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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by bozeman on February 3, 2003, at 22:28:49
In reply to Re: lexapro need help,users » nhg, posted by mikal on February 3, 2003, at 11:24:57
> > NHG- It took me 2 weeks to really feel the benefits of Lexapro. It sounds like you've had some very traumatic events in your life recently, for that I'll send you some positive thoughts.
> >Like Mikal, I felt better in some areas immediately but it took several weeks before I felt full benefit. (6 to 8 weeks at least)
> >
> I'm on 10mg of Lexapro, and like I said it took around 2 weeks to really kick in. The first couple of days(5) were really topsy-turvy. I had trouble sleeping, and was extremely tired at the same time. I woke abruptly and had trouble falling back asleep. I have found that over time my body has adjusted and I feel ALMOST no side affects and the benefits are incredible. But that is only my case. I concider myself lucky. I didn't suffer to horribly from Depression, but Anxiety and Panic had really taken hold in my life. This has really helped release me from the thinking that has perpetuated an awful cycle.
> >I had exact same experience (fell asleep easily, woke too early, too easily and couldn't go back to sleep, was both more rested and very-sleepy-could-lay-down-and-nap-right-here at the same time)
I was a lot more depressed than I knew until it lifted due to the Lexapro, and didn't think I had anxiety at all (but luckily my doctor knew better and gently persuaded me to try the medication :-)
Still-Lingering side effects: calm and alert but soooo relaxed (can still go to sleep any time any where, have to just NOT CLOSE MY EYES!! <chuckle>)
Sex drive has returned but not as much "wild creature of the serengheti" as before (but that's probably a good thing, keeps me sane :-) Delayed orgasm kind of a bummer, but it's getting better.> >
> Much of what we go through is chemical, however, it is a combination of un-healthy thinking. We get caught in loops of traumatic/debilitating thinking and we cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's like looking at a rock, but we are holding it right up to our eye, and it looks like a massive boulder - we can't see anything but the problem. We need to hold our arm out and see the rock at arms length and realize that it's not as bad as we are making it. Then if truly successful we can set the rock on the ground and it becomes merely a pebble and we can walk right past it with out noticing it anymore. But getting to that point takes a myriad of actions. Some of us need a drug for balance, some need a cocktail of drugs, whatever works. But we should also not underestimate the power of ourselves to see change and to accept change. The part I am struggling with the most with Lexapro is the realization that my Panic is gone, my anxiety is subsided, and now what? When you deal with a problem long enough it becomes incorporated into your dail survival mechanism, many of us do not like to admit it, but relief from this burden is often frightning in it's self. We need to see this as an opportunity, an opportunity to live better, and yes differently.
> >Absolutely. I've spent most of my adult life in the shadow of the "disease" I denied I had. Now I'm having to "remember" how to be, who I really am without it, and it's a struggle to remember at times who I was, and how to react to things without blowing them out of proportion, or freaking out about things that used to make me "freak out".
> >
> I'm a firm believer that drugs are a necessary part (for some) of getting back on track. But we have do some work too. We have to live differently and embrace change. Only then can we really seperate ourselves from our disease.
> >I tried therapy, analysis, hypnosis, prayer, meditation, you name it. The plain truth is, none of it was enough without the medication. Everyone will (sad but true, as Mikal so poignantly noted) have to find their own unique path through this maze of neurotransmitter hell, but at least there are others of us to offer encouragement and support. Keep trying to find what works for you, and best of luck in your search.
Be well --
bozeman
Posted by bozeman on February 3, 2003, at 23:02:45
In reply to Re: Lexapro sex drive, weight gain, dreams, posted by male34 on February 3, 2003, at 15:44:35
Hi, all --
I've seen several questions about this post (originally mine), will try to answer all I saw:
Dosage: Started on 5 mg for 8 days, then up to 10 mg, taken at bedtime. Works best for me taken 2 to 3 hours before bedtime, don't ask me why, but it does.
Sleepiness: ALL I wanted to do was sleep for the first few days. But I started taking it during the week (risque of me, I know) so I had to work, not just sleep. I found if I just kept moving I was fine -- I get sleepy, get up from my desk, go for a short walk, for a drink of water, anything, and I'm fine in five minutes. Just DON'T close your eyes or you'll be out like a light, has been my experience! Also, I had to start taking it *earlier* in the evening, not right before bed. You might try that if it's possible for you.
Duration: It's been about four months. I STILL get sleepy if I stop moving and close my eyes, or if I try to live on 4 hours sleep, which used to be all I could stay asleep for, before I started the Lexapro. But I have thyroid and adrenal exhaustion, and am on medication for both, so it's probably actually normal in my case that I still get sleepy. I don't have any trouble fighting off the sleepiness, but I do have to fight it (get up, get a drink, etc.)
Weight gain: None, have actually slowly LOST weight on it. BUT I'm probably an unusual case, thyroid and adrenal problems had caused me to gain weight, and the Lexapro has apparently acted as the kick-start that all the other systems needed to start working again. Have actually had to cut my adrenal med dosage back since taking Lexapro. (was getting shaky, adrenals had actually started working again, doc says)
Hope this helps. Best of luck to you -- I know Lexapro is not the med for everyone, but it sure gave me my life back.
