lexapro/sleep

In a nutshell, I've dealt with anxiety/depression most of my adult life and have had success on a few medications.  Well, my anxiety resurfaced last fall about once a month (sometime brought on by worry and sometimes not).  I also had a lot going on in my life and my daughter was starting to wean.  In January, it was brought on by worry and just snowballed out of control.  My gp put me on 60 mg cymbalta with no titrating off the lexapro (20mg).  I also started taking trazadone for sleep because it is one of the first things affected by my anxiety.  I had an awful time with side effects on cymbalta, feeling doped and dizzy all of the time.  I went to a psych, who tried reducing my dose but I still felt out of it.  So, I am back on lexapro (4 weeks now, I had great success on it for 6 years).  We decided to try 30 mg since I was on 20 before, and it wasn't as effective.  I think between the lex and the traz, it was causing agitation.  So, I've dropped down to 25 mg at night.  I feel like my mood is improving.  However, I still have some obsessive thoughts.  Will this continue to improve?  Also, despite taking the traz, I will still have difficult falling alseep/staying asleep/getting back to sleep (usually worry affects this as I start thinking, "Crap, it's 4am, and I'm awake, and then my mind goes.")  Sometimes, I'll even getting hungry while waiting to fall asleep or when I wake up.  I feel like my metabolism is generally ramped up these days.  I start thinking since I stopped nursing at the end of February, could my hormones have changed and/or my thyroid?  I know, I'm a hyperchondriac.  Or is the lexapro at night causin insomnia and increased appetite?  Please pardon my rambling.  Feedback much appreciated! 

Gator Girl,

I am sorry to read you are having problems with anxiey and I understand exactly how it feels.

The recommend dose of Lexapro is 10 mg - 20 mg daily. The medication may cause  cause insomnia  for some people so perhaps  taking it in the morning would work better for you.  You did not post what dose you are taking of Trazadone. 

I agree with SC, you have had a lot going on and switching medications is always a stress for people with anxiety so give yourself and your body sometime as well as follow up with your Pdoc.

You may also want to try keeping a journal re what you are doing when you start to feel very anxious.  I would suspect with a baby in the house it is difficult getting a full night's sleep so remember to nap when your baby is napping.

Don't forget to practice the breathing exercises from our resource forum at the top of the page.

Kindly,

Kitt

I am taking 100mg traz. I just am not sure if my body tolerates all these meds so well. It has only been for weeks, so I know I need to give it time. My daughter is weaned two months ago (she is a toddler). My anxiety is more under control lately, aside from waking at night. It's all these side effects. I tried to nap today. My legs started to feel like their were pulses of electricity in them even when I felt calm (or so I thought). Then, my mind would start to drift as if I was going to fall asleep, but I never did.

I take my Lexapro in the morning. My guess is it interferes less with sleep that way. I take a beta blocker called Atenolol at night. It is used (off label) for anxiety. I guess it does some good -- but honestly I don't know.

Good luck to you.