I started feeling a little depressed as the day went on and I don't know if missing one dose + period + a little marijuana could possibly have triggered this?
> >
> > I also am leaving a job I have loved. I run groups for adolescents and tonight was my last time running one such group and the kids said very beautiful things appreciating me. I know this made me sad and a little anxious about the decision I made, but my current mood is more of a depressed feeling then just sadness.
> >
> > Just wondering if anyone has any perspective because I think I am lacking in that department right now. I know people have said there are ups and downs with this (and all) meds and maybe this is just my down but I am feeling a little discouraged and concerned that Lex isn't working for me anymore. Thanks.
> >
> >
>
>
I had the same kind of trouble (feeling more down, like Lex wasn't working, etc.) around week 5. My doc raised dose from 5mg to 10mg and that seemed to help. I didn't feel like Lex started working until 9th week.

Currently @20mg. Have up days and down days, just not nearly as bad or debilitating as before Lex.

Good luck~~~8|8

 

Re: Lexapro Update - OOPS!!! For STEVE3211 » steve3211

Posted by Mariposa on January 3, 2004, at 9:03:47

In reply to Re: Lexapro Update - OOPS!!! For STEVE3211, posted by steve3211 on January 2, 2004, at 22:11:34

> Mariposa,
> Thanks for the post. I hope this speed effect does not last. I think Lexapro is working but I won't use it if this effect continues.
> Steve

I was worried about the same thing, but that speedy feeling, along with all the other se's, DID go away. I did not feel like Lex was working until 9th week. Give it some more time and hopefully you will get good results too.~~~8|8

 

trying another med

Posted by ocdforyears on January 3, 2004, at 9:38:22

In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48

Hey gang,

more boards like this and we'd all need less meds. I hate to leave this thread, but after 12 days at 5 mg. I was just too stimulated, jittery, all that, to continue the lex. Switching to paxil when I feel ready to try it. Wish me luck. And best of luck to all of you; there are great posts here. I know lex has helped a lot of people, all these meds have; but the side effects...zoloft really freaked me out, lex was too stimulating; wish me luck with paxil.

 

Re: trying another med » ocdforyears

Posted by Mariposa on January 3, 2004, at 11:22:11

In reply to trying another med, posted by ocdforyears on January 3, 2004, at 9:38:22

> Hey gang,
>
> more boards like this and we'd all need less meds. I hate to leave this thread, but after 12 days at 5 mg. I was just too stimulated, jittery, all that, to continue the lex. Switching to paxil when I feel ready to try it. Wish me luck. And best of luck to all of you; there are great posts here. I know lex has helped a lot of people, all these meds have; but the side effects...zoloft really freaked me out, lex was too stimulating; wish me luck with paxil.
>
>

Sorry to hear you have decided to give up on Lexapro. From reading post here for the last year and from personal experience I have to say 12 days is not long enough to decide if Lex is for you. The first 2 weeks tend to be the worst, and side effects, including that speedy jittery feeling, begin to taper off and go away after that. I hate to say this but I think you are throwing in the towel too soon. Have you considered cutting back to 2.5mg? I started at 5mg and in retrospect wish I had started at 2.5mg. I spent all of second week in bed the side effects were so bad. I had nausea, migraine headaches, itchy rash, diahrea, dizziness, extreme lethargy, flu-like symptoms, shall I go on?? Despite that I hung in there with encouragement from this board and around 9th week I began to get results. It was well worth the wait and side effects(which are all gone now) as Lex has given me back my life.

I and others who don't post regularly have had very good results with lex. I would hope you give Lex more of a chance to work for you. The literature says it takes 6-8 weeks, for some like me it's a little longer, and then there are those who seem to get results almost right away.

Hopefully you will discuss w/doc and come up with a solution that will work for you.

