All about Lexapro

Hi again,
2 weeks ago my dr added 10 mg lexapro to the 400mg of Wellbutrin I
have been taking for several months to help depression. I’ve had
side effects (difficulty sleeping, sexual side effects, funny taste
in my mouth, a bit shaky, sleepy, etc.), but my mood had been MUCH
better, and I was less anxious as well.
HOWEVER, yesterday and today I’ve been feeling crabby and anxious
like I was before. Nothing in my life is different, situationally.
My nonmedical opinion is that I’ve adjusted to the 10mgs of lexapro
and need the dose bumped up. My sleep has been better lately, and I
think that’s another indication that my body’s adjusting to this
dose.
To muddy the waters, though, I’m expecting my period, and usually
my mood is the worst when it’s PMS time. I’ll have my follow-up
with the doc in a week, so the PMS phase will be over by then. If
I’m still crabby and anxious, how do I know if that’s an indication
that I need the dose bumped up, OR if it’s not working for me???
Does anyone else have experience with this type of situation????
Patty

Hi– I have suffered from depression and anxiety all my life, even
though I never wanted to admit it (I’m 35 now).
I sort of thought that it was just me– the way I was supposed to
be. I don’t think I even know what happiness is– I just know misery
and despair and fear of EVERYTHING.
Anyway, to make a long story short, my parents finally convinced me
to go to a doctor yesterday and he put me on Lexapro and Xanax. I
know all about the Xanax (I worked in a pharmacy for 15 years) and am
very leery about taking it unless I’m having an anxiety attack.
But Lexapro wasn’t on the market when I was working in pharmacy.
What I really want to know is what I’m supposed to expect. I know
it’s supposed to make me feel better, but what does that mean? What
sort of changes am I supposed to be looking for? I’ve been miserable
for so long that I can’t even imagine what it means to be happy, so I
have a really hard time with the concept that a pill is going to
change something, when nothing else ever has. I understand about
taking a Tylenol and having my headache go away, or taking a Benadryl
to stop my sneezing, because those are physical changes I know to
expect. I don’t understand something that is going to change my
emotions or my state of mind.
Is the medicine going to make me want to live my life again? What is
happiness compared to utter misery? I just don’t know what to
expect. I’m really anxious for something to happen… anything. But
I’d love to have an idea of what it’s going to be– what I should be
looking forward to experiencing.
I would love to read some input from others who have gone through the
same experience.
Thanks,
Beth

Has anyone experienced night sweats while on Lexapro? I’ve been on Lex
for about six months and really haven’t had any side effects. But I
have been experiencing night sweats recently and wonder if it’s the
Lex or something else?

I’ve been on lex 10 mg for 10 days now. I’m also on wellbutrin
400mg a day for depression, and have been on that for months.
So far I’m cautiously optimistic about my improvement, but I’m
really unhappy with the sexual side effects …..(d-e-l-a-y-e-d
orgasm, low libido) although I had low libido from depression to
start with, so I can’t really blame it on the med.
I am a female, and I’ve read that there are some meds that may
help the sexual side effects, but my doc didn’t seem to know of
anything that might help. I have my follow-up visit in about a
week, and I’d like to go in there with some knowledge about this.
Has anyone heard of anything that can help?
I’m open to just about anything (herbal over-the-counter products,
perscription meds, etc.).
Thanks in advance for any help,
Patty

Thanks for your response, I guess I just figured anti-depressants
were for…emotional problems and what I feel I have is a nervous
system problem, and what if taking a med to fix my nervous system
problem ends up giving me emotional problems? Is that possible? The
brochure I have here says “there is a connection between depression
and anxiety disorders, almost 50% of those who have depression have
an anxiety disorder too” Well, what about the other 50% ? Also,
(and I dont want to sound argumentive or anything,just trying to get
informed) why are people talking about withdrawls, and tapering off
the Lexapro if its supposedly not addictive? I didnt really know
xanax was any more or less addicting than the Lexapro because both
have to be tapered off and both give people withdrawl symptoms right?
And what is this thing I keep reading about people having
brain’zaps’? What is that? It sounds really scary. Anyway, I really
would appreciate any advice you or anyone else could give me. I
mean, I’m still young and this thing is happening to me, something
in my nerves and my body that I cant control; I just dont want to
make it any worse.

I am 24 years old and for the past year or so have been expeirencing
anxiety and pannic attacks(keeping me from social situations etc..)
Well, finally I decided to go see a doctor about it and she
prescribed a low dose of xanax which worked great for me! When I
finished the prescription and went back to see her (about 2 weeks
later) she gave me a smaller prescription and zoloft. Once I stopped
taking the xanax and was only on zoloft all my anxiety and panicking
just came right back. Clearly the zoloft did nothing for my
problems, so I figured xanax was the answer to my problem but when I
went back to see my doctor she ended up giving me Lexapro instead.
Ive gone online and read as much as I could about zoloft, and
lexapro and it seems to me that these are both mainly used to treat
depression…..but I dont feel depressed. And unfortunately most of
the stories Ive read about Lexapro are horror
withdrawls,addiction.So, basically I’M SCARED! I like the xanax
because it works for my specific problem, but for some reason the
doctor sent me home with the Lexapro and now its just sitting there
right in front of my face as I type this and I’m afraid to take
it.SO,NOW MY QUESTION IS THIS:Is there anyone out there who has
taken this medication for anxiety reasons only, and does it work
without messing around with all that seratonin and other junk I dont
understand.Im sorry if I’m babbling but all this stuff going on with
me is so new and scary. Any advice or opinion would be GREATLY
APPRECIATED!

