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Effectiveness of Lexapro

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Posted 6/2/2009 8:25 AM (GMT 0)
Hi All,

I have been on Lexapro for years and now going through another nightmare after my husband left me. My question is, does anyone know if Lexapro can loose its usefullness? I feel like I am crying more and more, when I first started taking Lexapro I hardly cried.

Renee
Posted 6/2/2009 11:27 AM (GMT 0)
rkeanu

Hello and welcome to HealingWell. I am so sorry to hear about your husband leaving and that alone may account for your increased depression.

My psychiatrist explained to me that the AD meds can only do so much but they will not take away the depression for good.  She compared it with pain med, if you depression "pain"  is a 10/10 scale the medication may bring you down to a 3 or 4 but it won't take away all of your depression...............at least it did not in my case.  The rest was learning to deal with it.

To answer your question about meds pooping out..........yes I have heard of that happening to many people including myself. 

Check in with you Physician and see if there is any chance of increasing your Lexapro dose.

Also you may want to look at therapy to help you through this tough time.  You have suffered a loss, and you need support so please stick with us.

Again a warm welcome,


Kitt


 

Posted 6/2/2009 11:39 AM (GMT 0)
Kitt,

Thank you so much for your quick reply. I am on the maximum dose of the Lexapro now, so that isn't an option. I have actually one Physicatrist and a Phycologist so I am pretty good there. I also have Fribromyalgia and associated disorders along with ADHD and PTSD. I have gone through this quite a while, and I am thinking you are right, as there are just some things that nature has to take its course and there is not a pill for it. It is perfectly natural to be sad and despressed, just I guess I haven't felt that way in a very long time and it will take time for my heart to heal. This is such an awesome forum and I will definatley stick with it.

Renee
Posted 6/2/2009 12:24 PM (GMT 0)
hi renee, good to hear, yeah all meds poop eventually, some earlier, some later. healings 2 u and welcome. jamie
Posted 6/2/2009 1:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Renee,

It sounds like your depression is situational right now. You said above that you are on the highest dose of lexapro that you can take. I am too, with effexor. My psychiatrist added a medication called abilify. I think that it can be taken with lexapro too. Since that and effexor are closely related. It is a mood stabilizer and it really does help a lot. I haven't been depressed in a while, my doctor says I am in remission. So for the time being you might want to ask your doctor about something like that. Even if it is only temporary.

I am glad that you have a good support system. You have jsut been through a lot. It isn't easy I know. And remember to keep posting here, the members here are wonderful.

I too have fibromyalgia, and I know how hard that is. Your emotional state can really cause you to suffer. It can even bring on a flare. So I hope that you are keeping a check on that. Though I know that there isn't much that you can do if one starts. But try to stay relaxed and keep your stress down. I know easier said than done.

I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Be good to yourself.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 6/2/2009 4:29 PM (GMT 0)
I have no answer for you but do wish you well.
Posted 6/2/2009 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
karen,

Your post is so wonderful and in perfect timing. I think that I might talk to my doctor about that. It has been several weeks now and I am not getting to a point were I feel better. My fibro has gotten to the point where I am getting trigger point injections every two weeks and I hate it. It is such a terrilble thing to have this disease and then a tragedy on top of that. Thanks so much for the prayers!!

Gentle Hugs!!

Renee
Posted 6/2/2009 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so sorry you are going through this. I take Lexapro also. It might not be the meds. It is unfortunate that there is no drug that will take away heart ache. However, that pain is what makes us human and you will get past it some day. I know the feeling well. Having your heart broken is devastating for everyone and even harder for those of us who already battle with depression and self worth. I pray that you will find peace soon. In the meantime, stock up on tissues and take comfort in good food, flowers, friends reruns, your real friends and family. Pamper yourself. Get a gym membership, go tanning. Read some wonderful books. Take care of yourself and remember who you are. Often we lose ourselves when we try to become what someone else wants us to be. Your husband may have closed a door on you, but doors are waiting to be opened by you everywhere and opportunities that may have not been there before. There is life outside your husband and your home and support. Many women have gone through what you are going through. Seek their comfort. Do you have a pet? Get a kitten if you don't. It's hard to be sad with a kitten in your home. Keep your head up. You are still worth more than you know and you will find a man who will appreciate you someday.
Posted 6/2/2009 7:57 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much for your kind post. You are so right. When you have depression issues already, this sure does not help. And it is true, family is great, but if they have never been there, they just can't relate. It is doubly worse because my husband had been with me for a decade and then when I get sick, he is gone. Just crazy. Smart women, folish choices. But I do have two chihuahua's and they make me feel so good. Nothing like a pet. They love you no matter what. I curl up with my doggies and read a book, but hard to concentrate. The hard part is that life goes on, and everything goes on without regard to your private suffering. I always try to be "normal" for others, but inside, I am hurting so bad. I guess that is the scenerio with depression. I don't want to be the downer that no one wants to be around. Anyway, thank you so much for your kind words.

Much Aloha,

Renee
Posted 6/2/2009 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
It makes me sad to hear you say that you try to be "normal" for others. Please don't do that. You are suffering and you do not need to add to that by worrying about being a "downer". That is the difficult thing with depression. So many people cannot relate and are skeptical that it is a "real" disease because they can't see it physically. It's sad. I know what you mean about now that you are sick, he is gone. So many men and some women bail when their partner gets sick especially with depression. I just want to scream at them all. You promised in "sickness and health". What they really meant was as long as you are healthy and I am getting everything I want from you. My husband doesn't understand my private battles either. I am always pretending to be happier than I am. Only because he tends to believe that it is all about him. He thinks he isn't making me happy. If I stare out the window, he thinks I'm wishing to be somewhere else. He is also offended that I am taking anti-depressants.

Enough about me though, I wish you the best. Mostly, I wish for people to come into your life who you can be yourself around. They are out there. Good people who don't mind have a "Debbie Downer" around. ((((My husband calls me debbie downer at times))))). By the way, go to the flower shop and buy some daisies. They are such a happy flower and always make me smile. Take Care!
Posted 6/3/2009 7:04 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, gosh I definately can relate to everything that you are saying. It is lal so true. It is weird though because although it is such a betrayal, and my husband left me in a financial state, somehow it is definately easier without him around. He was making me surpress my depression too. And with that, I feel like I wasn't getting better, but worse. He wasn't good for me, and even so, I am still sad. It is fairly new, and my sadness I am sure will turn to anger and then hopefully I can let this go permanently. I am just praying for the day that I don't wake up and think about it anymore. That is a long way down the road, and that is a hard pill to swallow! I wish there were a magical pill for that!
Posted 6/3/2009 10:58 AM (GMT 0)

Good Morning rkeanu

Just wanted to drop in and tell you that I am thinking of you and hope you have had some good days. 

How you perceive your own thoughts, behaviors and functioning can help determine what's normal for you. You are a very normal person, you just happen to have a mental health disorder that you have to deal with.

So be proud of who you are and know you are a good and kind person who is going through a tough time.

Gentle hugs to you,

Kitt

Posted 6/4/2009 2:58 AM (GMT 0)

nice it is to see that I have a good morning post! Thank you so much! You all are so wonderful. You are lifesavers! God Bless you.

Renee
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