-- bozeman
________________________> > > > > My two cents (more or less) worth:
> > > > >
> > > > > SEX DRIVE: It returns :-) I suspect it left me in the first place because my brain was getting stimuli from other sources again, besides just sex (no more anhedonia -- is that how you spell that?) and my brain was trying to pay attention to all different kinds of recently re-discovered stimuli. "Sexual" stimuli are now only one kind of stimuli of many different sources, so no longer getting all my brain's attention. Eventually, biology overrruled, and my sex drive returned. Orgasmic difficulties, I suspect, resulted from difference in the way I process norephinephrine while on the SSRI, oxytocin, DMT, etc. I'm not a biochemist, just someone looking for answers, so who knows if I'm on the right track, or full of it? :-)
> > > > >
> > > > > WEIGHT GAIN?: I've lost weight, I suspect for many reasons. I'm sleeping better, so I'm not so tired -- so I don't have to eat for energy so I can keep moving when exhausted. Don't have to eat to provide some, any, stimuli to my (no longer) anhedonic brain, since I'm getting other stimuli now. My metabolism has increased, since my brain -- the "orchestrator" of everything else -- is once again communicating with the rest of my body in a way the rest of me can understand and obey. My healing time is reduced 80% or more, my thinking is faster, sleep is sounder, nerves are not fried and raw, migraines are gone, humor has returned, desire to pursue hobbies, exercise, etc. have returned.
> > > > >
> > > > > DREAMS: Mine got more vivid, definitely. I think it's the same reason as above -- my brain was flat missing something that it needed to communicate with the rest of me. Dream deprivation is, to your mind, like sleep deprivation is to the body. When you're deprived of it, and you get a chance to make up for it, your body will take a LOT of it to try to compensate for what it's missed.
> > > > >
> > > > > All three of these seem to point to a similar factor -- that my neurotransmitters were drastically underfunctional in at least one area, and various parts of me were starving for what they were missing (many more physical areas I haven't listed here -- those who have read any of my other posts will have seen some of them.) My response to these three areas seems to me to follow a similar pattern that is specific to how my particular chemistry disorder manifested. It will affect other people differently, though!! I think that, if we had enough information and could see clearly enough, we would see that while it affects each of us a little differently (or a lot), it affects any one person *similarly* in many areas. Those who get sleepless on Lexapro, also tend to get more agitated, and the diarhhea/bowel disturbances, and the headaches, right? Or am I wrong? For some like these, it seems to be an OVER-stimulating effect -- for others a LEVEL-ing effect (can handle stress better, don't go to pieces, not afraid of confrontation, blood pressure normalizes, etc.) -- but I needed an UP-effect, but not in the "stimulant" sense, just in the sense of giving my body a kick in the pants in all the areas it was laying down on me. That could explain why so many of us respond to it so differently.
> > > > >
> > > > > I just hope it lasts because I haven't felt this good in many years. Having never taken SSRI's before Lexapro, I don't know what to expect -- many have experienced "poop-out" and I pray every night that I will become well enough to make it on my own, without the SSRI, before this can happen to me. Giving up myself, after having re-captured myself, would be worse than having never found myself again, I think.
> > > > >
> > > > > Anyway, I hope that makes sense. Think I put in two bits worth instead of two cents worth, sorry. =-D
> > > >
> > > > So glad that you are feeling good.
> > > > Please tell me how long you have been on Lexapro and at what dose? I know it's different for everyone but .........
> > > > LA
> > > >
> > > > ****************
> > > you sound good ive been wondering when does this tired feeling o away im on it 5mgs for 4 days about,so tired and anxiuos
> > >
> > >
> > ***********************
> >
> > LA - I have been experiencing the same effects from Lexapro as you. I feel as though my brain has been reconnected with my body. I'm able to function and have increased daily activities to not just work/sleep. I have hobbies, I work out, I quit some very bad habits... this I believe is a side effect to being plugged in vs. disconnected. Any amount of discomfort I had in the begining of taking Lex is gone. I'm not sure I was ever connected before today. I hear many poeple fear being "doped" up. I'll tell you I'm anything but "doped" up. I was dopey before, my disconnection left so many holes in my life, I often was in a waking dream... unsure of what was really happening.
> > **********************************if you didnt get my last note so you say no weight gain?
> and you have been on it for how long?
> when did the starting sideffects wear off about?
> and did you start on 5mgs or 10 mgs?what time did you take it i take right befiore bed and i CANT get up outta bed ,do you know what im talking about?
> thanks please write back
>
Posted by Bipolarsux on February 4, 2003, at 5:13:05
In reply to same side effects all ssri's, posted by lcg4 on February 3, 2003, at 8:19:15
I have had the same experience as you on SSRIs: concentration and memory shot to pieces. Plus they often set my mania off.
For me, high-powered benzos like Klonopin are better in anti-anxiety/panic/mania area but also destroy my memory - plus they don't seem to help with depression, if you happen to be suffering from that as well.
In short, with over 10 years' experience as a drug guinea pig, I have not found a medication that works well on my symptoms without significant cognitive/memory problems. No doubt a large part of the reason for this is that I have to take large amounts to keep my symptoms under control. (It makes the idea of ECT that my pdoc is suggesting much easier to accept.)
Sorry I couldn't offer practical alternatives - but you are not alone. If I ever come across an anxiolytic that doesn't screw your memory I'll let you know.
