[Mr Spock]

Mohannie,
"Niravam" is a benzodiazepine otherwise known as Alprazolam. It is very similar to Diazapam (Valium), but probably a bit stronger. These drugs can be quite addictive if taken for a long time. However, if taken for up to month until the paxil kicks in, it will probably be all right, but no longer. I need to remind you, though that I am not a doctor, let alone yours, so any concerns, have a talk to him or her, and I am only providing information, not necessarily prescribing advice.
The other herb I was put on yesterday is called Brahmi, or Bacopa monniera. It seems that this also assists in the rebuilding of neuro-transmitters..

Live long and Prosper

[bobstar79]

Is everyone on this board against anti-depressants? In what circumstances do you believe that anti-depressants should be used?

I was diagnosed with clinical depression and I was having a lot of bad symptoms, such as trouble sleeping, crying all the time, constant negative thoughts, low energy, loss of apetite, weight loss, difficulty concentrating, unexplained feelings of pain. I also have a family history of depression, so I went to go see a psychiatrist.

Could I have gotten over this without medication? Somehow I doubt it.

Unfourtunately, Lexapro wasn't the drug for me because it didn't seem to help unless I took Trazadone with it. I ended up having suicidal thoughts when I took the Lexapro alone.

Are suicidal thoughts important enough to you to start taking anti-depressants? I would say absolutely yes. I view clinical depression as a life-threating medical illness, that can be treated with medication, supplements, therapy, social support network.

I realize I'm going to have some withdrawal symptoms when I come off the Effexor I'm taking. But, I consider my life to be more than worth the withdrawal.

[Kendra]

Bobstar,

"My" stance is that no, not all antidepressants are bad. Years ago I was on something called Pamelor for less than a year and I don't remember having an side effects or withdrawal from it when I was taken off of it. I have a history of depression from time to time but I have always worked through it.

On the other hand, it is also my stance that taking antidepressants for "situational depression" (like mine was), is bad. I don't think anyone should be put in antidepressants like Lexapro after a devastating breakup or other loss. My grief and sadness were something a person in that situation would normally go through. It wasn't a true chemical imbalance, although I was "diagnosed" with low seratonin levels since several unfortunate events leading up to the breakup had left me exhausted and empty. I didn't want to kill myself. But, however, I felt at the time like I was dead. I was stunned to find out later that suicidal thoughts are sometimes a side effect of taking Lexapro even if those suicidal thoughts weren't present to begin with.

Also regariding Lexapro, I am definitely worse off than if I had not taken it. The drug never did lift any sadness from me. Instead it introduced a host of problems that I've written about in this thread. The "average weight gain" of 30 - 40 lbs in six months caused by Lexapro is enough to cause depression in itself. I was supposed to be on this drug for a year. After a few months I asked myself what was worse -- crying, mourning, being depressed and getting over it or waking up six months from now crying and depressed because of massive weight gain and other problems.

"Side effects" of any drug or withdrawing from a drug are to be expected. But the side effects and withdrawal symptoms from Lexapro, in my opinion, are worse than the problems the drug was created to treat. At this point I am more depressed, down and barely unable to get through each day because of a pill that was supposed to make me feel better. I should have never taken it.

Just my opinion and my experience.

_________________

Just say no - to Lex-a-Pro!

[auntybiotic]

Mr. Spock,

I personally would NOT take the St. John's Wort. It is similiar to Lexapro in increasing the serotonin and because it is a herb it is not regulated.. There is no telling what strenth is stated on the bottle is actually the strenth inside the pill or capsule.Some brands are even questionable about purity of ingrediants.

After this Lexapro nightmare, I would not want to chemically alter the serotonin. Are you off the Lexapro totally?

If not there is also the serotonin syndrome to worry about and that can be fatal. I also believe that St. John's Wort and Sam E are metabolized thru the P 450 stsem of the liver.

By adding more "chemica;s" for the liver, that has already been stressed due to lexapro, is in my opinion just asking for trouble with toxin overloads.It will also further prevemt the liver from purging the lexapro which can attach to bile and be recirculated.

If you have been off the Lexapro for awhile, you could start cautiously and see if you notice signs of the serotonin syndrome, chills, sweating, mania type euphoria, muscle jerking, jaw clenching, pupils that are slow to react to light changes.

