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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by jane47 on November 20, 2003, at 11:31:57
In reply to Re: about insomnia side effect/bottom, posted by Dr. Jill on November 20, 2003, at 8:43:13
Those of you that are having insomnia, are you taking lex in the AM. I have been on 10mgs for one month now and the insomnia is pretty much gone. I had insomnia quite bad before meds (probably due to anxiety) and take 50mgs of trazadone before bed. I wake up once or twice, fall right back to sleep and get up refreshed. Hang in there. Taking lex in the morning (around 7:00AM) made a big difference. Hang in there. Everyone talks about being sleepy. I am never sleepy until around 10:00pm. All the other side effects are gone. Good luck to you all.
...Jane
Posted by Mariposa on November 20, 2003, at 13:19:10
In reply to Re: prozac comments, posted by nemo kitty on November 19, 2003, at 20:58:21
> >
> > Your post was informative, but I really did not find anything in there that would make me quit Lex at this time.
> >
> > Best of luck!~~~8|8
>
> Pleas tell me what mg you are on* I really want this to work for me too, but I am havinga rough time. I am very sleepy in the morning (taking my lex in the am) and I am being very absentminded. thanksI started @5mg in Feb., went to 10mg week 5, 20mg 5th month. Take it in the AM.
For the first few months I had trouble w/sleepiness and absent mind. Took naps all the time and had to write notes to myself. Drank lots of coffee, didn't help that much, but I do LOVE coffee! Doing better now.
I feel *normal* again. I say it that way because normal for me used to be: depressed insomniac road rage stupid fight w/hubby about insignificant things PMS 3 weeks out of 4 basketcase.
It was a long tough road to get here, but I would do it all over again! I can only hope in the long run, you too will get good results. Best of luck!~~~8|8
Posted by artgirl on November 20, 2003, at 14:06:04
In reply to Re: weight gain and lexapro?, posted by curly1 on November 19, 2003, at 17:35:14
Well, based on a lot of follow-ups it looks like my experience is unusual -- most people seem to be losing weight. Just my luck!! I was in the process of trying to lose the last 10 - 15 lbs from having a baby and doing pretty well--slow but steady. Then I went on lexapro, started levbid/levsin and high fiber diet with daily glasses of Metamucil all at the same. I put on another ten pounds right away with no noticible change in my diet and have not been able to shake it. To say I'm frustrated and depressed is an undertatement! I hope you have better luck than I have, it sounds like most do!!
Posted by Dr. Jill on November 20, 2003, at 14:09:14
In reply to Re: about insomnia side effect/bottom, posted by jane47 on November 20, 2003, at 11:31:57
I just got back from the doctor and told him about all of my lovely side effects with Lexpro. I am taking it in the am (5mg). I can fall asleep with the help of Ambien, but can only sleep a few hours. At any rate, he wants to switch me to Effexor (sp?). Any experience with this medication! Jill
Posted by artgirl on November 20, 2003, at 14:13:30
In reply to Re: weight gain and lexapro?, posted by nemo kitty on November 19, 2003, at 19:02:58
> > I have been on lexapro for about 10 months. I started taking it for anxiety induced IBS. I have been able to find relief from my IBS, but I think the lexapro has caused some weight gain --about 10lbs by the third to fourth week of taking it. I know this probably doesn't sound like that much for most people, but I'm only 5'1", so it's significant for me. I can't seem to be able to drop the weight & my therapist suggested it might be the lexapro. The additional weight is causing a whole new set of anxiety and stress. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced a similar problem?
>
> I'm 5'1" and already 30 lbs overweight so I'm scared to death this is going to make me gain. Do you seem to be eating more or just putting it on?
>
> I've been on lex for 22 days. The only se I have is in the sex dept. I have also noticed myself to start itching when I try to go to sleep. Is that an SE? It usually lasts 15-40 minutes.
>
> YES!! I also itch, mostly on my neck!!! It drives me crazy. I have been on it almost 3 weeks. I have also missed my period (10 days late) which is very unusual for me.
The weight thing~have gained 5 pounds in the 2-3 weeks I've been on it! YUCK!!
I hate to say this, but I'm happy to know I am not alone in this. I'm sorry to hear you have gained lbs, though. My therapist says weight gain is one of the leading causes of depression in women, I am starting to understand what she means.
Posted by artgirl on November 20, 2003, at 14:15:47
In reply to Re: weight gain and lexapro?, posted by sapphira on November 19, 2003, at 19:18:50
just curious: is it possible for those of you who have gained weight that it might be fluid retention??
sapphira
I don't know. What do you mean? To me it looks like my stomach is abnormally bloated, so you could have something there. How would I be able to tell and what could I do about it? Any ideas?
