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Starting Lexapro - part 2

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Posted 7/22/2015 7:22 PM (GMT 0)
Over 5 weeks. Still feel anxiety. Went to my doc yesterday. He seems to think I need to just ride it out. I had 2 fairly good days. Today the anxiety seems to have returned. It's maddening. I'm supposed to start a new job. I'm very nervous about it. I don't want to go there with all this angst all the time.

Post Edited (willi444) : 7/30/2015 8:12:35 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/22/2015 8:11 PM (GMT 0)
Do some breathing exercises. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Called smelling the roses and blowing out the candles. The out breath should be slightly longer than the in, and done with pursed lips. This really works, but you need to practice it every time that you get anxious. Do it at least ten times in a row. If you can do abdominal breathing it is even better. If you try it for the first time, it may make you dizzy for a minute. It did me. But then I got use to it. It does keep me relaxed.

I do meditation too which helps a lot. I hope you try the breathing. It works, but takes practice.

I think your doc is right.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 7/23/2015 2:21 PM (GMT 0)
So far today, no major surges in anxiety. I'm trying to get things squared away in my condo. I've been staying with my brother for the past month while I work through this ordeal. I'm starting a new job in a little over a week.
Posted 7/23/2015 3:40 PM (GMT 0)
Ok.. I spoke too soon. I've been taking the remeron. I think the sedation has been keeping the anxiety down. Now it's wearing off and I think I'm starting to feel it. I get tricked into thinking the lexapro is finally working into my system. So frustrating. When will this ever go away???!!!
Posted 7/23/2015 3:41 PM (GMT 0)
That is awesome!!!

Keep focusing, meditating and staying in the now...

You will do good...

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 7/25/2015 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Willi,
I take the lexapro and have for the most part for 6 years. I have really never been able to take it without the clonazopram addition unless I increase the lexapro dose to 15 or 20 mgs. Then I personally do not feel well. That is another issue. I am only on it still as we are trying to find an alternative. At 10 mgs I am still very depressed. It only keeps my head above the water. I am worse some days, and better others. So, though I can't increase and have felt the negative symptoms; after the eight weeks you should be able to tell if it is going to be the right dose or right medicine.
If you have good improvement then maybe a slight increase to the 15mg will eliviate the need for the klonopin. Unfortunately the startup doses really can be bothersome without the clonazopram if you have a tendency towards anxiety and/or panic. If you are feeling like there is improvement as the days goes by hang in there. If you find it is making you more depressed then you should then contact your doctor.
Be careful about putting too much in the mix - you won't know what helped or didn't.

Post Edited (3Shadows) : 7/24/2015 8:23:39 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/25/2015 1:25 PM (GMT 0)
yes.. this is all such a p.i.a. I fell asleep the other night without taking the remeron. First night in months that I slept a whole night without taking anything. The only issue is I woke up feeling like I got run over by a bus. Then I took the lexapro. It did give me the initial anxiety. I had it up until around 5pm. Then it went away. Up until this week it would stay with me 24/7. I felt like I could probably sleep again without taking anything last night, but I took the remeron. When the anxiety wore off around 5pm, I didn't feel fantastic or anything. Actually sort of flat. I feel like my whole identity was robbed of me through all this. I was such a vibrant, healthy, active person. I was always up for going hiking, running with my friends, hitting the gym, rock climbing, riding my bike, you name I would do it. I don't know if I don't have the drive because I got depressed and am now waiting for the meds to kick in fully or if the meds are doing it to me. I do know I was losing interest prior to going on meds. Plus my libido has diminished. Just like the exercise though, it was diminishing prior to the meds. Now I don't know if it's the meds doing it or if it'll come back if I start feeling myself on the meds. As you can all probably tell, I'm not the most patient person. I wish I could start tapering, but I have no idea what will happen. Is it too soon to determine the effects of the lexapro? It's been almost 6 weeks. I don't want to go up in dose if it's not going to allow me to feel better. I don't want to feel flat, I don't want anxiety from going up. I just don't know.

