![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 4738 to 4762 of 8406. Go back in thread:
Posted by daisylady on October 4, 2003, at 10:14:06
In reply to Re: New to meds/compulsive skin picker, posted by ELENI4 on October 4, 2003, at 0:59:27
What is the dosage range of Prozac for OCD if you don't mind me asking ELENI4? She sees doc on Tues. so would like to discuss this.
Posted by daisylady on October 4, 2003, at 10:42:58
In reply to re: compulsion ~ daisylady, posted by lil' jimi on October 4, 2003, at 0:39:42
Thanks lil' jimi, there was a lot of information in there! A good thing it's Sat. so I can do some researching.
Posted by ginger C on October 4, 2003, at 10:59:41
In reply to re: Wellbutrin and Lexapro, posted by cmonfo on October 4, 2003, at 0:38:59
I can understand what you mean about being sensitive to drugs. I can't take any type of narcotic because it makes me go nuts and start hallucinating. They gave me percoset a month or so ago for a broken rib and one pill wiped me out of my mind. I was stoned for two days.
Posted by Arrianna on October 4, 2003, at 13:09:28
In reply to Switched from Paxil to Lexapro, posted by CtBob on October 4, 2003, at 7:48:31
ctbob:
1.) What have the results been on treating anxiety or panic attacks?
Lexapro is the first AD that I've ever been on. Been taking 10mg now for 3months for anxiety and panic. For myself, it instantly helped alleviate my anxiety and panic attacks. Though, I experienced some depression during the side effect phase. I've occasionally experienced some mild anxiety with Lex, but nothing compared to before.
2.) Were sexual side effects improved?
Since this is my first AD, I have nothing to compare this to. However, I went through decreased libido, etc. with lexapro for about the first 3-4 weeks. Yet, it is much better now!! Just another side effect that, thankfully, has gone away!!
I hope this works out for you. It's been a blessing for me and many others in the world of lexapro. Hang in there through the se's (if you encounter them), and good luck with the transition!
Arrianna
Posted by Diva Blue on October 4, 2003, at 13:46:37
In reply to Re: New to meds/compulsive skin picker » ELENI4, posted by daisylady on October 4, 2003, at 10:14:06
> What is the dosage range of Prozac for OCD if you don't mind me asking ELENI4? She sees doc on Tues. so would like to discuss this.
Hey. I used to be a skin picker too. Still am -- If I am not really cautious of watching what I am doing. I started off on 20mg prozac when I took prozac...then moved up to 40 mg. In my opinion, Prozac is still one of the best AD's. It worked really really well for me in the past, with NO side effects. The Lexapro is working...although I do have lots of SE's to deal with. The only thing that concerns me is w/ the Lexapro I still dont feel 100% and I see so many of you adding something to the lexapro to make it more effective, such as the buspar and wellbrutin.
It makes me wonder if I should go back on prozac, or add something to the mix....hmmmm?
For your daughter, I would say....have her stay on an AD whichever one her doc says to. Hopefully, she will start getting better and will have more control over the picking.Keep in touch....
Posted by daisylady on October 4, 2003, at 13:53:22
In reply to Re: New to meds/compulsive skin picker, posted by Diva Blue on October 4, 2003, at 13:46:37
One thing we have added that seems to help is Inositol, which is a B vitamin. They've done several studies with depression, anxiety and OCD and have seen results when taken in high doses. We use the powder form and put 3 tsp. in juice twice daily (this amounts to 18g). The cheapest place to buy it is online at iherb.com. Might give it a try since it's something natural.