Posted by sapphira on November 20, 2003, at 14:20:03
In reply to Re: weight gain and lexapro?, posted by artgirl on November 20, 2003, at 14:15:47
re: fluid retention
are your fingers puffy? do your ankles swell? do you seem to be urinating normally and in normal amounts? has your blood pressure gone up?
all of these things are signs of edema or fluid retention.
sapphira
Posted by artgirl on November 20, 2003, at 14:25:30
In reply to Re: weight gain and lexapro?, posted by sapphira on November 20, 2003, at 14:20:03
re: fluid retention
are your fingers puffy? do your ankles swell? do you seem to be urinating normally and in normal amounts? has your blood pressure gone up?
all of these things are signs of edema or fluid retention.
sapphira
I can't say for sure that any of these things are happening. I have a history of edema due to a past kidney disease.
Posted by sfmom on November 20, 2003, at 14:40:35
In reply to Twitching, posted by Erin1679 on November 19, 2003, at 17:51:14
Yes! I had major leg jerking and twitching, also, a lot of pressure and pain in my joints, but it went away within a couple of weeks. It came back when I upped my dose but other than a little shakiness in my hands, it's gone.
Posted by sfmom on November 20, 2003, at 14:55:08
In reply to Re: weight gain and lexapro?, posted by artgirl on November 20, 2003, at 14:25:30
It's been three weeks today that I've been on Lex. After the first week or so I started to feel a little better but then really depressed again right before I was supposed to up my dose to 20mg. Then on 20 I was doing okay until the last three days and I just can't drag myself out of bed or force myself to eat anything. Since I'm still having insonmia, I called my pdoc and she prescribed some trazadone (sp?) which I haven't taken yet. But when I told her I was still depressed she said that maybe we should switch to Paxil. I've heard pretty terrible things about Paxil so I don't really want to go on it. Also, I've suffered through all of these freaking se's on Lex and don't want to go through that again.
Any advice? Has anyone been taking more than 20mg for depression and anxiety? (I also take 3 Klonopin per day.) How about any experience with Paxil. As some have said the weight loss on Lex has been one of the best se's and I don't want to gain it all back!
Posted by LynneDa on November 20, 2003, at 15:08:00
In reply to 3rd week and Lex not working for depression, posted by sfmom on November 20, 2003, at 14:55:08
Sorry to hear you're having problems with the Lex. I've been on Lex 10mg for one month. The first 2 weeks were great, now it seems to have slowed down in effectiveness and some of the anxiety and depression/obsession is coming back. My p-doc said I need to wait another month to really evaluate cuz it might pick up a bit. I am trying to be patient but am tempted to up my dose myself!
It doesn't seem like 3 weeks is long enough to give it a fair trial, but I guess that depends on how bad your depression is. Can you not get out of bed cuz your sleepy or depressed? Are you not eating due to nausea or too depressed? I've heard that going from 10 to 20 causes you to go through side effects again. Many folks have gone 10 to 15 then 20 so the s/e's aren't so severe.
I use Melatonin for insomnia and it works great!
Hang in there & let us know what you decide!
~ Lynne
Posted by Esmarelda on November 20, 2003, at 15:44:33
In reply to 3rd week and Lex not working for depression, posted by sfmom on November 20, 2003, at 14:55:08
I felt better at first, but at about week 2-4, I felt worse that I felt before Lex. Then at about weeks 5-7, I all the sudden felt lots better. I started on 10 mg and then at about week 10 or so upped it to 15mg. It was worth it to me. I feel much better now with no side effects.
Posted by BLKVETTES on November 20, 2003, at 16:03:45
In reply to 3rd week and Lex not working for depression, posted by sfmom on November 20, 2003, at 14:55:08
> It's been three weeks today that I've been on Lex. After the first week or so I started to feel a little better but then really depressed again right before I was supposed to up my dose to 20mg. Then on 20 I was doing okay until the last three days and I just can't drag myself out of bed or force myself to eat anything. Since I'm still having insonmia, I called my pdoc and she prescribed some trazadone (sp?) which I haven't taken yet. But when I told her I was still depressed she said that maybe we should switch to Paxil. I've heard pretty terrible things about Paxil so I don't really want to go on it. Also, I've suffered through all of these freaking se's on Lex and don't want to go through that again.
