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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by tm on July 14, 2003, at 17:02:31
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Bela on July 14, 2003, at 12:54:04
> I have two questions regarding Lexapro for anyone out there that has the information.
>
> Question 1: In your experience, how long does it take for Lexapro to have a positive effect, assuming that it does? I have taken 10 mg. per day for 2 weeks and have noticed no benefit. If anything, my depression may have gotten worse.
>
> Question 2: I am concurrently taking Remeron and Lamictal. Could this effect the efficacy of the Lexapro?
>
> Thanks for any help you give me.
> Bela
I took a little longer than Wayne did, but I woke up one morning and it was like someone cut the light switch on, I knew that I was going to have a good day and it's been like that ever since. I don't know about the mixture of med.Hang in There! I hope you have the same experience.
Take care Tim
Posted by Bela on July 14, 2003, at 17:49:14
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by tm on July 14, 2003, at 17:02:31
Tim - I appreciate your words of encouragement. I do hope I have the same experience.
Bela
Posted by Doug in PA on July 14, 2003, at 18:15:52
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Bela on July 14, 2003, at 12:54:04
It has been a little over a month on Lex for me with symptoms that seem to get a little worse than when taking Paxil. However I have been under a lot more stress for the past 3 weeks. (landlord wants me to move so he can sell the place and I finally HAVE to clean the pig stie in which I have let it become.) Who knows, maybe I would be feeling much worse if not on Lex. I am going to give it a while longer. I can get up and go to work OK but as soon as I get home I want to go to bed and sleep. I have zero motivation and zero short term memory. Lack of motivation and putting it off 'till tomorrow are my biggest items to beat myself up with.
Hang in there, if it is any consilation, there are probably people a lot worse off than you and me and they are still coping. There is still hope.
=========================================> I have two questions regarding Lexapro for anyone out there that has the information.
>
> Question 1: In your experience, how long does it take for Lexapro to have a positive effect, assuming that it does? I have taken 10 mg. per day for 2 weeks and have noticed no benefit. If anything, my depression may have gotten worse.
>
> Question 2: I am concurrently taking Remeron and Lamictal. Could this effect the efficacy of the Lexapro?
>
> Thanks for any help you give me.
> Bela
Posted by lil' jimi on July 14, 2003, at 20:24:44
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Bela on July 14, 2003, at 12:54:04
hi Bela,
you have asked us two questions:
> Question 1: In your experience, how long does it take for Lexapro to have a positive effect, assuming that it does? I have taken 10 mg. per day for 2 weeks and have noticed no benefit. If anything, my depression may have gotten worse.
>
> Question 2: I am concurrently taking Remeron and Lamictal. Could this effect the efficacy of the Lexapro?
>
> Thanks for any help you give me.
> Belaand this is my reply:
i'm afraid i'm like Wayne, i know nothing about your lamictal nor remeron ... .. ... sorry... ... you may want to post your question in the subject line of a new thread to the main board ... maybe something like
... ...."Remeron, Lamictal, Lexapro: Please Advise!"
... ... that way you may be able to get the attention of more experienced posters.i have had a great experience with lex ... ... less athan 2 weeks of SEs and about 4 or so weeks before i realized i was getting therapeutic benefits ... i am being treated for depression ... ... i take no other meds ...
thanks for your post and please do keep us posted.
TAKE CARE !!!
~ jim
Posted by lil' jimi on July 14, 2003, at 20:44:58
In reply to re: lexapro urination, posted by bruce_w6 on July 10, 2003, at 20:10:57
hi bruce_w6,
i have been thinking about these posts we exchanged a while back:
> > hi bruce_w6,
> >
> > > I remember seeing posts in the beginning about urination habits changing when on Lexapro. How do I find these posts? Has anyone noticed their urination habits changing since taking Lexapro?
> >
> > this is another initial side-effect i had that went away in a little more than a week ... i have posted about this, but i can't remember what subject line i used and i don't recall that anyone responded ...