Bipolarsux (big time)
Posted by lcg4 on February 4, 2003, at 8:11:37
In reply to Re: same side effects all ssri's » lcg4, posted by Bipolarsux on February 4, 2003, at 5:13:05
Thanks so much for the info. My 13 year old son is the one on the medication. He has anxiety, panic attacks, and agoraphobia. The medication has helped all that but he is stuggling in school now. He was an honors student before all this happened. Lowering the dosage really helped. He is now on 10mg of Paxil. We are going to drop it to 5mg and see if it is better without the anxiety coming back. We are going to try Lexapro over the summer because I'm afraid to mess with it now while he is still in school. Everyone reacts differently to medication. I guess we just have to experiment. I hate to have him be a guinea pig to try to find the right one for him, but I guess we have no choice. Thanks, Linda
Posted by nhg on February 4, 2003, at 10:13:35
In reply to Re: Lexapro sex drive, weight gain, dreams, posted by mikal on February 3, 2003, at 15:05:30
I just hope it lasts because I haven't felt this good in many years. Having never taken SSRI's before Lexapro, I don't know what to expect -- many have experienced "poop-out" and I pray every night that I will become well enough to make it on my own, without the SSRI, before this can happen to me. Giving up myself, after having re-captured myself, would be worse than having never found myself again, I think.
> > > >
> > > > Anyway, I hope that makes sense. Think I put in two bits worth instead of two cents worth, sorry. =-D
> > >
> > > So glad that you are feeling good.
> > > Please tell me how long you have been on Lexapro and at what dose? I know it's different for everyone but .........
> > > LA
> > >
> > > ****************
> > you sound good ive been wondering when does this tired feeling o away im on it 5mgs for 4 days about,so tired and anxiuos
> >
> >
> ***********************
>
> LA - I have been experiencing the same effects from Lexapro as you. I feel as though my brain has been reconnected with my body. I'm able to function and have increased daily activities to not just work/sleep. I have hobbies, I work out, I quit some very bad habits... this I believe is a side effect to being plugged in vs. disconnected. Any amount of discomfort I had in the begining of taking Lex is gone. I'm not sure I was ever connected before today. I hear many poeple fear being "doped" up. I'll tell you I'm anything but "doped" up. I was dopey before, my disconnection left so many holes in my life, I often was in a waking dream... unsure of what was really happening.
>
I took antideppressants for years. I often felt like I wasn't sure who I really was on the drugs and I felt emotional numbness. I decided (with my doctor) to stop taking them. It actually went really well. I was so happy to be able to live without them. Drug free! But a recent experience just set me off. I have had so much anxiety. At first I tried to just drive through it and take xanax as needed. But I grew severely depressed and admitted to myself that I'd have to get back on. So I started Lexapro. I'm feeling better but still tons of anxiety.
I'm hoping I only need this for temporary assistance until my life feels more secure again. And I feel like I'll be able to stop taking it again one day, because I was able to do it before. And maybe some time in the future, I'll need it again.
I think sometimes we are predisposed to these conditions and it just takes an event to set it off. And likewise, if someone else experienced what happened to me, maybe they would be more recovered by now.
Posted by male34 on February 4, 2003, at 12:41:56
In reply to Re: Lexapro - LA, male34, mikal, posted by bozeman on February 3, 2003, at 23:02:45
Im male 34
thanks for writing helpful info glad to hear your doing well i hope and pray to be there soon im on Lex 5 days now (5mgs at 7pm just alittle bit better,going to see a specialist dr. today just to confirm this is for me,im G.A.Disorder anxiety,agoraphobia ,and i cant be this way any more im a dad now and my wife doesnt deserve me being trapped ,i want to be the best husband and dad,i hope this works,thanks bozeman.
Posted by sussus on February 4, 2003, at 14:09:18
In reply to Re: Lexapro has been very good for me, posted by skycladgrrl on January 24, 2003, at 1:20:16
Hi there everyone - This is my first time ever participating in an online chat and it is motivated by my relief at finding this amazing group of people.
After years - and I mean years of struggle in talk therapy, I finally hit the wall with depression and anxiety and decided to try AD's.
I have been taking Lexapro for three weeks and am honestly not sure yet how I feel. I know it takes time and I am trying to be patient, but it is hard not to have expectations.
At this point, I have stopped crying every day and the overwhelming sense of doom and fear that I lived with has eased somewhat. I am slightly nauseous, but that is tolerable.
The one thing that really scaares me is my complete lack of motivation. I have felt this way before when depressed, but was not really experiencing it in the episode that preceded my getting on meds. I do feel better - as I said before - but all I want to do every day is lay on the couch, watch TV and lay around. I don't feel that I can't do things; I literally have noooooo motivation and that scares me.
The main reason I decided to post was in response to positive people who have written of their experiences on AD's. Can anyone offer insight/experiences/advice on the subject of anti-motivatioanl syndrome? Is this a side effect? Does it tend to dissapate? My dosage is 10mg. Lexapro taken around 3 PM - works best with my sleep habits.
Thanks again and I feel good to be doing at least this one thing today.....
Sussus
Posted by Donia on February 4, 2003, at 14:45:39
In reply to Re: Lexapro has been very good for me, posted by sussus on February 4, 2003, at 14:09:18
From my experience on ADs, they dont seem to kick in for me for at least a month. I seem to have side effects for this period of time also which get better in month two and so does my mood. I am on week three of lexapro and was spacey and lazy the first week or so. I am doing a bit better as time goes on. The second week I felt better every other day and now a couple of days at a time. I am still having bad days or nights here and there. It seems once it kicks in good the side effects seem to go away. Give it time. So far lexapro has had way less side effects for me than zoloft.
