![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 8338 to 8362 of 8406. Go back in thread:
Posted by TerraJo on July 13, 2005, at 6:53:19
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro?, posted by lil' jimi on July 11, 2005, at 12:40:04
i just got off it. it made me tired all day long, and i took it at bedtime. it wasn't working with my wellbutrin. so i'm off and feeling normal again. it did help me feel leveled off anxiety wise. but i was not alert during the day and this was not acceptable. that was even at 5mg. i'm glad to be off, but i wouldn't not recommend it to someone else. my pdoc says he recommends it for people who are also having trouble with sleep because it can have that effect on people. it just effected my whole day.
t.
Posted by lil' jimi on July 13, 2005, at 8:59:05
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro?, posted by TerraJo on July 13, 2005, at 6:53:19
hey t.
i wouldn't recommend any psychoactive medication to anybody.
that's the prescribers' job.
how long did you take lexapro?~ jim
Posted by TerraJo on July 13, 2005, at 21:29:18
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? » TerraJo, posted by lil' jimi on July 13, 2005, at 8:59:05
> hey t.
>
> i wouldn't recommend any psychoactive medication to anybody.
> that's the prescribers' job.
> how long did you take lexapro?
>
> ~ jim
i gave it about 5 weeks. it was good for two weeks and then i just got lethargic. my general prac doc had suggested it, but my pdoc who knows me really well said it wasn't good for me and he was right. it just made me too sleepy.
Posted by lil' jimi on July 14, 2005, at 2:02:11
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro?, posted by TerraJo on July 13, 2005, at 21:29:18
you gave it five weeks; you get full credit.
the SEs i had tapered away in 2 weeks.
no meds are for everybody.
lexapro is poison for some people.
i am glad it did you no permanent harm.
good to hear your wellbutrin's working.~ jim
Posted by Esmarelda on September 13, 2005, at 16:37:33
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? » TerraJo, posted by lil' jimi on July 13, 2005, at 8:59:05
I too posted a lot in this board in 2003. I was on Lex until July of this year when I quit on my own. I was diagnosed with hypothyroid in March and thought Lex was making that even worse. It always made me tired. Don't know what happened here, but sorry to hear of it. This board was a life support for me when I started Lex.
Posted by BLKVETTES on October 21, 2005, at 6:23:03
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro?, posted by Esmarelda on September 13, 2005, at 16:37:33
> I too posted a lot in this board in 2003. I was on Lex until July of this year when I quit on my own. I was diagnosed with hypothyroid in March and thought Lex was making that even worse. It always made me tired. Don't know what happened here, but sorry to hear of it. This board was a life support for me when I started Lex.
I REMEMBER YOU :-) ITS BEEN A LONG LONG TIME
TAKE CARE........WAYNE
Posted by Journeyman on November 27, 2005, at 20:37:10
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro?, posted by BLKVETTES on October 21, 2005, at 6:23:03
I'm sorry to see that the board has taken a temporary, if not permanent stop. I first discovered it on 11/22/03 when I took my first dosage and my life is so much better now that it's hard to believe I was ever here.
How did it all change? Several things: Lexapro (I took 10 mg for 13 months); the community support I found through writing here; lots of reading and therapy.
Even though no one is writing regularly, perhaps that will change and a new vibrant community, like the one I was so lucky to have when I started, will emerge. Even if it doesn't, you can learn a lot by slogging through a few thousand messages.
Wherever you are in your own journey, I wish you good health, stability, and self-acceptance.
'Journeyman'
Posted by ramsea on November 28, 2005, at 4:19:55
In reply to Checking in After a Long Time, posted by Journeyman on November 27, 2005, at 20:37:10
Thank you for your post. I too miss the lively feeling of this board. It has been a real support for me for many years--I forget when I first stumbled upon this site but immediately felt there was intelligent discussion, genuine and useful sharing of information, experience and---best of all---hope.
Dr Bob worked hard to make the place safe to be and respectful. I was amazed to discover that he was a real person with a real concern for his site members.