Just two of the above symptoms should send up a red flag.

I would also weigh the benefits for taking St. John's Wort against the consequences. The neurotransmitters will repair in time. Is there any solid evidence that St. John's Wort actually does repair anything............I have never read data to date, Ask for articles showing these studies.

Trusting is what got every one of us in this position with Lexapro, I will not believe anything regarding drugs unless I have researched it and even then I will remain skeptical. I was told Lexapro was a SAFE and Effective medication with no side effects.............what could be further from te truth!!!!! Please be careful........your brain has been disputed by Lexapro...............do you want to use a unregulated herb to FIX the problem, or so they say??
Personally I would not, but that is only my opinion and I am not a doctor.

As my daughter is going down by about 50% in her dose she is getting horrible nightmares nightly, anyone else noticing this symptom??

[auntybiotic]

Hi again,

I forgot to add that withdrawling from SSRI's can cause symptoms that mimic bipolar disorder. My daughter when tapering was showing signs of this and Obsessive compulsive disorder but they passed within two weeks of some of the tapers.

If some taper quickly this can be a withdrawal symptom and may get misdiagnosed as an illness and treated with additional medication when it could actually be a withdrawal symptom.

I am speaking from experience because I noticed the cycles when first tapering but they went away within 10 days.

[mohannie]

Hi All,

I have had some strange dreams lately, but I wouldn't call them nightmares. I had a dream last night that a friend of mine was beaten and shot. The person who shot her then set fire to our neighborhood as a warning to the witnesses of the beating and shooting. So yes, I have had some disturbing dreams as of late, and I've only been off of Lexapro for six days. Also keep in mind that I have been taking Paxil four of those six days.

[enaek]

I have had some crazy action packed dreams while on Lexapro. I never knew I had such an imagination! They were very "movie-like" and sometimes when I wake up I want to go back to sleep to finish the "movie". They are like Steven King books...filled with vampires, monsters, all sorts of things...

[mohannie]

I'm feeling ok today I guess, but I'm still kinda down and tired. I've been feeling the dizziness, especially when I close and open my eyes. Thanks Mr. Spock for the information, and I will discuss my progres with my therapist on Tuesday. Is anyone out there taking Lunesta in combination with Lexapro? If so, do you feel that the Lunesta affected the Lexapro in any way?

[Miss Lee]

HI all!

Merry Christmas! I am feeling a bit better. My dizziness has gone. My heart is still upset (dropping beats) but not as much and that is a plus. I still have the trembling (akatheisia??sp.?) but it has also gone down a little. I am away from my job till after the New Year and am staying with my mama which also makes me feel better. I haven't cried in awhile (like two days) and for me that is a breakthrough. I have also gained a pound back (after losing 38 every calorie counts) I still have heightened anxiety but it is also passing. I am still afraid of "losing Control" like I felt during the reaction. But it is kinda a PTSD thing. I have had a rough road and still am dealing with effects that this drug did to me. I am still sluggish and tired, but after feeling like I was on crack : TIRED feels good.

HOPE AND PRAYERS TO ALL OF YOU!

Mr. Spock-thank you for the encouraging words and knowledge! Hang in there!
Aunty- your support through this has been a blessing. Thank you.

I 'll be out for awhile to heal and celebrate. Take care.

Miss Lee

P.S. BP is often misdiagnosed during withdrawal of Anti's.

[mohannie]

I'm not doing well today. I can't stop crying and I feel like I'm in so much pain right now. I just want to feel as close to normal again as I possibly can. It's taking everything in me not to just give up. I am so tired right now and I just want the pain to stop. I don't know how I'm going to make it through this. I can't take this anymore I don't know what to do. I'm taking the Paxil like I'm supposed to but it isn't helping.

[Brewer]

Mohannie,
you need to call your doctor on an emergency basis RIGHT NOW!!! I think you sound desperate and possibly suicidal and we won't let you go that direction damnit!

If Paxil isn't working, it isn't right for you. There has to be another option. You can not let yourself get so desperate that you are in danger of losing yourself!!!