Best of luck!~~~8|8

 

Re: trying another med

Posted by Mrs C. on January 3, 2004, at 12:05:48

In reply to Re: trying another med » ocdforyears, posted by Mariposa on January 3, 2004, at 11:22:11

Hi, just had to add my two cents worth. I felt and still sometimes feel jittery on 10mg lex. The first month was pretty bad. I started lex for excessive worry and ocd so I was already an anxious person to begin with. Sure didnt need any more stimulation. But after 2 months on lex I have to say I feel much more relaxed, more patient, less obsessive. I still have days when I feel that the lex is not working but weirdly enough, I always seem to get past it. Hope this gives you some hope. I know that the se's can be difficult but your body needs time to adjust. I think that you will feel them with any ssri you choose. Good luck to you whatever you decide.

 

Re: Average Lexapro dosage ? 5 mg ok?

Posted by Anjul on January 3, 2004, at 12:41:50

In reply to Re: Average Lexapro dosage ? 5 mg ok? » Anjul, posted by Neatfreak on January 2, 2004, at 20:14:47

Neatfreak, I took 10 mgs for over 2 months. I went from 122lbs to 109 lbs and was only getting a few hours of sleep a night (with klonopin) and was not tired at all. i felt powerful, confident, and didn;t give a damn about much. It was kinda fun, but not realistic for me. I'll do 7.5 this month, see what PMS is like, and then maybe 2 days a week do 10 mg's lex, and the other 5 days do 7.5. Anjul

 

Re: Lexapro + Wellbutrin

Posted by ginger C on January 3, 2004, at 15:21:06

In reply to Re: Lexapro + Wellbutrin, posted by reluctant on January 1, 2004, at 16:30:39

My doctor tried me on effexor, prozac, and zoloft none of these worked so she also put me on some of the anticonvulsants like tegretol and topamax none of this worked either I just wasn't responding to medications I got so badley depressed that we had to do ECT after that I have been on lithium, lamictal wellbutrin and lex it seems to be doing a great job and I really had only a few of the side effects.

 

Lexapro effects/adding Wellbutrin?

Posted by qtr-horse girl on January 3, 2004, at 17:33:37

In reply to Re: Lexapro + Wellbutrin, posted by ginger C on January 3, 2004, at 15:21:06

This is the first time I have found this board. I must say I am extremely thankful for the insight. I am currently on Lexapro 40 mg a day. I think that is high but my body has a high tolerance to any drug. I was on a another webpage reading adverse side affects. I have been experiencing extreme sleepiness, at anytime other than when I am suppose to sleep! Sound familiar? I have been on this dosage for about 5 months. I see my doc next month. How high will they go? I am thinking of asking about the Lexapro-Wellbutrin combo. Can anyone tell me if this might help?
I have tried prozac years ago due to chronic pain from injuries, but it made me feel like a train hit me. I have been on zoloft this past year (bad year) and it increased my depression to the point I couldn't even get out of bed.

I am not good at opening up about this stuff. I am glad I found you.

 

Re: Just to clarify » Mariposa

Posted by sip on January 3, 2004, at 18:08:21

In reply to Re: Just to clarify » sip, posted by Mariposa on January 3, 2004, at 8:41:14

Mariposa, I just want to give you a big thank you for always being so responsive to mine (and other people's) posts. You have no idea how comforting and validating your words are! I will definitely keep your experience in mind.

> >
> I had the same kind of trouble (feeling more down, like Lex wasn't working, etc.) around week 5. My doc raised dose from 5mg to 10mg and that seemed to help. I didn't feel like Lex started working until 9th week.
>
> Currently @20mg. Have up days and down days, just not nearly as bad or debilitating as before Lex.
>
> Good luck~~~8|8
>

 

Re: Lexapro effects/adding Wellbutrin? » qtr-horse girl

Posted by reluctant on January 3, 2004, at 20:59:08

In reply to Lexapro effects/adding Wellbutrin?, posted by qtr-horse girl on January 3, 2004, at 17:33:37