> >
> > when this was happening to me i had to take a very deliberate appraoch to peeing .... ... whereas it was an autonomic point and shoot before, it became a much more elaborate challenge, which sometimes caused a series of attempts to get my bladder really empty ... ... after a about 2 weeks this problem was completely gone ... .... but it had me a little worried there for a while ...
> >
> > take care,
> > ~ jim
>
> I started having these same symptoms shortly after starting Lexapro in December 2002. I am still having them. I had my prostate checked and it is ok. I urinate frequently and it is kind of an effort to empty my bladder.
>
> Any other feedback would be appreciated.... ... and i got to thinking that your situation is unusal enough that you should have your doctor check it out and if need be refer you to a urologist ... ... there could be any number of conditions that be contributing to your symptoms and you should try to get the professional to make the call ... ... if this does turn out to be the lex, then you may get their opinion on whether this justifies switching away from lexapro ... ...
... ... my advice: see the doc.
TAKE CARE !!!!
~ jim
Posted by oldhand on July 14, 2003, at 21:15:15
In reply to re: lexapro urination » bruce_w6, posted by lil' jimi on July 14, 2003, at 20:44:58
hELLO ALL!
Wanted to let you know that I have been on 20mg of Lex for 5 weeks now and had the second appointment with the pdoc today. I have felt signifigantly better on that dosage, and have been better able to focus and concentrate. I have more energy and am sleeping less. I also have been trying to get more exercize as she advised. She had me keep a mood diary (she had mentioned bi-polar and Lithium at our first appointment) but after she looked at it she said she felt we were on the right track with this dosage.........HOORAAY!!!
I was a little leery of the b-p diagnosis and Lithium so I am very pleased that was not added to my current "cocktail" As she confirmed for me, Lithium requires regular blood work to check it's level in the body and I wasn't thrilled with either prospect.
I just had a wonderful overnight visit with 4 of my girlfriends from high school. Had our 35th reunion last year so we have been friends for almost forty years. Amazing for an Airforce brat that moved every three years and didn't get to keep friends very long. All we do when we are together is laugh and we all know how good a tonic that is for whatever ails ya!
Just wanted to share all my good news with all of you and encourage whoever needs it to hang in there!!
Posted by oldhand on July 14, 2003, at 21:18:59
In reply to second appointment, posted by oldhand on July 14, 2003, at 21:15:15
Guess I did not mean to post that in reply to the urination subject. Sorry
Posted by lil' jimi on July 14, 2003, at 21:21:38
In reply to lexapro question again, posted by e503 on July 11, 2003, at 19:13:18
hi elise,
i'm a parent too ... ... my heart goes out to you
you have written to us:
> gave ben 2.5 mg. lexapro during the day and he was much better and less hyper than when he was taking it at night. Only thing is, I noticed about 8 or 9 hours later (5:00 p.m. today) he started to get restless and somewhat agitated. I am wondering if I could dose it 2 times a day (2.5 mg. x 2)and if it would help. Has anyone else had the effect that it could be "calming" for about 8 hours or so, and then anxiety comes back?
> thanks,
> elise... ... i can sense your stress trying to fine tune his meds for ben ... ... it's hard for adults to do for themselves, as you may have read from these posts ... ... i would suggest even trying 1.25 mg X 2 as another possibility, but your guesses are so much better than mine ... ... i have been on lexapro since march and it is an odd effect to experience both the lethargy and the agitation that lex can induce ... ... it does seen to me to be both doseage sensitive and timing sensitive ... ... and lex insists on a lot of patience .... any doseage changes need x# of weeks to take a effect ... where x can equal 4 to 8 .... ...
... my suggestion, for getting better information and more responses would be to post something in a subject line as a new thread to the main board ... something to get folks attention ... like:
"Lexapro,<med name>,<med name>:please HELP MY SON!"
subject line is limited to 50 chercaters ... use them up!
this way a LOT more folks with a lot wider experience will be a lot more likely to reply.your Ben has our prayers, good mommie ...
TAKE CARE !!
~ jim
Posted by lil' jimi on July 14, 2003, at 21:50:19
In reply to Re: second appointment » oldhand, posted by oldhand on July 14, 2003, at 21:18:59
hey oldhand!