Mental health clients/patients often are on the receiving end of a lot of stigma and isolation. Being respected, and expected to be respectful of others, was an honor.
I will miss this place if it is really disappearing. I know change happens. But there's no other place on the net that I know of, and I have looked, that is quite so discerning and caring in real, practical ways.
Journeyman, I also wish you well. It's fantastic that you have experienced such healing and an important message for the still suffering to hear--that people can--and usually do-- recover from mental health crisis. I hope lots of the people still involved with board find a way to keep a community of help, hope and healing thriving. Best/ramsea
Posted by ed_uk on November 28, 2005, at 12:45:33
In reply to Re: Checking in After a Long Time, posted by ramsea on November 28, 2005, at 4:19:55
I don't understand. Why do you think this place is disappearing? Many people post on this site every day!
Ed
Posted by Iansf on November 29, 2005, at 23:45:54
In reply to Re: Checking in After a Long Time, posted by ed_uk on November 28, 2005, at 12:45:33
> I don't understand. Why do you think this place is disappearing? Many people post on this site every day!
>
> EdAnd many others of us post a few to several times a month. Perhaps it's specific people you miss?
But whether it's disappearing or not, it would be helpful for people like yourself who have had success with treatment to post at regular intervals so others can see that improvement is possible. When only people who are struggling post, it can get very discouraging. Success stories can help keep people going.
Posted by ramsea on November 30, 2005, at 2:59:30
In reply to Re: Checking in After a Long Time, posted by Iansf on November 29, 2005, at 23:45:54
I received the impression that some psybabs were upset that dr.bob is thinking of moving on and are concerned about the future of the site. There have been some threads on this. If incorrect, I'd be happy.ramsea
Posted by ed_uk on November 30, 2005, at 14:53:04
In reply to Re: Checking in After a Long Time, posted by ramsea on November 30, 2005, at 2:59:30
Hi
>some psybabs were upset that dr.bob is thinking of moving on and are concerned about the future of the site. There have been some threads on this
Can you provide a link to the threads?
Ed
Posted by Esmarelda on November 30, 2005, at 18:19:16
In reply to Re: Checking in After a Long Time, posted by ed_uk on November 30, 2005, at 14:53:04
Hi all! I too came to this board around June of 2003 and it was very helpful to me and helped me to keep my sanity. I stopped Lexapro in July of this year due to other health issues, hypothyroid and hemochromatosis, that I thought it was effecting. However, I recently started back on an antidepressant, Cymbalta, which has worked great. It took a while on Lexapro, but ultimately the wait was worth it as I dealt with my Granmother's death. I was under the impression that the site had basically disappeared, meaning that no one ever posted to it anymore.
Posted by lil' jimi on December 1, 2005, at 9:36:39
In reply to Re: Checking in After a Long Time, posted by Esmarelda on November 30, 2005, at 18:19:16
hi esmeralda ...
>> > I was under the impression that the site had basically disappeared, meaning that no one ever posted to it anymore.
>> >glad to hear you are doing okay.
keep up the good work.i too came here some 2 and a half years ago ... maybe it was like April of '03 ... if i went back to that part of the thread i would know for sure ...
for our confused ones, allow me to explain that by "here" we speak specificaly of this lexapro thread in particular.
... this is a special thread because it begins several months before lexapro was introduced to the U.S. ... and every poster became a personal case study in first time lexapro use ... this is the original lexapro thread.it is a long thread. ... but for anyone who wants to know about lexapro it is worth reading the whole thing ... as i have recommended many times here ... because that is what i did ... for a couple of weeks while i was going through the adaptation phase of my lexapro treatment ... and if you did read the whole long thing, you would meet many people who came here looking for help, advise, support and understanding ... and you would read about people who became friends here ...
i believe that reading the whole thread can not only answer many questions about lexpro, but offers a tapestry of human narratives written in first person accounts ... the sheer drama and humor of it goes beyond anything hollywood offers as diversion ...