Hi 1/4 -

too soon to give you much detail, but I had been on wellbutrin & zoloft for a couple of months (the wellbutrin alone for several months previous)and the zoloft made me really sleepy and slow and, well, kinda dumb. My pdoc has switched the zoloft to lexapro and kept the wellbutrin - it has only been a few days but so far so good. getting out of bed is hard (not painful - just takes a while to get around to it) but once I'm up I feel good. better than I've felt for a while, actually. fyi, the ssri was added to the wellbutrin because although wellbutrin alone increased my energy level & got me up and around, my head was still a pretty dark place & I was having a lot of cyclical negative thoughts. zoloft made the energy vanish and didn't do much else.

wellbutrin is often added to ssri's to counter their side effects (like sexual side effects & sleepiness - though adjusting the time of day that you take it might also help). I wrote elsewhere on this board about Bedtime Tea (from Yogi Tea co.) which has some pretty powerfull herbs in it and has been a godsend for me - when I'm stressed, I don't sleep, regardless of medication. bedtime tea does the trick, for me. presumably if you were getting good sleep at night it would help with your tiredness the rest of the time.

best of luck to you. there are lots of people on this board who have lengthy experience with these medications and who can give you more input - but remember, it works differently for everyone, and the same drug can have totaly opposite effects on different people . . .

-r.

 

lexapro + social anxiety - any luck?

Posted by reluctant on January 3, 2004, at 21:25:54

In reply to Re: Lexapro effects/adding Wellbutrin? » qtr-horse girl, posted by reluctant on January 3, 2004, at 20:59:08

hello everyone -

I've never been a social butterfly, but in the past several months - while trying to deal with my depression - I've been coming to understand just how much I've cut myself off from other people over the past several years. at this point i'm pretty isolated, and find interaction with people beyond a brief chat incredibly difficult. i freeze up, begin to blush and stutter as soon as the conversation gets any deeper than the weather, and find some excuse to leave (as a result, lots of people think i'm fabulouly busy; thankfully they don't see me sitting at home staring into space). i do fine if it's a once-only encounter, like waiting on a customer - I can be all sparkly & charming and put on the happy act if I feel up to it. the problem is being afraid of being seen as is - it terrifies me, and I always go home kicking myself about what I said.

for a while i thought it was ok to identify myself as a hermit, but I realize now that it's making my life empty, and very lonely. in attempts to alleviate this depression (which the social thing is a major factor in) i've been on wellbutrin & have just started taking lexapro. i'm also about to begin regular therapy (as opposed to every couple of months). I'm very hopeful, though wary of disappointment and having to go through yet more trial and error. So the question (after this lengthy intro) is: has anyone had good results with overcoming social anxiety with lexapro? I know there's more to it than just the drugs, but I need a jumpstart.

thanks!

r.

 

Re: Excessive Sleepiness » JohnFromCalifornia

Posted by Jayslace on January 3, 2004, at 21:26:56

In reply to Re: Excessive Sleepiness, posted by JohnFromCalifornia on December 31, 2003, at 20:08:47

Hi, I'm new to this board. I'm been on Lexapro 10mg for about 3 months with pretty success. No side effect at all. But my doc and I thought we needed to up the dosage, so I am now on 20mg. Just started it yesterday. Just today I am so tired. Lexapro has been a lifesaver for me. Paxil , and Effexor did nothing but cause me to gain weight and gave me the most horrible nightmares. Then I did the worst thing ever and went off it cold turkey. I was on effexor 150mg and that was a huge mistake to do. I thought I would go insane. I have epilepsy from my brain tumors removed in 2001 and it felt like my brain itself was jerking around, like jolts. Actually, it was withdrawls from the effexor. All I can say is never stop taking these meds without letting the docs know. You must be weaned off first.
By the way, I was a nurse for 14 beautiful yrs. I'm now disabled from the brain tumors. Again, the Lexapro is helping me to cope with all the comprehension and concentration problems I have.
I like this message board. It's nice to know I'm not alone anymore.
Take care everyone!

