[8monthslater]

Thank you erinkj for your response to my post. It gives me hope that you said my brain has not yet healed. Does that mean that eventually all of these symptoms will go away? How long do you think it will take? I can deal with this IF I know that it is the discontinuation syndrome causing the symptoms and not something else. I am off to go read the thread you mentioned. Thanks again.

[erinkj]

Originally Posted by 8monthslater

Thank you erinkj for your response to my post. It gives me hope that you said my brain has not yet healed. Does that mean that eventually all of these symptoms will go away? How long do you think it will take? I can deal with this IF I know that it is the discontinuation syndrome causing the symptoms and not something else. I am off to go read the thread you mentioned. Thanks again.

Check out my reply to you on the other thread ok. I am glad that you went there. Erin

[scared to try new med]

Originally Posted by erinkj

Hello, First I must stress that I am not a physician and can only share what I know from personal experience. From your post I am going on the assumption that you are being treated for anxiety with depression, is that correct? First off, No one can FORCE you to switch your medications. The worst your Dr could do is refuse to refill or prescribe the med. If you are comfortable with your current treatment and are responding to it well, there is no need to change it. Do I understand correctly that you are using 2 different benzo's and an antidepressant? If that is the case you will have difficulty weaning from the benzo's. The benzo's you mentioned are longer acting and have a slower onset. Everyone reacts to meds differently. My husband has adverse reaction to Lorazepam in that it makes him VERY ANXIOUS. Personaly I would recomend xanax, it has a shorter life and quicker onset. This means you can take it more frequently should you need to. For myself, when I feel a panic attack comming on and I take a xanax; I feel its effect within 15 to 20 minutes and relief lasts 4-6 hours. There are many who will caution about benzo addiction however, In my experience when a person uses this drug for panic attack relief and only as needed (vs. daily use when not having symptoms ie:schedualed doses) addiction is generaly not an issue. If you have panic/anxiety there are certain members of the SSRI family that have more of a tendency toward anxious side effects. Prozac, zoloft, wellbutrin and cymbalta are more successfull at treating depression than anxiety as they appear to have a bit of a stimulating affect on panic. ( Again this is my experience/ research) Effexor at lower doses is an SSRI at higher doses it works more like an SNRI. SNRI's have slightly more tendency to adversly affect people with panic disorder symptoms. A word of caution: ALL antidepressants have potential for discontinuation/withdrawl symptoms, especially the longer you are on them. Lexepro is one in this class of drugs which has some potentialy nasty side effects/withdrawl. Again, not all people react the same. (It was a tough one for me) I have personaly run the gamut of these meds for panic/anxiety and had success with Paxil and Celexa. I was on Paxil for 6 years with no problems and one day it just stopped working for me. After many trials I had success with Celexa. As for drinking: No one that I know has ever "blacked out" from having one or two drinks while on this class of med. I would be more concerned about mixing alcohol with benzos as there is great potential for respiritory depression when combining the two. Only you know your level of tollerance and sensativity. SSRI's are famous for their potential sexual side effects so, you realy wont know if that will be an issue for you with a certain drug until you try it. Wish I could help you more on that one.. Lastly I will tell you that the longer you are on antidepressants the more difficult it is to discontinue them. Most doctors will down play this problem or tell you that it is rare. It is not. It is fact. When an SSRI is discontinued, especially cold turkey or tapering to quickly you will likely experience symptoms of the problem you were originaly treated for.(as well as symptoms you may have never had) If upon reinstating the med, the symptoms go away then, it is a withdrawl/ discontinuation syndrom. If the condition you were diagnosed with still exists you would not likely relapse to it for a few months after the meds are stopped. ( not trying to scare you, just want you to be informed) I have been on these meds for 11 years and trying like h*ll to get off of them. No Doctor can say with absolute certainty that I still have or ever realy did have Panic disorder if I have never been off of the meds! Best of luck to you and I hope this has been helpful. Erin...

Erin ,
Thanks for your reply , it is helpful . I see my doctor tommorrow & I will talk to her about Xanax .In a way , I wanted to try the Lexapro . It seems like it works well for most people for depression & anxiety ; but the withrawal symptoms scare me , If i would need to go off of it . But now , I think I am leaning to trying another option , i hope my doctor can find one for me . I feel pressured to make a decision tommorrow since I wanted to start the new med & going off the 2 benzo's during christmas week , since my company shuts down & i have that week off . Well thank you again , happy holidays !

