View Full Version : Lexapro
Jenn1981
02-13-2011, 12:10 PM
2 weeks in and I am stopping.
I know I should give it more of a try but I am overly anxious lately, Im crying for no reason, and my appetite is now doubled(where as the first few days i had NO appetite which was great).
Anyways I am not sure lexapro is right for me. I had tried zoloft and was on it for a while(over a yr) but it killed my sex drive and it made me "numb".
Perhaps Ill stick with good old b 12, Sam-e, and exercise. Anything beats the anxiety, and crying fits :(
Hockogrocle
02-13-2011, 01:24 PM
Perhaps Ill stick with good old b 12, Sam-e, and exercise. Anything beats the anxiety, and crying fits :(
I don't know about the other two, but exercise will certainly help your depression (and possibly your anxiety as well). You have to stick with it consistently, though, which can be a problem for people with significant depressive symptoms. Also, if exercise at the maximum level you consider to be reasonable wasn't sufficient in the past, if probably won't be enough now (if you can increase the level of your exercise or do it more consistently, that's another matter).
Trying another medication may be the best way to go for you. Side effects such as you have been experiencing are idiosyncratic, so it's quite possible that even another medication in Lexapro's class may not cause them for you. Also, did you have anxiety issues before taking the Lexapro, or are they brand new? It's unusual for medications such as Lexapro to cause anxiety out of the blue, but of course anything is possible in pharmacology.
If anxiety hasn't been a major issue for you in the past, buproprion (Wellbutrin) might be a good choice for you because it is often associated with weight loss and improved sexual functioning, which are two of the things that seem to be bothering you about Lexapro. However, it can increase agitation, particularly in the beginning, so it's often not a good choice for patients with existing anxiety symptoms. In any case, I wouldn't necessarily give up on medication altogether without talking to a psychiatrist first.
Jenn1981
02-13-2011, 02:14 PM
^I have been getting anxiety for a while now. I sometimes take xanax to go to sleep at night cause I toss and turn with thoughts at night that keep me awake.
Ive also noticed ive become more introverted and i feel anxious when Im in social settings. Feel like all eyes are on me (not in a good way).. I feel like I need a drink or two just to relax and be "normal". I feel this has gotten progressively worse. I sometimes have the "im in a fishbowl" feeling. Anyhoo, the lexapro just seemed to intensify this feeling.
I meditate and do yoga regularly which helps TEMPORARILY.
I am seeing my doc at end of the month, I will perhaps ask him to switch to something else.
I dont want that numb, dont give a shit feeling that zoloft gave me and the lexapro just really made me feel "off".
Hockogrocle
02-13-2011, 04:03 PM
Buproprion probably isn't for you the, at least not by itself. It might have some use as a supplemental med for dealing with your appetite and sexual function issues while you're also taking something that's better for anxiety, though (it's pretty good for that). There are plenty of others, so it's just a matter of trying enough of them till you find what works for you. It's helpful to have a psychiatrist (rather than a primary care doc) for this sort of thing, as they have a lot more experience with the subtle aspects of different antidepressants than anyone else.
Jenn1981
02-13-2011, 09:57 PM
^used to see a pyschologist and used talk therapy for a while. She was not able to prescribe meds but i got my fam doc to at the time.
I hear pyschiatrists are more into writin a script and can come off as cold/not sympathetic.I dont know this to be true or not since ive only ever seen on therapist. I am in the philly area and do have ins. so if anyone knows of a good pyschiatrist I am ALL ears.thanks :)
Hockogrocle
02-13-2011, 10:30 PM
^used to see a pyschologist and used talk therapy for a while.
The most effective treatment for depression combines talk therapy and medication. Medication doesn't solve your problems, but it does get you to the point where you can solve them yourself. Talk therapy helps you to do that.
She was not able to prescribe meds but i got my fam doc to at the time.