 

Re: Excessive Sleepiness » Jayslace

Posted by Mariposa on January 3, 2004, at 21:53:29

In reply to Re: Excessive Sleepiness » JohnFromCalifornia, posted by Jayslace on January 3, 2004, at 21:26:56

> Hi, I'm new to this board. I'm been on Lexapro 10mg for about 3 months with pretty success. No side effect at all. But my doc and I thought we needed to up the dosage, so I am now on 20mg. Just started it yesterday. Just today I am so tired. Lexapro has been a lifesaver for me. Paxil , and Effexor did nothing but cause me to gain weight and gave me the most horrible nightmares. Then I did the worst thing ever and went off it cold turkey. I was on effexor 150mg and that was a huge mistake to do. I thought I would go insane. I have epilepsy from my brain tumors removed in 2001 and it felt like my brain itself was jerking around, like jolts. Actually, it was withdrawls from the effexor. All I can say is never stop taking these meds without letting the docs know. You must be weaned off first.
> By the way, I was a nurse for 14 beautiful yrs. I'm now disabled from the brain tumors. Again, the Lexapro is helping me to cope with all the comprehension and concentration problems I have.
> I like this message board. It's nice to know I'm not alone anymore.
> Take care everyone!

Welcome to the board....this place is the BEST, people here are very helpful and supportive, I come here often, because as you said, it's nice to know you are not alone.

The tiredness you mention could be caused by the Lexapro, might try taking 15mg or even 12.5mg (w/doc approval of course) and build up to 20mg?

Have been on Lex since Feb., currently @20mg, and it has been very good for me.

Good luck to you!~~~8|8

 

Re: Lexapro + Wellbutrin

Posted by platinumbride on January 3, 2004, at 22:18:14

In reply to Re: Lexapro + Wellbutrin, posted by ginger C on January 3, 2004, at 15:21:06

Hi.

As my pdoc grasped at straws the other day for another cocktail that will get me out of the depression woods, I remembered having seen a lot of wel/lex posts; mostly for reasons of libido.

I was on celexa and then leapro for some time, with success. Yet we all know that good things must, alas, come to an end. So now we are doing wellbutrin as an AD. (400mgs). Nice to have my appetite curbed a bit, but it would be nicer to feel some joie de vivre. I suggested adding the lex back in and he thought it might be a good idea (seeing as we both admit that he.well WE are grasping at straws)

I guess I am wondering if anyone has seen success doing it this way - that is, adding lex to welb.

This is such a pain in the ^%$! Thanks in advance.

Diane

 

Re: lexapro + social anxiety - any luck? » reluctant

Posted by Journeyman on January 3, 2004, at 22:37:39

In reply to lexapro + social anxiety - any luck?, posted by reluctant on January 3, 2004, at 21:25:54

Reluctant:

A few thoughts in response to your posting:

You're articulate, funny, and obviously insightful;

Life is always going to be trial and error;

At the risk of not affirming your feelings...What could possibly be so bad about being seen for who you are? (See above)

Congratulations on getting some regular therapy. It will probably be a big help;

Your social anxiety probably has a lot to do with the lack of self-acceptance you imply. I struggle with that one a lot too. So with no further hesitation, there follows here, a tale of glad tidings that happened to me at my therapy session this week---

We were discussing how I felt about where I was in the process of accepting my dad's death (just over a year ago). I started off with something like, "Well, I may be deluding myself, but..." and then I went on for a sentence or two. She stopped me and said, "Okay, now try telling me again, but this time, leave off the 'I may be deluding myself' bit." I started over, and it was amazing what a difference it made in my narrative when I got rid of that simple, insidious little self-deprecating phrase. My whole energy field changed. I felt light, I felt energy, I felt like I could burn a whole in the wall with my gaze. My words, which prior to this had been coming out rather haltingly, started flowing - it just unlocked the good that is in me, but that often gets blocked by my self-doubt and/or lack of acceptance. If you've ever seen the film Cocoon, where there's a swimming pool in which these pods are being stored (if you haven't seen the film, ignore the next line or two - if you have...I felt like one of those beings...pure light) A very nice change to the 'little dark cloud in the sky today' that sometimes chases after me.