i was one of those people ... along with oldhand and mariposa and blkvettes and esmeralda ... i should scan the thread and act like i can remember everybody ... i cannot say lexapro has done much to improve my memory ... ha!
it has been ... 2 years and 10 months, more or less, that i have been taking 10 milligrams of lexapro everyday ...
so, Yes, dear new friends/visitors: the rest of babble carries on just fine and people still post "here" at the pBabble med board everyday ...
but now the lex thread had fallen into disuse ... although some of us still come back ... to try to check on old friends ... and sometimes we are dismayed that this once thriving community has moved on and things seem like a ghost of what we experienced ...
i was once here everyday ...
sometime about a year ago people stopped posting here pretty much.
i needed this place when it was here for me.
i am grateful it was here then.
i don't need it so much now.
but i miss the camaraderie ....and i miss you esmeralda.
great to hear your voice.as blkvettes taught me to sign off:
TAKE CARE !!~ jim
p.s. http://www.videocodezone.com/videos/g/goo_goo_dolls/better_days.html
(tip o' the sombrero to Chickleta ... gracias)
Posted by Esmarelda on December 2, 2005, at 16:54:51
In reply to Re: Checking in After a Long Time, posted by lil' jimi on December 1, 2005, at 9:36:39
Hey lil' jimmy! Good to hear from you too. I also read this board everyday. It saved my sanity. Lexapro helped when I needed it. Although, it does have it's side effects. I have a whole host of other medical problems now and haven't been able to work in 6 months. Hypothyroidism and Hemochromatosis. That's why I had to go back on an AD. Cymbalta seemed to help within a matter of days and I do not seem tohave th same side effects as with Lex. The Wellbutrin - Lexapro mix worked best for me! It is probably good for those of us who dont' need the board to help those that might. Maybe it's because Lexapro has been in use for a while now and there may not be as many questions?? Who knows! I am on a great thyroid board on yahoo for that problem. It reminds me of how this used to be. Such helpful, understanding people who really want to try to help others get better! See ya soon, I hope!
Posted by ramsea on December 3, 2005, at 0:43:18
In reply to Re: Checking in After a Long Time, posted by ed_uk on November 30, 2005, at 14:53:04
Sorry Ed I feel ill with flu and can't go retrack my many readings. just say now that I read that sort of thing here and there, and was sad and haven't checked in as much. Suggestion--ask dr.bob in the Admin site if he knows why some psybabs spoke up like this. he is the horse's mouth, so to speak. best, ramsea
Posted by Journeyman on December 20, 2005, at 18:55:56
In reply to Re: Checking in After a Long Time, posted by Esmarelda on December 2, 2005, at 16:54:51
LilJimi and Esmerelda, it was really good to see that you're still checking in. I'm pleased to hear that things are going reasonably well with both of you.
You've both done a good job of giving some history to this particular thread, devoted specifically to Lexapro. Here's a bit more that will fill in the background to my previously posted comments.
When I first logged onto this site, I read through thousands of messages. Lexapro was a new medication (or at least a newly modified version of an older one) and I was very interested in learning whatever I could about it. It wasn't easy for me to start taking Anti-Depression medication because I'd always felt I should be able to overcome any problems through eating well, exercising, talking things out, etc. To add to it, my (soon to be ex) wife was not supportive of it and viewed it as some sort of failure on my part. Seeing that other people were also concerned, worried, anxious, relieved, pleased, etc. showed me that I wasn't alone.
At the time, there were often dozens of postings in a single day. People would check in once or twice or even several times a day and encourage each other, follow-up from previous conversations, ask how things were going, etc. It was generally a very accepting community and we all benefited by being a part of it.
Because we got to know each other pretty well, the postings sometimes went more along social lines rather than just discussions about the Lexapro, per se. Consequently, any time people wanted to make 'social' comments, they were to go to another thread. While that was an important function, it ultimately led to the (near) demise of this thread.