Depression is a real and often deadly disease and I think we all agree that is true. How it is treated is very personal and many of us feel we blindly took the "answer" given (lex) without proper knowledge of problems, side effects and the future.

But let us not lose sight that we are all here, alive and well enough to nice lady loud and clear about how much we think Lex sucks. That is a blessing in itself!!! Without help through our depression, we certainly wouldn't be so vocal.

Mohannie I am worried about you and you need to call your doctor RIGHT NOW!!! You must get this taken care of TODAY. You are worth it and you have a bright future on the other side of this crisis- don't forget that.

Regarding weight- I am now almost 3 months off everything and am losing weight, my appetite has diminished and I think side effects are gone. I have more energy, more interest and am aware of how "distant" Lex made me to my kids. I'm glad I got through the side effects before Christmas. Now for losing those 30 pounds!

Denise

Brewer was here

[mohannie]

Thanks for the words of encouragement Brewer. I just called a local crisis center and was put on hold, so quite naturally I hung up. I think that the Lex is still in my system, and it may be interracting with the Paxil, thus making my depression worse. As for my doctor, she's on vacation, so I can't get in touch with her. I didn't mean to scare you, but I'm really not having a good day today. I'll get through it, but it's going to be tough.

[Redbled]

Hang in there Mohannie. My days come and go as well. I haven't felt as down as you for quite some time, but we're all here for you. I'm nearing the 4 month point of Lex withdrawal.

[Mr Spock]

Auntybiotic, thanks for the tip. I have been totally off the Cipramil (similar to Lexapro) for over 3 months, having gone cold turkey. My naturopath said that the St John's Wort was a low dose within the mixture, so was unable to really effect my serotonin levels. I heartily agree that any elevation in serotonin will slow down, or even reverse the healing of my neuro-receptors, so I dont want that to happen. If you think that this would still be counter-productive, I will definitely not take it.
By the way, I still get vivid dreams every night, some of them a bit dark, so perhaps this is a sign that your daughters neuro-receptors are coming good.
Mohannie, from what I gather Paxil, due to its short half-life, can hit you like a ton of bricks!!! Hang in there. The Alprazolam would make you feel more exhausted (it is after all, a muscle relaxant) but should relieve some of your anxiety.
Bobstar79, No-one is against the appropriate use of anti-depressants, but they should only be prescribed for "clinical depression", which is what you have, and are going through, and not indiscriminately or indefinitely, and should be withdrawn slowly under medical supervision. Also, people need to be informed more of the debillitation that can occur from either side-effects or the withdrawals, and the withdrawals should be recognised and treated far more comprehensively. I was only put on the Cipramil as a precaution whilst I was on a form of chemo-therapy, and if I'd known what I was going to end up going through, would have refused, and taken my chances. Auntybiotic's daughter was put on Lexapro for teeth grinding!!, and she is having a hell of a time withdrawing.
Miss Lee, great that you are turning the corner at last and thanks for those warm comments.
Redbled, you are on the home run too, so congratulations.
Will wish you Christmas cheer tomorrow.

Peace and Long Life.

[angel144]

THANKYOU GUYS SO MUCH. I JUST WENT OFF LEXAPRO COLD TURKEY. I TAKE 2 ZANAX AT NIGHT TO SLEEP. I FEEL DIZZY ALL DAY LONG. BUT I AM MUCH HAPPIER THEN I HAVE BEEN. I WAS ON 40 MLG. FOR THE LAST YEAR (WHICH I DID GAIN 30 POUNDS BOO HOO FOR ME!!) BEFORE THAT I WAS ON 20 FOR FOUR YEARS. THE ONLY PROBLEM THAT I SEE WITH THIS DRUG (AND IT IS A BIG ONE FOR ME) IS THAT I DON'T REMEMBER MY CHILD'S LIFE. THANK GOD FOR PICTURES. IF YOU ASK ME WHAT HAPPENED 10 YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS A DRUNK I COULD TELL YOU IN DETAIL. IF YOU ASK ME WHAT I DID LAST WED. I HAVE NO CLUE. UNTIL SOMEONE GIVES ME A CLUE. THEN I CAN PIECE IT TOGETHER. BUT SO MUCH OF MY MIND WAS LOST. BUT FROM READING EVERYONE'S POSTS I SEE, I HAVE ABOUT OF YEAR OF DIZZYNESS LEFT???
IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO STOP THE DIZZYNESS OR SHOULD I JUST SHUT-UP AND DEAL WITH IT. THANX FOR LISTENING (READING)[:I]

