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Lexapro - Should I stick with it?

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Posted 8/29/2016 8:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all - I am new here. I had my third son in April and have been suffering from PPD and general anxiety - I think a lot of it was/is situational but I don't feel like myself and don't feel like I was dealing properly. I saw a psychiatrist last week and she put me on lexapro - starting with 5mg. I started on Friday so today is day 4 and I really feel awful - headaches, nausea, a little jittery and just overall unease. I can't focus at all at work and am hyper aware of everything around me. I also just feel like doing nothing. Are these normal? When can I expect these effects to go away or should I just stop the meds (or ease off them) and do some sort of talk therapy instead? I hate not feeling like myself! Thanks everyone.
Posted 8/29/2016 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Monday! Welcome and congratulations on your baby. I'm so sorry that you've been having so much trouble.

Personally, I would stick with the lexapro. It's only day four and it can take your body a while to get with the program. I'm approaching the end of my second week of zoloft, another SSRI, and I still feel super funky, but not as bad as before. The nausea I am counter-acting with zantac/ranitidine and so far it has made a world of difference to my mental state to not feel like crap all the time. Have you talked to your doctor about maybe prescribing some short-term relief to help you ease into your lexapro?

Stay with your meds, talk to your doctor, and also look into talk therapy. A combination of therapy and medication is much more successful for many people than either alone.

Wishing you luck and rest!
Posted 8/29/2016 9:09 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you - I just hear so much about the side effects and ups and downs in general and I don't know if I want to deal with all of that - plus having to wean myself off and go through withdrawals if it comes to that. I have 3 boys to take care of and a full time job - ugh I just don't know what to do. I guess my indecisiveness is all part of it!
Posted 8/29/2016 9:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hello and welcome!

I too want to say congratulations on your new baby! This should be an exciting time where you are feeling your best, in order to enjoy the daily wonders that a new little one brings!

Hadricat has given you excellent advice above...the increased anxiety upon a start up is pretty typical and expected...but whether or not you ultimately decide to remain on your med is a personal choice of course...so making a list of pros and cons would be worthwhile...ask yourself these questions perhaps:

*Have you struggled with depression/anxiety in the past? Is this purely situational/hormonal...or a recurring pattern when stressed?

*Will you better be able/more motivated to get into therapy/self help with the help of your meds.

*What are your long term goals? Do you see yourself on meds short term, and relying on therapy tools long term?

*If this is purely hormonal, would it be worth it to try and work through it with therapy/self help while your body/mind regain pre-partum normalcy?

I wish you the best in making your decision, and getting your treatment plan in place! Please see our Resources at the top of the main forum page here for excellent self help material...

...and post with us anytime for support!

Scaredy Cat
Posted 8/29/2016 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
It can be a long, slow process. I can't imagine how daunting it must feel, especially with three (three!) little ones to chase after and a job. You are basically Superwoman at this point, fighting an uphill battle on all fronts, but you will make it!

The side effects of mood meds can be extremely unnerving. I didn't like lexapro at all. The drowsiness was disabling. Zoloft still gives me funny brain sensations, but I pretty much improve every day.

Check out the self-help resources tab and guided meditations on youtube. I don't know how I would've gotten through the past few weeks without them!
Posted 8/29/2016 11:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Everyone

I seem to be facing the a similar issue. I started on Lexapro 10 weeks ago and have had a med increase to 30mg 17 days ago, I was feeling great for a few days then again morning anxiety and some weird thoughts the last couple of days

I also have bronchitis and am on antibiotics so I wonder if that's caused this drop in mood and increase in anxiety

I so want consistency and when I feel like this I wonder will I ever feel better for more than a week at a time.

No panic attacks for ages but definitely some symptoms of anxiety and depression off and on. I just hope the next 2 weeks get better. I am known to take a while for meds to stabilise, just this up and down scares me.
Posted 8/30/2016 2:38 AM (GMT 0)
tess22...I've been on Lexapro (Escitalopram) for nine weeks and have had periods of good and bad; Recently increased to 30mg and after a few days of feeling good, today was different. I felt increased anxiety, tearfulness, and brain fog; not like me at all...Did you have any early on successes and are you going to stick with it? I was wondering about the ups and downs too...wondering if it's normal...when will it stabilize or if will at all?
Posted 8/30/2016 2:53 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Kcsmith72

I know how are you feeling, its frustrating.due to feeling anxious ive been searching the internet for some support. I have read that you need to really sit at a therapeutic dose for atleast 2-4 weeks to tell if its working and the reason for the ups and downs is the body adjusting.