Posted by MaryZee on February 4, 2003, at 14:52:53
In reply to Re: Lexapro has been very good for me, posted by sussus on February 4, 2003, at 14:09:18
> Hi there everyone - This is my first time ever participating in an online chat and it is motivated by my relief at finding this amazing group of people.
>
> After years - and I mean years of struggle in talk therapy, I finally hit the wall with depression and anxiety and decided to try AD's.
>
> I have been taking Lexapro for three weeks and am honestly not sure yet how I feel. I know it takes time and I am trying to be patient, but it is hard not to have expectations.
>
> At this point, I have stopped crying every day and the overwhelming sense of doom and fear that I lived with has eased somewhat. I am slightly nauseous, but that is tolerable.
>
> The one thing that really scaares me is my complete lack of motivation. I have felt this way before when depressed, but was not really experiencing it in the episode that preceded my getting on meds. I do feel better - as I said before - but all I want to do every day is lay on the couch, watch TV and lay around. I don't feel that I can't do things; I literally have noooooo motivation and that scares me.
>
> The main reason I decided to post was in response to positive people who have written of their experiences on AD's. Can anyone offer insight/experiences/advice on the subject of anti-motivatioanl syndrome? Is this a side effect? Does it tend to dissapate? My dosage is 10mg. Lexapro taken around 3 PM - works best with my sleep habits.
>
> Thanks again and I feel good to be doing at least this one thing today.....
>
> Sussus
>
> Boy do I know what you mean!! Been on Lexapro for little less than two weeks. I cannot motivate myself to do anything! Am tired, feel detached, and just plain lazy. Know there are things I should be doing but don't care! Sure hope this is a side effect and goes away. I'm not as stressed (obviously) and not as depressed -but don't feel "right". Know what I mean? Am tempted to stop taking the lex.
Posted by piscesmoon7 on February 4, 2003, at 15:45:48
In reply to Re: Lexapro has been very good for me, posted by sussus on February 4, 2003, at 14:09:18
hello there Sussus & fellow supporting friends!
I too am a brand new user of LEXAPRO & to SUPPORT CHAT BOARDS for that matter and find this particular site very insightful & encouraging to know that I AM NOT ALONE going through this "unbalanced" journey!
Even though i have not been posting to this board due to only being on 10mg of LEX now for a week now, i have been thoroughly reading everyone's individual experiences to see where i might fit in & what to possibly expect.
I feel i have suffered mild to severe depression for well over 1/2 my life now & never truly knew how to label it or what was going on? All i know is things just kept getting worse or episodes lasted longer the older i got due to having more "traumatic/life altering" events within my life!
I also noticed the "doom & gloom" ALWAYS got sooo much worse when the winter months came around the corner to a point that virtually NOTHING could get me to leave my home or to have the desire to be around other human beings.
What finally got me to seek professional medical help was the rampant increase of anxiety(not a severe degree of episodes or panic attacks) along with the constant looping of negative thoughts & the classic "what if's" that prevented me from usually enjoying anything i once so freely enjoyed!(such as hobbies & passions)
I just finally said i am SOOOO tired of these irrational thoughts & fears consuming another single day of my life & to those loved ones still around me who have been nothing but supportive in accepting me "as is"! For me to do nothing about this perpetual negative "internal dialog" i woke up to everyday was just too tiring & tolling for my spirit to take anymore!
So i bit the proverbial bullet & sought help which is where LEXAPRO has come to my aid. So far from DAY 1 my anxiety & negative thoughts are completely gone with daily tasks being easily accomplished & an actual zesty & enjoyable appetite for food has come back in my life!
However, i too am experiencing some pitfall side effects such as if i am not on my feet moving around all the time & happen to sit down on the couch or in front of the computer i almost immediately get EXTREMELY yawny & tired & usually start to fall asleep!(that NEVER used to happen before taking LEX)
Also, i am having large bouts of lack of concentration when reading or typing which would be called being "spaced out" i guess with the mind wandering off somewhere at sorts. I also noticed my speech seems a little slurred & slower to my ears right now which i would guess is due to the wandering mind!
Anyway, balance is the essential key for a good life & anything you invite into your life will always have a trade off & right now i TRULY like all the gains i have gotten from LEX which i haven't felt for well over 15 years! As i said, i am waiting to see what it does for me in the long term as my brain & body adjust to this tiny white miracle worker(hopefully!) & will always check this discussion board on a daily basis(when possible) for valuable support & to offer my 100% honest personal opinions!
lovingly,
PISCESMOON7
Posted by mikal on February 4, 2003, at 16:12:38
In reply to Re: Lexapro has been very good for me, posted by sussus on February 4, 2003, at 14:09:18
> Hi there everyone - This is my first time ever participating in an online chat and it is motivated by my relief at finding this amazing group of people.
>
> After years - and I mean years of struggle in talk therapy, I finally hit the wall with depression and anxiety and decided to try AD's.
>
> I have been taking Lexapro for three weeks and am honestly not sure yet how I feel. I know it takes time and I am trying to be patient, but it is hard not to have expectations.
>
> At this point, I have stopped crying every day and the overwhelming sense of doom and fear that I lived with has eased somewhat. I am slightly nauseous, but that is tolerable.
>
> The one thing that really scaares me is my complete lack of motivation. I have felt this way before when depressed, but was not really experiencing it in the episode that preceded my getting on meds. I do feel better - as I said before - but all I want to do every day is lay on the couch, watch TV and lay around. I don't feel that I can't do things; I literally have noooooo motivation and that scares me.