[Redbled]

Angel, I don't think you have a year of dizzyness left. From what I understand, it will not be nearly that long. The first few weeks are the worst. One thing I would caution you on is I had bad experiences with anything I would take when I first started my withdrawal. Not sure how others here think, but I would stop the Zanax. I even stopped multi-vitamins as I am convinced they were making me feel worse. I'm just trying to completely clean out my system.

Mr. Spock, You mentioned being on the home run. What point do you figure we will really start to know we are getting over this? I'm thrilled for Ms. Lee, as she was doing very badly a couple of weeks ago, and seems to be doing quite well now. I just can't wait until I have a full day where I don't think about what Lexapro did to me.

[Kendra]

Mohannie, I'm taking Lunesta (not every night) and was taking Lexapro. I've had insomnia for years and Lunesta was (is) a godsend. I'm a "tosser and turner" and could not believe I could take a pill, go to sleep within a few minutes and wake up rested. I was stunned. The only thing "bad" about it is that you can't take it every night or indefinitely. I think the Lunesta folks say you can't build up a resistance (but what the heck do drug companies know) but I noticed that it loses its effect a bit if I take it more than three days in a row.

Also, Lunesta had a hard time working when I took it at night right after taking Lexapro. I was in a 'not quite awake, not quite asleep' state. Like the two drugs were fighting each other.

Mohannie, also you sound "touch and go" and to be honest, I'm worried about you also. If the meds you're on aren't working, you need to call your doctor ASAP. Think of how long it takes most antidepressants to start working. You don't want to be calling the doc when you've hit rock bottom. There's nothing worse than being told the depression will get better "in a few weeks." At least call the pharmacist where you get your prescription and ask about the Paxil/Lexapro drug interactions. Your doctor is on vacation? You cannot put your needs and depression on the back burner while she's on the beach somewhere. You deserve to be happy, too. Someone at your doctor's office either needs to get a hold of her immediately, or they need to direct you to someone who can assist you in her absence. Immediately.



_________________

Just say no - to Lex-a-Pro!

[melccu]

i know im not the first to say this but boy am i glad i found this forum...i have found a lot of useful info through reading the postings and am sooo glad at a time where i feel completely alone that im not the only one going through this. i was put on lexapro two years ago for "severe" depression according to the inventory given by my doc. after much consideration, i decided that a life of feeling numb from any and all emotions was not the life for me. how can you truly deal with and learn from the trials of life if you are numb to them? i decided to wean myself from my daily dosage for a period of two months and have been completely off it for five weeks now. the initial physical side effects only lasted about two weeks which was great, that was easy compared to how i am feeling now. i have had only one tear free day for the past two and a half weeks, crying for reasons of which i cant explain. my perception is off (taking personal offense to dealings with family and friends), im emotionally hyper sensitive, loss of appetite, weight loss, lack of interest in virtually everything (which sucks with christmas here), tired all the time, i feel like crawling under a rock, irritable, nervous, alone and that no one can understand that what i am going through is real (not just pms or holiday blues). i am trying to find inner strength spiritually through prayer but i look at the bottle every day and think how much longer am i going to have to deal with the daily pain and sadness...is it really worth being off the meds? i dont want to go back on them, never thought i was one who needed to be on a drug for the rest of my life and i'd like to think that this stage will pass or at least the load will be lightened soon. out of curiosity i took the depression inventory again to see where i marked...to my surprise i scored in the middle of the severe range again. im right back where i started two years ago. i went off the drug so i could start feeling again, i did sign up for a relapse in depression. i truly hope what i am experiencing is a temporary stage. this truly sucks!! i hope to find some relief through natural substances, vitamins and what not...keeping my fingers crossed. anyway...thanks for letting me vent!