Posted by PHV on October 4, 2003, at 14:29:51
In reply to Re: Embarassing Question » PHV, posted by Kacy on October 4, 2003, at 9:47:04
Great input Kacy. I really appreciate it. I'm going to check into your suggestions. Thanks. Patty
Posted by theo on October 4, 2003, at 16:06:57
In reply to re: Wellbutrin and Lexapro, posted by cmonfo on October 3, 2003, at 16:34:11
I'm taking Wellbutrin and Lexapro. First of all, I tried Lex by itself a few months ago starting at 10mg and stopped it because of side effects. My new doc told my to try it again with Wellbutrin 150mg, and with the Lex start with 2.5mg (1/4 tablet) for a week then take 5mg (1/2 tablet) for a month and if I feel like I need to, move up to 10mg after that. I'm on week three and have had little side effects at all, matter of fact I noticed this week I'm starting to feel better than I've felt before. I'm currently taking 150mg Wellbutrin XL and 5mg Lexapro and for me this is good. Discuss this with your doc and see what he or she says.
Posted by Francesco on October 4, 2003, at 16:07:29
In reply to Re: New to meds/compulsive skin picker, posted by ELENI4 on October 4, 2003, at 0:59:27
Usually the recomended dose for OCD is higher than the one for depression and you have to wait more (after three months you should have the full effect even if of course some improvement con occur before). All SSRI seem to be good for it (Paxil, Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro) plus the tryciclic Anafranil. Hope this helps
Posted by sekou on October 6, 2003, at 15:10:37
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
Hi everyone. I just started 10 mgs of Lex for depression. This is day 4. I am a 35 year only female newly diagnosed with major depression. So far I haven't had much difficulty coping with the side fx, but the clenching is quite noticeable and the insomnia. I have periods where I sleep entirely too much or too little because of the agitation. I decided to switch my dose to 2 or 3pm after talking with my doc. Anyway, I feel this is a long road for me. I am already feeling much better, but the irrational thoughts still come and go. I'll keep you posted.
-Sekou
Posted by vandy on October 6, 2003, at 16:03:10
In reply to new on lex, posted by sekou on October 6, 2003, at 15:10:37
Welcome to the club, Sekou!
You're starting a journey that all of us have taken. Someone once explained the mentoring process using an analogy: The novice is in a craft plunging down the rapids while the voice of experience is far up on the bank watching progress. You will hear the voice of experience couselling patience and it's justified, I'm sure. After all, what temporary side effect can hold a candle to chronic depression. You might feel the rapids are too rough and that will be your decision. We are on the bank and you are in the thick of things. But try to remember we've survived the same rapids and can spot obstructions from our vantage point and help you avoid dangers that would be upon you too suddenly to avoid if only viewed at your level. We can also remember the completion of the voyage and the feeling of accomplishment that awaits you. Stick to it. Call for help when you need it. Try not to give up and know that we're here for you to help you through the rapids successfully.
> Hi everyone. I just started 10 mgs of Lex for depression. This is day 4. I am a 35 year only female newly diagnosed with major depression. So far I haven't had much difficulty coping with the side fx, but the clenching is quite noticeable and the insomnia. I have periods where I sleep entirely too much or too little because of the agitation. I decided to switch my dose to 2 or 3pm after talking with my doc. Anyway, I feel this is a long road for me. I am already feeling much better, but the irrational thoughts still come and go. I'll keep you posted.
>
> -Sekou
Posted by lil' jimi on October 6, 2003, at 16:11:48
In reply to new on lex, posted by sekou on October 6, 2003, at 15:10:37
hi Sekou,
thanks for your contribution ... ...
i've been on lex for 7 months ... the last six at 10mg (couldn't handle 10mg at first, so i wnet to 5mg for a month, then to 10) ...
all of my SEs went away by week two and a half ... well maybe the sweating episodes lasted another couple of weeks ...
... but my 1st week, even at my reduced dose, was a doozy .... but lexapro has been very effective medicine for me and every discomfort has been worth it ... ... ...... i'm "diagnosed" (no pdoc) as 'depressed' ...
should your SEs get uncomfortable, try posting about them here ... especially if it helps you feel better ... ... that's what we're here for
....
... and even if they don't ... post here long and often anyway ... ... if it can be good for you, it's good for us!take care and let us hear from you,
~ jim
Posted by galkeepinon on October 6, 2003, at 16:24:03
In reply to new on lex, posted by sekou on October 6, 2003, at 15:10:37
Hi and welcome! I had insomnia the first few weeks on Lexapro. I take 10mg. It passed. In the meantime, I took OTC sleeping meds, it helped and I had no side effects from them. It's a long road with Lex for some, but it is so well worth it!!!!
