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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by smittay17 on January 26, 2004, at 15:16:46
im on celexa and was wondering why if anything i should get on lexapro for panic disorder
celexa just doesnt work for me and im having a hard time
should i switch??
should i even bother with any of the other SSRI's?
i hear they have worse side effects than Celexa
which ones make you calm and sedated without the weight gain?
hows luvox?
Posted by KathrynLex on January 26, 2004, at 15:41:05
In reply to why is LEXAPRO better than CELEXA??, posted by smittay17 on January 26, 2004, at 15:16:46
Hi Smittay,
I've never been on Celexa, but Lexapro has been wonderful for my depression/anxiety. I've heard it's more potent than Celxa and has fewer side effects.
The following is from the manufacturers website: www.lexapro.com
LEXAPRO is an antidepressant that is the newest member of the family of medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). LEXAPRO was developed by isolating a part of the CELEXATM (citalopram HBr) molecule, known as an isomer. As a result, LEXAPRO appears to offer some particular advantages in the treatment of depression:
In clinical trials, LEXAPRO 10 mg/day demonstrated comparable efficacy to a higher dose of CELEXA 40 mg/day.
LEXAPRO significantly improved depression for many patients beginning at week 1 or 2 (full antidepressant effect may take 4 to 6 weeks).
LEXAPRO effectively treats anxiety symptoms associated with depression.
At 10 mg/day, overall incidence of side effects and drop-out rates due to adverse events were comparable to placebo.
Simple 10 mg/day starting dose for all patients.
If you want calm and sedated without weight gain I would say Lexapro is a safe bet. Lex has killed my appetite and my anxiety has all but vanished.I haven't tried Luvox, but other anti anxiety meds I've tried are: Paxil, Xanax, Klonopin and Lorazepam. The last three I mentioned are benzos. I take them as needed and they really do the trick for anxiety. I've heard they're addictive...but Klonopin is thought of as being the "gold standard" for combating anxiety.
Posted by smittay17 on January 26, 2004, at 15:49:24
In reply to Re: why is LEXAPRO better than CELEXA??, posted by KathrynLex on January 26, 2004, at 15:41:05
thank you kathryn, im trying to hold out... :(
Posted by Alex2 on January 26, 2004, at 16:18:07
In reply to Re: why is LEXAPRO better than CELEXA??, posted by KathrynLex on January 26, 2004, at 15:41:05
For my PD and depression, Paxil has worked the best. Celexa never did anything for me.
Paxil also has the tendency to cause some weight gain. It is also a bit more sedating than Celexa.
Posted by Bill LL on January 27, 2004, at 10:23:04
In reply to why is LEXAPRO better than CELEXA??, posted by smittay17 on January 26, 2004, at 15:16:46
Celexa has 2 ingredients; one that is an antidepessant, and another which is not an antidepressant but might cause side effects.
Lexapro only contains the active ingredient (the S enantiomer).
When an antidepressant does not work, the next step is to increase the dose. For example, I take 30 mg of Lexapro each day. If I only took 10 mg, then I would say that Lexapro does not work for me. Don't give up on any antidepressant until you increase the dose.
Posted by smittay17 on January 27, 2004, at 10:37:14
In reply to Re: why is LEXAPRO better than CELEXA??, posted by Bill LL on January 27, 2004, at 10:23:04
cool
cause it said not to go over 60mg/day and im on 100mg/day right now (which i think might be equivlent to around 25mg of lexapro) i will keep perservering!! thanks
erik
> Celexa has 2 ingredients; one that is an antidepessant, and another which is not an antidepressant but might cause side effects.
>
> Lexapro only contains the active ingredient (the S enantiomer).
>
> When an antidepressant does not work, the next step is to increase the dose. For example, I take 30 mg of Lexapro each day. If I only took 10 mg, then I would say that Lexapro does not work for me. Don't give up on any antidepressant until you increase the dose.
