Lexapro

funtimesnmd · Mar 31, 2006

On 300mg Welbutrin and 10mg lexapro daily, all is good so far.

mummer43, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2006

I narrowed my eyes as soon as I saw that word. :stone

A person very close to me was on it. Over this time, I saw mood swings, changes in personality, they complained of various afflictions such as the feeling of being surreal, constipation, restlessness, dark thoughts. When they started reporting voices, I dragged their *** to their doctor this doctor refused to alter the meds stating that they should just "give it a go". Took him to a new doc who weaned him off the Lexapro and provided him with an alternative avenue to deal with the depression.

I never felt pure hate until I met that drug.

I stress to all who take anti-depressants - look at other avenues of therapy first, check to see if your doctor has the right credentials: not all GPs are trained to deal with mental health issues and to listen to those who tell you that you're changing. Last but best, listen to yourself.

Are you a scientologist?

lsyorke, RN · Apr 8, 2006

Are you a scientologist?

Thats interesting that someone with a firsthand experience with a drug who is trying to tell ALL sides of ssri use is called a Scientologist. This is not a religon or organized attack... most have had family members who were adversely effected by an ssri. At some point psychiatry is going to recognize that ssri's are not a one size fits all drug for a multitude of diagnosis.

All drugs have side effects and adverse effects. Psychiatry is the only field of medicine that consistently blames the "disease" instead of looking at the drug. Sudden onset personality changes after the intiating of a drug need to be addressed as a possible drug reaction.

I too witnessed a horrible reaction to an ssri. I watched as the dose was continuously increased to deal with what I now know were adverse reactions. Drug removed, symptoms gone. Part of being an nurse is recognizing that every drug is not for every person and even psychiatric patients can have bad reactions that may not be "part of the disease".

By the way, I'm as WASP as they come.

mummer43, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2006

Thats interesting that someone with a firsthand experience with a drug who is trying to tell ALL sides of ssri use is called a Scientologist. This is not a religon or organized attack... most have had family members who were adversely effected by an ssri. At some point psychiatry is going to recognize that ssri's are not a one size fits all drug for a multitude of diagnosis.
All drugs have side effects and adverse effects. Psychiatry is the only field of medicine that consistently blames the "disease" instead of looking at the drug. Sudden onset personality changes after the intiating of a drug need to be addressed as a possible drug reaction.
I too witnessed a horrible reaction to an ssri. I watched as the dose was continuously increased to deal with what I now know were adverse reactions. Drug removed, symptoms gone. Part of being an nurse is recognizing that every drug is not for every person and even psychiatric patients can have bad reactions that may not be "part of the disease".
By the way, I'm as WASP as they come.

It was a joke. Sorry!

mommy2boys · Apr 8, 2006

I took lexapro for about 6 months and didn't have any major issues. The only side effect that bother me was diarrhea. It stopped after a few weeks on the meds.

If you need to ween yourself off it, make sure you do it very slowly. I felt that I didn't need it anymore so my doctor showed me how to ween off of it. I started to get headaches and my doctor had me take even longer to ween myself. Other than than I think that this drug was great for me.

JMO

blueberry21 · Jul 13, 2006

I've been taking Celexa 20mg for about 1 year and my doc is changing me to Lexapro. She gave me 10mg samples but didnt recommend how to actually switch and I didnt think to ask her. Does anyone know what the protocol is for changing these meds? Do I just stop celexa 20mg one day and start Lexapro 10mg the next? :uhoh3:

AAhhahahaha!!

Nursebaby23 · Jul 16, 2006

I have been taking Lexapro for almost a year. I was taking Wellbutrin, and could not tell a difference. Honestly, Lexapro has made me a lot better person! It has really "mellowed" me out. Things that would have made me go off the deep end pre-Lexapro now only makes me raise an eyebrow.

blueberry21 · Jul 19, 2006

I have been taking Lexapro for almost a year. I was taking Wellbutrin, and could not tell a difference. Honestly, Lexapro has made me a lot better person! It has really "mellowed" me out. Things that would have made me go off the deep end pre-Lexapro now only makes me raise an eyebrow.

Hey, thanks. I am debating on finishing out my Celexa script and then starting the Lexapro but if Im only putting off feeling better for the sake of ''using up the meds I paid for",-- maybe I shouldnt wait.

:selfbonk:

emllpn2006 · Jul 19, 2006

My husband was on Lexapro for a few months it seemed to be working quite well but he did have sleeping and sexual problems during this time. He has since been changed to Symbyax (spelling ?) this seems to woek much better. But it is very expensive - over 400.00 monthly for 30 pills. Like someone else said though in depression and psychiatric durgs what works for one may not work for another. He was actually on 4 differnet medications before found one that worked.

CharlieRN · Jul 19, 2006

I've been taking Celexa 20mg for about 1 year and my doc is changing me to Lexapro. She gave me 10mg samples but didnt recommend how to actually switch and I didnt think to ask her. Does anyone know what the protocol is for changing these meds? Do I just stop celexa 20mg one day and start Lexapro 10mg the next?

AAhhahahaha!!

Call the doc and ask! That's what she gets the big bucks for. Some transitions need to be tapered. I could look it up and tell you what the books say, but then I'd be practicing medicine.

blueberry21 · Jul 19, 2006

Call the doc and ask! That's what she gets the big bucks for. Some transitions need to be tapered. I could look it up and tell you what the books say, but then I'd be practicing medicine.

Ok CharlieRN thanks, I talked to her this morning.

She also said that you should up your meds.

Jo Dirt · Aug 10, 2006

Well, here is mine. I started Lexapro 10 mg after suffering a near mental breakdown a couple of years ago. The major S/E's I dealt with were loss of appetite (I can't complain about THAT though), jaw clenching, holding my mouth back a funny way when I spoke (weirdest thing, I realized I was holding my mouth funny when I would talk but I couldn't help it!) and my affect was flat.

I also want to mention I feel like Lexapro saved my life. Before I started Lexapro I was a raving lunatic and had terrible depression and mood swings with anxiety. Within a week I was feeling much better emotionally. This proves to me that, in spite of the negative S/E's I experienced, it was MUCH more preferable to have the physical ailments than the mental ones. I felt like a bird out of a cage. It didn't matter that I was big and fat and ugly and a loser, I was okay with it.

I'm disappointed, though, because I went off the medication for awhile and of course I ended up with my depression again but the next time around I did not feel the benefits. So I started 20 mg but then I started having heart palpitations and quit.

I need something, though. It really frustrates me when people think that those who take antidepressants do so because they don't want to deal with their problems like other people have to. Some depression may be a result of life happening or negative thinking that a person is in control of, but the truth is, many times, it isn't a matter of "snapping out of it."

I want to smack people when they say this.