There are many success stories here on it.
Even after almost 3 months, I still clench my jaw, I just try to become more aware of it to stop it.
I wish you the best and we're all here for you!
Hang in there and keep posting:-)
Kristen
> Hi everyone. I just started 10 mgs of Lex for depression. This is day 4. I am a 35 year only female newly diagnosed with major depression. So far I haven't had much difficulty coping with the side fx, but the clenching is quite noticeable and the insomnia. I have periods where I sleep entirely too much or too little because of the agitation. I decided to switch my dose to 2 or 3pm after talking with my doc. Anyway, I feel this is a long road for me. I am already feeling much better, but the irrational thoughts still come and go. I'll keep you posted.
>
> -Sekou
Posted by Peter on October 6, 2003, at 19:39:48
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
Hi all:
Well, today marks my day 32 total on lex - day 26 on 10mg (started on 5mg for first 6 days). It's been a rough journey, and, honestly, I can't say for sure that I've had any 'breakthrough' succesful response(s) yet.
But I think I'm feeling better; it's harder to notice since it's really a process, and it's easy to forget how lousy I felt before beginning lex in the first place.
I think it's been proven to me that my pdoc was correct in saying that my moderate/high 40mg adderall dose that I was already taking when I began lex might have had some wierd synergistic effects with the lex, causing some kind of 'masking' of the lex therapeutic effects. His instructions for me to reduce the adderall 5mg every 4th day were very practical, in that the ultimate goal of such a reduction would at least give me a better, more accurate assesment of whether I was responding well to the lexapro, and, for that matter, whether many of the SE's were being caused by a synergy between the adderall+lexapro or the lex alone. I'm down to 20mg adderall daily now, and I must say I have less overall anxiety, social phobia, and mood lability (I'm crossing my fingers). But I have yet to really put the lex to the test by actively going out to parties or meeting new people, etc. This is as much a psychological problem for me as a biological one, so it might take some time to get over some of these hurdles that were formed through my years of depression and anxiety. Mind you, again, I don't consider myself (yet!) to have experienced the full benefits of the lex, but the very fact that the SE's that were really bothering me before are gone is an attestment to the lex somewhat working, as, all in all, my mood seems better - at least in terms of my no longer (thank God) falling into such awful depths of depression during which I am rendered utterly debilitated and paralyzed in every area of my life. But in terms of the comorbid problems of social anxiety, anticipatory anxiety, etc.. for these there is still room for improvement. And I gotta say that although I'm not falling into those horrible, deep depressive states, my mood in general can use some improvement.
My next pdoc appt. is on Wednesday; we finished our last session with hs telling me to reduce the adderall, and I have. He said that if my mood is not recognizably improved, we would take the next step of increasing the lex dose. However, I'm concerned about doing this. The lexapro prescribing info that describes the outcomes of the various placebo-controlled trials state that those groups who took 20mg lexapro experienced DOUBLE the SE's than the placebo and 10mg lex groups; it also states that there was no real evidence that the 20mg group experienced more therapeutic effects than did the 10mg group. But, on the other hand, I've heard from many posters that they increased from 10mg and experienced a profound increase in therapeutic effects. But if the stats are correct, do I really want to, by increasing the dose, risk double the side-effects (the ones I just recently got over were bad enough in and of themselves) with a chance of not experiencing any increase in therapeutic effects? I'm confused as to what to do. I liked the news on the lex site from September that lex was proven as effective for major depression as Effexor, with a much lower incidence of SE's and dropout. This was encouraging, as it was really a toss up between lex and effexor, and once I began lex, I sort of regretted not going the route of a dual-NT med like effexor (SNRI). So this news was encouraging; but the stats in the lex prescribing info on the 20mg group vs. the 10mg group was not encouraging, and I'm even wondering if I've given the lex a long anough trial as it is (4-5 weeks) and that maybe I should just switch to another AD. Even with other SSRI's, I not only experienced therapeutic effects within the first 3 weeks, but I noticed these effects even through mountains of other meds, including adderall, that I took simultaneously with the SSRI's. For instance, I began prozac when I was already taking adderall, strattera, and lamictal, and, once the therapeutic effects kicked in (improved mood, lessened anxiety, better sleep/wake cycles, etc.), I noticed them very profoundly even though I was taking all those other meds at the same time. Yet now my pdoc has had me reduce the adderall to see if I notice the lex benefits any better - so you see? It just seems iike, if the lex were REALLY working, I would have noticed it regardless of the dose of adderall I was taking with it. So I'm just wandering if me and my pdoc are really kidding ourselves and denying that lex just isn't working for me as well as it should. I don't know - stick with the lex even longer, increase the dose in spite of the discouraging prescribing info stats, or switch AD's? What do you all think?
