Posted by KathrynLex on February 19, 2004, at 12:05:43
In reply to Re: lexapro, posted by maliapia on February 18, 2004, at 22:12:47
Hi Maliapia,
If you're afraid of the side effects of either Paxil or Lexapro, start with a very small dose. For example, if you decide to take Lexapro start at 5 mg for one week and then go up to 10 mg. Doing this will give your body time to adjust to the medication and you won't experience as many side effects.
Paxil and Lexapro are both effective for treating panic attacks. It just depends on which one you prefer. I've taken regular Paxil before and didn't care for it, but Lexapro has been wonderful. I'm currently taking 15 mg and haven't had a single panic attack since I raised my dose from 10 mg to 15 mg.
I wish I could tell you what to expect in the way of side effects, but meds effect everyone differently. I had a bad reaction to Paxil because I started at a dose that was to high for me. (20 mg) Lexapro is said to have very few side effects, and the ones I experienced were tolerable. They included decreased appetite, insomnia and mild anxiety. But all of those side effects are gone now.
Whichever medication you decide to take I strongly recommend that you have a doctor who monitors your meds. This ensures that you are on the right med and you have someone to call with questions/concerns.
Best of luck to you. Please let us know what you end up taking and how you like it.
K.
poster:KathrynLex
thread:314535
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040218/msgs/315637.html