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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Iolite on December 23, 2002, at 23:19:31
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? Iolite, posted by EGR on December 23, 2002, at 23:10:45
Thank you. No, no side effects with the Lexapro. This is amazing because I have had some awful side effects with Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, and Wellbutrin, and brain fog with Celexa. But the Lexapro is fabulous in that there are such nil effects that I was actually suspicious of receiving placebos!
The Ativan is not to counteract any effects from anything other than plain old anxiety. I have tremendous anxiety to such a degree and from so many sources that I suffer hair loss, weight loss/gain, sleeplessness, panic attacks, supraventricular tachycardias (12 in one year!), etc. Without the Ativan I am just a mess. In fact the more anxious I become, the more I suffer from allergies -- allergies to grasses, trees, dust, and many ordinary foods. I get "fish face" - that is I swell from inside my throat and up through my face until my eyes bulge out of their sockets. Very pretty!
Gruesome, this anxiety business, isn't it!!
Sleeping far from Seattle,
Iolite
> My deepest condolences on your tremendous losses Iolite.
>
> So you have absolutely no s/e with the Lexapro + Ativan? Is the Ativan supposed to counteract the Lexapro sse?
>
> I discovered that I do have a sse on the Lexapro, but no where near as bad as with Paxil or Effexor. I've been on 10 mgs a week now.
>
> Blessings on your holidays.
>
>
> > Hi. I started the Celexa on Sept 11th, 2001 when all my co-workers were killed. Then it was combined with 2mg Ativan every day. The Celexa started at 60mg and quickly upped to 80mg. I remained there for a long time. About March of 2002 I snapped out of my grief stupor and went back to work, at a new job. That's when I realized that part of my grief stupor was actually the Celexa (interestingly enough, not the Ativan). I am still taking 2mg of Ativan every day and feel great, no side effects. But to remove the brain cloud my doctor swapped the Celexa 80mg for Lexapro 50 mg in one shot. Actually he told me to try 40mg if I didn't want to go all out with the 50mg.
> >
> > So it was a clean swap, you see? Impossible to say actually when I upped my dosage. However, I have steadily been on Lexapro and Ativan since late March 2002 with zero side effects.
> >
> >
> > How are you feeling on Lexapro? Is it helping you? How long have you been on it?
> >
> > Take care,
> > Iolite
> >
> > > Iolite, how long have you been on the 50 mg? I am going up to 40 mg soon, and may need to go higher myself.
>
Posted by hok on December 24, 2002, at 10:09:51
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? Iolite, posted by Iolite on December 23, 2002, at 23:19:31
It's been impossible to work my way up to 10mg of Lexapro, even after 2 months of taking it. The anxiety I get from it is just too much stress. I've been at 5mg and although I still have some anxiety from it, it's still a good compromise of anxiety vs. mood effect.
I still contemplate going back to celexa. I had a much better mood effect with celexa at 20 mg (the supposed equivalent to Lexapro's 5mg), and with a lot less anxiety. However, I don't have as much daytime sleepiness and cravings with the Lex. I guess it's too much of a toss-up right now, so I'm going to give Lexapro another month and see the pros and cons better.
How many of you are in the same boat- in that celexa caused a better mood effect and less anxiety but that you're sticking with Lexapro because it is much more "functional" since it gives you less side effects (e.g., daytime sleepiness, cravings, etc.)? Would like to know whoe else is wrestling with this decision to switch back.
Posted by leslieg on December 26, 2002, at 12:54:07
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin as a side dish orgasm problems, posted by Sadsack on December 21, 2002, at 17:56:43
When I first started Lexapro, my ability to reach orgasim was greatly diminshed / almost non-existant. But now (8 weeks? later), it is almost back to normal. I think my desire is down a tad... From reading this board / what my pdoc has said / personal experience, it seems that all kinds of side effects can lessen with time -- the question is how much time does one give a side effect to go away. I'm not sure 4 weeks is enough time to go for adding another drug into the mix. Try waiting another month? Also, you may want to look into the timing -- if you take the lex in the evening and then attempt sex 2 hours later, that could make the side effects worse (IMO). If possible, try to time when you take the lex as far away as possible from when your husband is in the mood. (Ideally, take it after sex.)
Also, my jaw tension has eased some now too. At 4 weeks it was very noticable / annoying. Now it is just kinda in the background.
> I've been unable to reach orgasm since the Lex 4 weeks ago. Sad, since when I was Depressed and unmedicated I could get there with a kind word from my husband....I'm at my peak and missing it! But the other symptoms are better, so that's good I guess.....So do you all think an addition of wellbutrin would fix this-is it worth a shot? Might it also help with the tense neck and shoulders?
