Posted by Patient on December 11, 2003, at 13:59:31
In reply to 5 mg of Lexapro -- common?, posted by sip on December 10, 2003, at 22:34:57
Yes, it's common, as Mariposa said.
The pharmaceutical information on Lexapro says that 10mg Lexapro is about equivelant to 20mg of Celexa, from which Lexapro is derived. Also, it is said that Lexapro starts to work faster than other SSRI's, as well as Effexor, or Remeron-most of these usually take about 4-6 weeks before one begins to feel better. For me, when I first started any antidepressant, it was a very low dose of Zoloft (25mg) and I began to feel better within two days. I've read that fast responders to SSRI's can indicate bi-polar disorder or manic-depressive illness. My doctor has loosely diagnosed me with borderline personality disorder, moderate depression and severe anxiety. Of course, there is more to diagnosing bi-polar disorder than just how you react to an antidepressant, and as I've said, Lexapro begins to work quickly compared to other similar medicines. If 5mg is working fine, than there is no need to increase. When I tried to increase to from 5mg to 10mg (mornings) I felt anxious after a few hours, especially in the late afternoons/early evenings. I tried taking 5mg mornings and 5mg in mid to late afternoon which reduced anxiety effect, but it seemed it did no better than 5mg. That was how I reacted to it anyway. I also would have certain bits of songs going over and over in my head-I'd sing them over and over and it would drive me nuts. I don't know why this occured-a bit less severe after I recently switched to Prozac.
I started taking 5mg Lexapro in February, along with 200mg of carbamaxepine-an anticonvulsant drug that is also used as a mood stabiliser. I was having problems with irritablility prior to Lexapro/carbamazepine-was taking 20mg of Celexa for a few months, but it wasn't helping with PMS irritablility and mood swings. The doctor was hoping the carbamazepine with Lexapro would help during that time of the month for me, but it didn't help. I stopped taking the carbamazepine and took only Lexapro and it was working so-so for me-I still felt anxious and a bit irritable in the early evenings. Wellbutrin SR 100mg was added and this combined with Lexapro worked ten times better for me-but the cost was out of our budget, so lately I have been taking Prozac. Talk about foggy, drowsy, cotton-headed-Prozac is making me feel all these, plus short-term memory problem and word-finding difficulty. I hope the 5mg works out for you. Glad to hear that Lexapro is working for Mariposa. I go to my psychiatrist next month and will discuss further of what med. would be right for me. They all seem to stop working after a few months, or maybe I am bi-polar, which requires different med. combinations.
Take care-
poster:Patient
thread:286112
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031208/msgs/288795.html