>
> The main reason I decided to post was in response to positive people who have written of their experiences on AD's. Can anyone offer insight/experiences/advice on the subject of anti-motivatioanl syndrome? Is this a side effect? Does it tend to dissapate? My dosage is 10mg. Lexapro taken around 3 PM - works best with my sleep habits.
>
> Thanks again and I feel good to be doing at least this one thing today.....
>
> Sussus
>
> Dear Sussus,I"m not sure if this is helpful, but when I've been taking Lexapro now for a month, I feel awesome. The side effects are neglagable, now. It took awile for them to get to that point, but any I have are worth every second of relief from the torment of Panic Anxiety/Depression.
For anyone who is capable of exersise, which is a vast majority of us humans, do it, do it, do it; start slow, check with a doctor about what may be best for you. Exersise will improve quality of life in ways you can never imagine. I'm still young, and you older people out there may feel exersise is a time past, but just a little will make a difference. You don't have to do it every day, but do it regularly and on a similar schedule, make it part of weekly routine. That and I change my diet, I'm eating healthier. I've cut out much of the fat, thought I'm a sucker for an occasional pizza. And I stick to low intake of red meats, dairy, breads. And I eat a ton of vegtables. The point is, I've change my diet, upped my activity (I'm not talking about Iron Man competitions in my future, just getting the heart going a couple times a week... and not in the Panic way.) I was told to take 3000mgs of Omega-3, I have no idea if it's benefiting me, but sometimes we're not our own best judge of character, and it pays to rely on someone else for some advise.
Basically, I was miserable doing what I did before. I never thought I needed Anit D. Drugs, guess what I did. I never put weight into living healthy, that led to a very dull and alienating life... So when I finnaly "broke down" and decided to try Anit D Drugs, I broke down my life, once the fog started to clear I realized that I had to it differently. I'm not going to change by drugs alone. They cannot make me a better person, they cannot get me more friends, they cannot lose weight for me... ad infinitum. They can restore a chemical balance which will enable me to have choices again, but I still have to do the work. I still have to put myself out there, and I have to do it differently.
I still have my bad days, I'm not having a good one so far. But today I'm not obsessing about a bad day. I'm not losing myself in my bad day. I'm not fearful that there will be nothing but bad days ahead. EVERYBODY has bad days, it's ok.
Posted by mikal on February 4, 2003, at 16:28:24
In reply to Re: Lexapro has been very good for me, posted by piscesmoon7 on February 4, 2003, at 15:45:48
> hello there Sussus & fellow supporting friends!
>
> I too am a brand new user of LEXAPRO & to SUPPORT CHAT BOARDS for that matter and find this particular site very insightful & encouraging to know that I AM NOT ALONE going through this "unbalanced" journey!
>
> Even though i have not been posting to this board due to only being on 10mg of LEX now for a week now, i have been thoroughly reading everyone's individual experiences to see where i might fit in & what to possibly expect.
>
> I feel i have suffered mild to severe depression for well over 1/2 my life now & never truly knew how to label it or what was going on? All i know is things just kept getting worse or episodes lasted longer the older i got due to having more "traumatic/life altering" events within my life!
>
> I also noticed the "doom & gloom" ALWAYS got sooo much worse when the winter months came around the corner to a point that virtually NOTHING could get me to leave my home or to have the desire to be around other human beings.
>
> What finally got me to seek professional medical help was the rampant increase of anxiety(not a severe degree of episodes or panic attacks) along with the constant looping of negative thoughts & the classic "what if's" that prevented me from usually enjoying anything i once so freely enjoyed!(such as hobbies & passions)
>
> I just finally said i am SOOOO tired of these irrational thoughts & fears consuming another single day of my life & to those loved ones still around me who have been nothing but supportive in accepting me "as is"! For me to do nothing about this perpetual negative "internal dialog" i woke up to everyday was just too tiring & tolling for my spirit to take anymore!
>
> So i bit the proverbial bullet & sought help which is where LEXAPRO has come to my aid. So far from DAY 1 my anxiety & negative thoughts are completely gone with daily tasks being easily accomplished & an actual zesty & enjoyable appetite for food has come back in my life!
>
> However, i too am experiencing some pitfall side effects such as if i am not on my feet moving around all the time & happen to sit down on the couch or in front of the computer i almost immediately get EXTREMELY yawny & tired & usually start to fall asleep!(that NEVER used to happen before taking LEX)
>
> Also, i am having large bouts of lack of concentration when reading or typing which would be called being "spaced out" i guess with the mind wandering off somewhere at sorts. I also noticed my speech seems a little slurred & slower to my ears right now which i would guess is due to the wandering mind!
>
> Anyway, balance is the essential key for a good life & anything you invite into your life will always have a trade off & right now i TRULY like all the gains i have gotten from LEX which i haven't felt for well over 15 years! As i said, i am waiting to see what it does for me in the long term as my brain & body adjust to this tiny white miracle worker(hopefully!) & will always check this discussion board on a daily basis(when possible) for valuable support & to offer my 100% honest personal opinions!