Posted by KathrynLex on January 27, 2004, at 11:29:08
In reply to Re: why is LEXAPRO better than CELEXA??, posted by Bill LL on January 27, 2004, at 10:23:04
Hi Bill,
I'm at 10 mg lex, but after 39 days I don't think it's working. My depression and anxiety have lifted a bit, but I still feel weird and not up to 100%. Last night I had a recurrance of side effects and hated it. I'm terrified that if I increase my dose of lex I'll go through more of the side effects. How bad were your se's when you increased? And how did you decide that 10 mg and 20 mg didn't work for you? Thanks!
K.
Posted by McPac on January 27, 2004, at 16:22:00
In reply to Re: why is LEXAPRO better than CELEXA??, posted by Bill LL on January 27, 2004, at 10:23:04
Bill,
Did you find Lexapro at 20 mg/day just not quite sufficient for your symptoms?
I'm on 20 mg/day now and am thinking of bumping it up to 25mg/day....does Lexapro come in 5 mg tablets???
thnx
Posted by Bill LL on January 28, 2004, at 8:56:56
In reply to Question for Bill, posted by KathrynLex on January 27, 2004, at 11:29:08
I started on 20 mg of Lexapro. That's because I was previously on 60 mg of Celexa. After about 12 months, it was less effective. I would often feel a bit depressed, especially about 10 hours after taking it. When I increased it to 30 mg a couple of months a go, I didn't feel depressed any more.
Then, I wanted to work on concentration. I have always had ADD type problems. The doc gave me Wellbutrin SR (100 mg per day) because it is both an antidepressant and an ADD drug. With the Wellbutrin, I feel even better and do concentrate better. The doc said that I could take the Wellbutrin twice a day, but I tried that and felt too jittery.
As for side effects, there are 2; day time tiredness and sexual side effects. The tiredness was a major problem even before I ever took AD's so I need to point that out. The Wellbutrin helps with that side effect.
As much as I hate to say it, the sexual side effects did get a bit worse when I increased from 20 to 30 mg Lexapro. It's not yet bad enough to ask the doc for a drug like Viagra. Wellbutrin helps some people with SSRI sexual side effects. I cannot say at this point in time if it helps me with that. As I mentioned above, it does however help with tiredness and concentration.
Posted by Bill LL on January 28, 2004, at 9:04:31
In reply to Bill, Re: why is LEXAPRO better than CELEXA??, posted by McPac on January 27, 2004, at 16:22:00
It worked well at 20 mg for about 12 months. Then I needed more. I think Lexapro does come in 5 mg. However, I just cut the 20 mg pill in half (it is scored) and take 30 mg. If you want to try 25 mg, just cut the 20 in half, then cut the halfs in half. Its very easy to do with a razor knife, the type you would use to cut wallpaper.
It's much much less expensive to cut the pills. Many drugs, including Lexapro, cost about the same per pill regardless of dosage. So if you get 5 mg pills, you will be paying about 4 times as much as cutting the 20 mg pills.
I am now on 30 mg Lexapro. My doctor is ok with me going up to atleast 40 mg if I ever need to in the future. After that, if I need more, I might try an increase in Wellbutrin.
> Bill,
>
> Did you find Lexapro at 20 mg/day just not quite sufficient for your symptoms?
> I'm on 20 mg/day now and am thinking of bumping it up to 25mg/day....does Lexapro come in 5 mg tablets???
> thnx
Posted by smittay17 on January 28, 2004, at 10:16:05
In reply to Re: Bill, Re: why is LEXAPRO better than CELEXA??, posted by Bill LL on January 28, 2004, at 9:04:31
so does it work for panic disorder, im on 100mg of celexa and feel its too much...
what is 100mg celexa equal to in lexapro?
help
erik> It worked well at 20 mg for about 12 months. Then I needed more. I think Lexapro does come in 5 mg. However, I just cut the 20 mg pill in half (it is scored) and take 30 mg. If you want to try 25 mg, just cut the 20 in half, then cut the halfs in half. Its very easy to do with a razor knife, the type you would use to cut wallpaper.
