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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by almondjoy on October 9, 2003, at 16:02:34
In reply to Re: Pooped on Lexapro!, posted by BLKVETTES on October 9, 2003, at 8:30:35
I've been feeling similarly...tired alot, and as anxious as before i started lex five weeks ago. the my anxiety seemed better the first two weeks i took it. since reading alot of posts here, and on another forum im trying to get in touch with my pdoc before our appt. i really think an increase in dosage will help, but like you, i don't want to make it "all lex's fault" im under alot stress and its hard to tell, and sux having to second-guess....
i hope everything levels out, and hope to find out what you resolved.
Posted by Arrianna on October 9, 2003, at 16:47:25
In reply to Re: Pooped on Lexapro! » BLKVETTES, posted by almondjoy on October 9, 2003, at 16:02:34
Thanks for responding!
It's nice to know that I'm not alone with my struggles. Like you said, it sux to have to second guess: is it the med. or something else??
Anyway, I think that I'm going to slowly try to increase my dose. Hopefully, that will help for me. I've also been dealing with the flu ~ so, I finally figured that that's playing a role in my exhaustion.
Hope everything gets better for you!! Sounds like you're still early on with the lex, so hang in there and you should reap the benefits soon. Good luck with your pdoc appt.
Arrianna
Posted by Arrianna on October 9, 2003, at 16:58:39
In reply to Re: Pooped on Lexapro!, posted by BLKVETTES on October 9, 2003, at 8:30:35
Thanks for responding Wayne!
Your post helped simplify things for myself. Although I assumed my feeling of poop-out was due to recent life changes, it's still beneficial to have another's validation.
I am planning on increasing my dose - even though, I'm scared that by doing so, I may experience some side effects again. I'm going to gradually increase in the hopes that that won't happen. Have you ever increased your dose? If so, did you experience any side effects or tiredness by doing so??
I am also loving my new job. I'm working as a Special Education Teacher's Assistant and I am really enjoying it!! It's rewarding, fun, and doesn't even feel like work!
Anyway, thanks again!! You take care, too.
Arrianna
Posted by fallsfall on October 9, 2003, at 18:46:29
In reply to Re: Pooped on Lexapro! » BLKVETTES, posted by Arrianna on October 9, 2003, at 16:58:39
Arrianna,
Could you please send me an email at babble fallsfall at hotmail.com?
Thanks
Posted by BLKVETTES on October 9, 2003, at 19:29:22
In reply to Re: Pooped on Lexapro! » BLKVETTES, posted by Arrianna on October 9, 2003, at 16:58:39
> Thanks for responding Wayne!
>
> Your post helped simplify things for myself. Although I assumed my feeling of poop-out was due to recent life changes, it's still beneficial to have another's validation.
>
> I am planning on increasing my dose - even though, I'm scared that by doing so, I may experience some side effects again. I'm going to gradually increase in the hopes that that won't happen. Have you ever increased your dose? If so, did you experience any side effects or tiredness by doing so??
>
> I am also loving my new job. I'm working as a Special Education Teacher's Assistant and I am really enjoying it!! It's rewarding, fun, and doesn't even feel like work!
>
> Anyway, thanks again!! You take care, too.
> ArriannaHi, slowly going up in dose should be no problem. If you go 2.5 for a week and then the other 2.5 I doubt you will feel any side effects. Your body is used to the lexapro. I did have problems with some anxiety and had to go back down. But we are all different and that was long ago for me. Just listen to your body and it will tell you if your doing the right thing. You know the game, but its always great to hear someone elses opinion. I know where your coming from on that. Glad you love your job, that is so important in life. TAKE CARE!!!!
WAYNE
Posted by Peter on October 9, 2003, at 19:38:45
In reply to Re: Pooped on Lexapro! » BLKVETTES, posted by Arrianna on October 9, 2003, at 16:58:39
I posted a new thread yesterday in the general area, and then realized it would be good to also post within the ongoing lex thread.