Posted by EGR on December 26, 2002, at 12:59:21
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin as a side dish orgasm problems » Sadsack, posted by leslieg on December 26, 2002, at 12:54:07
WOW!!! Thanks for the encouragement! I've only been on it ten days, so I'll just wait. Thanks again!!
Posted by leslieg on December 26, 2002, at 13:00:25
In reply to Re: lexapro 10mg, posted by panicbutton on December 22, 2002, at 7:56:23
My first week or so on Lexapro (5mg) had me very jittery and bouncing off the walls. It didn't help that I was also taking Provigil (a wake-up pill for narcoleptics). I stopped the Provigil, which helped, and then after a few more days I started needing to add it back (I did so at 1/2 dose for a few days). (I moved to 10 mg Lex after 6 days instead of the doc-recommended 4 days because of the jitteriness). So in answer to your concern, I think you should try a few more days (and stay off the coffee). If it stays just as bad, talk to your doc. But if you seem to be less jittery every day, take that as a good sign. (In fact, I've started taking my lex at night because now it makes me sleepy! Go figure.)
Leslie G.
> > I've used Prozac before, and the only side-effect was switching off my libido. I've started taking Lexapro and (granted it's only been a couple of days) it seems to make me wired as all get-up. I mean all day wired. Makes my stomach feel a bit strange, kind of like I'm really hungry but not. Yeah, sounds strange, but I'm normally a pretty down sort of person...always tired. Maybe my doctor accidentally gave me speed :). Am I imagining this, or has anyone else experienced this. I'm gonna keep with it for a bit to see how it goes, but these couple days have been pretty strange.
>
> I found that Effexor made me feel much the same way you are describing with Lexapro. I am now taking Lexapro at only a 5 mg. dose for anxiety attacks. I was supposed to switch to 10 mg. a day, but when I did, I felt agitated. I went back to 5 mg. a day and am doing well with it. It is interesting that different medications cause different side effects for nearly everyone. Perhaps a lower dose would cause less of the "wired" feeling you are having. I wouldn't change, however, without consulting the doctor who prescribed it for you. Good luck!
Posted by Tama on December 27, 2002, at 21:26:20
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
I have been on Lexapro for 5 weeks now. I sleep way too sound. I can't get up in the morning. Sometimes it seems like I am awake but can't move. I am very tired, have gained weight. I do seem to be less irritable and less anxious. Maybe the sleep side effects and weight gain are due to the winter season. I just hate being tired and wanting to sleep all the time.
Posted by newuser2 on December 30, 2002, at 6:11:50
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
I have been on Lexapro for 6 weeks. I am having night sweats every night that seem to be getting worse. I sweat only from my waist to my feet, no upper body sweating. Just wondering if this is normal. Is there a way to prevent this? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to sleep well at night in a bed of soggy sheets?
Please advise.
Posted by EGR on December 30, 2002, at 10:19:36
In reply to Night Sweats, posted by newuser2 on December 30, 2002, at 6:11:50
I have noticed that I'm starting to get night sweats, but so far they're not as bad as when I was on other drugs. I finally had another orgasm (yippee!!). It was a lot of work, but it happened, so maybe with time... Sat., after 12 days at 10, I went up to 20. Guess what? Last night (after that terrific, long awaited orgasm) I was awake practically the entire night! We'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out.
Posted by Dysfunk on December 30, 2002, at 19:41:25
In reply to Night Sweats, posted by newuser2 on December 30, 2002, at 6:11:50
Although I am on Effexor, I experience night sweats also. I sweat from head to toe. There doesn't seem to be a way to control the sweating-it is a lovely side effect. I have been keeping extra clothes near the bed and changing out of the wet ones when I awake in the middle of the night. Try and wear cotton and sleep with as few blankets as possible. Good luck.
Posted by Sadsack on December 30, 2002, at 20:07:47
In reply to Night Sweats, posted by newuser2 on December 30, 2002, at 6:11:50
Interestingly, I had terrible night sweats prior to starting the Lexapro (my doc says I am "peri-menopausal"-something I'd rather not think about!!) and now I don't have them at all! Go figure. The other side effects I have had seem to be fading some so let's hope your sweating does too!
Good Luck> I have been on Lexapro for 6 weeks. I am having night sweats every night that seem to be getting worse. I sweat only from my waist to my feet, no upper body sweating. Just wondering if this is normal. Is there a way to prevent this? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to sleep well at night in a bed of soggy sheets?
> Please advise.