[erinkj]

Originally Posted by scared to try new med

Erin ,
Thanks for your reply , it is helpful . I see my doctor tommorrow & I will talk to her about Xanax .In a way , I wanted to try the Lexapro . It seems like it works well for most people for depression & anxiety ; but the withrawal symptoms scare me , If i would need to go off of it . But now , I think I am leaning to trying another option , i hope my doctor can find one for me . I feel pressured to make a decision tommorrow since I wanted to start the new med & going off the 2 benzo's during christmas week , since my company shuts down & i have that week off . Well thank you again , happy holidays !

There are many treatment options available to you. I think the reason that Lexapro has gained so much popularity is the fact that it is a more selective SSRI and a bit more potent than some of its predecesors. Although I am not a physician I would personaly recomend paxil, it is available in generic called paroxetine. The most common side effect are sleepiness which usually goes away once your body adjusts to it. Usually within a month. Paxil as well as all SSRI medicines have potential withdrawl/ discontinuation symptoms. In my research the discontinuation symptoms seen in patients ending Paxil treatment are quit different than those of Lexapro. Ex paxil users do not seem to have as many nuero problems like vertigo, tinitus, light sensativity, loss of balance or mania. Again, this is by personal experience, comparative studies of others I know who have taken these meds and internet/ scientific research. If you have concerns about med treatment I recomend that you print off info and take it to your Dr. There are a few excellent websites that provide well researched info on anxiety/panic disorders and the treatment of these problems. Cant remember the addys now. Google search panic anxiety treatment and you will get dozens of pages of info. Let me know what meds you decide on. If you need more info on any of the SSRI's I can give you some very reliable weblinks for research. Try not to worry too much. The most important thing for you to do now, is get the med treatment you need and get your symptoms under control. You can deal with discontinuing the medications at a later date when you are well and feel that they are no longer needed. If and when you decide to stop medications check back here as we have plenty of info to help you with that. Keep me posted. Good Luck...Erin

[Dr. Dredge]

KT and anyone else that is on lexapro, what sort of sexual side effects are you dealing with? I have been on lexapro for close to 4 months now and never really thought about the side effects sexually, but now that I think about it, this could be the case. Does anyone know if lexapro makes you less motivated to have a sexual drive?
New to the site. Have read posts thousands of times but finally felt as though I should contribute and help out in any way possible.
cheers folks,
Dr. Dredge

[Dr. Dredge]

wait wait, I've been following your conversations and have been enlightened but Miles I'm confused as to why you are suggesting Augusto to stop taking lexapro? you're actually on this thread expressing your views about your distrust in lexapro? While it's nice of you to share a link with us, (by the way, the link didn't work and just took me to the kangaroo homepage. i'd still like to read the story if you could post it again)...what is it that lexapro did to you that makes you so against it?
I've been on it for 4 months and i take clonazepam throughout the day as needed in small dosages. before lexapro, I thought life was ending for me. I tried zoloft and gained a crazy amount of weight... that depressed me more. I tried effexor and i literally became erratic and felt the need to risk my life by being insane due to the reaction i had from it. My doc and I talked and we thought maybe i had a bipolar disorder and i tried seroquel, which turned me into a zombie.
I'm diagnosed with anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder and depression. the lexapro has been wonderful. i'm not knocking you for having an opinion miles but please, get your MD before you recommend to Augusto that he stop taking lexapro. I think that's the psychiatrists job.
Please put up the lexapro story. I'm interested in reading it.
cheers,
The Dredgologist


UOTE=Miles;125126]Augusto99:

He may have been on other drugs as well, but bizarre side effects are clearly associated with Lexapro alone.

All the SSRIs are dangerous. A steady drip of studies have challenged the "serotonin did it" hypothesis. A 2003 mouse experiment suggested that SSRIs work by inducing the birth and growth of new brain neurons, not by monkeying with serotonin. In March, a review of decades of research concluded that something other than "changes in chemical balance might underlie depression." And as the authors of the review noted, although ads for SSRIs say they correct a chemical imbalance, "there is no such thing as a scientifically correct 'balance' of serotoni

There is little doubt that the SSRIs do what their name says, keeping more serotonin in the brain's synapses. But the fact that SSRIs act on the serotonin system does not mean that clinical depression results from a shortage of serotonin. No more so, anyway, than the fact that steroid creams help rashes means that rashes are caused by a steroid shortage.

A clue to how SSRIs do work comes from how long they take to have any effect. They rarely make a dent in depression before three weeks, and sometimes take eight weeks to kick in. But they affect serotonin levels right away. If depression doesn't lift despite that serotonin hit, the drugs must be doing something else; it's the something else that eases depression. The best evidence so far is that the something else is neurogenesis -- the birth of new neurons.

Some 19 million people in the U.S. suffer from depression in any given year. For many, SSRIs help little, if at all. To do better, we have to get the science right.