That's the abbreviated version, but if you're up for it, humor me and tell me about three things you do really well. The only catch is that you can't put in any qualifiers, caveats, conditions, etc. If it feels kind of good to write about it, I'd also like to hear about that too.

Richard

PS Good look with your journey

 

Re: lexapro + social anxiety - any luck? » Journeyman

Posted by reluctant on January 3, 2004, at 23:27:51

In reply to Re: lexapro + social anxiety - any luck? » reluctant, posted by Journeyman on January 3, 2004, at 22:37:39

Richard,

wow. thanks; that's a pretty generous e-mail!

I will take you up on your . . . offer? challenge? . . . though you will have to give me a little time (it's past midnight & I would be foolish to embark on it now). but it means a lot to me; sometimes we desperately need to hear other people take an interest & concern, but it's not the sort of thing you can take up in a casual sidewalk conversation. "Hi, how are you? How's the job? How're the kids? Say, I've been really depressed - could you validate my feelings and help reaffirm my sense of self?"

I am happy to hear of your breakthrough. haven't seen cocoon but I think I get what you mean & can feel the joy in your words.

more later.

-r.

 

Re: trying another med » Mariposa

Posted by Bali on January 4, 2004, at 8:11:36

In reply to Re: trying another med » ocdforyears, posted by Mariposa on January 3, 2004, at 11:22:11

Dear ocdforyears,
Ditto to what Mariposa posted. I had side effects that were pretty nasty. The speeding feeling was one of those uncomfortable sides for me too, but when it did go away and the Lex took effect, I was almost euphoric with happiness. Like Mariposa, Lex has given me my life back. Now the normal ups and downs that regular life deals me are manageable. Please, please give it a tiny bit longer. That speeding feeling will go away soon, and when you get to week 5 or 6 I truly believe you will look back on the sides you are experiencing now and say, "I am so very thankful I stuck it out!!!!" Bali

 

Re: Lexapro + Wellbutrin

Posted by Bali on January 4, 2004, at 8:39:13

In reply to Re: Lexapro + Wellbutrin, posted by platinumbride on January 3, 2004, at 22:18:14

Hi. I am on the Lex/Well cocktail and it has worked beautifully for me. I do have joy for life now (Platinumbride)....sometimes looking back at my former dark self I just can't believe I am the same person. I am a pleasure to be around (says my daughter and son) and just the other night I met someone and there were actual sparks. I've not wanted to go out, much less be involved with a man for at least three years. I used to be a social butterfly (Reluctant)but for some unknown reason just pulled inside of myself three years ago after a bad break up. It's not that I was still in love with this man from three years ago, it's just that I slid into a bad place and wasn't coming out of it. Those dark, ugly feelings I was having about people I would encounter in my everyday life were scaring me. I felt like an evil, very unattractive person. As I have posted before, Lex took away those sinister thoughts and made me feel good about myself despite me being over my regular weight. Adding Wellbutrin, I think, is what got me out of the house and socializing...and, voila, I even talked to and felt chemistry toward someone.(!) This is a wonder to me because I've not had this feeling for so long. You know that normal feeling that you can have when you see an attractive man/woman and you get a little butterfly feeling? Well, that was totally dead inside of me. When I met this guy, I wasn't thinking "Oh, this is the one, swoon, swoon", but I was thinking, "Wow, I can be attracted to and be attractive to someone(!)" This has been a long post, but you can see from all of the above that Lex-Wellbutrin has been very, very good to me. I like myself and because of that other people like me. Bali

 

Re: Lexapro + Wellbutrin » Bali

Posted by reluctant on January 4, 2004, at 8:57:19

In reply to Re: Lexapro + Wellbutrin, posted by Bali on January 4, 2004, at 8:39:13

thanks Bali, that's encouraging. wellbutrin alone helped get me to the point where I could feel interested in getting involved with someone again (it's been *5* years!), and feel attracted to others - but actually taking the risks involved has been a different story. But so far so good with the lexapro - I feel pretty good & hope it will help with some of these issues. (i have a bad case of the flutters for a certain individual & think i sense some reciprocal energy - but i've been too terrified to do anything about it & have run away on a number of occasions).