New people came, with different contributions and ideas, and the general tone of the site changed. Some people formed a new group on another website and inevitable change came.
When I logged on last month to see what was going on with this site, I was surprised and saddened to see that an entire month had gone by with no posts, and that prior to that there were only a few over quite a long period.
If you're visiting for the first time, I encourage you to post and to keep coming back. There is much to be gained from sharing questions and exeriences.
Perhaps the spirit of the past can be rekindled. After all, seeing the changes in my own life, I khow that the seeming impossible can happen.
Strength and joy to all,
Journeyman
Posted by BLKVETTES on December 21, 2005, at 17:34:03
In reply to Checking in Again After Less Time, posted by Journeyman on December 20, 2005, at 18:55:56
GOOD JOB JOURNEYMAN!!!!!!
Posted by BLKVETTES on December 21, 2005, at 17:37:17
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro?, posted by BLKVETTES on October 21, 2005, at 6:23:03
TO DA LEXAPRO BOARD.....EVERYONE TAKE CARE!!!
WAYNE
Posted by Journeyman on December 21, 2005, at 19:13:03
In reply to MERRY CHRISTMAS, posted by BLKVETTES on December 21, 2005, at 17:37:17
Wayne,
It's good to see that you're still here. If nothing else, it means you're still doing what you need to do.
I hope that you're well.
Journeyman
Posted by Esmarelda on January 13, 2006, at 15:30:18
In reply to A Familiar Voice, posted by Journeyman on December 21, 2005, at 19:13:03
I agree with Journeyman - there was much to learn here, medically, emotionally, and just other's experiences. It is a very alone feeling when you are depressed. I guess the old adage is true - Misery does love company. Or, at least likes to know they are not alone. Lexapro worked for me. I am on something different now after a bried respite from the Lexapro. However, I have a lot more physicial going on now which I did not have at all in 2003 and 2004 when I was heavy posting and reading. Take care you guys and good hearing from you. I will check in from time to time!!!
Posted by genatay on February 12, 2006, at 17:34:37
In reply to Re: A Familiar Voice, posted by Esmarelda on January 13, 2006, at 15:30:18
Hi, My first day.. How's everyone?
I'm weening myself off lexapro of 4 years and now trying to find an all natural substitute..I'm tired of being a guinee pig for my doctors and pharmaceutical companies. I religiously take my MSM and Apple Cidar Vinegar,and proud to say my cholesterol and blood pressure are good..
Hope to find something soon ..
TY
Posted by Dr. Bob on February 14, 2006, at 23:11:01
In reply to Re: NEW VOICE, posted by genatay on February 12, 2006, at 17:34:37
> I'm weening myself off lexapro of 4 years and now trying to find an all natural substitute..
Welcome! And sorry if it's confusing here, but I'd like to redirect follow-ups regarding all natural substitutes to Psycho-Babble Alternative. Here's a link:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20060130/msgs/609640.html
Thanks,
Bob
Posted by Kenny bb on April 3, 2006, at 11:15:19
In reply to Re: Lexapro sex drive, weight gain, dreams » bozeman, posted by proud mary on January 28, 2003, at 11:51:20
I'm 25and started Lexapro last week... My sex drive has increased but cannot acheive a full orgasm.. Been thinking of dis-continuing this med. Through a DR. of course. Is this normal and are there alternitives as far as medication
Posted by ramsea on April 3, 2006, at 11:22:27
In reply to Re: Lexapro sex drive, weight gain, dreams, posted by Kenny bb on April 3, 2006, at 11:15:19
It's pretty common as a SE. There are things that help some people--take a look at the section on the subject in a book by a Washington D.C. psychiatrist called The Anti-depressant Survival Guide. Sorry--forget his name and don't own it, checked it from library. One thing he mentioned was Gingko Biloba, a herbal remedy, worth asking your doctor. Also some people find it helps to "plan ahead" and take the med later than usual so it isn't fullblast in the system. good luck, ramsea
Go forward in thread:
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.