I believe it would be best to stop now. No need to taper after one week of use.

Best of luck!

Miles[/QUOTE]

[erinkj]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dredge

KT and anyone else that is on lexapro, what sort of sexual side effects are you dealing with? I have been on lexapro for close to 4 months now and never really thought about the side effects sexually, but now that I think about it, this could be the case. Does anyone know if lexapro makes you less motivated to have a sexual drive?
New to the site. Have read posts thousands of times but finally felt as though I should contribute and help out in any way possible.
cheers folks,
Dr. Dredge

Lack of sexual desire/ interest is one of the most common side effects of all the SSRI's. It is not gender specific either. Some men experience ED on these meds though...Erin

[szegv]

I took Lexapro for almost 1 year until I decided to gradually take myself off of it. My main complaints about lexapro: 1) low libido 2) 35 lbs weight gain 3) clogged INTESTINES 4) initial side effects were HELL. I'm currently doing a complete body detoxification, which is working quite well. I should also mention that I'm very tall and have always been thin. I feel sure that Lexapro caused the weight gain.

Originally Posted by 77private

Lexapro
Generic Name: escitalopram

What is Lexapro?
Lexapro (escitalopram) is in a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Lexapro is used in the treatment of depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

You will find information on Lexapro at Drugs.com

Consumer Information
http://www.drugs.com/lexapro.html

Professional Information
http://www.drugs.com/pro/lexapro.html





I have been taking Lexapro to relieve neuropathy due to the chemotherapy. Has anyone had any problems with this drug, such as weight gain, liver problems. Thank you.

[dextermaen]

Hello all,
I've taken lexapro at 10mg for a few years now and I'm finally trying to stop taking it. I've experienced quite a few symptoms mentioned like short term memory loss, etc. since stopping the meds. However, I've also started experiencing a particularly horrible effect... its seems like I'm more "sensitive sexually." I never had premature ejaculation issues before and lexapro definitely interfered with me sexually with delayed ejaculation, painful orgasms, etc. Now, even when its not with my girlfriend, I seem to be much more sensitive. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, please tell me it doesn't last long!! It's been about 3 weeks off for me...

[erinkj]

Originally Posted by dextermaen

Hello all,
I've taken lexapro at 10mg for a few years now and I'm finally trying to stop taking it. I've experienced quite a few symptoms mentioned like short term memory loss, etc. since stopping the meds. However, I've also started experiencing a particularly horrible effect... its seems like I'm more "sensitive sexually." I never had premature ejaculation issues before and lexapro definitely interfered with me sexually with delayed ejaculation, painful orgasms, etc. Now, even when its not with my girlfriend, I seem to be much more sensitive. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, please tell me it doesn't last long!! It's been about 3 weeks off for me...

Scince I am a woman I cannot offer alot of advice here however, Increased sensativity is a common side effect of Lexapro discontinuation. I experienced increase in sensativity sexually also, it was almost painful; uncomfortable at least. For me that sort of came and went and wasnt constant, it only lasted about a week maybe a little longer. There is another thread in this forum called lexapro withdrawl started by auntybiotic; That thread has several men who post frequently who have gone off of Lexapro, perhaps if you post there you may get more help with this issue. I hope you find the answers you seek..Good Luck...Erin

[Miles]

Dr. Dredge:

Sorry about the faulty link - try this one: http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/introduction.htm

Looks like you are another who has bought into the biomedical model of explaining all problems in living in terms of anomalies in the frontal cortex, misfiring synapses, chemical imbalances, and other such tripe. You can exclude me from such misinformed individuals. If you sincerely want to be "informed," I suggest you read the writings of Dr. Thomas Szasz. If you genuinely want to "help" Augosto, the last person you would recommend to him would be a psychiatrist, a practitioner of nothing more than pseudoscience, and agent of the Therapeutic State. I will never accept the biological reductionists' explanation of human behavior as nothing more than chemical processes in one's brain. How convenient an excuse for not accepting responsibility for one's actions!

And who are you to question that I am NOT an MD? There are a few among us who have never and would never prescribe psychiatric meds! Get informed! Don't buy the inanity propagated by drug manufacturers and proselytizers of morality.

