Recently I started on Lexapro, 10mg. It seemed to work for about a week but then I really didn't notice anything "spectacular" and overall have been disspointed with its effectiveness. My doc told me to go up to 20 mg. but if it made me really tired then to switch to Prozac. Well.........suprise!........it made me really tired, much like when I started on 10mg. Also, my sex drive has suffered.
Is Prozac going to be the same? Honestly, if these drugs are not going to do much I don't think this experimenting is worth the side effects. I thought you were really supposed to notice something with taking these meds, a BIG change. What gives?
If I take the Prozac I risk totally killing off the sex drive. I don't know what I want more right now, sex drive or a better mood. Being in nursing school I feel now that stress is inevitable and maybe I am fighting somewhat of a losing battle??? Right now, I feel that my stress is as high as ever, but I started with the meds at the same time I started school. So, could be that w/o the meds I could be in panic attack mode?? LOL. I just don't feel these meds are worth the side effects. I have been on the Lexapro for about six weeks now and no miracles....And if Prozac is going to make me even MORE tired, well I don't want it. I have to be alert and productive after all..
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
I've wondered about that connection for some time myself. I went on Paxil about 5 years ago, and even though it helped me feel 100% better both physically and mentally, there was definitely a change for the worse as far as my sex drive went. Unfortunately, I also started perimenopause right around the same time, so it's kind of a question of which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg: I don't know which, if either event precipitated my loss of interest.
Now it's libido? WHAT libido?:chuckle I feel about as erotic as a stick of gum. I'm not depressed anymore, I'm not even having periods at this point, and I happen to adore my husband of 25 years.......but I'm beginning to consider talking to my doctor about changing to Wellbutrin as well. I'm way too young for that part of my life to be over.......in fact, it should be better than ever now that our kids are grown or near-grown, we have more free time together than ever before, I no longer have constant heavy menses, and there's plenty of privacy in our own spacious 'apartment' on the bottom floor of the house. But it's not, and that needs to change........if I can ever get myself to CARE about sex again........:uhoh21:
Who is prescribing your medications? Is it your general MD or a psychiatrist? So many general practitioners are getting into the business of prescribing antidepressants. Since they need to focus on being a jack-of-all-trades, they can hardly be expected to be a master of any.
If you're not seeing a psychiatrist, please consider doing so. Psychiatrists specialize in modifying psychotropic med regimes all day, every day. They also tend to be much better at responding to untoward med side effects and open to using different medications based on patient experiences.
Wellbutrin is suposed to be one you can take that does not affect your sex drive.
Sometimes, if you really need another med instead of Welbutrin (like Paxil for anxiety) they can add a small amount of Welbutrin to your daily routine.
In my experience and that of my friends...it wasn't so much the actual sex drive totally dropped off with the use of anti-depressants or anti-anxiety meds, it was that things didn't work the way they were supposed to. Erectile disfunction and inabilty to reach orgasm were noted most often. Those who started small doses of Welbutrin in addition to their regular meds did notice a positive change within a few days.
Who is prescribing your medications? Is it your general MD or a psychiatrist? So many general practitioners are getting into the business of prescribing antidepressants. Since they need to focus on being a jack-of-all-trades, they can hardly be expected to be a master of any.
If you're not seeing a psychiatrist, please consider doing so. Psychiatrists specialize in modifying psychotropic med regimes all day, every day. They also tend to be much better at responding to untoward med side effects and open to using different medications based on patient experiences.
~IMBC
Or your friendly neighborhood psychiatric nurse practitioner...
BTW--agree totally with the comment about primary care providers writing scripts for psychiatric meds. For some cases of mild depression or anxiety, that might be fine, but I feel that sometimes the PCPs hand patients a prescription and don't follow-up adequately. I've also seen a lot of OB-GYNs writing prescriptions for antidepressants. I wouldn't see a podiatrist for a pelvic and I wouldn't see an OB-GYN for psych issues.
Thank you for all the responses, been very interesting. I am seeing a psychiatrist, not a family practice doc. I went from Lexapro to Wellbutrin..........was allergic to that, had to stop, but the sex drive/reaction did not improve while on it. Then, now.......Prozac. Sex drive and reaction LONG GONE. I still don't know if these meds are working. To be honest, I have had so many life changes recently that I don't know if ANY med is going to work. I think what I am feeling is normal for the amount of change I have subjected myself to lately. I tried to tell that to my psych, pretty much telling her I was not for sure that I even needed to be on these meds, that they weren't doing much except killing the sex life. She looked perplexed, made some comment about me being medication resistant and suggested that if Prozac at 40mg did not work we should try Depakote. I am not manic depressive, but she somehow thinks a mood stabilizer may work. I am getting tired of all this though. I am pretty tired every day (sleep wise) and I don't know if that is a side effect of Prozac or not. I just want off the meds, but she says she thinks I need to stay on them but honestly I don't know if I trust her. I want to be med free again.
These meds just have not been the lifesaver for me that they seem to be for so many. I had high hopes, but it is just not going well!!
The decision to take drugs is YOUR'S, not your doctors. You seem to have reconciled where the problem is and are not feeling well on the drugs so why would you consider taking another drug? These drugs can have serious adverse effects and should be used as a last resort.. after therapy.