Intimate relationships aside - the depression-induced celibacy thing sort of leaches into every aspect of life, I find. It doesn't just have to do with love and sex, but also with being able to be open to other people. so being able to get a simple case of stomach butterflies is a pretty major accomplishment, i'd say. congratulations!

-r.

 

Re: Wicked Witch of the West

Posted by Vandy on January 4, 2004, at 12:48:02

In reply to Wicked Witch of the West, posted by Linny on December 30, 2003, at 18:23:32

I'm sorry you're having this experience. I don't think I'm any meaner or sarcastic than I was before Lex. But then who am I to know. My friends haven't mentioned it and my wife who is also taking Lexapro neither shows such symptoms or complains about them in me.

I'm curious. What do you say to your wife that makes her seem defensive? I'd sure suggest some "Couples Work" if it were me. Would she respond favorably to a suggestion of joint counselling? I'm interested in your response.

Keep hoping until it gets better.


> Help!! My wife of 5 years has been taking Lexapro
> for about 9 months. Since that time she has
> become downright mean. She has changed from
> someone who was a joy to be around to someone
> that is sarcastic, rude and unpleasant. I know
> it's the drug. I can't talk to her about it because
> she becomes defensive. Now I'm going to talk to
> her Dr. or to our Atty for a divorce. Does anybody
> know somebody that has taken Lexapro and has become
> the wicked witch of the west. I love her so...
> Linny

 

Re: Lexapro

Posted by Vandy on January 4, 2004, at 12:57:39

In reply to Re: Lexapro, posted by Alouette on January 1, 2004, at 18:26:28

Yes, your sex drive can come back. Make sure you do two things: 1. Expect it to return. Life seems more inclined to give us what we expect (sometimes to our detriment) 2. Put yourself in a place where you can notice it. My wife (who also takes Lexapro) showed me the best example of this. She was watching "Real Sex" on HBO and they had a particulary provocative program. I watched it with here and took notes. I was fortunate to "be attacked" later that night and the notes came in handy, pardon the pun. My wife used to instigate intimacy as often as I did before lexapro. Gradually that's an equation that's moving toward balance again.

> Hi All - I was on Effexor years ago (it helped my depression a lot but I hated the side effects); went off for a couple years; went on Prozac for a few years (ditto). I've been off antidepressants & doing well for about 1-1/2 years, but the last few months I've been swirling down, including loss of job. Two weeks + two days ago I went on Lexapro 10 mg a day. Yesterday was the first day I wasn't fantasizing about my own death - yay! (Don't worry - I'll never "off" myself because I have children, but when I'm depressed, sometimes it's a relief to think about suicide.) Today I'm a little glum again. Sleeping a lot, otherwise no side effects.
>
> I sure would like to hear that there's hope that I'll feel a lot better soon on Lexapro -- especially since the side effects seem to be minimal.
>
> Also, what are the hopes that my sex drive (which was actually way down even before I went on Lexapro) will ever return on Lexapro?
>
> Thanks! Alouette

 

Lexapro Week 5 Blues Update-Week 6

Posted by nicky847 on January 4, 2004, at 15:47:23

In reply to Re: Lexapro Week 5 Blues, posted by sip on January 2, 2004, at 22:14:13

Hi everyone..
Just wanted to report that week 6 has been considerably better than week 5...during week 5 i felt some depression symptoms creeping back..but in week 6 i can say that as far as the depression goes i feel much better...anxiety is slightly improved as well but i think that lex has done more for depression to this point than it has for anxiety...

so in reference to the post im replying to here..it looks like my experience followed the pattern that ive read on some other posts..in that there is a slight backsliding after about a month before progress is resumed..hope that helps!