Regards,
Miles

[Christa Johnson]

Almost Killed me!! Last week I was experiencing severe migraines. I went to the Doctor, and he prescribed both, 10 mg. Maxalt and 10mg. Lexapro for depression. I started taking the medication as prescribed, and became VERY ILL. Worse, I went to a drug screening and was found positive for Amphetamines. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY DRUG OTHER THAN MAXALT AND LEXAPRO IN MY SYSTEM. It is my understanding that the doctor should never have started me on both of these medications together at the same time because it causes Serotonin Syndrome. Again, IT MADE ME VERY SICK! If I am to understand it correctly, Maxalt is a selective 5-Hydroxytryptamine, and one of its components is N-Dimethyl-5. I read somewhere (and can not relocate the link) that Dimethyl metabolizes into Methamphetamine and Amphetamines. Is this correct? And where can I locate the information? Because of this false-positive test, they are threatening to send me away, and possibly take my children from me. Please, I beg you, please help me. Please. Thank you.

[minp]

Ten years ago , I was on Paxil for 2 years and had awful side effects when being weaned off. When my doctor decreased the dose from 20mg to 10mg , I had nausea and waves of dizziness.Sometimes I felt like I was walking sideways , my equalibrium was so off. My physician stopped the Paxil and switched me straight to 10mg Prozac and the side effects stopped within 24 hours. I continued on the Prozac 10mg for 30 days and then stopped with no side effects. I have been taking Lexapro for 1 year and also had trouble trying to wean off . I told my current physician about my Paxil withdrawal problems and was able to use this same weaning strategy successfully to stop taking Lexapro. I hope this helps others.

[Hopeful 285]

I posted that I was still very sick and had not recovered after 2 years. Well I want to set everyone's mind at ease. The reason is because I have Lyme Disease. I was just diagnosed a week ago.
I was bitten by a tick and this also causes a lot of neurological symptoms.
Some people get this and never know they were even bitten and show no signs of a bullseye rash.
Mosquitos, fleas and even wasps can carry this disease.
There have been diagnoses is every state except one unless there has been an update since.
I never would have thought I had this. Thank God for Aunty. She said I had symptoms that match Lyme Disease. I checked it out and behold I matched.
Strangely enough some of the symptoms are the same as Lexapro withdrawal; this is why I was confused. For instance ringing in the ears can be from Lexapro withdrawal and also Lyme Disease causes it.
If you have symptoms that seem to go on too long and even get worse and worse and you develope more and more symptoms, you may want to google Lyme and just look at the side effects, you may don't have it, but it is Lyme Awareness Month and you should know about it to protect yourself this summer.
This disease is not rare and often misdiagnosed. It mimics fybromyalgia, chronic fatigue, altheimer's, lupus, arthritis, ms, congestive heart, als and maybe more.
Also it is all over the United States and not just is what is considered hot spots.
Take Care,

[araczek]

Anyone experience scalp pain on Lexapro? Since I had a dosage increase to
30mg I have been having scalp pain that varies in where it is located - meaning it is not always in the same spot. Sometime scalp is tender to touch.

Anyone?

[LillyRose]

I had situational depression, took Lexapro 10 mgs for 8 months; there was no choice I was a zombie. Decided to drop it because the situation was resolved.

Took 5 mgs for 2 days then went cold turkey. Anger the first 2 days, body twisted like a pretzel, muscle pain, brain shocks. Then I saw a recommendation for magnesium supplements which work very well other than relieving the brain shocks.

I am using aspirin (which works for me) and the magnesium and am feeling much better. Also I nap when I can to relieve the muscle tension. Epsom salt baths and repeating my mantra: "stay in the moment". The brain shocks are rather interesting, does anyone know what they actually are?

Humor also helps, I keep a Day X email update to my family with wild mythical withdrawal symptoms.

Lexapro got me thru a rough spot but I feel much better off the drug. Its a happy day!

You are wonderful people to contribute to this forum, you make me fee as if you are holding my hand thru this.

[SSRIDamage]

Originally Posted by rseazow

yes greetings i had changed from paxil that caused alot of weight gain and very dangerous to stop on you own, switched to lexapro am losing weight and i like it much better no cravings i can stop anytime without any adverse effects.

RENEE SEABROOKS

You know that you can discontinue LEXAPRO at any time without having any side effects? Have you d/c'd "cold turkey" and not had any LEXAPRO withdrawal effects? What is your dosage? For how long have you been using LEXAPRO? Such a statement I find to be incredulous!