> Guess I did not mean to post that in reply to the urination subject. Sorry
hey like Totally no sweat ... hardly anyone notices the "In reply to" line that much ... as often as not, folks will just grab the last post and use it to post whatever ... no biggie.
it is so great to hear you are doing better ... and that we have things in common, partner: i graduated in 1969 and i'm an air force brat too! ... ... so i Am impressed that you've kept up with your pals so well for so long ... ... non-military families should appreciate their long-term companions more ... ... i have very few ... 40 years? ... i'd have to do a lot of research!
thanks again for your positive post ... it has always been great to hear from you ... keep up the great progress ... ... best of luck with your folks and ...
TAKE CARE !!
~ jim
Posted by McPac on July 14, 2003, at 22:08:47
In reply to second appointment, posted by oldhand on July 14, 2003, at 21:15:15
"that I have been on 20mg of Lex for 5 weeks now and had the second appointment with the pdoc today. I have felt signifigantly better on that dosage"
>>>>>>>>>>>> So the 20 mg dosage made you feel much better than your previous dose...what was your previous dose and how long did you give that dose a try? How long after you bumped your Lexapro up to 20 mg did the better feelings start? (I ask because I have been on Lexapro for 2 weeks (at 10 mg's) and was thinking about bumping the dose up). Thanks!!!!!!!
Posted by McPac on July 14, 2003, at 22:16:20
In reply to re: lexapro question again » e503, posted by lil' jimi on July 14, 2003, at 21:21:38
"it is an odd effect to experience both the lethargy and the agitation that lex can induce"
>>>>>>>>>And I thought Lex was supposed to have such minimal side effects, lol, these meds are all the same, if it isn't one batch of lousy s/e's it's another, lol, never believe the marketing crap hype.....so are these two of lex's more common s/e's (lethargy and agitation)? As for the agitation, do you mean more like nervousness or more like an irritability/temper kind of thing? Thanks dudes & dudettes!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by lil' jimi on July 15, 2003, at 2:00:43
In reply to re: lexapro question again, posted by McPac on July 14, 2003, at 22:16:20
hey Mc Pac, How you doing, man?
i had written:
> "it is an odd effect to experience both the lethargy and the agitation that lex can induce"
>
> >>>>>>>>>And I thought Lex was supposed to have such minimal side effects, lol, these meds are all the same, if it isn't one batch of lousy s/e's it's another, lol, never believe the marketing crap hype.....so are these two of lex's more common s/e's (lethargy and agitation)? As for the agitation, do you mean more like nervousness or more like an irritability/temper kind of thing? Thanks dudes & dudettes!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
... yeah, well they like to call them "Side-Effects" when their anti-therapuetic detriments are really front and center ... my own reading of the posts to this thread suggests, IMHO, that perhaps lex has a higher incidence of new users having zero or nearly zero SEs ... which is very small consolation to any given specfic lex user ... ... my total disregard for promotional stuff about lex defies me caring about hype ... one's own experience should be our guide and the experiece of fellow users on this message board ... ...i'd say they are among the more common SEs, fatigue and anxiety
... ... we should start accepting nominations for the most common lex SEs ...when i wrote "lethargy" to refer to the fatigue-sleepiness which i experienced in my 1st two weeks ... ... sometimes this a kind of calm trance-like inertia ... kind of sedative-like
and when i wrote "agitation" it was to refer to ... ... well, really to respond to elise's son's symptom ... which i was relating to my own kind of stimulant sort of amphetamine-like buzz, which i used to get just after taking my lex dose in the early days ... ... i related to her son's experience with the strange sensation i had of both the fatigue/sedation and the speedy/stimulation happening at the same time ... my ironic lex SE.
... for me though they all went away after 2 weeks ... .. ... oh, i guess i had the sweats for another week or 2 maybe, then that gradually faded to nothing too ...
best luck to you McPac,
~ jim
Posted by Hoping on July 15, 2003, at 5:19:20
In reply to re: lexapro speed-buzz AND downer-trance » McPac, posted by lil' jimi on July 15, 2003, at 2:00:43
I gave the 2.5mg Lexapro a try, but only made it 3 days. I have no idea if it affected my sexual desire or ability to have an orgasm (which was my main concern), because i was so nauseous and felt zombied out and sick, plus i had a really weird/unpleasant taste in my mouth, and couldn't eat a thing.
