New to depression board, usually on anxiety side but need help with lexapro 8th week and crashing!

Hi there, I usually post on the anxiety forum but I suffer from both. I really could use some kind advise. Brief history... I was on celexa for 8 wonderful years and sadly it pooped out on me last July and sent me in to a real downward spiral. I tried Zoloft which did not work, then effexor which after months and dose increases finally gave me some relief but stupidly I decided to wean off that and try cipralex [ lexapro] because I thought it would make me feel as good as the celexa did. I have been on cipralex since April 8th starting at 5mg and working up to 10 on April 19th and was feeling ok until I was no longer on the effexor and started crashing. Pushed through and felt marginally better then on May 11th started crashing again so I bumped to 15mg on May 14th. Then I did start to feel better for the next bit with manageable anxiety. Then on June 1st it started creeping in again and by June 3rd I was in full on panic as soon as I opened my eyes in the morning. I have now bumped it up to 20mg since Wednesday so tonight will be my 3rd dose at 20mg. I'm absolutely terrified that this med won't work. I don't understand why I was having some really great days and then wham! I know there are others here with experience and I could really use a big lift right now. I'm so frustrated and scared! Please can anyone relate? Could it be that my body just needs more time? I don't want to quit and start all over again. I just need peace of mind. Any help would be so appreciative!!

Post Edited (coopsmom) : 6/6/2014 9:14:32 AM (GMT-6)

If you are having some good days, I would try the cipralex for a few more weeks and see if it levels out. If not, maybe go back to the Effexor. I took it for 15 years. I did good on it. I also took abilify, it is a mood stabilizer, and it makes the Effexor work better. I take pristiq now. When Effexor went generic, the doctor switched me to prisitq. I like it a lot. It works well for me. I still take the mood stabilizer and Xanax.

I wouldn't be jumping around with the meds if you can help it. It takes such a long time for them to get in your system and then back out. After awhile you don't know what is working and what is not.

I agree with Myself, do talk to your doctor and see what they say. That is the best thing to do as everything works differently on everybody.

Best wishes, and welcome to the forum.

Hugs, Karen...

Do you use any coping skills such as deep breathing, mindfulness or meditation? If so, now it the time to do that. The medications only do so much, we have to be proactive about our mental health. It sounds like the depression is maybe kicking your anxiety up a little bit.

Keep working on it, give it a little more time. But be sure to let the doctor know how you are feeling.

Hugs, Karen...

Thanks again. Should it be a wait of 6 to 8 weeks from each increase or from the start? Has anyone had an antidepressant take longer than the typical 4 to 6 weeks? Sorry I'm just so confused!!

I guess that you should talk to your doctor about that. We are all different. I would think you would be feeling better within a couple of weeks with an increase. Try to hang in there, but I think that the doc knows best on whether or not it is going to work for you, though it could be trial and error for them too. I hope that you feel better soon.

Hugs, Karen...

I usually hear of people going on 20. Have you googled it? There are some who take Lexapro on the forum, hopefully they can chime in and give you some reassurance.

Best wishes.

Hugs, Karen...

jb, Welcome to the forum...

Hugs, Karen...

PS thanks for sharing...

Hello coopsmom.....I truly feel for the quandary you seem to find yourself in, regarding your medications. I don't feel as qualified to respond to your situation as some of these others who, like you, have been on maintenance medications for quite a long time. My experience with antidepressants and sleep aids only lasted for about a year, and I was able to wean myself off all my meds over a period of about 2 months. Have you made any progress in resolving the underlying triggers that brought you to the depression and anxiety? Are your life circumstances improving at all? I believe you get better with these types of afflictions when you pull them up by the roots, rather than just spraying them with poison. From the way you describe your dilemma, you seem to be pretty dependent on the medications to keep your head above water. I definitely believe you need to sit down with your psychiatrist and honestly discuss your medications, where they have failed and where they succeed. Then, you seem like a very definite candidate for talk therapy with someone you can truly relate to and trust. I, myself, never did all that well with counseling, because I never liked to bare my soul to strangers, and I did not find anyone that made me feel comfortable enough to "let my hair down." You, however, really need to talk to someone who can help you get to the foundation of your depression/anxiety. Good Luck and God Bless You.

Gizzard, something you said clicked with me. I had been on celexa for many years at 20mg and when my anxiety came back last summer I upped it to 30. With no relief I had tried Zoloft for about 8 weeks and felt I was getting worse but I only went up to 100 mg which is similar to the 20mg of celexa I was on. Maybe if I had increased it to a higher dose I would have gotten relief. Anyway then on to effexor and after 3 mos and titration up to 187.5 I felt more stable. Again maybe 187.5 is similar to the dose I SHOULD be on with cipralex. I've thought this through and what makes sense to me is that the 15mg of cip I was on was just as strong as the 30 of celexa which was not working. Gosh I hope I'm making sense here! So perhaps only now that I have increased to 20, that I will begin to have some relief, but here's my question.... should I wait the 6 weeks now that I'm at a hhigher dose to see improvement? Anyway thanks so much for your response. It makes more sense to me now. Here's hoping and praying!!!

Ha sorry! Clearly I didn't check my post over before submitting! Spell check!