>
> lovingly,
> PISCESMOON7Dear PISCESMOON7,
You're wonderful... I really appreciate and relate to how you describe the endless "loop" of negative thoughts. That's how it is... I used to wake up and seemingly pick up the dooming thought or thoughts that I was having when I finally got to sleep, every morning. This sounds "crazy" but I would sometimes just repeat the same words over and over, and I couldn't get them to sound right. It was an internal monologe that at moments made me shut down. I had a terrible drinking problem, which I have found arrestable through a 12 step program. I believe that for many years I drank to veil the anxiety/depression that was there... I started at a young age and during a very difficult part in my families life and my own life (as if the two are seperate when your young.) I'm actually not sure why I'm sharing this with everyone, perhaps it's the anonymity, perhaps I want other to know that life can be beautiful, it is something I forgot, or maybe never knew... but today it is real, I"m not a drugged up crazy person. I'm in chemical balance with my body now.
I hope to talk to you all some more, I find a great deal of support here.
Posted by male34 on February 4, 2003, at 17:54:43
In reply to Re: Lexapro has been very good for me, posted by mikal on February 4, 2003, at 16:28:24
listen up pass it on dont take fat burners ive readand dr confirmed those fatburners ephedrine ma hang etc... or so bad for everybody but special attention to anxiuos people please pass it on ,all fat burners are bad! im only hoping to help
Posted by sussus on February 4, 2003, at 18:32:55
In reply to Re: Lexapro has been very good for me, posted by mikal on February 4, 2003, at 16:12:38
Mikal - Your message was very encouraging and I too, will happily tolerate some side effects in order to achieve peace of mind.
I do eat very healthy foods most of the time and know that is important for me. I know that I do need to reincorporate exercise and am planning to join a gym with my partner soon (have even called and researched a short-term membership rate).
Thanks for the Omega-3 idea - will check it out.
And I know that these pills aren't a cure - or at least I think I knew that. As I said before, it is hard not to have expectations but I am trying to be resasonable with them.
I just want to wake up in the morning, get out of bed and go have a normal day - not hide in the house another day. I never thought I would come to this.
Ironically, most people think I am a world-beater. I have developed coping mechanisms that portray me as a fearless person. HA! And the reality is that on many levels, I am fearless - but not these days..... I look forward to feeling better.
Sussus
> > Dear Sussus,
>
> I"m not sure if this is helpful, but when I've been taking Lexapro now for a month, I feel awesome. The side effects are neglagable, now. It took awile for them to get to that point, but any I have are worth every second of relief from the torment of Panic Anxiety/Depression.
>
> For anyone who is capable of exersise, which is a vast majority of us humans, do it, do it, do it; start slow, check with a doctor about what may be best for you. Exersise will improve quality of life in ways you can never imagine. I'm still young, and you older people out there may feel exersise is a time past, but just a little will make a difference. You don't have to do it every day, but do it regularly and on a similar schedule, make it part of weekly routine. That and I change my diet, I'm eating healthier. I've cut out much of the fat, thought I'm a sucker for an occasional pizza. And I stick to low intake of red meats, dairy, breads. And I eat a ton of vegtables. The point is, I've change my diet, upped my activity (I'm not talking about Iron Man competitions in my future, just getting the heart going a couple times a week... and not in the Panic way.) I was told to take 3000mgs of Omega-3, I have no idea if it's benefiting me, but sometimes we're not our own best judge of character, and it pays to rely on someone else for some advise.
>
> Basically, I was miserable doing what I did before. I never thought I needed Anit D. Drugs, guess what I did. I never put weight into living healthy, that led to a very dull and alienating life... So when I finnaly "broke down" and decided to try Anit D Drugs, I broke down my life, once the fog started to clear I realized that I had to it differently. I'm not going to change by drugs alone. They cannot make me a better person, they cannot get me more friends, they cannot lose weight for me... ad infinitum. They can restore a chemical balance which will enable me to have choices again, but I still have to do the work. I still have to put myself out there, and I have to do it differently.
>
> I still have my bad days, I'm not having a good one so far. But today I'm not obsessing about a bad day. I'm not losing myself in my bad day. I'm not fearful that there will be nothing but bad days ahead. EVERYBODY has bad days, it's ok.
>
>
Posted by mlj 123 on February 4, 2003, at 19:46:50
In reply to mlj 123 ???, posted by male34 on February 3, 2003, at 16:44:55
Male,
Ive been on Lexepro for three months now. The first Two weeks were really hard. I Have to take it when I wake up with food or I cannot sleep al night long. I take 10mg a day. I havent had a panic attack in 3 1/2 months now. I had lost 20 pounds when I started having the attacks and now Ive gained 10 back. I love it so far and I dont have any more side effect (so far). Please pray for me and every one else here that only wishes to live a normal life. I feel like me agaim!!! So far I love the Lexepro. It just took comming out of the denial process and relizing that I reaaly had to take a medicine. good Luck
Posted by mlj 123 on February 4, 2003, at 19:54:19
In reply to Re: Lexapro has been very good for me, posted by sussus on February 4, 2003, at 14:09:18
> Hi there everyone - This is my first time ever participating in an online chat and it is motivated by my relief at finding this amazing group of people.
>
> After years - and I mean years of struggle in talk therapy, I finally hit the wall with depression and anxiety and decided to try AD's.
>
> I have been taking Lexapro for three weeks and am honestly not sure yet how I feel. I know it takes time and I am trying to be patient, but it is hard not to have expectations.
>
> At this point, I have stopped crying every day and the overwhelming sense of doom and fear that I lived with has eased somewhat. I am slightly nauseous, but that is tolerable.