much appreciated,
Peter
Posted by JohnR on October 6, 2003, at 21:17:40
In reply to new on lex, posted by sekou on October 6, 2003, at 15:10:37
I was also just was diagnosed and started taking Lex six days ago. I'm a 36 year old single male. My stomach has been a little upset since I started but I'm not sure if that's related.
Unfortunately I also now understand what is meant by the 'delayed ejaculation' side effect. It's a real bummer. I hope that problem gets better over the next week or two.
The good news is overall I feel better.Good luck Sekou.
John
> Hi everyone. I just started 10 mgs of Lex for depression. This is day 4. I am a 35 year only female newly diagnosed with major depression. So far I haven't had much difficulty coping with the side fx, but the clenching is quite noticeable and the insomnia. I have periods where I sleep entirely too much or too little because of the agitation. I decided to switch my dose to 2 or 3pm after talking with my doc. Anyway, I feel this is a long road for me. I am already feeling much better, but the irrational thoughts still come and go. I'll keep you posted.
>
> -Sekou
Posted by lil' jimi on October 6, 2003, at 22:22:12
In reply to Checking in..., posted by Peter on October 6, 2003, at 19:39:48
hi Peter,
i'm thinking that we have a confusion here that we should clear up for you ...
you write:
> He said that if my mood is not recognizably improved, we would take the next step of increasing the lex dose. However, I'm concerned about doing this. The lexapro prescribing info that describes the outcomes of the various placebo-controlled trials state that those groups who took 20mg lexapro experienced DOUBLE the SE's than the placebo and 10mg lex groups; it also states that there was no real evidence that the 20mg group experienced more therapeutic effects than did the 10mg group. But, on the other hand, I've heard from many posters that they increased from 10mg and experienced a profound increase in therapeutic effects. But if the stats are correct, do I really want to, by increasing the dose, risk double the side-effects (the ones I just recently got over were bad enough in and of themselves) with a chance of not experiencing any increase in therapeutic effects? I'm confused as to what to do. >... now i respect that you do have several irons in the fire about your options here ...
... i am addressing only one of your considerations ...
... but i feel this is a case of comparing apples to oranges ...the study's statistics comparing 10 mg's to 20 mg's side-effects have to be comparing groups who start out at 10mg versus 20mg respectively ...
i see this as too far a reach to be compared to a single user going from 10mg to 20mg ...
... because this amounts to comparing the SEs of someone going from zero to 20mg ...
... to the SEs of someone going from 10mg to 20mg ...i feel these are not analogous
... on a theoretical model level, it stands to reason that, after having 10mg of lexapro prime the neurochemical pump, so to speak, one's NTs are well on their way to adaptation to lexapro and one has acheieved half the struggle toward a 20mg dose already ... in this view it would be expected that the SEs from going from 10mg to 20mg would be half those of going from 0mg to 20mg ...
... in terms of the reports from our posters who have increased their dosage from 10mg to 20mg, there has been a very consistent pattern with few exceptions, that the 10 to 20 adaptation SEs are very minor compared to the original adaptation from beginning at 10mg ... these reports would suggest that these 10 to 20 SEs are trivial compared to the initial SEs and easily much much less that half the original start up SEs ...long story short: i do not believe that possible SEs from increasing to 20mg should be nearly that much of a factor in your considerations ...