>
> Any advice? Has anyone been taking more than 20mg for depression and anxiety? (I also take 3 Klonopin per day.) How about any experience with Paxil. As some have said the weight loss on Lex has been one of the best se's and I don't want to gain it all back!
Hey, it takes a good 4 to 8 weeks for most people to get relief with these meds. For me it was 6 weeks. The depression went first and then the anxiety was slowly brought under control. I cant believe your pdoc has even suggested a med change at this point. But then again Im not surprised based on what you have posted here before.
Posted by Meehee on November 20, 2003, at 16:32:38
In reply to Re: 3rd week and Lex not working for depression » sfmom, posted by Esmarelda on November 20, 2003, at 15:44:33
Ive been on Lex for six weeks now and everything everybody saying about Lexapro is what I went through. I had the problem with staying asleep and I to was prescribed ambien first 5mg and then my pdoc up'd it to 10mg and I would still not sleep all night. And that was first 3 or four weeks. And believe me I felt worse than ever. Than all of a sudden I just started getting really comfortable and relaxed at bed time and now I get into this real deep sleep and I have the wildest dreams some good, some bad but always interesting. And I will sleep all night without any ambien. But since I have pmdd Ive noticed that based on this week Im starting with the depression,agitation, anxiety and insomnia. I saw my pdoc yesterday he wants me to up my Lex to 20mg five days before my week before my period. So like for 12 days a month he wants me to take 20mg. I took my first 20mg this am with no side effects, and other than a slight agitation, mild depression and anxiety. I was alot better than I was yesterday. That could change at a moments notice though.
Posted by sfmom on November 20, 2003, at 16:36:55
In reply to 3rd week and Lex not working for depression, posted by sfmom on November 20, 2003, at 14:55:08
Thanks everyone for your advice and support. I guess, once again, I'll just have to stick it out. Hopefully the meds will start to work soon because I'm just not functioning right now. I'm supposed to go back to work on Dec 1 and I'm scared as hell about that. My doc says she can extend my medical disability, but the disability checks don't even come close to paying the bills so I'm also stressed out about that too.
Well, I dragged my butt out of bed today and forced myself to eat something. My friend is picking me up in about an hour to take me to her house to have a bath in her huge bathtub. I just have no idea what to do with myself in the meantime. Then I have therapy tonight and tomorrow morning, so hopefully that will help, although it usually makes me more anxious.
Thanks for letting me vent/express/ramble on. I don't know what I'd do without you all. Just wish I could get hugs online!
Posted by Esmarelda on November 20, 2003, at 16:40:35
In reply to Re: 3rd week and Lex not working for depression, posted by sfmom on November 20, 2003, at 16:36:55
You Can! ((((((((((((((sfmom)))))))))))))))!
Posted by LynneDa on November 20, 2003, at 16:43:13
In reply to Re: 3rd week and Lex not working for depression, posted by sfmom on November 20, 2003, at 16:36:55
((((((SFMOM)))))))
Hugs to you! You should be proud of yourself for getting out of bed and getting out of the house tonight!When you're feeling a bit better, make a list of very small things you can do around the house - that only take 5 - 10 minutes or so (clip coupons, clean out a sock drawer, file 10 bills or even work on a puzzle), and do this when you feel anxious and at loose ends. Not a cure for depression, but it may make you feel better at the moment - more normal. It works for me and makes the time go by. Hang in there and stay safe!
~Lynne
Posted by sfmom on November 20, 2003, at 16:58:21
In reply to Re: 3rd week and Lex not working for depression, posted by LynneDa on November 20, 2003, at 16:43:13
Posted by sapphira on November 20, 2003, at 17:29:09
In reply to Re: 3rd week and Lex not working for depression, posted by LynneDa on November 20, 2003, at 16:43:13
{{{{SFMom}}}}
i'm in my third week too, though the first week was at 2.5 mg and now i'm only taking 5 mg. i honestly feel that is all my body can handle at this point.
i've had the usual nausea, loss of appetite, dizziness and what i thought were urinary problems which seemed to resolve once i started drinking more liquids.
overall, i'm feeling better emotionally and not at all sad. i'm still somewhere in that in-between state of not being really happy and not sad. i'm able to sleep with the help of valium which i was taking before starting the lex. i'm just taking a bit more now.
i'm going to give the lex a good try. i really don't want to try anything else if the lex doesn't work. i've been through enough already and the s/es scare me.
sapphira
Posted by Dr. Bob on November 20, 2003, at 17:40:47
In reply to Re: Everyone - Interested in when these darn SE's stop » Dr. Jill, posted by anonymous13 on November 19, 2003, at 20:34:33
> Natural Alternatives...