I tried brinteelix before this and was not happy with it so I am not keen to switch just yet, I do know that these meds can take 3 months to reach full effectiveness but when you are in it its hard to think that way.

I'm going to try and be patient , in 2 weeks time it will be 3months total of Lexapro and 4 weeks at 30mg.
Ive had great days but some craps ones after then some good ones, I think its pretty standard.

Your only in the early days of the dose increase so I would give it more time. My afternoons seem to get better so I think it is just the body adjusting as I do feel a relief when I take the med in the morning.

Have you tried other AD or is Lexparo the first for you?
Posted 8/30/2016 2:54 AM (GMT 0)
Please give it a chance. Even though each day you might have a new or worsening side effect in some way you are actually getting better you just don't know it. I'm on day 26 of Lexapro and it's beginning to work well. The first two weeks weren't good but turning back isn't an option for me. You will see results you just have to be patient and I know how hard that can be but things will improve, best of luck.
Posted 8/30/2016 3:02 AM (GMT 0)
Good advice Wes

yes I agree, I certainly don't want to be going back to trying another one at this stage. I was on Lexapro years ago for approx. 3 years and went off for some crazy reason, got so much worse then tried Cymbalta and then back on Effexor to much switching for my liking

I am persisting with the Lexapro , I think some people do take longer to get consistency and I'm one of those. Doctors say that to get full remission with very little symptoms it can take 3-6months seems like ages but worth it to feel good most of the time.
Posted 8/30/2016 7:45 AM (GMT 0)
Hi

You have received some great support above so I just wanted to pop in and say hi and welcome to the forum keep us posted on your progress we are here for you.

Hibee
Posted 8/30/2016 1:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone i am new here you are all very helpful.... want to share some of my up and downs

with depression. I've been suffering from with this condition since the age of 9. My family was never

aware and I certainly didn't know. Once my mother passed away in 1998, I crash and was so lost

of no return. I went to a doctor who gave me Zoloft took it for a while but a year later I stopped.

Two years later the systems got worse, then I began to take Lexapro 10 mg. I was also diagnosed

with seasonal depress , since then I began 15 mg of Lexapro. The best thing I discover was, when

the days were difficult I was able to bounce back and continue my day. I have a wonderful

support system family and real that also help through the process. In 2008 was diagnosed with parkisons :-)
Posted 8/30/2016 3:47 PM (GMT 0)
Hi MUNECA P.R. and welcome!

We are glad you've joined us! It is my hope that you'll find much understanding and support here.:)

We will do our best to encourage you through the health challenges you deal with...both mental and physical.

Read, respond. ..check our Resources for great self help and general info...

...and start a thread of introduction for yourself at anytime. :)

Looking forward to getting to know you better!

Scaredy Cat
Posted 8/30/2016 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Do all of these pills have these side effects or does lexapro have them worse than others? I've heard really good things about celexa - I'm just worried that the side effects will last and then the pill won't really even work - how do I know it's worth it to stick with it?

I take it around 10AM and feel the worst in the afternoon. By evening I am ok and I feel sort of ok in the mornings. I took .25mg of xanax last night and that helped me sleep but I don't want to be dependent on that either.

Am I taking the wrong medication :( :( :(
Posted 8/30/2016 6:08 PM (GMT 0)
There are times when I have trouble sleep my Doctor recommended ( Melatonin) and it helped.

It is not addictive and you can purchase it over the counter. I found that a lot of my friends use it when they

have difficulty sleeping, discuss with your Doctor, hope this helps.
Posted 8/30/2016 6:32 PM (GMT 0)
Mondaygb,

Your question is hard to answer....because, yes, any SSRI can have initial s/e's...but to what degree depends on the individual. One person may have negligible effects, while for others it can be profound.

Since you are almost a week in...you may want to push to the 2 week mark...which is when a lot of people report a turn around. If you decide to try and do this...go ahead and use your benzo when the anxiety peaks in the afternoon. At such a low dose...and used temporarily...you are not at risk for dependency. :)

...and use those coping skills as well...they will help given commitment and practice!

Wishing you the best either way you choose to go!

S.C.
Posted 8/30/2016 6:36 PM (GMT 0)
Monday, ALL medications have side effects. The severity and kind differ person to person. If you look around the boards you'll see everyone has had wildly different experiences with the same drugs. you can't know until you try and see what works for you. Lexapro is supposed to be friendlier than many other SSRI's.