... i had similar SEs when i went up to 10mg from 5mg compared to when i started out at 10mg (for one day) and then went to 5mg (0 to 10 one day, to 5 for a month) ... similar in the sense that they were very like the quality of the initial SEs ... but i'd say not even a 10th the serverity and maybe half as long ...
just to give you a little more to chew on there with the ol' pdoc ...
and thanks for checking in!
take care,
~ jim
Posted by dannielle on October 6, 2003, at 22:51:39
In reply to Re: Lexapro and Nausea » blkvettes, posted by DC on May 23, 2003, at 16:54:06
just began taking Lexapro for Panic Disorder, and it makes me extremely nauseated and seemed more panicky after a week of taking it. Not sure if I was just nauseated and that made me THINK it was the drug, thus, causing panic, or the drug itself... HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by johnny b good on October 6, 2003, at 23:09:24
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
Howdy all from Texas. It is finally cooling down here as fall approaches. It's day 45 on Lex and have been upped by doc to 20mg's for a week and a half. Haven't made it out of the woods yet but am doing better in the depression dept. but anxiety is hanging on. I have been using my coping skills and reading the posts here to hang in there til the Cavalry arrives. I never had any place to run in the past when anx/dep came calling but now I just turn on the computer and look you guys up. It works as good as anything else when the heat is really on. I feel like I need to give back so here I am. I get tickled sometimes reading these posts like the ones on "Flatulance". Well I agree with that one cause I have had a touch of windiness my self in the beginning. I am willing to go for 10 or more weeks to see if the Lex is going to help. I have my fingers crossed and will hope for the best. I have learned many coping skills in Alcoholics Anonymous as I am in recovery for 10+ years and had to learn to deal with life on lifes terms with out that old crutch to lean on. My A/A experience has served me well in life and this is just another bump in life that I've had to slow down for. Well enough of my philosophy and just wanted to check in with you guys and say keep up the good posts as some of us depend on them. See ya'll down the road.
Posted by galkeepinon on October 7, 2003, at 1:23:47
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro?, posted by johnny b good on October 6, 2003, at 23:09:24
Hey there, First~GOOD FOR YOU!!! 10+ years is a while bud and a lot of work. That is awesome!!!
Bob's board is great!!! There are a lot of helpful and considerate people here who really care and often post with a lot of experience. I hope you get what you came for:-)~~By the way, did you add it to your favorites?;)
I've been on Lexapro for 10 weeks, on Thursday, still on 10mg.
I was hesitant at first to start Lexapro, because I had never tried it. From my experience, it has really worked well for me.
I'm glad you'll be willing to go for 10 or more weeks to see if the Lex is going to help you, you may be pleasantly surprised. And you're one step ahead of the *beast* (the depression I call it) by having those coping skills behind you too.
The 'Substance Abuse Board' has a lot of great posts too, you may want to check it out if you haven't done so already.
'Bumps' are a fact of life I guess, I sure run into some, but am learning to deal with them better.
I will cross my fingers for you too, so glad you posted.
Please keep us updated on how you're doing, we are here for ya!
Take care,
Kristen
> Howdy all from Texas. It is finally cooling down here as fall approaches. It's day 45 on Lex and have been upped by doc to 20mg's for a week and a half. Haven't made it out of the woods yet but am doing better in the depression dept. but anxiety is hanging on. I have been using my coping skills and reading the posts here to hang in there til the Cavalry arrives. I never had any place to run in the past when anx/dep came calling but now I just turn on the computer and look you guys up. It works as good as anything else when the heat is really on. I feel like I need to give back so here I am. I get tickled sometimes reading these posts like the ones on "Flatulance". Well I agree with that one cause I have had a touch of windiness my self in the beginning. I am willing to go for 10 or more weeks to see if the Lex is going to help. I have my fingers crossed and will hope for the best. I have learned many coping skills in Alcoholics Anonymous as I am in recovery for 10+ years and had to learn to deal with life on lifes terms with out that old crutch to lean on. My A/A experience has served me well in life and this is just another bump in life that I've had to slow down for. Well enough of my philosophy and just wanted to check in with you guys and say keep up the good posts as some of us depend on them. See ya'll down the road.