A family doc is fine for people who try a few of the commonly used medications and find something that works for them with tolerable side effects fairly quickly. Someone like you who is having trouble with side effects on different meds is more complicated.
I hear pyschiatrists are more into writin a script and can come off as cold/not sympathetic.
That depends upon the psychiatrist, of course. In general, they probably do tend to focus on writing scripts, but it sounds like that is really what you need now. I assume you can go back to your psychologist to get talk therapy, so what you really need from an M.D. is the right medication. Knowing which med (or combination of meds) to move to next when you're trying to minimize a particular set of side effects is like anything else: the more you do it, the better you get at it. And psychiatrists have done it a lot more than any other type of doc. A family doc might get you to the same place eventually, but a psychiatrist would probably be able do it a lot more quickly.
CherryBomb954
03-10-2011, 03:54 AM
I know this threasd is kinda old but I am currently dealing with issues from Lexapro....
I've been on it for about....7 months and have recently started to develop symptoms similar to Cushing's Syndrome http://www.cushings-help.com/articles/dori-psychiatric.htm
I started on Lexapro mainly for GAD and mild depression.....but now I'm even more depressed cause of the belly fat, bloating, acne, and fatigue I am experiencing from what I think is Cushing's.
Since I lost my health insurance, I asked my pharmacist for advice on weaning off this crap....not only cause of the physical symptoms but the fact that a 30 day supply is now $120 bucks without insurance (which is also making me anxious) She said cut the pills in half for a few weeks, then cut the halves into quarters, and finish out the bottle. I started taking the halves last week and I've been feeling ok for the most part but I've had some PMS like symptoms, mostly emotional stuff.....
HAs anyone had luck with 5HTP? As soon as I'm off the Lexapro I want to try it.
Hockogrocle
03-10-2011, 11:42 AM
I started on Lexapro mainly for GAD and mild depression.....but now I'm even more depressed cause of the belly fat, bloating, acne, and fatigue I am experiencing from what I think is Cushing's.
An antidepressant causing Cushing's syndrome would be a new one, but I suppose that anything's possible. Do you have any other symptoms?
Since I lost my health insurance, I asked my pharmacist for advice on weaning off this crap....not only cause of the physical symptoms but the fact that a 30 day supply is now $120 bucks without insurance
Sorry to hear that. Any change of getting a script for another med that is on one of the four or five dollar per month generic medication lists?
HAs anyone had luck with 5HTP? As soon as I'm off the Lexapro I want to try it.
5-HTP might be worth a try for depression, but it's probably not going to help your anxiety. If you do decide to try it, wait till a week or so after you stop the Lexapro and don't take it at the same time as any other antidepressant.
CherryBomb954
03-10-2011, 04:58 PM
An antidepressant causing Cushing's syndrome would be a new one, but I suppose that anything's possible. Do you have any other symptoms?
Sorry to hear that. Any change of getting a script for another med that is on one of the four or five dollar per month generic medication lists?
5-HTP might be worth a try for depression, but it's probably not going to help your anxiety. If you do decide to try it, wait till a week or so after you stop the Lexapro and don't take it at the same time as any other antidepressant.
I've got the storage of fat in the mid section and my upper arms, a hard, bloated stomach (no I'm not pregnant and no I'm not constipated) rounder face, acne, fatigue, increased thirst, and increased urination. It's not my thyroid, I have it checked every six months, I also have a full blood panel done and it's normal. So I'm not sure what can be causing this stuff. Oh and also I'm not on birth control, someone asked me that before. If you read that link I pasted it's about the correlation between Cushing's and antidepressants,
I'm wauting till I'm weaned off of the Lexapro completely. I was thinking maybe having my Dr. write me a script for Xanax, that way when I'm on the 5htp I can take one in the event of a panuc attack. I've been on it before, I believe a 30-day supply of the .25 mgs was only like 14 dollars.