I'm glad it's working well for so many of you, but it's obviously not the right med for me. I must be ultra-sensitive to the prescription AD's. Anyone ever tried that Serenity stuff advertised on the internet? What did you think?
Posted by Rich B on July 15, 2003, at 8:48:48
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
Hi, I was wondering if anyone could tell me how long I can expect to be dizzy after stopping Lexapro. I was on Paxil a few years ago for anxiety and quit because of the side effects. I weaned myself off it over the course of a couple off weeks. During that time, I was dizzy and had the infamous zaps. When I did completely stop taking it, the withdrawal symptoms stopped almost completely. Well, I stopped Lexapro this past Friday because it was not helping much and was making me too tense. I stopped it all at once because I thought that I should have with the Paxil two years ago. Now, I am thinking I actually did the right thing by weaning off Paxil and should have done it this way with the Lexapro. By the end of the first day without it I started getting dizzy. The dizziness has increased since then. Yesterday (day 4) the dizziness was so bad I had to go home from work. So far today (8:30 AM) it is still pretty bad, but not quite as bad as yesterday. It might get worse as the day goes on, I don’t know. I tried Dramamine yesterday and all it did was make me tired.
Does anyone know how long I can expect this to go on, and is there anything I can do to alleviate the symptoms in the process?Rich
Posted by Micheke on July 15, 2003, at 11:30:21
In reply to Lexapro Withdrawal Dizziness, posted by Rich B on July 15, 2003, at 8:48:48
Rich, I'm so glad I found this site. I have been trying to stop the Lexapro but have been getting very dizzy. I went from 10mg to nothing and the dizziness was so bad I went back on. Now I cut to 5mg & am supposed to discontinue after two weeks but am still getting dizzy around the middle of the day and the motion sickness makes me nauseous. My dr. never mentioned any withdrawal effects to me and I thought I was crazy. I too need some advice on how long this will last and if there's anything that can be done to alleviate the symptoms. I do not want to increase dosage. I think I am getting confused and can't think straight. Also, things sound very weird sometimes echo or sound very loud. Is this all normal for withdrawal? I am having trouble getting info on what the withdrawal symptoms are. I would appreciate anyone's help.
-Michele
Posted by BLKVETTES on July 15, 2003, at 13:18:59
In reply to Re: Lexapro Withdrawal Dizziness, posted by Micheke on July 15, 2003, at 11:30:21
> Rich, I'm so glad I found this site. I have been trying to stop the Lexapro but have been getting very dizzy. I went from 10mg to nothing and the dizziness was so bad I went back on. Now I cut to 5mg & am supposed to discontinue after two weeks but am still getting dizzy around the middle of the day and the motion sickness makes me nauseous. My dr. never mentioned any withdrawal effects to me and I thought I was crazy. I too need some advice on how long this will last and if there's anything that can be done to alleviate the symptoms. I do not want to increase dosage. I think I am getting confused and can't think straight. Also, things sound very weird sometimes echo or sound very loud. Is this all normal for withdrawal? I am having trouble getting info on what the withdrawal symptoms are. I would appreciate anyone's help.
>
> -MicheleHere is a guide to come off paxil. Im sure the tools at this link could be used for any med. At the very least there is good info!!! GOOD LUCK!!!
WAYNE
http://paxil.bizland.com/jbuzzw.htm
Posted by theo on July 15, 2003, at 14:25:41
In reply to Lexapro Withdrawal Dizziness, posted by Rich B on July 15, 2003, at 8:48:48
Are you starting anything else? I stopped Lex 10mg and started Effexor XR 37.5mg the next day and had no problems. Just lucky I guess.