[athensgirl2]

I've been on Lexapro (10 mg) for two months. The only extreme side effects occurred during the first week, when I was so out of it I could barely function. I had this strange physical sensation in my head - the first few days - where it felt like there were these rubber bands being pulled in certain spots. It wasn't painful but concerning. I couldn't focus at all and wanted to sleep for days, my depression deepened and I felt absolutely awful. After the first couple weeks or so though, those all started to fade, and things started sailing smoothly, day by day. It is like they say - you don't realize the change until you look back and think, "oh, wow, I haven't had a panic attack in a while" or "hmm, I've been feeling pretty good lately." I'm not euphoric or anything, I still have plenty of self-esteem issues to work out in therapy, but I don't have panic attacks and I feel a hell of a lot less on-edge. I'm able to get out of bed, talk to people without snapping, I'm not brooding in feelings of worthlessless; I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. So overall I am incredibly thankful. Lexapro pulled me out of a dark, deep hole I truly never thought I'd see the end of. The only side effect I'm unhappy with is I am very tired. I work 9-5 and without caffeine I can't stay awake. Even with coffee I want to take a nap. But if my choices are to be sleepy or suicidal, I'll be sleepy.

[fightingthebattle08]

Hello. I hope I am posting this right. I am looking for some answers from people who are currently on Lexapro. I was prescribed 10 mg of Lexapro for depression and anxiety. I had severe outbursts with my husband and always wanted to argue. I could not get myself under control. The doctor thought Lexapro would work. For the first week on it, I was amazed at the difference. However, now my problem is that the drugs effects start to wear off after 8+ hours and my agitation starts to return. Does anyone take a dose in the morning and one in the afternoon? I was thinking about taking 5mg in the morning and another 5 mg around dinner to keep my mood swings in check. Also, is anyone else experiencing a complete loss of sex drive and the ability to achieve an orgasm? I am a 32 year old female, and though I love how the drug works for me, the sexual side effects suck.

[Jesgrate]

I have been taking Lexapro for over a year now to reduce anxiety and the intensity of aches and pains. Since I have tried and failed at numerous antidepressants in the past, this one has only worked because I take it in the morning and break a 5 mg pill into many tiny pieces. I am very sensitive to meds and so I must take very little. The medicine has helped take the edge off of constantly feeling every ache and pain but it has caused me to gain about 25 pounds. I exercise and hardly eat anything but I cannot seem to lose it. Recently I noticed that I have developed involuntary movements of my feet. They seem to keep tapping when I am at rest. Also in bed I have restless leg syndrome. I grind my teeth while watching TV as well.

After doing some research I questioned my spine doctor if Lexapro could cause Tardive Dykinesia (sp?) and his answer was yes but that it would go away when I stop taking it. I am not so sure it will go away. I have tried tapering off of it (which is difficult) since I take so little to begin with but I always get "head rushes" where there seems to be a loud "cracking" noise in my head periodically. I notice if I forget to take it for a day or so and then start back I get a severe headache when I return to it.

So it does have some side effects but has helped to numb little aches and pains in my body. It also took away my focussing on what I didn't get done which always gave me that anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don't beat myself up as much now. I do get a lot of migraine headaches and had a bad dizzy spell the other day with vomiting so not sure if the Lexapro is contributing to that.

I tried taking it at night but it kept me up all night. Would be curious to know if any others are experiencing foot tapping or grinding of the teeth.

[Jesgrate]

I just read Araczek's post about experiencing scalp pain. I get this often and thought it had to do with my migraines. Rubbing my scalp on top in the tender areas seem to help bring circulation back to those areas. They get worse when I have a migraine headache, I noticed.

[442olds]

Hi, I have been on Lexapro for six months for depression. The 10mg dose gave a mild improvement. It was not until the 20mg dose that I noticed a great improvement. Before Lexapro I told my doctor that I would rather lose a limb and begone with this depression, than to live this way. Lexapro is working for me. My friend, however, just went off Lexapro because she heard that everyone that takes ssri meds will get(eventually) Type 2 Diabetis. Her withdrawal was horrible. Now for her, it is just wait and see if she can function with stability off medication. She has a phd in psychology from a major university and is a practicing professional. Anyone heard of this Type 2 diabetis/ssri connection?

[AngelicLady]

I've never heard of this connection. I went and searched it over the internet and did come up with this:

These findings built on yet another study that found that the concurrent use of two distinct antidepressant medications — a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) — had a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than patients who took only a TCA to treat their depression.

However, some antidepressant medications have common side effects that duplicate risk factors for type 2 diabetes. TCA’s, for example, are associated with weight gain and may increase blood glucose levels. (SSRI’s, on the other hand, are not associated with weight gain and may actually improve insulin sensitivity.)

This article states that the risk is only increased when using a TCA and a SSRI together. I have to take Lexapro right now. I tried to stop, but the withdrawals were horrible! I started taking it again because the anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc. from the withdrawals was overwhelming me and severely effecting my quality of life. I've been back on for about 4 weeks now, and I'm still not back to "normal". The thought of getting Diabetes isn't pleasant, but some people need these drugs and will just have to risk it if that's the case.