Here's the deal:
Day 34 total lexapro, day 28 on 10mg (I started with 5mg the first 6 days). Everytime I thought it was beginning to kick-in, I'd feel like crap again. I've taken every other SSRI, with varying degrees of success, and also a plethora of other meds and med combos over the last 8 years. I spoke with my pdoc yesterday about the fact that I felt really bad all the time, unable to wake up, sleeping thru my alarm, irrtable and depressed all day, unresponsive to anything or anyone around me, numb and dull, etc. He said that it seemed as if I wasn't responding well to the lex - that it was both activating me (thus the irritability) and 'flattening' my mood (thus the continued depression and apathy). He suggested that I begin to taper the med and that we move toward my trying a med from the only class I haven't yet tried - the MAOIS. I've been considering them for years, and I'm probably a good candidate considering my history. But I am so sick of going from one med cocktail to the next; also, I've come this far already on the lex (and it hasn't been easy), and I've read so much about people feeling NOTHING on 10mg until week 7, 8, or even 9, and then it kicks in and it's well worth the wait. I just don't want to stop prematurely. So I made a resolution last night that I would stick with it another week or two instead of tapering it right now. I also decided that I would put a little more effort in to increase the chances of my responding well to the lex. What I mean by this is the following: I find that a lot of my lack of response has had to do with my
not 'allowing' the lex to work, so to speak; it's almost as if I've been thinking so pessimistically about the med and SSRI's in general, that I've been psychosomatically hindering its benefits. Today, I felt that my acceptance and resolution to stick with the lex and do what I can do -
both physically (getting my sleep/wake cycles back on track, exercising) and mentally (not letting my pessimism get the best of me) - seemed to help me benefit more from
the lex; I just have a feeling that it might be beginning to work (fingers crossed). I awoke with more energy today, and felt better in the afternoon than I have in a long time. Of course, it's not all about my shift in attitude and resolve; the action of the lex itself is helping me to HAVE a more positive, optimistic outlook on my responding well to it. So it might very well be that my own efforts +the therapeutic actions of the lex are beginning to work together to my benefit. I hope this makes sense. Does it? Cause I sort of feel like I'm not making any sense at all! Regardless, I hope my better mood today is the lex kicking in and not just another 'false alarm'! I really would prefer to not go on another 'med-roller-coaster' at this point. And my doc agreed that I stick with the lex another week or two, saying that my more positive outlook and decision to 'allow' the med to work will make me all the more liable to respond well to it. So, of course a positive response to the lex would be mostly due to the pharmacological actions of the drug and the balancing out of the NT's in my brain, but in my case it looks like some of it has to do with my cooperating with the process and doing what I can to allow it to work . All right, now I think I'm just further convoluting what was already pretty convoluted in the first place. Sorry! Is there any sense in what I'm saying?
thanks,
Peter
Posted by johnny b good on October 9, 2003, at 22:29:38
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? » johnny b good, posted by madwand on October 7, 2003, at 13:26:44
> 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!
>
> MichaelMichael yes I can relate to all you say. I was in turmoil for a long time after sobering up because of the traditions of A/A. But pain won out in my case. There was just no real peace in my life and I was working my program to the max. I was introduced to anti-depressants and discovered I did not have to live in constant agony. Drinking again was not an option for me. I don't think I had another sobering up effort left after the initial one. I was pretty much spent. Oops I need to change the subject or get redirected. But it all ties in together. This is day 48 on Lex and I have been at 20mgs for about 2 weeks. I had a wicked day today for anxiety probably because of lack of sleep. I hope it kicks in soon as the coping skills can only carry me so far. I am hoping for the best and keeping my chin up as it may be right around the corner. See ya'll down the road.
Posted by Mariposa on October 10, 2003, at 11:50:37
In reply to Crossing my fingers!!, posted by Peter on October 9, 2003, at 19:38:45
> I posted a new thread yesterday in the general area, and then realized it would be good to also post within the ongoing lex thread.
> Here's the deal:
> Day 34 total lexapro, day 28 on 10mg (I started with 5mg the first 6 days). Everytime I thought it was beginning to kick-in, I'd feel like crap again. I've taken every other SSRI, with varying degrees of success, and also a plethora of other meds and med combos over the last 8 years. I spoke with my pdoc yesterday about the fact that I felt really bad all the time, unable to wake up, sleeping thru my alarm, irrtable and depressed all day, unresponsive to anything or anyone around me, numb and dull, etc. He said that it seemed as if I wasn't responding well to the lex - that it was both activating me (thus the irritability) and 'flattening' my mood (thus the continued depression and apathy). He suggested that I begin to taper the med and that we move toward my trying a med from the only class I haven't yet tried - the MAOIS. I've been considering them for years, and I'm probably a good candidate considering my history. But I am so sick of going from one med cocktail to the next; also, I've come this far already on the lex (and it hasn't been easy), and I've read so much about people feeling NOTHING on 10mg until week 7, 8, or even 9, and then it kicks in and it's well worth the wait. I just don't want to stop prematurely. So I made a resolution last night that I would stick with it another week or two instead of tapering it right now. I also decided that I would put a little more effort in to increase the chances of my responding well to the lex. What I mean by this is the following: I find that a lot of my lack of response has had to do with my
> not 'allowing' the lex to work, so to speak; it's almost as if I've been thinking so pessimistically about the med and SSRI's in general, that I've been psychosomatically hindering its benefits. Today, I felt that my acceptance and resolution to stick with the lex and do what I can do -
> both physically (getting my sleep/wake cycles back on track, exercising) and mentally (not letting my pessimism get the best of me) - seemed to help me benefit more from
> the lex; I just have a feeling that it might be beginning to work (fingers crossed). I awoke with more energy today, and felt better in the afternoon than I have in a long time. Of course, it's not all about my shift in attitude and resolve; the action of the lex itself is helping me to HAVE a more positive, optimistic outlook on my responding well to it. So it might very well be that my own efforts +the therapeutic actions of the lex are beginning to work together to my benefit. I hope this makes sense. Does it? Cause I sort of feel like I'm not making any sense at all! Regardless, I hope my better mood today is the lex kicking in and not just another 'false alarm'! I really would prefer to not go on another 'med-roller-coaster' at this point. And my doc agreed that I stick with the lex another week or two, saying that my more positive outlook and decision to 'allow' the med to work will make me all the more liable to respond well to it. So, of course a positive response to the lex would be mostly due to the pharmacological actions of the drug and the balancing out of the NT's in my brain, but in my case it looks like some of it has to do with my cooperating with the process and doing what I can to allow it to work . All right, now I think I'm just further convoluting what was already pretty convoluted in the first place. Sorry! Is there any sense in what I'm saying?
> thanks,
> Peter
>
reading your post it sounds just like me at about the same time.....got very depressed about the whole situation and just wanted to quit because i was *sure* lex wasn't going to work. my pdoc raised my dose from 5mg to 10mg around week 5, and i hung in there with encouragement from this board and things DID get better. just give it a little more time and try to think positive thoughts.... the *lights didn't come on* for me until week 9, hopefully it won't be so long for you.keep us posted on your progerss and best of luck~~~8|8
Posted by dutch on October 10, 2003, at 12:32:33
In reply to Re: Crossing my fingers!! » Peter , posted by Mariposa on October 10, 2003, at 11:50:37
i have been on lexapro 15 mg day for 6 months now. i can't remember anything! i grind my teeth at night, even tho i sleep really well for the first time in years. i have also gained a steady 5 lbs a month since taking this medication. my new psych says these problems are not side effects of this medication, but i am not sure. any ideas or similar experiences?
Posted by ginger C on October 10, 2003, at 12:50:24
In reply to Re: Crossing my fingers!!, posted by dutch on October 10, 2003, at 12:32:33
I am taking Lexapro and have been for almost a year. I find myself biting my tongue and grinding my teeth. I talked to my doc about this and she seems to think it is the Geodon doing it not the Lexapro but I did not start doing this until I started the Lex. I was taking 20mg but I got a little manic so she dropped me down to 10mg even this did not seem to help much.
Posted by Peter on October 10, 2003, at 12:51:55
In reply to Re: Crossing my fingers!!, posted by dutch on October 10, 2003, at 12:32:33
I'm taking it for depression and social anxiety. Anyone have success with lex for the latter? How about compared to other SSRI's?
Posted by dutch on October 10, 2003, at 12:54:33
In reply to Re: Crossing my fingers!!, posted by ginger C on October 10, 2003, at 12:50:24
that is so weird! i am sitting here biting my tounge right now and didn't even realize it!
Posted by ginger C on October 10, 2003, at 12:58:38
In reply to Re: Crossing my fingers!!, posted by dutch on October 10, 2003, at 12:54:33
It is hard to stop it even when you think about it really hard. You may stop for a few seconds but as soon as you stop thinking about it you start doing it again. My tongue is raw from where I do it all the time.
Posted by dutch on October 10, 2003, at 13:00:12
In reply to Re: Crossing my fingers!!, posted by ginger C on October 10, 2003, at 12:58:38
ginger that is so sad! it is strange, i FEEL better, but am i DOING better? i dunno.
Posted by ginger C on October 10, 2003, at 13:23:57
In reply to Re: Crossing my fingers!!, posted by dutch on October 10, 2003, at 13:00:12
Even though I am having these side effects it is still worth it because I have felt so much better as far as my depression goes. I figure a few side effects are worth not having the depression.
Posted by dutch on October 10, 2003, at 13:34:20
In reply to Re: Crossing my fingers!!, posted by ginger C on October 10, 2003, at 13:23:57
i have agreed with you up until now. i feel great, but can't function normally in my job, etc. because i forget everything immediately. even if i write it down i forget what i was going to write, or my notes do not make any sense. it is so frustrating as my dr says i am imagining it.
Posted by ginger C on October 10, 2003, at 13:53:55
In reply to Re: Crossing my fingers!!, posted by dutch on October 10, 2003, at 13:34:20
No I don't think you are immagining it because I have the same problem at times. I have had ECT and everyone thinks that it has caused the problem but I think a lot of it is the medication because it was happening to some extent before I had ECT.
Posted by galkeepinon on October 10, 2003, at 14:19:10
In reply to Re: Crossing my fingers!!, posted by dutch on October 10, 2003, at 12:32:33
>>>>>i grind my teeth at night, even tho i sleep really well for the first time in years.
I grinded my teeth and clenched my jaw in the early days of starting Lexapro. I still clench my jaw at times, but not as much and I catch myself to stop it. The grinding has passed , I hope it does for you too:-)
>>>>>i have also gained a steady 5 lbs a month since taking this medication. my new psych says these problems are not side effects of this medication, but i am not sure.
I hear you!! I have gained about a steady 6 pounds since starting this med. Some psychiatrists have said 'it's not from the med' about most of the meds I have been on concerning any bad side effects I have gotten. Sometimes they don't know, they're not perfect, but a good one will work with your concerns.
Weight gain for me happened on Prozac when I took it, and I think it could be that the anti-depressants make one feel better, thus, increasing one's appetite, due to being poor in the first place, due to being depressed.
But also, I really think these meds have a direct impact on our metabolisms, that's just my opinion though.>>>>>any ideas or similar experiences?
Hope this helped,
Hang in there, Lexapro has really helpled me, I wish you the best,
Kristen
Posted by cmonfo on October 10, 2003, at 14:38:05
In reply to anyone taking lex for social anxiety?, posted by Peter on October 10, 2003, at 12:51:55
in my oppinion... lexapro is poison. the risks, no matter how rare are not worth it... personaly i dunlike getting Serotonin syndrome from one pill.. especialy since i didn't make the stupid mistake of taking ecstacy or any of that other stupid crud that usualy cause such a horribal reaction.
Posted by BridgetteK on October 10, 2003, at 15:06:44
In reply to Re: Crossing my fingers!!, posted by ginger C on October 10, 2003, at 13:53:55
Hello, I had the same problem with forgetting everything. I was on Lex for about 2 months and o man it got me into trouble. Besides gaining weight i'd forget everything and when it came to money it was really bad, I would forget how much my husband and I had in our account and I would assume we had the money in there to cover bill's etc.. but we wouldn't and I would over spend big time. I had to stop taking the Lex. because of this problem. But it did help w/ my anxiety and my depression...
Posted by eebeshy on October 10, 2003, at 15:22:07
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
Oops, sorry I'm new at this!!! Hi, I'm taking Lexapro @ 15mg a day (been 3-4 months now) and my Dr. started me on Wellbutrin (100mg) a week ago because although I was still able to get out of bed in the morning to go to work, I was still feeling low all the time all I wanted to do was sleep. Been battling depression now for over 12 years (mental illness runs bigtime in my family). I started feeling better right away, but I've had trouble sleeping at night. I put in a call to my Dr. and he said that low a dosage shouldn't be a problem. Anyone have any suggestions? I also take Klonopin....maybe should I take one right before going to bed? BTW, reading everyone's comments has made me feel better about the whole depression issue. Thanks!
eebeshy
Posted by Esmarelda on October 10, 2003, at 15:22:56
In reply to Crossing my fingers!!, posted by Peter on October 9, 2003, at 19:38:45
I wish you the best of luck. There will probably be a few "down" days even when you begin to feel the effect. It took at least 5-8 weeks for it to work on me. And, then I felt really tired for about another month or maybe more, but I do think it's benefits are really good. I will say a prayer for you!
Posted by Peter on October 10, 2003, at 15:32:58
In reply to Re: Crossing my fingers!!, posted by Esmarelda on October 10, 2003, at 15:22:56
> I wish you the best of luck. There will probably be a few "down" days even when you begin to feel the effect. It took at least 5-8 weeks for it to work on me. And, then I felt really tired for about another month or maybe more, but I do think it's benefits are really good. I will say a prayer for you!