[Shifty]

melccu,

I can really relate to everything you are saying. People thought I was just lazy and anti-social because I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything. These mental illnesses are real and people treat you worse than a crack addict because you don't have a good excuse for acting the way you do. Saying you are "depressed" is usually met with a sigh and a roll of the eyes. "Your not depressed, your just lazy" I always heard.

You say you take personal offense dealing with family members, are emotionally hyper-sensitive, and are irritable. Does your doctor know about these specific symptoms? Are you seeing a specialist or a general practitioner?

The reason I ask about the doctor is because even some doctors have these same attitudes. My PCP thought I was lazy too. Even some doctors don't realize that there are different levels of mental illness. Just because you aren't in a corner flipping your lips up and down (yet) doesn't mean you are fine.

Sometimes I felt like sitting in a corner flipping my lips up and down while humming "The Flight of the Valkyries" would be better than suffering in silence. People who are obviously crazy get alot more sympathy amd help.

Good luck, and come talk it out with us if you need to. Just don't take specific advice from people here without asking your doctor first. Many natural remedies are simply uncontrolled drugs with no quality control prescribed by other crazy people. (think about that for a second)

---

I have taken :
Paxil, Lexapro, Xanax, and Lithium

Currently:
10mg Lexapro
450mg Eskalith CR (Lithium)

I was mis-diagnosed for 3 years. They thought I was Generalized Anxiety Disorder with a Major Depressive Episode. The real problem was Bipolar Disorder.

Ask me anything, nothing is off-limits.

Shifty

[auntybiotic]

Mohannie and Shifty.

Please be very careful while taking Lithium and Xanax with Lexapro/

Lithium as well as xanax should NOT be taken with Lexapro as a DRUG INTERACTION can occur due to the liver and the P 450 Cytochrome system. If they are taken together special monitoring should be implemented to prevent serious drug interactions.

Lithium and Xanaz can alter the levels of the lexapro or of the coadministered drug sometimes to 100 times their levels. Lithium taken with Lexapro will increase the levels of Lexapro. Xanax taken with Lexapro will increase the levels of xanax due to the P 450 Cytochrome system in the liver.

I have printed just a short warning of the drug interactions below. .


Lithium - Plasma lithium levels should be monitored with appropriate adjustment to the lithium dose in accordance with standard clinical practice. Because lithium may enhance the serotonergic effects of escitalopram, caution should be exercised when LEXAPRO and lithium are coadministered.

What other drugs will affect Lexapro?
• Do not take Lexapro if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) during the last 2 weeks. A dangerous drug interaction can occur when Lexapro is combined with any of these medications.
• Before taking Lexapro, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
· another antidepressant such as citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), trazodone (Desyrel), or nefazodone (Serzone);
· a tricyclic antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil), imipramine (Tofranil), doxepin (Sinequan), nortriptyline (Pamelor), and others;
· a seizure medication including carbamazepine (Tegretol) or felbamate (Felbatol);
· a stomach medicine such as cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB), ranitidine (Zantac, Zantac 75), or omeprazole (Prilosec);
· an antibiotic such as erythromycin (Eryc-Tab, E-Mycin, E.E.S., Erythrocin, P.C.E., others) or clarithromycin (Biaxin);
· an antifungal medication such as fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), or ketoconazole (Nizoral); or
· a migraine medication such as almotriptan (Axert), eletriptan (Relpax), frovatriptan (Frova), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), sumatriptan (Imitrex), or zolmitriptan (Zomig);
· the asthma medication zafirlukast (Accolate); or
· lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid, Lithonate, Lithotabs).
• You may not be able to take Lexapro, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicines listed above.
• Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Lexapro. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including herbal
supplements.

Possible food and drug interactions when taking this medication
Do not use Lexapro if you are taking the related drug Celexa. Be sure to avoid MAO inhibitors when taking Lexapro. Although Lexapro does not interact with alcohol, the manufacturer recommends avoiding alcoholic beverages.

If Lexapro is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Lexapro with the following:

Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
Cimetidine (Tagamet)
Desipramine (Norpramin)
Drugs that act on the brain, including antidepressants, painkillers, sedatives, and tranquilizers
Ketoconazole (Nizoral)
Lithium (Eskalith)
Metoprolol (Lopressor)
Narcotic painkillers
Sumatriptan (Imitrex)

Dr. Spock,

I personally feel there will be more potential harm then good by adding St. John's Wort to the recovery from Lexapro. Have you tried Omega 3's? Magnesium? A good multivitamin with mineral? To add anything that will even remotely affect serotonin will only delay the body learning to regulate the receptors naturally. This is only my opinion and I am not a doctor.