Posted by galkeepinon on October 7, 2003, at 1:34:01
In reply to Re: Lexapro and Nausea, posted by dannielle on October 6, 2003, at 22:51:39
Hi, I'm hoping that the nausea will pass for you. I got slight nausea during my first week or two, but I also got that the first week when I was taking Effexor. It passed for me and I hope it passes for you too!
When I start a new med, I always thought that *symptoms* I was feeling such as nausea, jitteryness, etc., was definately caused by the med, it could be and it may not be. I hope you give it a chance, Lexapro has worked very well for me, but I'm sure you already know that we are all so different when it comes to how we react to medications.
Can you call your prescribing doctor? He/she may have some suggestions for you too, as well as others who post here that are on Lexapro. I know I took TIGAN when I got the nausea and it helped.
Hang in there, and let us know how it goes, I really hope you give it a chance, the new med Lexapro is working for a lot of people here as well as people I know in my life.
Best,
Kristen
> just began taking Lexapro for Panic Disorder, and it makes me extremely nauseated and seemed more panicky after a week of taking it. Not sure if I was just nauseated and that made me THINK it was the drug, thus, causing panic, or the drug itself... HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Peter on October 7, 2003, at 7:10:32
In reply to re: Checking in ... » Peter , posted by lil' jimi on October 6, 2003, at 22:22:12
> hi Peter,
>
> i'm thinking that we have a confusion here that we should clear up for you ...
>
> you write:
> > He said that if my mood is not recognizably improved, we would take the next step of increasing the lex dose. However, I'm concerned about doing this. The lexapro prescribing info that describes the outcomes of the various placebo-controlled trials state that those groups who took 20mg lexapro experienced DOUBLE the SE's than the placebo and 10mg lex groups; it also states that there was no real evidence that the 20mg group experienced more therapeutic effects than did the 10mg group. But, on the other hand, I've heard from many posters that they increased from 10mg and experienced a profound increase in therapeutic effects. But if the stats are correct, do I really want to, by increasing the dose, risk double the side-effects (the ones I just recently got over were bad enough in and of themselves) with a chance of not experiencing any increase in therapeutic effects? I'm confused as to what to do. >
>
> ... now i respect that you do have several irons in the fire about your options here ...
> ... i am addressing only one of your considerations ...
> ... but i feel this is a case of comparing apples to oranges ...
>
> the study's statistics comparing 10 mg's to 20 mg's side-effects have to be comparing groups who start out at 10mg versus 20mg respectively ...
>
> i see this as too far a reach to be compared to a single user going from 10mg to 20mg ...
> ... because this amounts to comparing the SEs of someone going from zero to 20mg ...
> ... to the SEs of someone going from 10mg to 20mg ...
> >>AGH! I completely misinterpreted that info! You're right. Thank you so much for clearing that up for me. I'm much less skeptical and confused about increasing the dose now. Funny, but today I woke up actually feeling ok! For weeks I've been waking up every day feeling exhausted and heavy and moody, like I don't want to face the day. But today was different - my mood seems a bit improved. Cool! Maybe lex is finally working! Maybe increasing the dose will really kick it in more quickly. I'll see what my pdoc thinks I should do. But thanks again for clearing that up, Jim.
>Best,
Peter
Posted by vandy on October 7, 2003, at 11:34:55
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? » johnny b good, posted by galkeepinon on October 7, 2003, at 1:23:47
Geez!
I was always thankful for this board before but now I'm truly grateful. Flatulance can no be blamed on Lexapro instead of admitting I'm just an old fart.
> Hey there, First~GOOD FOR YOU!!! 10+ years is a while bud and a lot of work. That is awesome!!!
