Lexapro Experience...Good Or Bad? (& Various "Mood" Disorder Diet/Thinking/Spiritual Tools

At first I thought it was just the depression but lately I've read references to people being on Lexapro putting things off (work, school, etc). I've had the same issue lately even though my mood is starting to lift, and was wondering if anybody else has too?

I'd also like to hear about anybody's experience with Lexapro, good or bad.

Post Edited (Thomas) : 10/13/2007 9:00:41 AM (GMT-6)

The way I understand it (?) your body doesn't build up a resistance to Lexapro, since it's not a narcotic but rather targets how soon Serotonin is re-absorbed? Drugs like volume do cause you to build up a tolerance, but I've never heard of that happening with drugs that work like Lexapro?

I'm guessing he has built up a tolerance to the Xanax?

 

Thanks for the input. I've done some pretty extensive reading on Lexapro and it's a fairly new drug that targets the uptake (when it stops doing it's thing) of Serotonin in the brain. Doesn't produce it, just lets it float around and do it's thing like it should for a longer period of time. While there are numerous other neurotransmitters in the brain that's imbalance can cause anxiety/depression, Serotonin is one of the "top three" neurotransmitters and also is the cause of most depression and is responsible for slightly less (but still high) rate of anxiety, OCD, etc. In other words, it's levels are most often the cause for depression and is also responsible for the other problems but at a slightly less percentage of those. Anxiety/ocd/add, if not being caused by the serotonin levels, is being caused by two or three other neurotransmiters being at the wrong levels (usualy too low live Serotonin). These ones are mostly controlled by the GABA in your brain. The way I understand it GABA is like a traffic control cop for those (uptake inhibitor like Lexapro is for Serotonin maybe?). Neurotin (which I'm taking as needed at 300MG for anxiety) helps your GABA "do it's thing". Interestingly enough, many other drugs such as volume target, increase, or "help along" GABA to help calm anxiety and other problems. Volume is addictive by the way it "gets at" the GABA. Many newer drugs such as Nerontin (Gabatine, Gabatin?) "get at" the GABA in a different way, and thus are not addictive like volume. That's the way I understand things with the reading I've done but I could be wrong.

GABA can be bought at health food stores, though there is debate as to how well it crosses the blood/brain barrier. In other words, the drugs don't have that question mark and get right to it. One way to get around the blood/brain barrier is to eat foods that help produce or help along your Gaba in the brain.

Now, from what I also understand Lexapro will often take care of the anxiety after a month or two and then you won't need any second drug (such as the Neurontin) to help calm you down. In other words, the Lexapro can often help along the depression first and then take care of the anxiety/ocd/etc a little later.

Most people I've read about have had very positive experiences with the Lexapro. Another benefit is that you don't build up a tolerance to it like other drugs as far as I know? My only side effects at the moment (going on about 5 weeks on 10MG) is sleep problems and dry mouth. These and other symptoms often go away over time, like the dry mouth seems to have gone away for me. The sleeping seems to be getting slightly better as well.

My main concern at the moment is some reading I've done about people noticing that they keep putting things off like work and school on the Lexapro. I know this is often just a symptom of the depression but I'm experiencing this too and longer than the depression normaly does to me. I just can't seem to care and get motivated to go to work (self emp.) and the jobs keep piling up. Even when I've had these major depressive episodes before I tended to force myself back to work sooner.

One more thing...We must all remember that we ARE what are BRAINS ARE and what are BRAINS THINK. In other words, what makes you different from somebody else? Not your job, your life, etc...but what's going on in your brain. I now believe that the first priority for anybody with any life problems is to fix what's inside your head and the rest will take care of it's self. I'm doing the Lexapro and thinking classes. I'm also trying to improve my diet. And I'm also taking some suppliments to "feed the brain". Mainly, Omega 3 (fish oil) and B-complex, but also a good multivitamin every day. I've always had a poor diet (hardly any fruits or veggies) and almost never eat fish. Though mood disorders are genetic in my family (dad's side), I thought...what is the genetic problem? It could be we don't absorb Omega 3 well and thus the brain is suffering from it. Omega 3 lacking is also a major cause of heart disease. That also runs on my dad's side so a light buld went off when I read that. I've read blind REAL studies (not hocking a product) that found Omega 3 to fix various mood disorders, even ones that drugs weren't helping much. Another interesting thing was that places eating a lot of sea food (like Japan) had the lowest rates of heart disease and mood disorders. B-Complex deficiency can cause mood disorders and also is the first thing in the body to get "washed out" due to stress from these disorders. Ever notice muscle twitching? B-Complex is what feeds and oils your nervous system as well as the brain. There are also several minerals/vitamins that have been shown to help mood disorders, and that's why I take a good vitamin to help them along.

Again, I'm not an expert. All this is just stuff I've read on my own. Take it or leave it and ALWAYS consult a doctor!

PS- Another interesting tid-bit: "Thinking Tools" (Positive Thinking Stuff) can also correct the neurotransmitter levels in your brain. It's a scientific fact. Kind'a cool, like mind over body, or should I say mind over mind. Some people can overcome the inbalance via the thinking. Others need the drugs to help that along. Still others need a bit of spiritual help to finish the problem off. Just because your prayers to God don't seem to be fixing the problem completely shouldn't cause you or I to feel shame, like we are less of a believer than we think we should be. Remember there's a chemical problem in your head and you may need the drugs/diet/thinking/whatever to help the spiritual side along.

Lexapro is scarring me! After my first day on the medication for depression/anxiety on a low dose of 5mg I feel like Im going to die from this horrible drug.

Never in a million years would I ever have said.
I actually feel better being depressed 24/7 and dealing with the panic attacks.

I have been on Lexapro for 3 months and it is not working. I have to force myself to go to work and do daily chores. I had to call this weekend for help with anxiety as I was freaking out and crying alot. The Loraxaphram is helping but is short term until a doctor can call me tomorrow. I like others have tried a gammit of meds throughout the 12 to 15 years I have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

Hopefully this desparate feeling I have will soon be over.