My daugher was prescribed the antibiotic Biaxin while on Lexapro and she had a drug interaction that her doctor and pharmacist were unaware of but was documented. Many MD's and Pharmacist only rely on the Drug Checker Link and it is not always up to date or inclusive.

Happy Holidays to all.

[Mr Spock]

Thanks Aunty,
I will stop this mixture immediately, and go back to the one I was taking earlier which does not contain St John's Wort, and
a multi vitamin and mineral supplement. Your comments about drug interactions are very important. I would like to add my 2 cents worth from the lithium side. The dosage of lithium is based on achieving a blood level of roughly between 0.8 - 1.2 mmol/litre. Unfortunately, the toxic dose of lithium is not far above this at 2.0 mmol/litre. This leaves an incredible narrow margin for error.
Therefore, it is very important to be very careful as the toxic dose can be life threatening if no intervention occurs, or, at the very least cause considerable damage to the kidneys. Therefore, although it is primarily metabolised by the kidneys, not the liver, the addition or changing of other medications could easily affect this. Mohannie, please think seriously about whether you need to be on this medication as my earlier comment stands. Shifty, you feel that it is of great benefit to you, so just make sure that the blood levels are regularly monitored.
Melccu, from what Aunty said a page or so back, the physical symptoms resolve first, but the psychological ones take longer. Both are signs of withdrawal, hang in there, as it takes a while.
Redbled, I have no idea how long it takes as I'm not far behind you
time-wise, and I still very much have the physical symptoms, but from what I can gather, once these dissipate, the psychological ones inevitably follow. Be patient just a bit longer, regardless of the time frame, it will happen!!! Denise (Brewer) is at last coming good. We will take just a bit longer...
It is Christmas morning in Australia, it is a beautiful sunny day, and I'm off to see the family.
Have a great Christmas everyone, and I truly believe that 2006 will be a much better year in which we will bear fruit from the turmoils and tribulations of this one.

[Redbled]

Mr. Spock,

I was curious what physical and emotional symptoms you were still experiencing? I am tired much of the day, and was never a "groggy" person before. I still awake most every morning with an upset stomach, and have a number of bowell movements in the first hour or two. My head still feels hazy many times in the day, so I believe my mind is still very much affected. The emotional side for me is not so bad. I have heightened anxiety and get angry easier than I used to before Lexapro, yet seem to feel the chemical reaction coming that will cause this and am better able to deal with not blowing up. Bright lights sometimes bother me as does lots of noise. I just feel like **** physically much of the day, and that is the majority of my emotional issue as well. I'm seem to feel best when avoiding sugar of any kind, especially chocolate sort of things. Its nearly 6 in the evening here on Christmas eve. Merry Christmas to all!!!

[auntybiotic]

Angel,

You can take non drosey dramanine or Bonnie sea sick medicine or use the sea sick patches, they are safe with Lexapro or while withdrawaling and will alleviate the dizziness.

Also try eating a handful of walnuts thruout the day. The dizziness may be from blood sugar levels being off balance. Lexapro can cause insulin resistance for quite awhile after taking it. You may have hypoglycemia which in itself can cause dizziness.Some have even gotten diabetes after taking lexapro.

It would be safe to have your blood sugar levels tested while fasting in the morning.Also you may have your doctor check your cholestral (spelling?) levels as lexapro can elevate the lipid levels.

Lexapro can also cause sinus issues, similiar to a cold and can cause inner ear pressure variations that can also cause dizziness even if you may not be aware of the pressure in the ear.

I was reading several posts on this forum with people that were addicted to Lunesta so please be careful and DO NOT BELIEVE when told that the drug is safe and nonaddicting..isn't that what we were all led to believe about lexapro.