Try taking lexapro in the evening with dinner. That's how I take my zoloft. Give it 4-6 weeks, look into self help, and talk to your doctor.
Posted 8/30/2016 7:14 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Hadricat - I guess that's what I was asking - is Lexapro worse than others. I feel the slightest bit better today - no headache and I'm getting some stuff done at work. I definitely don't feel good though. I am supposed to up it from 5mg to 10mg on Friday (after being on it for 1 week) and I am scared to do that! Going to call the doc about it tomorrow. I think my depression and anxiety was somewhat mild so maybe 5mg will be enough. I know there aren't any quick fixes out there but I just don't want to feel worse - or weird!
Posted 8/30/2016 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
Monday, it may be that you need the dose increase to see the full effect. Or it may be as you say, you may only need a little bit. Most people are one 10-20mg, but it varies from person to person. I am personally very happy on half the usual dose of zoloft used to treat OCD. One week is simply not long enough to know whether or not this drug will work for you.

I promise you that it does get better. Once you are sleeping better you will notice a world of difference. Don't worry about becoming addicted to benzos. Your doctor will make sure you don't and a few weeks on a few mg's of Xanax or Ativan isn't going to turn you into an addict, cross my heart.

Sleep! Eat healthy! Go for a walk in the sunshine! And above all, be kind to yourself.
Posted 8/30/2016 8:59 PM (GMT 0)
I think I spoke too soon - the headache is back and I feel super foggy. Trying to get through the next hour or so at work. I don't think these pills are for me.
Posted 8/30/2016 11:32 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Monday!

I wanted to share my experience with lexapro with the hope that you won't give up on it so quickly!

I have taken lexapro 3 times before for only a short term period. I'm currently on it again. Lexapro has ALWAYS saved the day for me. Each time I start it up again I have the same concerns you do as far as if it will work successfully like before as I have good and bad day but eventually I stick with it and I'm glad I do because it always ends up doing the job for me.

From what I've heard lexapro is a low dose med and is one of the meds that's has the least side effects.

Of course it's different for everyone. But with that said when I would start it I would get horrible side effects such as increased anxiety, nausea, insomnia the first night or two and the racing thoughts but I always stuck it out and by week 2-3 I would notice the side effect subside and would feel somewhat of a positive difference. I had my moments where I just wanted to quit because of the horrible side effects but I knew only time would tell.

So give it a chance. This 4th time on lexapro I rarely had side effects and felt good the first three weeks and this week and half of last week have not been very good to me. But also last week was my menstrual week so I blame a lot on that. So I'm not going to give up on lex just yet. Im barely going on 5 weeks. I started 07/22 and have always taken .5mg and hopefully this continues to be the therapeutic dose for me this time around.

I've never tried any other SSRI so I don't know much about other besides lex.
Posted 8/31/2016 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, I also wanted to give my input about side effects. I know it's a different medicine, but still an SSRI, when I was on Prozac I started at the lowest dose, and I had insomnia and really bad headaches for a couple weeks but after about 2 1/2 weeks I started sleeping better & the headaches went away.
I'm also currently on Lexapro 5 mg, 5 weeks exactly today. I didn't have many side effects starting, increased anxiety and some headaches the first week but it got better. Righ now I'm experiencing some brain jolting feelings which is odd but I blame it kinda on me not sleeping at all from getting up every two hours at night with my baby for WEEKS at a time. Sleep deprivation is killing me and making me super dizzy :( but anyway, try to hang in there and stick it out, I know it's hard, but it will get better when your body adjusts and it should really soon since you're already at a week! Keeping you in my prayers <3
Posted 9/1/2016 5:28 PM (GMT 0)
MomofTwo - it's time to sleep train!! Haha!
I have an appointment with a therapist in about an hour so I am going to discuss with her but I really feel like I do not want to be on this medication - I just don't feel like myself. The headaches are definitely better but I am so out of it and unfocused and paranoid at the same time. I just feel disconnected and like I can't get anything done. Next week is the first day of school for my two older kids and I want to be mentally present for it - I am too out of it!! Does that feeling go away??
Posted 9/1/2016 8:15 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Monday,

I hope that your appointment brings you some clarity and a game plan...either to continue, or not. Initial side effects do go away...but it is a personal decision...and if this just seems way more than you can bear, then that is counterproductive, and a new plan might need to be discussed.

Sending support!

S.C.
Posted 9/1/2016 8:26 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you! The appointment went well - she suggested I stick with it but to call the psychiatrist who prescribed it - I just left her a message. I suppose another week or two won't kill me but maybe I just started it at the wrong time - just back at work after maternity leave, kids starting school...there is a lot going on! I am supposed to go up to 10mg tomorrow from the 5 I have been taking this week and that I do not think I can bear!

Does the foggy head/paranoia go away???
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