Posted by Sadsack on December 30, 2002, at 20:19:38
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin as a side dish orgasm problems » Sadsack, posted by leslieg on December 26, 2002, at 12:54:07
Thanks so much for the advice! I have noticed just in the last few days that my neck and shoulders are less painful. They just burned for weeks-It was hard to even hold up my head. I found myself having to do relaxation exercises at night just to fall asleep. Once I am asleep, I am sleeping more soundly now so that's a plus-I used to wake up with every noise. I take the Lexapro in the morning and that is about as far away from sex as it gets. I am still waiting for the big "O". I'll hold on a bit longer and see if that gets better too. I'm on 20mg which seems like a better overall dose than the 10mg so far. I keep trying to remember to be grateful that so many symptoms are better instead of thinking about the side effects I'd rather not have. Everythings a trade off I guess. Thanks again.
> When I first started Lexapro, my ability to reach orgasim was greatly diminshed / almost non-existant. But now (8 weeks? later), it is almost back to normal. I think my desire is down a tad... From reading this board / what my pdoc has said / personal experience, it seems that all kinds of side effects can lessen with time -- the question is how much time does one give a side effect to go away. I'm not sure 4 weeks is enough time to go for adding another drug into the mix. Try waiting another month? Also, you may want to look into the timing -- if you take the lex in the evening and then attempt sex 2 hours later, that could make the side effects worse (IMO). If possible, try to time when you take the lex as far away as possible from when your husband is in the mood. (Ideally, take it after sex.)
>
> Also, my jaw tension has eased some now too. At 4 weeks it was very noticable / annoying. Now it is just kinda in the background.
>
>
>
> > I've been unable to reach orgasm since the Lex 4 weeks ago. Sad, since when I was Depressed and unmedicated I could get there with a kind word from my husband....I'm at my peak and missing it! But the other symptoms are better, so that's good I guess.....So do you all think an addition of wellbutrin would fix this-is it worth a shot? Might it also help with the tense neck and shoulders?
>
>
Posted by stanley4756 on December 30, 2002, at 20:29:15
In reply to Re: lexapro 10mg » panicbutton, posted by leslieg on December 26, 2002, at 13:00:25
I've had depression for 33 years. Most recently taking 200 mg of Serzone, and 120 mg of Celexa for depression and 90 mg of BuSpar for anxiety a day. My doctor has given me 10 mg samples of Lexapro, I used it for about 2 weeks and found that I was more tired than usual. I have cut back to 5 mg of Lexapro and feel fine. Even the sexual dysfunctions that I had with the above listed drugs aren't as bad. Which is GOOD news. I'm happy with Lexapro, wish I'd had it ages and ages ago.
Posted by stanley4756 on December 31, 2002, at 10:00:48
In reply to Re: lexapro 10mg, posted by stanley4756 on December 30, 2002, at 20:29:15
I forgot to add that I had to have 25 mg of Seroquel so I could sleep after removing the Serzone. Also, I still have to use the BuSpar 90 mg. My depression is doing fine now without walking around in the stupor that I was in with the Serzone and Celexa. Usually the holiday season is really rough on me because of depression.
I've had depression for 33 years. Most recently taking 200 mg of Serzone, and 120 mg of Celexa for depression and 90 mg of BuSpar for anxiety a day. My doctor has given me 10 mg samples of Lexapro, I used it for about 2 weeks and found that I was more tired than usual. I have cut back to 5 mg of Lexapro and feel fine. Even the sexual dysfunctions that I had with the above listed drugs aren't as bad. Which is GOOD news. I'm happy with Lexapro, wish I'd had it ages and ages ago.
Posted by syringachalet on December 31, 2002, at 13:06:59
In reply to Re: lexapro 10mg, posted by stanley4756 on December 31, 2002, at 10:00:48
stanley,
I have had several of my male cleints share with me that they had finally been able to maintain an erection and have 'the big O' which for most was the biggest R(release/relief0 they could have in weeks.
I think from what I have observed from the hundreds of patient I have had over time, that if you were sexually active before your illness changed your sex life, that over time, you will be able to adapt your activities and much of it will return. Some have shared that it takes a lot more foreplay before it can happen.. but we both smile and agree that the really good things in life are worth the waiting...
I try to explain that, like Robin Williams jokes about.."God only gave man enough blood to run one head at a time efficiently." Professionally(and personally) I think that when your life calms down and your body and your mind start feeling better, the big O factor will start to resolve itself.