Posted by Rich B on July 15, 2003, at 16:39:47
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
No, I am not starting anything else. I just went cold turkey. I was on 10 mg. After being totally off Lexapro for 5 days now (including today) I am reluctant to start taking it again, even if only 5 mg for a while. The reason why is because I don't want to undo any progress I've made on getting off it up to this point. If I know it will start getting much better within the next few days, then I will stay the course. However, if I can expect it to be this bad for the next week or so, then I think I might want to take it a little slower and go on 5 mg for a a week or so before stopping completley.
I have a question for Michelle. How long did you quite before you went back on?
Posted by wingdalean on July 15, 2003, at 21:02:27
In reply to Re: alcohol versus lexapro » oldhand, posted by lil' jimi on June 19, 2003, at 22:31:16
Synopsis: after 25 years of abstinence & 8 years of wellbutrin I switched to Lexapro for OCPD - I then proceed to begin drinking alcohol since April. Almost daily between 4 & 12 oz of whiskey or the equivalent. Paradox is I feel better emotionally then I have ever. Physically I used to be a highly obsessive athetic who was OCDed in every aspect of living. I am only concerned about the relationship of my wife & I. I am also a Christian. I don't really know what to say I just wanted to share this.
Posted by Doug in PA on July 16, 2003, at 4:26:00
In reply to Re: alcohol versus lexapro, posted by wingdalean on July 15, 2003, at 21:02:27
I am not sure I understand your last comment about being a Christian. What is your point? Are you ashamed or proud of it? Would it have been any different if you were a Jew or athiest? Your problems would still be the same. Look into your own heart for solutions or poisons. God helps those who help themselves.
========================================> Synopsis: after 25 years of abstinence & 8 years of wellbutrin I switched to Lexapro for OCPD - I then proceed to begin drinking alcohol since April. Almost daily between 4 & 12 oz of whiskey or the equivalent. Paradox is I feel better emotionally then I have ever. Physically I used to be a highly obsessive athetic who was OCDed in every aspect of living. I am only concerned about the relationship of my wife & I. I am also a Christian. I don't really know what to say I just wanted to share this.
Posted by stjames on July 16, 2003, at 10:41:10
In reply to Re: alcohol versus lexapro, posted by wingdalean on July 15, 2003, at 21:02:27
> Synopsis: after 25 years of abstinence & 8 years of wellbutrin I switched to Lexapro for OCPD - I then proceed to begin drinking alcohol since April. Almost daily between 4 & 12 oz of whiskey or the equivalent.
Side effects: Cirrhosis, alcoholism, & alcohol is a poison
Posted by lil' jimi on July 16, 2003, at 15:39:45
In reply to Re: alcohol versus lexapro, posted by Doug in PA on July 16, 2003, at 4:26:00
hi there, Doug in PA,
you wrote to wingdalean:
> I am not sure I understand your last comment about being a Christian. What is your point? Are you ashamed or proud of it? Would it have been any different if you were a Jew or athiest? Your problems would still be the same. Look into your own heart for solutions or poisons. God helps those who help themselves.
> ========================================replying to wingdalean's post:
> > Synopsis: after 25 years of abstinence & 8 years of wellbutrin I switched to Lexapro for OCPD - I then proceed to begin drinking alcohol since April. Almost daily between 4 & 12 oz of whiskey or the equivalent. Paradox is I feel better emotionally then I have ever. Physically I used to be a highly obsessive athetic who was OCDed in every aspect of living. I am only concerned about the relationship of my wife & I. I am also a Christian. I don't really know what to say I just wanted to share this.
>
>you know, Doug,
i don't know wingdalean from adam, BUT ... ...if i was writing here with his synopsis and i'm living the tale it tells
... ... (and i think that between the lines it reads very loudly, "I'M DESPARATE!!") ... ...(with my apologies and all due respect to wingdalean ... we'll go over your path to destruction below)
... and when folks get as desparate as a lot of us are when we come here ... for the kind of reasons we come here ... ... or as desperate as wingdalean should be ....
.. ... ... and come here looking for help and support and advise ...
.... then, imho, it makes a certain sense to me that they might invoke any means of control or restraint or discipline, including their faith ... i would even think it all the more likely that, under such circumstances, they would bring up their religion ...