>
> The one thing that really scaares me is my complete lack of motivation. I have felt this way before when depressed, but was not really experiencing it in the episode that preceded my getting on meds. I do feel better - as I said before - but all I want to do every day is lay on the couch, watch TV and lay around. I don't feel that I can't do things; I literally have noooooo motivation and that scares me.
>
> The main reason I decided to post was in response to positive people who have written of their experiences on AD's. Can anyone offer insight/experiences/advice on the subject of anti-motivatioanl syndrome? Is this a side effect? Does it tend to dissapate? My dosage is 10mg. Lexapro taken around 3 PM - works best with my sleep habits.
>
> Thanks again and I feel good to be doing at least this one thing today.....
>
> Sussus
>
>>Dont give up on the 10mg because I promise that it doesnt take that much to help. I feel that the 10mg of Lexepro has really really helped. As for the modivation- You have to get to get up and live. Once I felt like I was living happier that was modivation enuff to bring myself out of bed and try to catch up on all that anxiety that brough me down for so long. Now I want to do it all. I just pray that I continue to progress and all these wonderful people that share this ray of hope with me
Posted by sussus on February 4, 2003, at 20:19:48
In reply to Re: Lexapro has been very good for me, posted by mlj 123 on February 4, 2003, at 19:54:19
MLJ - How long did it take for you to get re-energized to something resembling a normal level?I have been taking Lexapro for 3 weeks now.
Sussus
Posted by Sadsack on February 4, 2003, at 20:43:04
In reply to Re: lexapro need help,users » male34, posted by nhg on February 3, 2003, at 11:08:15
You REALLY have to give the Lex more time. I keep reading notes about those of you who are discouraged after 3 days, 5 days, 2 weeks etc. I didn't feel any effects for 2 weeks and then it was mostly side effects. Thanks to encouragement from a few faithfuls here, I stuck it out and the side effects faded and the depression got MUCH better. My thinking got clearer, my get up and go returned. But it took awhile (2 months). The side effects (neck and shoulder pain, sleepiness or sleeplessness, headaches, jaw pain, inability to have orgasm etc,) fade before too long and are well worth the ultimate outcome. In the depression / anxiety world Patience is a Virtue. Good things come to those who wait. I know it's tough but hang in there!!!!
Good Luck to all
Sadsack> > im on lexapro only 3 days now wow im so tired anxiuos and crummy feeeling,i did paxil a year ago gained 35 pounds come off it ,it was hell coming off, but now my mother died and my anxiety is bad, im also agoraphobic . im on lexapro for anxiety mainly but i sure dont like these first days any help ,is this normal im on 10 mgs and some small doses of xanax to calm me, but believe me im calm ill i want to do is sleep along with be very anxiuos and jiterry /please help
>
> How are you feeling now? I've been on Lexapro for three days. It has helped the depression (which couldn't have gotten any worse) but isn't doing anthing for the anxiety. I have been taking xanax for a few weeks (ever since I was assaulted). I need it sometimes at night, but always in the morning. During the past weeks, I toss and turn in my sleep and wake up repeatedly in extreme panic attacks. I take some xanax and try to go back to sleep. But for some reason, mornings are the worse. I can hardly live with it.
> So you are a few days ahead of me with the Lexapro and I'm just wondering if you've had any progress.
Posted by Karen Anne on February 4, 2003, at 20:58:16
In reply to Re: Lexapro side-effects, posted by tanguerey on January 28, 2003, at 12:43:13
I started Lexapro 6 days ago. Today was day one without diarrhea! I have tried medication 4 times in 20 years always given up after 3 days. I had to cut the 10mg tabs in half because the reflux was so bad. I also notice I am keeping my muscles in a very tense state. Woke up this morning feeling like I was beaten all night! But my mood is better...don't feel like crying and worrying a lot less so I will keep taking it unless side effects get worse.
Posted by nhg on February 4, 2003, at 21:04:09
In reply to Re: Lexapro side-effects, posted by Karen Anne on February 4, 2003, at 20:58:16
> I also notice I am keeping my muscles in a very tense state. Woke up this morning feeling like I was beaten all night!
I am new to lexapro too and I woke up this morning feeling like I'd been punched in the stomach, kind of sore or bruised in the gut. I guess it's from tense muscles. I don't know what I can do about that, especially when I'm sleeping!
Posted by Donia on February 4, 2003, at 21:25:13
In reply to Re: Lexapro side-effects, posted by nhg on February 4, 2003, at 21:04:09
I was very jittery and tensed up the first week, the second week started to feel a little better. I noticed my teeth were cleanched all the time. It is getting better, on week three and so far no big complaints.
Posted by Theona on February 4, 2003, at 21:39:37
In reply to Re: Lexapro has been very good for me, posted by sussus on February 4, 2003, at 18:32:55
I have been on Lexapro about 5 days now, after being on Celexa for 4 months. It was very confusing. I was on Celexa for a year and a half about 3 years ago and it was wonderful, but when I returned to it, I was nauseated several hours a day and had jaw chatter. I don't understand why it worked well before, but not now. Prozac gives me whole body tremors in the a.m., as though I am about to have a sezure. And Zoloft gives me bad jaw chatter, like I'm freezing cold. The nausea to this severity only began with this year's round of medication, so I have been moved to Lexapro.
The first weekend, I was very nauseated, about 6 hours a day, and mild jaw chatter, but hopefully it may be the Celexa in my system and the transfer of meds. I am on 10mg of Lexapro. I was on 30mg of Celexa.