Well, I can't really get a second opinion. I have just about run out of psych bennies for the year........wasted on that stupid therapist that did nothing for me. Grrrrr.:angryfire I think I am going to get back in the groove....start working...see how it goes. I did split the Prozac capsule yesterday. Mixed half of it with OJ and down the hatch. I KNOW that is not recommended here, everyone says "see your doc" but I just don't feel that she is hearing me. I want to get off the med to see if it really is different off of them. The side effects are just too dang annoying if it is not doing anything for me, you know? I can't afford to sleep my life away. The med likely has improved my overall mood but I spend double the time sleeping so is it really better?? I know initially I may have a hard time but I think Prozac is the one that is supposed to be easier to come off of. Let's hope.
I know now how powerful psych meds are and how much you should really determine that you REALLY need them before messing with them. I would by far prefer therapy, but therapy that actually WORKS!!!:angryfire
Well, I can't really get a second opinion. I have just about run out of psych bennies for the year........wasted on that stupid therapist that did nothing for me. Grrrrr.:angryfire I think I am going to get back in the groove....start working...see how it goes. I did split the Prozac capsule yesterday. Mixed half of it with OJ and down the hatch. I KNOW that is not recommended here, everyone says "see your doc" but I just don't feel that she is hearing me. I want to get off the med to see if it really is different off of them. The side effects are just too dang annoying if it is not doing anything for me, you know? I can't afford to sleep my life away. The med likely has improved my overall mood but I spend double the time sleeping so is it really better?? I know initially I may have a hard time but I think Prozac is the one that is supposed to be easier to come off of. Let's hope.
I know now how powerful psych meds are and how much you should really determine that you REALLY need them before messing with them. I would by far prefer therapy, but therapy that actually WORKS!!!:angryfire
I sympathize with your plight but, ack, you split a capsule??? No criticism implied here, but that can be dangerous.
If you have any psych benefits left at all, you should at least be able to get an introductory appointment with a different doc. Ask around, call your county mental health dept., check with any psych hospitals in your area, and try to get the name of someone who has satisfied patients.
Meds can be extremely beneficial in the right situation, but if you don't feel that your life is improving overall, and especially if don't feel your concerns are being listened to, you need to do something different. That could mean merely laying it on the line with your current doc and telling her that you really need her to hear you out. Let her know you are concerned enough to start looking elsewhere.
Some practitioners have had such good results with meds that they end up overprescribing them. When your tool of choice is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail.
If you are going to go the route of weaning yourself off the Prozac, at the very least, call a competent pharmacist and ask about possible problems and side effects. Let a couple of trusted people know what you are doing so that if there are problems, they can help. If your mood is really altered, you might not identify changes as quickly as someone else would.
I really, really, really don't recommend splitting capsules. The coating provides for a more gradual release and cutting through it can mess that up. Weaning usually involves switching to lower dose capsules and/or extending the interval between doses, ie. every other day rather than every day. Here is where a pharmacist can be helpful.
After the first of the year, when new benefits kick in, please try to find a practitioner you feel a sense of connection with. Your mental health influences every other aspect of your life. It's too important to settle for just "getting by."
I hope you can find safe and effective relief soon.
Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatric, Behavioral Health.
I sympathize with your plight but, ack, you split a capsule??? No criticism implied here, but that can be dangerous.
If you have any psych benefits left at all, you should at least be able to get an introductory appointment with a different doc. Ask around, call your county mental health dept., check with any psych hospitals in your area, and try to get the name of someone who has satisfied patients.
Meds can be extremely beneficial in the right situation, but if you don't feel that your life is improving overall, and especially if don't feel your concerns are being listened to, you need to do something different. That could mean merely laying it on the line with your current doc and telling her that you really need her to hear you out. Let her know you are concerned enough to start looking elsewhere.
Some practitioners have had such good results with meds that they end up overprescribing them. When your tool of choice is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail.
If you are going to go the route of weaning yourself off the Prozac, at the very least, call a competent pharmacist and ask about possible problems and side effects. Let a couple of trusted people know what you are doing so that if there are problems, they can help. If your mood is really altered, you might not identify changes as quickly as someone else would.
I really, really, really don't recommend splitting capsules. The coating provides for a more gradual release and cutting through it can mess that up. Weaning usually involves switching to lower dose capsules and/or extending the interval between doses, ie. every other day rather than every day. Here is where a pharmacist can be helpful.
After the first of the year, when new benefits kick in, please try to find a practitioner you feel a sense of connection with. Your mental health influences every other aspect of your life. It's too important to settle for just "getting by."
I hope you can find safe and effective relief soon.
VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN
22 Articles; 9,996 Posts
I've wondered about that connection for some time myself. I went on Paxil about 5 years ago, and even though it helped me feel 100% better both physically and mentally, there was definitely a change for the worse as far as my sex drive went. Unfortunately, I also started perimenopause right around the same time, so it's kind of a question of which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg: I don't know which, if either event precipitated my loss of interest.
Now it's libido? WHAT libido?:chuckle I feel about as erotic as a stick of gum. I'm not depressed anymore, I'm not even having periods at this point, and I happen to adore my husband of 25 years.......but I'm beginning to consider talking to my doctor about changing to Wellbutrin as well. I'm way too young for that part of my life to be over.......in fact, it should be better than ever now that our kids are grown or near-grown, we have more free time together than ever before, I no longer have constant heavy menses, and there's plenty of privacy in our own spacious 'apartment' on the bottom floor of the house. But it's not, and that needs to change........if I can ever get myself to CARE about sex again........:uhoh21: