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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by BLKVETTES on November 12, 2003, at 22:29:45
In reply to a few questions........., posted by sapphira on November 12, 2003, at 16:12:59
> hi, i'm into my second week. i started at 2.5 mgs and today increased to 5 mg. i've noticed that while i do not feel sad or weepy, i really feel no emotions at all!! i just can't cry even when i try to think of something that would normally make the tears come. does this last or will i regain some balance with regard to emotions? also my i'm VERY forgetful and my head feels like i've been on a bender, just kind of big. i guess i just feel 'out of it'. does this improve too? anyone else go through this or am i losing it? i've also experienced a bit of insomnia. thanks all for your answers.
>
> sapphiraI began taking lexapro for panic and depression. I had bad crying jags before lex. These stopped almost instantly. But for over a month I was caught between happy and sad. I was numb and felt nothing. The forgetting thing I would watch old tv shows and see if I could remember the casts real names. Chances are you are going through a phase where chemicals are changing in your brain. At about 6 weeks if everything works right you should feel so much better. Your not losing it or going crazy.
WAYNE
Posted by On_My_Way on November 13, 2003, at 9:06:29
In reply to Re: a few questions........., posted by BLKVETTES on November 12, 2003, at 22:29:45
> > hi, i'm into my second week. i started at 2.5 mgs and today increased to 5 mg. i've noticed that while i do not feel sad or weepy, i really feel no emotions at all!! i just can't cry even when i try to think of something that would normally make the tears come. does this last or will i regain some balance with regard to emotions? also my i'm VERY forgetful and my head feels like i've been on a bender, just kind of big. i guess i just feel 'out of it'. does this improve too? anyone else go through this or am i losing it? i've also experienced a bit of insomnia. thanks all for your answers.
> >
> > sapphira
>
> I began taking lexapro for panic and depression. I had bad crying jags before lex. These stopped almost instantly. But for over a month I was caught between happy and sad. I was numb and felt nothing. The forgetting thing I would watch old tv shows and see if I could remember the casts real names. Chances are you are going through a phase where chemicals are changing in your brain. At about 6 weeks if everything works right you should feel so much better. Your not losing it or going crazy.
> WAYNEEverything takes time, relax. I've been on lexpro for a couple of months and have no side effects at all, none. I've tried Celexa, no prob w/that, Zoloft, gained a ton of weight so I'm glad to be stable.
Posted by jane47 on November 13, 2003, at 12:14:43
In reply to Re: lexapro side effects, posted by Mark T on November 12, 2003, at 8:55:43
Hang in there Mark. I am just starting my 3rd week of 10mg lexapro. The side effects are just about gone. My anxiety has decreased considerably. My husband and kids get a sense of me being more centered and calm. The only side effect that I found to be horrible was hyperactivity. I know from these posts that most people had the opposite effect. Good luck to you and keep in touch.
jane
Posted by jane47 on November 13, 2003, at 12:19:15
In reply to Re: a few questions........., posted by On_My_Way on November 13, 2003, at 9:06:29
I am on 3rd week of lex (10mgs). My tears have just returned. I was able to cry at a sad tv show this past weekend.I was glad. I had wanted to FEEL better not numb. Hang in there. It does get better.
Jane
Posted by tiredman on November 13, 2003, at 16:09:11
In reply to Re: lexapro side effects, posted by jane47 on November 13, 2003, at 12:14:43
I too suffer from the anxiety/hyperactivity side-effect of Lexapro. It's
horrible! I worked my dose up to 10mg over a three week period. Once I hit 10 it
got really bad (today is only day two on 10 mgs). How long did it take before
that "hyper" feeling went away?
Posted by jane47 on November 13, 2003, at 16:38:58
In reply to jane47- When did the hyperactivity go away?, posted by tiredman on November 13, 2003, at 16:09:11
I started 5mg of lex on Oct. 24 (fri). went up to 10 mg on Wed. I have been on 10 mg for 2 weeks and the hyperactivity is subsiding. The anxiety is almost gone. Taking it in the AM instead of PM helps (at least i can sleep). Hang in there and good luck.
jane
Posted by sapphira on November 13, 2003, at 17:17:09
In reply to Re: jane47- When did the hyperactivity go away?, posted by jane47 on November 13, 2003, at 16:38:58
hi jane, i'm on my second day at 5 mg and i can feel the anxiety/hyperactivity. i am hesistant to go to 10 as i'm afraid i won't be able to function or sleep. i also have nausea. however, the bright spot is that after two weeks on the lex (first week at 2.5) i do feel better mentally/emotionally. maybe some of us are just more sensitive to meds than others.
sapphira
Posted by tiredman on November 13, 2003, at 18:58:02
In reply to Re: jane47- When did the hyperactivity go away?, posted by sapphira on November 13, 2003, at 17:17:09
My pdoc has prescribed meds that (according to her) never cause anxiety. They made me anxious. We are all wired differently. My wife is taking lex as well. She has no SE's.
Posted by maxamillion on November 13, 2003, at 20:35:58
In reply to Re: Lexapro clinical data, posted by carolee on November 7, 2003, at 8:12:44
what is a pcp?
Posted by vandy on November 13, 2003, at 21:40:46
In reply to Re: Lexapro clinical data, posted by maxamillion on November 13, 2003, at 20:35:58
One thing is a Primary Care Physician. It's also another thing to hippies but that's not important now.
> what is a pcp?
Posted by PHV on November 13, 2003, at 22:43:43
In reply to Re: jane47- When did the hyperactivity go away?, posted by jane47 on November 13, 2003, at 16:38:58
My hyperactivity didn't kick in until I was starting week ten of my Lex 10mg. I have had regular visits w/ my pcp - and have finally found that 30 mgs of Busbar twice daily keeps me stable on a regular basis. I still have a few bad days - and I take a low dosage of .5mg Xanax when that happens. Xanax brings me way down to normal if my anxiety is high - and lasts a good portion of the day.
I got a little freaked out when the anxiety started suddenly for me because I'd never experienced that before. I went to see my pdoc right away and it has taken us a few different tries - but we seem to have it where all my meds are working together okay.
Visit your doctor if these S/E's become extremely bothersome. Share your experiences with this board - but if it becomes intolerable - listen to your body and talk to your doctor. I'm extremely fortunate. I have a doctor that sits down and really listens and wants to make me feel better. She is truly a Godsend - as is this board.
Best of luck and please keep us posted.
Patty
Posted by BecQuec on November 13, 2003, at 22:52:59
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 a while now and it is great. It has done wonders for me. And the amazing thing is that I haven't had a single negative side effect from it. It made my Mom break out in hives on her face, but it does only wonders for me.
Posted by jeffconn on November 14, 2003, at 9:51:33
In reply to jane47- When did the hyperactivity go away?, posted by tiredman on November 13, 2003, at 16:09:11
> I too suffer from the anxiety/hyperactivity side-effect of Lexapro. It's
> horrible! I worked my dose up to 10mg over a three week period. Once I hit 10 it
> got really bad (today is only day two on 10 mgs). How long did it take before
> that "hyper" feeling went away?
>
Hey tiredman, hang in there as most folks here will tell you. I have been on Lex for almost 9 weeks now. The anxious hyper feeling is hugely less now after about my 7th week. There is still shaking in the hands some of the time when trying to do things up close and critical, such as putting small screws into slots. I am normally a hyper person anyways so I believe the Lex just made me a little more hyper than I already was! My sleep aid when desired is valium at 10mg. Yes there are still the weird anxiety days of concern and discomfort, but they never advance to an "attack" The depression cause is still in my life so this may have something to do with the anxiety also. I hope as you take Lex you will find the SEs relax some and the benefit will outweigh the negatives. Good luck and you can always sound off here! Yup,........ we ARE listening!! :-) Jeff Oh and Jane, I also take 10 mg per day and it took ME the whole 7 weeks for the "hyper" feeling to pretty much dissolve. It really was a terrible feeling as you stated. I have 3 children, boys, ages 3, 6 and 9 and it was real hard to stay in control and NOT let them see any changes in me. Dont know if I truely succeeded with the hiding of the hyper feelings but I think now I am better than before. Somedays I just sit back and think....."its a hell of a life eh"????? May ALL of us here on this board find what we need in life to become "ourselves" Best wishes to all and thanks to all for MY education here too!
Posted by Deb116 on November 14, 2003, at 13:06:59
In reply to Re: jane47- When did the hyperactivity go away? » tiredman, posted by jeffconn on November 14, 2003, at 9:51:33
To all: I have been on lex for about 6 weeks now. Am feeling much better, but have concerns about numbness and tingling (parethesia) in all limbs. Does anyone else have this SE? Am really concerned it may be MS. Thanks for your help.
Posted by MissB on November 14, 2003, at 14:00:34
In reply to Tingling and numbness, posted by Deb116 on November 14, 2003, at 13:06:59
From what I understand the tingling can be an SE, but go to the Dr. I was having loss of facial muscle control on one side of my face and was scared to death because it was similar to stroke symptoms. As it turns out I have Bell's Palsy. Talk to your Dr. asap because, trust me, its worse to sit and let your mind reel about what it could be. Better to get checked out and know the answers. I waited a couple of days before contacting my Dr. hoping it would go away and spent all that time stressing myselt out more than I ever needed to.
> To all: I have been on lex for about 6 weeks now. Am feeling much better, but have concerns about numbness and tingling (parethesia) in all limbs. Does anyone else have this SE? Am really concerned it may be MS. Thanks for your help.
Posted by anonymous13 on November 15, 2003, at 4:05:48
In reply to Re: Lexapro for Anxiety? » sfmom, posted by Esmarelda on October 24, 2003, at 12:56:08
> I started on 10 mg and moved up to 15 mg after about 2-3 months and have been on 15 for about 2 months and feel really good. I would stay as low of dosage as works and move up either 2.5 or 5 mg if you need to. Ask your doctor about that.
Have you experienced any minor side effects. I was just prescribed this medication this evening and wont start until tomorrow morning. I am really sensitive to meds to.
Posted by Dr. Jill on November 15, 2003, at 12:56:47
In reply to Re: P.S. 10 days on Lex. bye-bye orgasms » sfmom, posted by almondjoy on October 31, 2003, at 17:53:42
Posted by streek on November 15, 2003, at 16:33:46
In reply to How long does it take for the SE's to go away? (nm), posted by Dr. Jill on November 15, 2003, at 12:56:47
Hi. I'm a 19 year old female and my doctor just prescribed me 10 mg of Lexapro and I'm really concerned. She prescribed my the meds because I become really depressed right before I start my period every month. But I'm really worried about the side effects. I'm a small framed person and only way 110 pounds (healthy for my height and frame). Also, I go to college (finals are coming up) and have two part time jobs so I can't really afford to have bad side effects. Should I maybe talk to my doctor about starting at a smaller dose or are the side effects not that bad? Also, do the majority of people who start Lexapro have the side effects? I have been reading over the posts on this thread and they are really informative but I haven't found any people posting who are as young and small as me. Do people my age normally get prescribed Lexapro? One more question, does anyone think that I would suffer from the sexual side effects as well?