[Redbled]

Aunty,

You made me think of something. 3 weeks ago we went on a cruise. I was taking Valium to help me sleep, and dramamine because I was feeling ill. The next day, I felt much better. I attributed it to the Valium, but I wonder what affect dramamine may have been having on me. I didn't feel perfect, but it was much better than I am now. Any thoughts on this possibility? Perhaps it making me not feel dizzy and messed up in the head was affecting other parts of my body as well? When I returned home, I stopped taking both, had some withdrawals from the Valium, and went back to feeling like **** again. Just got me to thinking...

[Shifty]

quote:Originally posted by auntybiotic

Mohannie and Shifty.

Please be very careful while taking Lithium and Xanax with Lexapro/

I haven't felt the need to use the Xanax since I've been on Lithium and I did quit Lexapro cold turkey a few days ago.

I just don't want you to worry about me. I was only on lexapro for 3 weeks, so I'm not expecting a massive withdrawal.

Today was the first day I experienced any ill effects, but I suspect it is more related to my sleep depravation. I was told by the doctor that not getting enough sleep is a big trigger for my disease. After a 2 hour nap I am feeling much better now. (I was really agitated and snappy with my family before)

As I've said many times before, my worst day on Lithium is better than my best day on lex. I was still able to clean my entire trashed house in one day, which would have been completely impossible before I got ahold of that litium. (it never wouldve been trashed in the first place if I had possessed the will to clean it before)

---

I have taken :
Paxil, Lexapro, Xanax, and Lithium

Currently:
450mg Eskalith CR (Lithium)

I was mis-diagnosed for 3 years. They thought I had Generalized Anxiety Disorder with a Major Depressive Episode. The real problem was Bipolar Disorder.

Quit Lexapro cold-turkey Dec 22, 2005

Ask me anything, nothing is off-limits.

Shifty

[auntybiotic]

Merry Christmas,

Redbled,

Dramanine and Bonnie have helped so many thru withdrawals.

Try it again and see what happens................maybe you will feel better again. It is so much a trial and error with this but I have spoken to MANY that stand behind the dramamine

[Redbled]

Merry Christmas to you Aunty.

I think we may give dramamine a shot in the next few days. Does it somehow activate the receptors again? I'm just curious if you know why it makes some people feel better? If I could get rid of the haziness in my head, that would go a long way I think in helping me deal with what is still going on.

Thanks

[mohannie]

Auntie,

I wouldn't dream of taking more than one anti-depressant at a time. I do have a question for the group though. How long does Lexapro stay in the system after one discontinues its use? I'm asking because I stopped taking Lexapro on Saturday and I started taking Paxil on Monday. I'm wondering if both medicines are battling with each other and if that's why I've been having such a hard time lately. Any thoughts?

[girl23]

Hello all,

I felt compelled to comment here, because reading all of your testimonials two weeks ago was what finally inspired me to taper off of my daily 10 mg dose of Lexapro, which I had been taking for over a year. I had been experiencing odd fainting spells every six months or so from the age of 15, and they always occured during high-pressure/stressful situations or when I was really really run down. My doctor did a bunch of physical tests on me and concluded that nothing wrong, so we analyzed the situations in which I experienced these spells (and my nervous/anxious approach to life in general) and she decided that my problems were most likely anxiety-derived and, since the Lexapro makers promote their drug by handing her tons of free samples, and since others of her patients had benefitted from it, she decided to try me on it for a while. I started off with .5 mg for the first two weeks and then worked up to 10, which was the highest I ever got. I noticed some side effects at first, mainly related to digestion problems, tiredness, also a negative interaction with alcohol after the first glass and a half or so, or especially if I mixed different types of alcohol it was a very negative, sick-drunk feeling after very little (and I usually have fairly a high tolerance). But these went away after a few weeks.

My experience with Lexapro was not totally negative - it was great in the beginning, I haven't fainted since I started taking it and it helped me a great deal in adjusting during a difficult/confusing time during my life - I had just graduated from college, just moved to a large, new city and was trying to find a job and adjust to "the real world." Lexapro helped to "even me out" and made me capable of dealing with situations which had, before, seemed overly daunting and stress-inducing. I became mellower, less likely to fly off the handle or overreact to small issues. I believe that I do have a genetic proclivity towards anxiety (it runs in the family to a certain extent), so I would not say that this drug was proscribed wrongly for me, also the dosage seemed appropriate.