Hi,
I have been reading group messages for more than a month now and
suspect that, while it is a helpful forum for exchanging ideas about
Lexapro and other related issues, this group must not be an accurate
representation of Lexapro users. The group seems to be dominated by
two types of people, 1) those new to Lexapro and 2)those who have
had unfavorable experiences with the drug. Members with positive
Lexapro experiences are present, but they are few and far between on
this site. I’m sure there are many more out there who have had
positive expereices with Lexapro, but, because they are content,
they tend to not seek online groups such as these. It tends to be
those who have not been so lucky on the drug who seek groups such as
this for support.
Having said that, I have been on both sides. My first week on 10mg
Lexapro for mild anxiety and mild depression was awful. I was a
tired zombie. After four weeks,cutting my dose to 5mg, and taking it
before bedtime I felt better during the day. However, I was still
sleepless and anxious at night. My psychiatrist neighbor suggested I
take the dose in the morning instead. I am sleeping much better and
overall am feeling much better that I have been in a while. I have
particularly noticed that I have less social anxiety and am taking
life more in stride. I still feel a bit tired (could be onset of
colder season which tends to bring me down); but I want to stick it
out and see if the adjustment period tapers off.
~S

Hello to all,
I just wanted to comment to all who talk about weaning off of
Lexapro. I wish I had that option. I am happy for all who can take
it and wean off of it when they feel better. I just wanted to speak
out for all of those like me who will have to take it for the rest
of their lives. I suffer from OCD and sever depression. Without
Lexapro I had suicidal thoughts and would spend days on end in bed.
Lexapro helps me survive everyday. I am happy, go to school, have a
part time job and a great marriage. I have been depressed my whole
life and it runs in my family. My doctor told me without taking
Lexapro everyday I would fall back into depression. My husband and
family would never want me to stop taking it. So I live with the
side effects (Some weight gain) happily because at least now I have
a good life. I do worry about having children because I don’t want
to pass my OCD and depression on. I would hate to see my child as
obsessive and depressed as I was as a child. Has anyone taken
Lexapro while pregnant? I wonder if it would cause birth defects? I
wouldn’t want to give birth to a child who was addicted. But
adoption is always an option for me because I am adopted myself.
I hope everyone the best!
Shannon

I loved your e-mail thank you baby.
Jo

I am new to this group, but I have done some research on Lexapro and
withdrawals after I had gone a week cold turkey. I had taken 10
milligrams of Lexapro after taking Celexa for two years. I was only
supposed to be on the Celexa for 6 months. It was originally
prescribed for me for post-partum depression. The Celexa helped, but
I was incapable of doing the simplest things, like going shopping.
After going cold turkey for a week, I went to see my doctor about
something unrelated, and I burst into tears. Instead of helping me
off antidepresants, he prescribed Lexapro to me, teliing me it had no
side effects and would be perfect for me. The transition was not
easy, but after a few weeks I felt better. But I slowly realized me
life was not much better than it had been on the Celexa. I let so
many things slide all because I was afaid I might need this drug to
make it through the day. The last time I went to refill the Lexapro
was on a Friday. The doctor had refused to fill it because I had not
seen him for so long. Another apptointment I never made it got pushed
back and back. I decided I would not take them anymore, and for a
week I did not notice much. But then started a living hell. I first
noticed how incredibibly irritable I had become with my four small
children. Then I got all these terrible flu symptoms, aches and
pains, runny nose, etc. The worst part of all is not feeling
comfortable in your own skin. I just don’t feel like myself. I have
read comments drom many people who weaned themselves off slowly, and
could never get off because the withdrawals were too horrible. I
believe I would have been just as miserable even if I had weaned off
slowly. I had taken Zanax for about a year (years ago), one small
dose per day, and when I tapered off and finally quit I was totally
miserabe, almost ezactly how I feel now. I am determined to ride this
out for as long as it takes. It will be two weeks tomorrow, and it is
getting worse not better. After doing more resaech (wish I woild have
had the wherewithal to do it before I started on the Lexapro) I
believe that antidpessants should be used as a last resort. The price
is too huge, and no one tells you about these problems. I have been
visiting many sites like this one, and there are many people out
there that are suffering just like I am. If I had had any clues what
me and my family would have to suffer through, I would never have
taken them. I had pp depression after my second son and it went away
on it’s own. I would have at the least given it (pp dep)more time to
go away on its own, or would have taken the Celexa for a much shorter
time. I would never advise anyone to take these drugs unless you are
suicidal. You can’t know how they will affect you until it is too
late. Is there anyone out there who had suffered from withdrawals and
made it through? Can you tell me how long it took? Thanks for your
time.