I went through a major depression last fall and tend to be chronically depressed. But more than that, over the last 4 years, I have slowly come to understand and accept that I experience OCD, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. It is moderate, I believe, not severe, but enough to interfere with my progress in life. I am a horder. Everything I touch, I need to have a lot of it. But I have white-knuckled it through life, and managed it pretty well. The trouble is that managing it take a lot of my time. And I have high anxiety and intense thought patterns.
It took four years to move through denial systems - first only accepting that the anxiety was a big problem for me, and finally during the last quarter of 2002, realizing I collect too much of everything and have too much stuff. Over my lifetime, I narrowed the stuff down to sensible stuff instead of completely useless stuff (300 patterns and I never sew) and I am ready to move into getting all my stuff to managable levels.
So I went to my family doctor in October and have always been open with him about the OCD. He told me I would be on SSRIs for the rest of my life and he would make sure I had them, even if I didn't have insurance (which I do right now). I cried when I left. Finally I had someone on my side.
I found a therapist to work with me, a cognitive-behaviorist, and I have just begun with him.
It is as though at age 55, I have finally solved the problem of why my life has been so hard, so tiring, and I am beginning to have new hope.
Reading all the postings here has been very helpful. I dispared the first few days because I felt so sick and became morbidly depressed. But by day 4, when I was upset about something, I couldn't cry, and I knew the SSRI was beginning to "take." My thinking has been so intense, like constantly talking to myself. When I was on the Celexa, I was talking outloud when I was in the car. I never did that before, and didn't before I went on the Celexa. I didn't worry about it too much because when I was coming down off of the Prozac when I was taken off of it, I began to talk out loud, almost out of control. It was pretty strange, and didn't last, but sure did make me think about people with mental disorders who talk all of the time and the role of seritonin in their brains.
I hear so many of you say what I say - I just want to feel normal. Sometimes, in the past, the axiety level has been so high that getting anything done has been hard. One thing I noticed when on the Celexa was that there was some relief from a sense of "resistance" I always have about doing anything. I didn't realize it was from the seritonin imbalance. I blamed myself dreadfully for being lazy or lacking motivation. One day, I had complete relief from this and at work, I just worked along all day. It was wonderful. I hope that lies ahead and I will feel like that most of the time.
Other than the nausea and waiting for the Lexapro to go into full gear, I guess I've been pretty lucky. I sleep okay. I am not sleepy during the day. If I was depressed on the weekend, well there were other contributors - getting over a terrible cold that put me in bed 3 weekends in a row (I have an auto-immune condition where my antibodies attack my white cells and sometimes I am sick longer than usual) and slowed my life down when I am ready to get going, stuff like that, maybe it is because I am developing a psycosomatic reaction (nausea and exhaustion) to working on my house and fighting the OCD problem (which is why I am going to the CBT therapist), so who knows what the real cause is. It will take time to tease it all apart.
All I know is that like so many I've been reading about here, I was impatient in the first week. Because I was on Celexa for 4 months, I thought the trasition would be a snap, but for some reason, it wasn't. Maybe it will work better, sooner, because of being on the other SSRI, maybe not.
I would like to be a Lexapro success story to encourage others. If I only had the Celexa which made me sick 2 hours a day, I would take that, just to bring about recovery from the OCD. It has made life so hard. At the same time, I look back and now understand what I have been able to do inspite of it, and I feel better about myself. Now I am hoping that with some relief, I can do even more.
Theona
Posted by Bipolarsux on February 5, 2003, at 7:13:09
In reply to Re: same side effects all ssri's » Bipolarsux, posted by lcg4 on February 4, 2003, at 8:11:37
Hi Linda.
I'm so sorry to hear of your son experiencing these difficulties. (You always think *you* are the worst off until you come across cases like this.)
Your idea of not changing your son's medication until Summer vacation seems very sound to me since transitions between medications are always painful and take some time to even out. A transition during vacation should impact least on his academic performance.
From personal experience, I suspect that you will not find a tremendous difference in effects and side-effects from medication in the same class (e.g. Paxil vs Lexapro SSRIs). Then again, my reaction to medication tends to be atypical.
I have panic disorder embedded in bipolar illness and SSRIs aggravate the panic and mania so I am not a big fan of them (beware of my bias!).
Best of luck.
BPsux
Posted by lcg4 on February 5, 2003, at 8:47:29
In reply to Re: same side effects all ssri's » lcg4, posted by Bipolarsux on February 5, 2003, at 7:13:09
Thanks so much for the kind email. I tend to agree with you that they all are about the same with the side effects. I myself have experienced the same side effects when taking ssri's in the past for anxiety. I noticed taking the dosage lower seemed to help quite a bit with my son's concentration so we may just lower the dose a bit over spring break or summer and see if that helps without the anxiety coming back. He definitely reacts to lowering the dosage so we have to do it when he has time off of school. He got very aggressive and paranoid until he got used to the dosage. Thanks for your support. It really helps. Linda
Posted by Dysfunk on February 5, 2003, at 10:34:13
In reply to Re: Lexapro has been very good for me, posted by Donia on February 4, 2003, at 14:45:39
Week 3 1/2 on Lex and I am in a terrible mood. I sure hope this medicine works for me. I have been very negative and anxious lately. Some of you report it working early on....has it taken anyone longer than a month for it to work? Curious. Thanks.
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