>
> It's much much less expensive to cut the pills. Many drugs, including Lexapro, cost about the same per pill regardless of dosage. So if you get 5 mg pills, you will be paying about 4 times as much as cutting the 20 mg pills.
>
> I am now on 30 mg Lexapro. My doctor is ok with me going up to atleast 40 mg if I ever need to in the future. After that, if I need more, I might try an increase in Wellbutrin.
>
> > Bill,
> >
> > Did you find Lexapro at 20 mg/day just not quite sufficient for your symptoms?
> > I'm on 20 mg/day now and am thinking of bumping it up to 25mg/day....does Lexapro come in 5 mg tablets???
> > thnx
>
>
Posted by KathrynLex on January 28, 2004, at 14:21:19
In reply to Re: Bill, Re: why is LEXAPRO better than CELEXA??, posted by smittay17 on January 28, 2004, at 10:16:05
Hi Smittay,
10 mg of Lexapro = 40 mg Celexa (from www.lexapro.com)
You would need to take 25 mg of Lexapro to equal your current dose of Celexa.
K.
PS Lexapro is great for panic disorder!
Posted by EscherDementian on January 29, 2004, at 6:12:08
In reply to Re: why is LEXAPRO better than CELEXA??, posted by Bill LL on January 27, 2004, at 10:23:04
Hmm? i don't mean to throw a monkeywrench in your works, but among my best friends, two(female) and my husband have had unbelievably life-changing wonderful results with Celexa - and notso Lexapro.
Escher
Just another 100th monkey.
Posted by smittay17 on January 29, 2004, at 7:56:30
In reply to Re: Bill, Re: why is LEXAPRO better than CELEXA??, posted by KathrynLex on January 28, 2004, at 14:21:19
so it works for panic disorder? does that mean Celexa would work too since it encompasses Lexapro? it gives me massive headaches so far and pokes my stomach out...
i sure hope this works.. btw do SSRI's (Celexa) give much weight gain compared to the TCA's (Imipramine) thats the only reason i got off Imipramine...
> Hi Smittay,
>
> 10 mg of Lexapro = 40 mg Celexa (from www.lexapro.com)
>
> You would need to take 25 mg of Lexapro to equal your current dose of Celexa.
>
> K.
>
> PS Lexapro is great for panic disorder!
Posted by Bill LL on January 29, 2004, at 9:35:45
In reply to Re: Bill, Re: why is LEXAPRO better than CELEXA??, posted by smittay17 on January 29, 2004, at 7:56:30
I have heard of some people gaining or losing some weight on Celexa and Lexapro, atleast when they first start taking it. But from what I have read, it seems like the big majority do not have a change in weight. From what I have read, it seems like Paxil is the only SSRI that seems to cause weight gain more than just in rare cases.
You are on 100 mg Celexa and are having stomach problems and head aches. I would think that if a lower dose of Celexa did not eliminate your depression, and if 100 mg does get rid of it, then it is not too high a dose. Except, that it is hurting your head and stomach. If that keeps up for a long time, you might want to consider a lower dose of Celexa along with Wellbutrin.
If you choose to eventually switch to Lexapro, I have seen different conversion rates ranging from 2 to 1; to 4 to 1. So 100 mg of Celexa would equate to from 25 to 50 mg of Lexapro. Since Lexapro is relatively new and it can take up to a couple of years of dose increases before one levels out, no one knows the exact conversion rate at this point in time.
If you switch to Lexapro, you might want to start at 30 mg. If that does not eliminate your depression, you could either increase the dose, or add Wellbutrin.
I'm doing very well with 30 mg Lexapro and 100 mg Wellbutrin SR (which I take one time per day in the morning).
This is the end of the thread.
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