Hockogrocle
03-10-2011, 08:32 PM
I've got the storage of fat in the mid section and my upper arms, a hard, bloated stomach (no I'm not pregnant and no I'm not constipated) rounder face, acne, fatigue, increased thirst, and increased urination.
Most of these symptoms are not particularly specific for Cushing's disease. The fat on your waist and upper arms could be due to general weight gain from the Lexapro. Increased fat in your mid-section or upper back with fat wasting in your arms and legs would be more characteristic of Cushing's. The facial changes and the bloated stomach might be indicative of Cushing's disease, but it's impossible to tell without a physical examination.
I also have a full blood panel done and it's normal.
Because cortisol levels normally vary significantly over the day, a single blood draw probably isn't going tell you much, although if your blood glucose was normal it probably indicates that your increased thirst and urination aren't due to Cushing's. The best screening test for Cushing's disease is a 24-hour urine cortisol level, which is difficult to perform accurately as an outpatient because it involves collecting all your urine over an entire day.
If you read that link I pasted it's about the correlation between Cushing's and antidepressants
The link dealt with depression caused by Cushing's disease (which is quite common) and treated with antidepressants, not with antidepressants causing Cushing's disease. It is true that depression itself can cause a mild form of Cushing's disease, but the depression needs to be fairly severe. I've never heard that anxiety can have the same effect, although I suppose it's possible.
I was thinking maybe having my Dr. write me a script for Xanax, that way when I'm on the 5htp I can take one in the event of a panuc attack.
Xanax is acceptable (although far from optimal) for dealing with occasional panic attacks, but it's a horrible choice for long-term treatment of daily anxiety.
CherryBomb954
03-11-2011, 02:27 AM
Ok.....thanks alot. I understand a little better now.
I do have that lower back fat too (muffin top)
So I'm assuming that this weight gain is caused by the Lexapro? Cause I have not changed my diet or exercise habits at all since I have been on it. It also seems that this weight is harder to lose......no matter what I do it won't budge, I'm hoping once I'm off this shit it will start to go away.
Hockogrocle
03-11-2011, 12:19 PM
I do have that lower back fat too (muffin top)
That's probably just where your genetics dictate the extra calories should go at your present level of body fat, unfortunately.
So I'm assuming that this weight gain is caused by the Lexapro?
The antidepressants in Lexapro's class (SSRIs) tend to cause weight gain in some people. They probably do this by increasing appetite, although the situation is complicated because depression and anxiety themselves can either decrease or increase appetite, depending on the individual.
Cause I have not changed my diet or exercise habits at all since I have been on it. It also seems that this weight is harder to lose
Unless you've counting calories very meticulously, it's likely that you've been eating a bit more since you've been on the medication and it's now starting to catch up with you. If you don't want to count calories with the maddening level of precision needed to make sure you are eating less (and I know that it's a huge pain to do that), I would suggest increasing the amount or (even better) the intensity of your exercise. That would probably help your depression a bit as well.
I'm hoping once I'm off this shit it will start to go away.
If I were you, I would keep trying other SSRIs until I found one that controlled my panic attacks and anxiety with a tolerable level of side effects. Everyone responds to these medications a bit differently, and you don't really know the precise effects they will have until you try.
As I'm sure you are aware, panic attacks are no joke, and you are much better off preventing them with an SSRI than trying to deal with them once they've started using Xanax. An SSRI will also address your GAD. which is something that Xanax can't do without opening up a whole world of trouble.
Hockogrocle
03-11-2011, 06:44 PM
I found this article where they say regular cardio excercise is as effective at curing anxiety and deppression as many of the pharma stuff on the market today!
I agree with this 100%. Regular exercise takes awhile to kick in, but once it does the benefits can be remarkable. Some people are going to need both exercise and meds, of course, and some people just aren't going to exercise seriously no matter what the benefits. It's still the first thing I'd recommend to any sedentary person with mild to moderate depression or anxiety, however.