>>How refreshing to hear something POSITIVE. Thank you(o:
Posted by dutch on October 10, 2003, at 15:41:39
In reply to Re: dutch » dutch, posted by galkeepinon on October 10, 2003, at 14:19:10
thanks kristen :) i really have lost hope for side effect improvement, as i have been on the med for 6 months now. in the last month or two, the memory loss thing has really gotten to me. i am tired of it but i do feel a heck of a lot better overall. i guess i have to learn to live with mild altzheimers basically.
Posted by Arrianna on October 10, 2003, at 17:57:58
In reply to Crossing my fingers!!, posted by Peter on October 9, 2003, at 19:38:45
> I posted a new thread yesterday in the general area, and then realized it would be good to also post within the ongoing lex thread.
> Here's the deal:
> Day 34 total lexapro, day 28 on 10mg (I started with 5mg the first 6 days). Everytime I thought it was beginning to kick-in, I'd feel like crap again. I've taken every other SSRI, with varying degrees of success, and also a plethora of other meds and med combos over the last 8 years. I spoke with my pdoc yesterday about the fact that I felt really bad all the time, unable to wake up, sleeping thru my alarm, irrtable and depressed all day, unresponsive to anything or anyone around me, numb and dull, etc. He said that it seemed as if I wasn't responding well to the lex - that it was both activating me (thus the irritability) and 'flattening' my mood (thus the continued depression and apathy). He suggested that I begin to taper the med and that we move toward my trying a med from the only class I haven't yet tried - the MAOIS. I've been considering them for years, and I'm probably a good candidate considering my history. But I am so sick of going from one med cocktail to the next; also, I've come this far already on the lex (and it hasn't been easy), and I've read so much about people feeling NOTHING on 10mg until week 7, 8, or even 9, and then it kicks in and it's well worth the wait. I just don't want to stop prematurely. So I made a resolution last night that I would stick with it another week or two instead of tapering it right now. I also decided that I would put a little more effort in to increase the chances of my responding well to the lex. What I mean by this is the following: I find that a lot of my lack of response has had to do with my
> not 'allowing' the lex to work, so to speak; it's almost as if I've been thinking so pessimistically about the med and SSRI's in general, that I've been psychosomatically hindering its benefits. Today, I felt that my acceptance and resolution to stick with the lex and do what I can do -
> both physically (getting my sleep/wake cycles back on track, exercising) and mentally (not letting my pessimism get the best of me) - seemed to help me benefit more from
> the lex; I just have a feeling that it might be beginning to work (fingers crossed). I awoke with more energy today, and felt better in the afternoon than I have in a long time. Of course, it's not all about my shift in attitude and resolve; the action of the lex itself is helping me to HAVE a more positive, optimistic outlook on my responding well to it. So it might very well be that my own efforts +the therapeutic actions of the lex are beginning to work together to my benefit. I hope this makes sense. Does it? Cause I sort of feel like I'm not making any sense at all! Regardless, I hope my better mood today is the lex kicking in and not just another 'false alarm'! I really would prefer to not go on another 'med-roller-coaster' at this point. And my doc agreed that I stick with the lex another week or two, saying that my more positive outlook and decision to 'allow' the med to work will make me all the more liable to respond well to it. So, of course a positive response to the lex would be mostly due to the pharmacological actions of the drug and the balancing out of the NT's in my brain, but in my case it looks like some of it has to do with my cooperating with the process and doing what I can to allow it to work . All right, now I think I'm just further convoluting what was already pretty convoluted in the first place. Sorry! Is there any sense in what I'm saying?
> thanks,
> Peter
>Peter:
Your post makes complete sense! I hear what you're saying. It never hurts to have a positive attitude. Keep it up.
Glad to hear that you've decided to hang in there with the Lex! You may just need a few more weeks for it to "kick in". Who knows. It's different for everyone, but I've heard the average time is 4-8 weeks.
I almost gave up on lexapro early on, too, but I'm glad I didn't. Hopefully, things will get better for you soon as they sound like they already are: acceptance and a positive attitude are huge!!!!!!
From your other post inquiring about social anxiety: I am taking lexapro for generalized anxiety including social anxiety. At first on Lex, I didn't feel like being around others - just felt lazy and didn't feel like going out. So, I had to force myself to do those things. To my surprise, I found myself much more comfortable in social settings ~ felt more natural, and I actually began to enjoy socializing and wanting to be around others! This was huge for me since I had "always" preferred to be alone.
Anyway, I'm assuming you have a bit of social anxiety yourself. If so, give it a chance and hope you find yourself comfortable as well.
Good luck!!
Arrianna
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