(of course, in the good dr.dbob's wisdom, there's the Faith board for those specific discussions about religion ... but wing's was a comment not a subject)
i also sense that wingdalean is citing his motivations and priorites in his concern about alcohol: he is committed, and devout ... i can hardly imagine anything less trivial than those facts when one struggles, or is about to, with recovery ... ... i feel this is why wingdalean offered them to us as background ... ...
... and when folks come here and open themselves up to share their private and personal sufferings and experiences, i would think it would be better if we let them feel free to share their beliefs ... ...
Now, WingDaLean,
Sorry to talk around you like that, pardner ... ... just felt like i had to stick up for you a little bit ... for what it's worth, i'm a buddhist and i don't drink alcohol much at all ... ... well, nothing compared to what you're doing anyway ...you are telling us that after 25 years you have fallen off the water-wagon and this may have been part of switching from Wellbutrin to Lexapro ... ... and it is rather more like you Dived Off the wagon there, from these quantities you're talking ... ...
so:
(what is OCPD? ... OCD i know ... ocpd? ... hmmm)how much of your synopsis does you Doctor know?
you should, of course, be checking with your professional health care provider about this very serious Side-Effect ....what does your Wife think of this change in your habits? ... Does She know?
(inside yourself, what does your faith tell you?)
i think we may safely predict the response from everyone concerned for you .... can't we? ... ... and i'm going to give you the same response here, now ... ...
WingDaLean, ol' buddy, don't we all think it about time to mosey on over to our soonest AA meeting? ... hey, maybe?
.. ... .. at least, for your marriage?
seems to me that drinking (that much) alcohol while taking an AD, is going be about as effective as p*ss*ng into the wind ... ... alcohol, in case we all haven't heard, is a major depressant ... which is going to undo everything good your lexapro (anti-depressant) does for your neurotransmitters ...
TAKE CARE!!
~ jimp.s. of course, i may be all wrong ... ...
Posted by Dr. Bob on July 16, 2003, at 19:55:16
In reply to re: alcohol versus lexapro, posted by lil' jimi on July 16, 2003, at 15:39:45
> it makes a certain sense to me that they might invoke any means of control or restraint or discipline, including their faith ...
>
> (of course, in the good dr.dbob's wisdom, there's the Faith board for those specific discussions about religion ... but wing's was a comment not a subject)Yes, and I'd like any follow-ups regarding faith to be redirected there, thanks.
Bob
Posted by sandiegogal on July 16, 2003, at 20:17:30
In reply to re: second appointment » oldhand, posted by lil' jimi on July 14, 2003, at 21:50:19
I have read all the posts from the beginning and am very grateful to have found this site. I have had depression for many years and tried many anti depressants over the years but experienced such irritating side effects that i could never benefit from the therapeutic dose. For about 6 years now i have been "managing" my depression with therapy, exercise, 12 step meetings, and spiritual readings but i know in my heart i cannot manage the depression on my own. The problem i have is that based on previous experience with trying various meds i have developed a huge phobia of taking anything that will alter me physiologically. Thus, my question is does anyone have any experience with how to combat or overcome the fear of taking the medication in the first place so i can see if it will benefit me and treat my depression? Thanks for any input. Susan
Posted by BLKVETTES on July 16, 2003, at 21:03:34
In reply to re: second appointment, posted by sandiegogal on July 16, 2003, at 20:17:30
> I have read all the posts from the beginning and am very grateful to have found this site. I have had depression for many years and tried many anti depressants over the years but experienced such irritating side effects that i could never benefit from the therapeutic dose. For about 6 years now i have been "managing" my depression with therapy, exercise, 12 step meetings, and spiritual readings but i know in my heart i cannot manage the depression on my own. The problem i have is that based on previous experience with trying various meds i have developed a huge phobia of taking anything that will alter me physiologically. Thus, my question is does anyone have any experience with how to combat or overcome the fear of taking the medication in the first place so i can see if it will benefit me and treat my depression? Thanks for any input. Susan
Hi Susan, here is a link that may help you. GOOD LUCK!!!!
WAYNE
http://panicdisorder.about.com/features/blmed1.htm
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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