> Bob's board is great!!! There are a lot of helpful and considerate people here who really care and often post with a lot of experience. I hope you get what you came for:-)~~By the way, did you add it to your favorites?;)
> I've been on Lexapro for 10 weeks, on Thursday, still on 10mg.
> I was hesitant at first to start Lexapro, because I had never tried it. From my experience, it has really worked well for me.
> I'm glad you'll be willing to go for 10 or more weeks to see if the Lex is going to help you, you may be pleasantly surprised. And you're one step ahead of the *beast* (the depression I call it) by having those coping skills behind you too.
> The 'Substance Abuse Board' has a lot of great posts too, you may want to check it out if you haven't done so already.
> 'Bumps' are a fact of life I guess, I sure run into some, but am learning to deal with them better.
> I will cross my fingers for you too, so glad you posted.
> Please keep us updated on how you're doing, we are here for ya!
> Take care,
> Kristen
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Howdy all from Texas. It is finally cooling down here as fall approaches. It's day 45 on Lex and have been upped by doc to 20mg's for a week and a half. Haven't made it out of the woods yet but am doing better in the depression dept. but anxiety is hanging on. I have been using my coping skills and reading the posts here to hang in there til the Cavalry arrives. I never had any place to run in the past when anx/dep came calling but now I just turn on the computer and look you guys up. It works as good as anything else when the heat is really on. I feel like I need to give back so here I am. I get tickled sometimes reading these posts like the ones on "Flatulance". Well I agree with that one cause I have had a touch of windiness my self in the beginning. I am willing to go for 10 or more weeks to see if the Lex is going to help. I have my fingers crossed and will hope for the best. I have learned many coping skills in Alcoholics Anonymous as I am in recovery for 10+ years and had to learn to deal with life on lifes terms with out that old crutch to lean on. My A/A experience has served me well in life and this is just another bump in life that I've had to slow down for. Well enough of my philosophy and just wanted to check in with you guys and say keep up the good posts as some of us depend on them. See ya'll down the road.
>
>
Posted by Gza on October 7, 2003, at 11:52:59
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro?, posted by vandy on October 7, 2003, at 11:34:55
New to lex. I took three on the first day to get it running fast, bad bad bad bad mistake. I was in hell for three days non stop, heart felt like it was going to explode, impossible to sleep for more than 1-2 hours a night for those three days. I stopped it for 4 days to let it wear off and catch up on sleep! Started ONE again today - will keep posted.
Posted by mph-speedy on October 7, 2003, at 12:07:36
In reply to Re: New to meds/compulsive skin picker, posted by ELENI4 on October 4, 2003, at 0:59:27
I'm reading this stuff on skin-picking with interest - have picked fingertips and bit nails all my life, and just thought it was dry cuticles and a bad habit. Another disorder? Anyway, if it is, the lex hasn't improved it by a noticable amount.
speedy
Posted by madwand on October 7, 2003, at 13:26:44
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro?, posted by johnny b good on October 6, 2003, at 23:09:24
Johnny,
Welcome! We are at similar stages, both in Lexapro and recovery. I just celebrated 11 years in August and was at 10mg Lexapro for 4 weeks, then 15mg for 2 weeks, and now to 20mg.
Have you explored the Substance Abuse sub-board yet? It appears that quite a few of us have made the medication "jump" a ways down the road in sobriety. I had a sense early on that it would be a good step, but got warded off by some of the traditional 12-Step resistance to medications.
And yes, the spiritual coping skills do help. To be honest, one reason I avoided medication for so long was that I did reasonably well with the coping skills and didn't want people to look at that and say, "oh, it was just the medication". Talk about ego!
What I have concluded is that the coping skills teach us how to walk up the mountain. The medications simply help eliminate the refrigerator (or at least make it lighter) that some of us have to carry up the mountain. And of course (not that I would encourage anyone to "wait" for this reason) carrying that refrigerator around for a few years does build some spiritual muscles.
And this is definitely a good place for medication support. I never would have believed how many different reactions people can have to different things.
Keep Coming Back!Michael
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