Post Edited (willi444) : 7/25/2015 7:48:07 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/25/2015 2:13 PM (GMT 0)
8 weeks on the Lexapro... It takes that long to tell sometimes. I would hate for you to give up before you gave it a fair chance. Be patient. It doesn't happen abruptly, it is subtle...

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 7/25/2015 2:31 PM (GMT 0)
yes... I will give it until 8 weeks. 3shadows I will go up in dose once I consistently don't get the med induced anxiety.

I still have hope with it all. When I was on zoloft I had no side effects. I'm hoping the same with the lex eventually. It wasn't as difficult getting on the zoloft. I think it's because I was nowhere near as depressed or full of anxiety as I was this time around. I was still sleeping and had a job.
Posted 7/26/2015 3:10 AM (GMT 0)
If you feel better with regard the the depression by he time you get to the 8 weeks on lexapro you can talk to your doctor if the anxiety is still ongoing. But I agree - stay where you are until you get tot he 8 weeks. Libido???? I hear that a lot. Frankly I don't think a depressed person has any whether they are on med or not. I blamed it on the med a lot, but I really haven't improved that much with depression; so maybe that is what the problem is. Maybe your just not in the mood- Trying to LOL!! : ) Frankly the older we get the less libido some of us have. See where that goes when you are feeling really good again. Hang in there..
Posted 7/27/2015 8:51 PM (GMT 0)
Well it's 6 weeks today being on the lexapro. The 30mg of remeron is helping curb the anxiety associated with the lex startup. I don't like being on the remeron. It makes me sleep an extra hour than normal and I shake after I take it. Plus I'm starting a new job next week where I have to be there at 6:30am. I'm a little concerned. I'm an early riser by nature. This will be the first time trying something like this after taking meds the night before. I believe the lexapro has finally leveled out enough where I wouldn't need the remeron to fall asleep, but the anxiety is still intense during the day. Before starting to take the remeron, I would calm down late in the day. By then I was so emotionally exhausted from the anxiety all day, that I just didn't feel the best. I'm just hoping I will be able to do away with the remeron in a few weeks.
Posted 7/28/2015 2:17 PM (GMT 0)
Well I had a minor panic attack last night. It's been quite a few weeks since I've experienced this. Overall I had a good day yesterday then early evening I felt it come on. It wasn't anything too crazy. A little shortness of breath and my legs felt weird. I actually still have it going on now a little. I've been taking 30mg of mirtazapine at night the last few days and still taking 12.5mg of lexapro in the morning. Could it be from the mirtazapine? I was hopeful with it in that I felt like it leveled me out for the first few days. Now I'm not sure. The thing that stinks is now I have to meds and I can't pin point which might need adjusting. Do I need to go up in the lexapro or come down in the mirtazapine?

I'm nervous too, I'm supposed to start a new job on Tuesday. I don't want to be doing all these med changes in the process. It'll just add to the stress.
Posted 7/28/2015 3:28 PM (GMT 0)
Try to take things as they come and not worry.

Good luck on the new job!!!

Hugs, Karen

The doc will figure out what is going on...
Posted 7/29/2015 3:16 PM (GMT 0)
See my post in Remeron today.
Posted 7/29/2015 8:27 PM (GMT 0)
6 weeks on lexapro. Shouldn't the startup anxiety be going away by now?
Posted 7/30/2015 2:12 PM (GMT 0)
I finally made an appointment with a psychiatrist. Unfortunately I can't bee seen until 8/26. I will call everyday to see if they have cancellations. I don't seem to be getting consistent results. I need answers. The gp just tells me to ride things out and take more. It's been over 6 weeks. I know it can take up to 8 weeks, but it seems a little crazy that everyday when I take the lexapro I'm full of anxiety until 5pm. That I feel should have subsided by now.
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