I'd like follow-ups regarding natural alternatives to be redirected to Psycho-Babble Alternative. Here's a link:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20031104/msgs/281817.html
Thanks,
Bob
Posted by vandy on November 20, 2003, at 22:15:51
In reply to Re: 3rd week and Lex not working for depression, posted by sapphira on November 20, 2003, at 17:29:09
{{{{sapphira}}}}
Never underestimate the power of a hug!It's great that you're starting to feel an emotional lift. Hang in there, kiddo! It gets better, believe me. I know it's discouraging at times because the progress feels so slow when you're in the middle of it all but you just wait. It's going to feel wonderful with this is behind you. At least it will if you share my experience. And it took me a while for sure. My take is that it was very much worth the wait. Keep us up to date and know that we care.
> {{{{SFMom}}}}
>
> i'm in my third week too, though the first week was at 2.5 mg and now i'm only taking 5 mg. i honestly feel that is all my body can handle at this point.
>
> i've had the usual nausea, loss of appetite, dizziness and what i thought were urinary problems which seemed to resolve once i started drinking more liquids.
>
> overall, i'm feeling better emotionally and not at all sad. i'm still somewhere in that in-between state of not being really happy and not sad. i'm able to sleep with the help of valium which i was taking before starting the lex. i'm just taking a bit more now.
>
> i'm going to give the lex a good try. i really don't want to try anything else if the lex doesn't work. i've been through enough already and the s/es scare me.
>
> sapphira
>
>
Posted by Oldhand on November 21, 2003, at 0:44:49
In reply to My Doctor Wants Me to Switch to Effexor (sp?), posted by Dr. Jill on November 20, 2003, at 14:09:14
> I just got back from the doctor and told him about all of my lovely side effects with Lexpro. I am taking it in the am (5mg). I can fall asleep with the help of Ambien, but can only sleep a few hours. At any rate, he wants to switch me to Effexor (sp?). Any experience with this medication! Jill
Hi Jill,
I took Effexor before Lexapro. Started with the 37.5mg, went to 75mg and could go no farther. It raised my blood pressure, gave me crazy anxiety attacks, brain and body zaps and I forget what all else. I (stupidly) tried to quit it cold turkey and that was worse than the effects of the drug. It was a nightmare I can't really remember. As with everything, it may be different for you. I have had very good results with Lexapro for over a year now, in combination now with Wellbutrin xl and Trazodone for sleep. Best of luck with Effexor but read up on it here and on other sites. It definately was not for me.
Shelley
Posted by Dr. Jill on November 21, 2003, at 5:52:59
In reply to Re: My Doctor Wants Me to Switch to Effexor (sp?) » Dr. Jill, posted by Oldhand on November 21, 2003, at 0:44:49
Thanks Shelley! Actually, it is very strange, but I felt so much better last night - I was able to sleep and my throat did not feel closed. Maybe I am finally over the hump with Lexapro. I have read many of the posts regarding Effexor and understandably, they are anecdotal. However, it seems that there are more positive stories with Lexapro than Effexor. I think I am going to hold off on switching. He did not even call in the prescription yet. He required that I take a pregnancy test first (he is very much CYA). Thanks again for the information! Jill
> > I just got back from the doctor and told him about all of my lovely side effects with Lexpro. I am taking it in the am (5mg). I can fall asleep with the help of Ambien, but can only sleep a few hours. At any rate, he wants to switch me to Effexor (sp?). Any experience with this medication! Jill
>
> Hi Jill,
> I took Effexor before Lexapro. Started with the 37.5mg, went to 75mg and could go no farther. It raised my blood pressure, gave me crazy anxiety attacks, brain and body zaps and I forget what all else. I (stupidly) tried to quit it cold turkey and that was worse than the effects of the drug. It was a nightmare I can't really remember. As with everything, it may be different for you. I have had very good results with Lexapro for over a year now, in combination now with Wellbutrin xl and Trazodone for sleep. Best of luck with Effexor but read up on it here and on other sites. It definately was not for me.
> Shelley
Posted by Oldhand on November 21, 2003, at 21:10:22
In reply to Thanks Shelley regarding info on Effexor! :-), posted by Dr. Jill on November 21, 2003, at 5:52:59
Posted by Journeyman on November 22, 2003, at 1:19:46
In reply to Re: 3rd week and Lex not working for depression, posted by LynneDa on November 20, 2003, at 16:43:13
First day on Lexapro or any kind of AD.
Thanks for your stories; it helps to know we're not in this alone.
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