Sometimes when your mind and body have been in the fight or flight mode for so long, it takes time for both to calm down and return to a more pre-crisis state. This is similar to the caveman days when they were so busy staying alive that they really didnt have the time and energy much for the simplier pleasures of life.just know that youre on your way back...
syringachalet
Posted by me so tiny on December 31, 2002, at 15:28:15
In reply to I think they should make the starting dose 5mg, posted by hok on December 24, 2002, at 10:09:51
> It's been impossible to work my way up to 10mg of Lexapro, even after 2 months of taking it. The anxiety I get from it is just too much stress. I've been at 5mg and although I still have some anxiety from it, it's still a good compromise of anxiety vs. mood effect.
well, I'm switching from deactivated Paxil, and I have very few complaints about Lexapro. The paxil is down to 10mg, from a high of 50, those side effects seem down, including sexual, and I don't think it was antidepressing much anyway. I'm relatively content and I'm digging out from a pile of bills and paperwork I couldn't deal with until now.
I am "more energetic" now, and this might get to be a problem but for now I'm taking it positively. I sleep only three or six hours a night, but during the day I'm not drowsy, and one of my rules of dealing with insomnia is, don't worry about numbers of hours of sleep if I'm feeling fine the next day. I might even cut down my Wellbutrin - it hypes me up and increases the sex, both of which are not needed. See what happens.
> However, I don't have as much daytime sleepiness and cravings with the Lex.
yeah! like that! Under Paxil without WB, I was taking two or three naps a day. Otherwise i'd be cranky. (= depressed)
> How many of you are in the same boat- ... celexa ... better ...
> but ... Lexapro ... less side effects?I think it's all individual differences. These pdocs know a lot of technical details, but in terms of what works with who, and which drug will have what effect, they have to try it on each person. They don't even know why they take a month to kick in, why they sometimes fade, they don't know lots of other "why" questions. They display confidence when they prescribe you a new drug, cuz they're trying to prime the placebo effect.
My paxil started fading almost from the get-go. For other people that obviously doesn't happen. A cousin of mine, she was on Prozac for ten years and then it faded. Nobody knows why. We're from mixed western european blood - italy, france, germany, britain. Nothing unusual.
Some differences are chemical but some are behavioral coping techniques. For instance, I mentioned above that I don't worry about insomnia if I feel rested the next day. I spent years bitching and moaning about not getting 8 hours of sleep. I found myself checking the alarm clock to see how many hours I'd gotten, without actually feeling. Then I tried hiding all my clocks to force myself to just sleep as I felt sleepy. Finally I decided that I was just a light sleeper and 6 or 7 hours a night is right for me, and that works better.
OK so you can see that one man's Bad Side Effect is another man's Slight Adjustment To Lifestyle.
Posted by syringachalet on December 31, 2002, at 21:54:26
In reply to Re: Lex starting dose 5mg » hok, posted by me so tiny on December 31, 2002, at 15:28:15
me so tiny,
I think it sounds like you have gotten in tune with what your body needs and forget about the clocks. Live by the clocks where you must in your life but other wise, set simple boundaries and try to stay close to them for your own good.
When I talk with my patients and ask about their sleep, my concern isnt how many hours they get in 24 but how do they feel in terms of whether they can do most of the things they need to do in their everyday lives.
There have been times in my own life where I was worried about something that I was responsiblle for to make happen at work and for me I found that instead of laying in bed.. flipping around like a fish on a string...I would get up and do some small chore that I had been meaning to do but hadnt had time. Also if that chore was related to the cause of my worry/stress, I some how felt that I was 'doing something active about my worry/stress', thus having a small feeling of control of that one little piece of the situation.As I have said before, you know you best and listen to your body and be gentle with yourself.. there are enough people out there who have so much misdirected anger/frustration that you dont need to come down on yourself.. theyre standing in line for that...LOL
syringachalet
Posted by Geezer on January 1, 2003, at 10:27:05
In reply to Re: Lex starting dose 5mg, posted by syringachalet on December 31, 2002, at 21:54:26
> As I have said before, you know you best and listen to your body and be gentle with yourself.. there are enough people out there who have so much misdirected anger/frustration that you dont need to come down on yourself.. theyre standing in line for that...LOL
>
> syringachaletThank you syringachalet! This is very true and important advice. I believe it applies to medications, as well as, the patients own behavior. A lot said in a few words.
