![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by slippinaway on February 5, 2004, at 18:32:37
hello,,
i am on my second attempt at this lexapro and each time after about 2 weeks of it i seem to get into a frame of mind where i don't have my normal feelings and emotions even toward my loved ones.
i feel very blank and shallow. does this pass or is lexapro not for me??
i did well on prozac years ago but it seems like no dr.s want to prescribe that anymore??
Posted by Wildman on February 6, 2004, at 11:07:53
In reply to lexapro side effects, posted by slippinaway on February 5, 2004, at 18:32:37
> i am on my second attempt at this lexapro and each time after about 2 weeks of it i seem to get into a frame of mind where i don't have my normal feelings and emotions even toward my loved ones.
It seems that many of us here on Lex had really rough experiences during the early weeks, so you are not alone.
> i feel very blank and shallow. does this pass or is lexapro not for me??
The effect that Lex had on me changed from day to day during the early weeks, but it seems to have stabilized here in week 8. I'm having enough success with it to keep going....
> i did well on prozac years ago but it seems like no dr.s want to prescribe that anymore??
Lex is touted as having fewer side effects than the other SSRIs, so that's why I think it is prescribed so much now. I think Lex has only been on the market for about 2 years now, and the drug reps are pushing it hard...
Hang in there. I encourage you to not make your final decision about Lex until you have given it some more time if you can. I am pleased with where I am now, but there were times that I was ready to quit - I am glad I did not.
Posted by KathrynLex on February 6, 2004, at 13:21:53
In reply to lexapro side effects, posted by slippinaway on February 5, 2004, at 18:32:37
Hi Slippingaway,
Give Lexapro at least 6 weeks before you decide to stop taking it. It takes quite a while to kick in and before it does you can feel a little funky. If you still feel blank and shallow at the end of 6 weeks, lex may not be for you. (But do give it a fair chance.)
I'm surprised to hear that you're having trouble finding a pdoc who is willing to prescribe Prozac. Do they give a reason? My pdoc suggested it as an alternative to lex. (I've been on Prozac before and loved it, but I went off of it for a while and it wasn't nearly as effective when I tried to get back on it.)
Also, while I didn't encounter the same problem you are having, the two week mark is difficult for a lot of people. (Without the support of this board I wouldn't have continued taking it.) I'm very glad that I stuck it out because my anxiety/depression is under control and I feel like I'm getting my life back.
I hope the lexapro starts working for you.
K.
Posted by AtlantaRunner on February 6, 2004, at 18:21:05
In reply to Re: lexapro side effects, posted by KathrynLex on February 6, 2004, at 13:21:53
Hi - I agree...stick with it. I had really strange side effects the first 4-5 weeks but once they subsided it really helped. However, I'm wondering how many mg's you're taking? I am great at 10 and even 15, but at 20, I'm "flat." Sounds like that's how you're feeling. Perhaps you can taper down on the mg's a bit and see how you feel?
Good luck!
> Hi Slippingaway,
>
> Give Lexapro at least 6 weeks before you decide to stop taking it. It takes quite a while to kick in and before it does you can feel a little funky. If you still feel blank and shallow at the end of 6 weeks, lex may not be for you. (But do give it a fair chance.)
>
> I'm surprised to hear that you're having trouble finding a pdoc who is willing to prescribe Prozac. Do they give a reason? My pdoc suggested it as an alternative to lex. (I've been on Prozac before and loved it, but I went off of it for a while and it wasn't nearly as effective when I tried to get back on it.)
>
> Also, while I didn't encounter the same problem you are having, the two week mark is difficult for a lot of people. (Without the support of this board I wouldn't have continued taking it.) I'm very glad that I stuck it out because my anxiety/depression is under control and I feel like I'm getting my life back.
>
> I hope the lexapro starts working for you.
>
> K.
>
Posted by sexylexy on February 9, 2004, at 9:48:07
In reply to Re: lexapro side effects, posted by AtlantaRunner on February 6, 2004, at 18:21:05
Hi There,
The side effects from Lexapro can be very hateful. My worse was being completly spacey for 5 weeks and insominia. I have been taking 10 mg of lexapro for about 7 weeks. I think it just begun to kick in last week, I hear that weeks 8 and 9 are when you actually start to realize that you are happy again. I had thought of moving up to 20mg but think that if I continue to improve on 10mg, I will stay there. I know the side effects are rough, listen to your body and not your depression. Of course when you are depressed everything seems harder and worse. If your head tells you to stop stick it out, if your body tells you to stop listen to it.
best of luck and God's blessings,
Lexy
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.