> I can't find my old post responding to this thread. I think I wrote it earlier in the week re: feeling a little down in my 4th week. I increased to 10 mg from 5 mg on Sat. nite 12/27, about a week ago. I forgot to take my Lexapro New Year's Eve, when I also got my way overdue period and had one hit of marijuana but no alcohol. Yesterday 1/1 I was very tired and at night I took my usual dose. I woke up extremely tired and I started feeling a little depressed as the day went on and I don't know if missing one dose + period + a little marijuana could possibly have triggered this?
>
> I also am leaving a job I have loved. I run groups for adolescents and tonight was my last time running one such group and the kids said very beautiful things appreciating me. I know this made me sad and a little anxious about the decision I made, but my current mood is more of a depressed feeling then just sadness.
>
> Just wondering if anyone has any perspective because I think I am lacking in that department right now. I know people have said there are ups and downs with this (and all) meds and maybe this is just my down but I am feeling a little discouraged and concerned that Lex isn't working for me anymore. Thanks.
>
>

 

Re: Excessive Sleepiness

Posted by JohnFromCalifornia on January 4, 2004, at 15:53:12

In reply to Re: Excessive Sleepiness » JohnFromCalifornia, posted by Jayslace on January 3, 2004, at 21:26:56

Well into my third week of Lexapro 10 mg, my side effects (sleepiness, dry mouth) are noticeably fading. So I'm hopeful that you give your new 20 mg dosage a chance. That's a heft increase.

As we both are aware, there are other SSRIS (like Paxil) with far worse side effects. I gained 10 lb in two weeks on that stuff, and I cycle 150 miles per week!

Lexapro seems at least as powerful as Paxil and a few weeks into it I think I'm going to find the side effects manageable after all.

Hang in there! -- John in California

> Hi, I'm new to this board. I'm been on Lexapro 10mg for about 3 months with pretty success. No side effect at all. But my doc and I thought we needed to up the dosage, so I am now on 20mg. Just started it yesterday. Just today I am so tired.

 

Re: Excessive Sleepiness

Posted by Jayslace on January 4, 2004, at 16:28:15

In reply to Re: Excessive Sleepiness, posted by JohnFromCalifornia on January 4, 2004, at 15:53:12

Thank you for your support. I too thought it was too much of an increase. I went to bed at midnight last night, and slept till noon today. And that was without my normal Ambien. (yes, I normally have to take Ambien, I mind normally never shuts down, to even let me sleep, that's another reason why my doc increased my Lex)I got out of bed a few times to use the bathroom, but went right back to sleep. My wonderful hubby said I slept so good, he just didn't want to wake me up till I woke up on my own. It's been since Sept 2001 since I have even slept this good.(That was when the brain tumors were removed, 10/01 was the pulmonary embolism and I died for 5 minutes... hmmm.. now why would I even have depression... anyway.. So, I am actually liking the idea of sleeping so good at night, but dreading taking the pill again, but I will hang in there.
My suicide ideations are gone. The Lex helped me so much to be able to cope with my sadness of not being able to be a nurse or even work anymore. I'm learning to accept that I can't read a long book and comprehend it, or concentrate well enough to drive anymore. However, I also know now that I am a full time mother to 2 handsome 8 and 11 yr old boys and a wife to a loving, supporting husband. In fact, I asked the boys and my husband to help keep me awake, and they are.
You all are fantastic for being here and talking. Right now I feel like a sleepy robot, but I know I will feel better in a couple of weeks. Yes, I'm hanging in there!!
Health and friendship,
Ruthie

 

Re: Lexapro Week 5 Blues Update-Week 6 » nicky847

Posted by sip on January 4, 2004, at 17:14:30

In reply to Lexapro Week 5 Blues Update-Week 6, posted by nicky847 on January 4, 2004, at 15:47:23

Yes, that's helpful to hear! Thanks for posting it.


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