Lexapro - Should I stick with it?

Hadricat - what does that mean?? :)
Haha - I guess I don't really have a routine. I mostly try to block things out - I tend to freeze when the anxiety hits.
I will say that this week I feel slightly less anxious about "stuff" and more just about this medication - it's been more about how I am feeling this week on it than anything else.

Agreeing with all of the above...good advice HC!

I also have periods of fogginess and I am not on meds, so it is purely a result of my anxiety.

A couple of things could be happening...

It could be the medication it itself...but more likely it is the increased anxiety that the initial start up causes. This is expected and temporary.

Also, this could be attributed to the decrease in sleep and your hormone fluctuations you are going through...

...or a perfect storm of all of the above.

If you decide to stick with it...the coping skills that Hadricat mentioned are really key. Practicing them daily will make a difference in how you feel!

Encouragement going out your way!


S.C.

M.,

You can absolutely wait to go up! The timetable the doctor gives you for increasing is just a general recommendation. Many people need to, or just choose to raise their dose more gradually.

I hope you have a fun and anxiety free holiday weekend with your kids!!

S.C.

If you are feeling that bad on such a low dose, why go up on the dose? That does not make sense to me because that's the purpose of the low dose to see how it is working. You seem to be having a very bad time with it. I took it for 2 months at 10 mg but it made
me tired. I went back a second time at 5 mg and it made me nauseous so I stopped after 5 days. I had brain zaps for months afterward. Never had this before with other meds.

Prozac worked okay for me until it stopped working after 13 years. I've been on Buspirone for anxiety for 8 months and it's not great but no side
effects except crazy dreams but I can deal with it. It does not do anything for the
depression, but helps some with the anxiety.

Finally my rheumatologist put me on Nortriptyline 10 mg, that I've only been on a few days and for the first time in a long time, I am feeling calmer.
He said I could increase it to two pills at night if needed.
It is also a good drug for depression as well as for various types of pain. I took it
before Prozac for a few years but it made me tired, but it's always a trade off. It
may not be good for you because of work and childcare, you need more energy.
I am now retired so can nap if I need to, but at this low dose I'm fine.

I'd get off the Lexapro if I were you to avoid the side effects of withdrawal.
I don't think you'd have any with such short term use. There are so many other
antidepressants that may work better.

Good luck to you in finding the right antidepressant for you.

Some people have said that you need to go up on the dosage to get the full effect, even though the side effects may return. Mine definitely haven't completely gone away. The weekend went well although I had a few hours each day in the afternoon where I felt really anxious and depressed. I'm going to give it until this Friday to get through the first days of school for my kids and then go up - I think. Unless it gets bad again. I am speaking with my new therapist again tomorrow so I'll discuss with her as well. People seem to say that after 3-4 weeks it gets better. I'm only 10 days in! Trying to give it a chance.