Geezer
Posted by dragonfly on January 1, 2003, at 11:07:38
In reply to Re: Lex starting dose 5mg » syringachalet, posted by Geezer on January 1, 2003, at 10:27:05
I have been on lexapro almost 2 months now. The dry mouth has gone away, I sleep so much better, my sex drive is slowly picking up. Like a few other people I had problems with the big "O" ( I am female) It was only a problem the first couple weeks after starting Lex. I was really really relieved when things were back to normal there! I do have problems with tiredness during the day, but I have learned to deal with it. When I feel it coming on I start moving around. I keep my exercise bike in the living room and just hop on for a few minutes to get blood moving and more oxygen in. I find something physical to do, clean house, garden, walk anything but sit or sleep. I have found the more I sit the more I think of food and napping. So far it has really helped me, plus I have lost a little weight and my house and yard looks soooooo much better which makes me feel soooo much better.
Posted by syringachalet on January 1, 2003, at 13:33:26
In reply to Re: Lex starting dose 5mg, posted by dragonfly on January 1, 2003, at 11:07:38
dragonfly,
Sounds like you ARE doing better and doing things that you can both see and make your life more enjoyable or even just to run smoother...
( the big shots call that self-empowerment..LOL)as for me... YOU GO GIRL!! :o)
P.S. keep us posted on how youre doing..even the not-so-great-days...cause thats real...syringachalet
Posted by Sadsack on January 1, 2003, at 21:24:38
In reply to Lethargy, posted by Oblivious on December 15, 2002, at 22:19:34
I felt like that at first but it is some better. Are you improving? If not, you might want to rethink what you're on and try something else. Let us know how it's going!
> I've been on Lexapro six weeks... absolutely no change in my mood... but I experience extreme lethargy... I have slept up to 18 hours some days... all I want to do is sleep. My boobs hurt all the time. No sex drive... don't even want a man touching me. Don't feel angry anymore... don't feel anything...
Posted by EGR on January 1, 2003, at 22:18:00
In reply to Re: Has anyone experience breast pain?, posted by jjo on December 16, 2002, at 9:23:42
I started noticing this last week... after about 7 days of being on Lexapro. Last week the breast pain was VERY bad... like when you need to nurse or pump... This week it isn't quite so bad, and it seems to me that they've enlarged too. Of course, I've gained weight since this whole depression med thing started for me around Halloween...
I guess I'm glad others are experiencing this too.
EGR
Posted by Kairos on January 1, 2003, at 23:18:12
In reply to Night Sweats, posted by newuser2 on December 30, 2002, at 6:11:50
I was wet from head to ankles and toes! Wear Flannel? At least that's what I did - yet it's VERY uncomfortable! I kept the fan on thinking that would "cool me down" yet all it did was succeed in freezing me to death because I kept on sweating!
Is there ANYone else out there that HAS seen this SE go AWAY?
Kairos
> I have been on Lexapro for 6 weeks. I am having night sweats every night that seem to be getting worse. I sweat only from my waist to my feet, no upper body sweating. Just wondering if this is normal. Is there a way to prevent this? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to sleep well at night in a bed of soggy sheets?
> Please advise.
Posted by Romulus on January 2, 2003, at 11:31:16
In reply to Re: Night Sweats » newuser2, posted by Kairos on January 1, 2003, at 23:18:12
Have you tried popping a tranquilizer before going to bed?
Xanax or Klonopin basically solve all sleeping issues I had with Lexapro (and generally make me feel great all day) but I'm worried of getting too much in the habit of using them though they're supposedly non-addictive.
> I was wet from head to ankles and toes! Wear Flannel? At least that's what I did - yet it's VERY uncomfortable! I kept the fan on thinking that would "cool me down" yet all it did was succeed in freezing me to death because I kept on sweating!
>
> Is there ANYone else out there that HAS seen this SE go AWAY?
>
> Kairos
> > I have been on Lexapro for 6 weeks. I am having night sweats every night that seem to be getting worse. I sweat only from my waist to my feet, no upper body sweating. Just wondering if this is normal. Is there a way to prevent this? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to sleep well at night in a bed of soggy sheets?
> > Please advise.
>
>
Posted by Noelle on January 2, 2003, at 22:47:50
In reply to Re: Night Sweats, posted by Dysfunk on December 30, 2002, at 19:41:25
Oh my gosh, I was really starting to wonder. The night sweats didn't start in the beginning but now I have them everynight and it is so gross. Even if its cold I get them
Posted by jobe on January 3, 2003, at 11:26:51
In reply to Re: Night Sweats, posted by Romulus on January 2, 2003, at 11:31:16
I've been taking Lexapro about 10 weeks now. My night sweats have become worse. My dr. told me they should stop after some time. (didn't say how long) I also have started experiencing terrible nightmares. I'm wondering if anyone else has this too. I had the same problem several years ago when I took Paxil. I wake up exhausted in the morning, like I've been fighting battles all night.
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