Posted by sapphira on November 15, 2003, at 16:51:33
In reply to Concerned New User, posted by streek on November 15, 2003, at 16:33:46
hi, if i were you, i'd start out with 1/4 or a half of a pill and see how it's going to affect you. don't take it when you're going to school or work until you know how it's going to work on you. i'm VERY sensitive to meds and started out at a half and it made me very nauseous, jittery and unable to sleep, not to mention diarrhea too. so i cut it back to 1/4 and even though i felt slight nausea and stomach discomfort, the jitteriness went away and within a few days i started noticing some positive effects of the medicine. my anger was gone as was alot of my anxiety not to mention feeling brighter. i am now taking 1/2 pill (5 mg) and it seems to be agreeing with me, though the day i jumped to 5 was rough. i was again sick to my stomach and very light-headed with tons of brain fog. i'm sticking with the 5 mgs for now until i see my Dr. and see what she says. i AM feeling better and that is what counts. good luck.
sapphira
p.s. my symptoms were always worse right before my period too but i have been diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and depression.
Posted by sapphira on November 15, 2003, at 16:56:43
In reply to Concerned New User, posted by streek on November 15, 2003, at 16:33:46
streek, one more thing you asked about sexual s/es. i was able to achieve orgasm at the 2.5 mg dosage but i have not tried since starting the 5 mg. i think the sexual s/es are different for everyone and those that are affected adversely often get better with time.
Posted by Mrs C. on November 15, 2003, at 20:21:16
In reply to Re: Concerned New User, posted by sapphira on November 15, 2003, at 16:56:43
Hi, I have been taking 10mg of lex for about 10 days now. I felt very jittery and lightheaded for the first week but now feel okay. Not great yet but from what I read on this board, I should be feeling alot better soon. Good luck to you.
Posted by Mrs C. on November 15, 2003, at 20:28:15
In reply to Re: lexapro side effects » Mark T, posted by COOP on November 12, 2003, at 11:41:01
HI, the side effects have already started to subside for me. I have been on lex for 2 weeks now. I still do not feel much different emotionally but am eagerly awaiting that happening. Keep reading this board, it really helps to know that you are not alone in this.
Posted by BLKVETTES on November 16, 2003, at 2:06:11
In reply to Re: Tingling and numbness, posted by MissB on November 14, 2003, at 14:00:34
>>>>>>As it turns out I have Bell's Palsy.
I had that a couple of years ago. For me it was pure hell!!!!!!
WAYNE
Posted by theo on November 16, 2003, at 11:43:38
In reply to Concerned New User, posted by streek on November 15, 2003, at 16:33:46
When I first tried Lex I started at 10mg and after 8 weeks stopped because side effects never went away. Several months later another doc suggested Lex and I told him of my passed experience. He said start slow, 2.5mg for 1 week, then 5mg for 3-4 weeks. He said if I feel good on 5mg not to even go to 10mg, but if I felt like I needed more to go to 10mg. I stayed with 5mg and never even went to 10mg. Whats interesting is when I first tried Lex starting at 10mg, I had horrible nausea which slowly went away and I gained weight. When I tried Lex the second time with 2.5mg and slowly moved up, I had no nausea and lost weight! Whats even more interesting is I did some research on Lex and found a bar graph showing better results at 5mg and 20mg and worse at 10mg after 12 weeks! Forest did a good job at marketing Lex as a "one size fits all" but caused a lot of people much grief and wasted time on side effects by distributing sample packs that don't even suggest starting slow and titrating up, but hey I'm sure the stockholders are happy. By the way, I discontinued Lex the second time only do to sexual side effects. Tried adding 150mg of Wellbutrin XL but after 6 weeks on both quit the Lex and stayed with the Wellbutrin XL, which has been great for me for anxiety brought on by depression and sex is better than ever!
Posted by MissB on November 16, 2003, at 17:51:18
In reply to Concerned New User, posted by streek on November 15, 2003, at 16:33:46
First, you need to know that the same meds aren't going to affect everyone the same. I know people who hated the SEs from Celexa (same family as Lex) and I had none. However, I got switched to Lex and had horrible SEs during the first 10 days or so. It has gotten better. The second thing you need to know is that no matter what you take you will just have to give the meds time. You might or might not have side effects - no one will know until you take the meds. My last bit is to hang it there. As you can read from past postings it has taken time for things to get better and when they do I'm sure it will be as worth it for you as it has been for me.
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