What finally happened in the end was that I experienced what a lot of you on here have described - the "lead blanket" feeling, a loss of emotion and a severe sense of apathy towards life in general. I have always been an extremely passionate, driven person, and I believe that to a certain extent my anxiety, along with my emotions, drove me to accomplish many great things in my life. It's sort of a double-edged sword in that sense. In the beginning, it was a relief not to feel that kind of pressure anymore. But more recently, I have felt somewhat lost without it. I always had goals, always felt myself moving towards something, reaching for a better, more fulfilling life - Lexapro took away that drive. It made me inert. I didn't have the pressure and self-criticism as much, but I also lost my joy in accomplishment to a certain extent. I didn't care. And it began negatively affecting my performance at work and in my social life.

Maybe a month ago, I forgot to take my pills for a few days while travelling. That Monday, after three or four days of no pills, I broke down at work. Tears were streaming down my face. I felt rage at first, then despair, then a deep sense of overwhelming sadness. I had experienced such episodes during my teenage and college years, but usually to a lesser extent. I couldn't figure out why I was feeling that way - at first I attributed it to relationship problems, but eventually I realized that it was because I had forgotten to take my pills. I started on them again that night, and within a few days I felt back to "normal" again.

I think I could have remained on my 10 mg of Lexapro and been fine but like most of you, I want to try to handle this on my own, to find a more natural solution and to not be dependent on a drug. Now that I have learned that a lot of my previous anxieties were really self-manufactured, I hope that I will be able to rationalize their presence away when confronted with them in the future. Two weeks ago, I cut back my dosage to one pill every other day. A week ago, I started taking half a pill every other day. I think I might take one more half tomorrow and then just stop altogether.

I have to tell you guys that so far, I have had very few withdrawal symptoms and am holding up relatively well. I got a little emotional the other night, but that could have been easily caused by hormones or the fact that I was run-down and had a cold. I chose Christmas break to quit because at home, with my family, I feel more relaxed than I do working in the city. I'm not sure I could have quit while at work. When I forgot to take my pills for a few days before, I did experience some of those weird symptoms I read about on here, such as the "brain zaps" and the odd "rebooting" feeling when I turned my head too quickly. It's nice to know that these can be attributed to this drug and that they aren't indicative of other health issues!

Anyway, I apologize for the length of this reply but your stories have helped me so much that I really wanted to share mine, in the hopes that someone else will find some part of it useful. I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, and I will keep you posted if any new developments occur, or if things stay relatively smooth from here on out (I hope!). I don't seem to have gained too much Lexapro-related weight, in fact I was able to actually lose some in the beginning, mostly because my overeating is emotional and the drug helped to curb some of that. I wouldn't mind losing a bit now, though!

Good luck to you all!

[Mr Spock]

Redbled,
My physical symptoms sound similar to yours. I am quite groggy and foggy, although I did cope well with all the Christmas festivities yesterday, and actually kept up with the pace. My body feels like lead, I get dizzy, paticularly after eating, although its a bit different from that spinning out dizziness one gets when they first get the symptoms. Like yourself, I am very regular, although only once in the morning, but sometimes with a bit of urgency! I am very sensitive to sudden loud sounds. In fact, I have a sulphur crested cockatoo as a pet (the big white ones), and he sometimes will do a screech that really has me clawing the ceiling, as he is incredibly loud, and these screeches can be very sudden, plus lives inside the house basically due to the fact that he is spoilt rotten! I do have a bit of anxiety, although not crippling, but do not feel depressed at all. I get the odd aches, and still get some little "zaps" moreso in the evening, as well as the tingling. I also still have a dull ache at the back of my neck, and in the back of my lower head. Plus there is the depersonalisation, and slight perceptual disturbances in that I feel mildly "stoned".
I really believe we are on the right track. Some people take a bit longer. If we don't do it 4 months, we'll do it in 5. It is inevitable and a fact of life!!! I can't wait!!!
Mohannie, you sound like you've pulled back from the brink a little bit. Keep your head down.
Aunty, have tipped the St John's mixture out, so its back to basics for me.
Hope you all had a great Christmas.

Peace and Long Life.