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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by hhuneey on February 17, 2004, at 8:00:56
I first originally started taking celexa, then when that stopped working, my doc switched me to lexapro...now the lexapro has seemed to stop working...but im afraid to stop taking it because of the side effects i had when i stopped taking celexa. Has this happened to anyone?
Posted by Karalyn on February 17, 2004, at 11:33:07
In reply to lexapro, posted by hhuneey on February 17, 2004, at 8:00:56
i had bad se's going off Effexor, but not as bad when I went off Lexapro. I cut the pills in fourths even to taper really slowly. and I would also try to go a few days without and if i couldnt id take a lil "fourth of a pill" and then one day i realized it had been a week off of Lex and I was fine. how many mg are you on? maybe you just need to increase the dose.
Posted by cocohoneynut on February 17, 2004, at 12:00:17
In reply to lexapro, posted by hhuneey on February 17, 2004, at 8:00:56
Yes, I agree with Karalyn... how many mg of Lexapro are you taking? I started out with 10 mg and now up to 20 mg. Question: Have you gained any weight with Lexapro?? I have an pdoc appt on the 27th and I'm going to ask for Tomapax. Hang in there...
> I first originally started taking celexa, then when that stopped working, my doc switched me to lexapro...now the lexapro has seemed to stop working...but im afraid to stop taking it because of the side effects i had when i stopped taking celexa. Has this happened to anyone?
Posted by hhuneey on February 17, 2004, at 14:23:45
In reply to Re: lexapro, posted by Karalyn on February 17, 2004, at 11:33:07
I am taking 20mg. I thought that was as high as you could go. I can't stand this anymore. I am very scared of the side effects.
Posted by hhuneey on February 17, 2004, at 14:26:01
In reply to Re: lexapro, posted by cocohoneynut on February 17, 2004, at 12:00:17
Thanks for responding. I have not gained any weight with lexapro. Thank goodness. It just isn't helping. Im taking 20mg. I thought that was all you could take. I really hate the thought of having to take more. Wouldn't that make the side effects even worse?
Posted by shadows721 on February 17, 2004, at 14:50:13
In reply to Re: lexapro, posted by hhuneey on February 17, 2004, at 14:26:01
I have read that when someone quickly has ssri's stop working that it is a sign they are bipolar. You may need mood stabilizer and not ssri's. Just a thought.
Posted by KathrynLex on February 17, 2004, at 16:19:00
In reply to Re: lexapro, posted by hhuneey on February 17, 2004, at 14:26:01
Hi Hhuneey,
20 mg is not the maximum lexapro dosage. Some people have gone as high as 100 mg. And in my experience increasing your dose doesn't make the side effects worse. I recently increased from 10 mg to 15 mg and only felt tired for a couple of weeks. (When I first started lexapro I experienced more side effects than I could count.)
Although, if Lexapro isn't working for you I would strongly suggest trying a different medication. There are so many out there, that I'm sure you'll find the right one. Best of luck to you!
K.
Posted by TexasChic on February 18, 2004, at 9:16:29
In reply to lexapro, posted by hhuneey on February 17, 2004, at 8:00:56
> I first originally started taking celexa, then when that stopped working, my doc switched me to lexapro...now the lexapro has seemed to stop working...but im afraid to stop taking it because of the side effects i had when i stopped taking celexa. Has this happened to anyone?
I wouldn't stop taking it without your doctor's help. He could also answer your questions about the side effects. I am on Lex 20 mg and have recently added Wellbutrin to the mix. I have to admit after being on it only a few days I feel remarkably better. This seems to be a popular combo, so there must be something to it. Have you tried other SSRI's like Prozac? From what I understand, some SSRI's are more stimulating than others, and Prozac is one of those. My doc changed me to Lexapro because it is not as stimulating (I started having panic attacks all the time), but maybe its not stimulating enough for you. I hope this makes sense, I barely understand it myself. The best things you can do is talk to your doc, research the meds yourself, and go into therapy if you aren't already. Med's only work up to a certain point, then you have to work on your head. Good luck!
Posted by mattsit on February 18, 2004, at 14:16:42
In reply to Re: lexapro, posted by TexasChic on February 18, 2004, at 9:16:29
Im two weeks off Lexapro completely! It did its job, and I felt like it was time to move on without the chemicals. I did 2 weeks of half pills, and than a third week of the 1/4 size pills, and now im two weeks off.
On Lexapro, I did feel much better after 6 months. Side effects I had were: gained about 30 pounds, (weight is already coming off!) had no pleasure ability in the bedroom (it just didnt work, I could get it up, but not off!)
I did drink alcohol on lexapro, and didnt have any negative side effects that I noted.
Coming off wasnt that tough...two days of those annoying little zaps, but that went away. Just my expierences.
Posted by mattsit on February 18, 2004, at 14:16:48
In reply to Re: lexapro, posted by TexasChic on February 18, 2004, at 9:16:29
Im two weeks off Lexapro completely! It did its job, and I felt like it was time to move on without the chemicals. I did 2 weeks of half pills, and than a third week of the 1/4 size pills, and now im two weeks off.
On Lexapro, I did feel much better after 6 months. Side effects I had were: gained about 30 pounds, (weight is already coming off!) had no pleasure ability in the bedroom (it just didnt work, I could get it up, but not off!)
I did drink alcohol on lexapro, and didnt have any negative side effects that I noted.
Coming off wasnt that tough...two days of those annoying little zaps, but that went away. Just my expierences.
Posted by jdgjdg on February 18, 2004, at 20:20:42
In reply to Re: lexapro, posted by cocohoneynut on February 17, 2004, at 12:00:17
I take 30 of Lexapro and if I miss it for a day, I have withdrawl symptoms. It could be the higher dosage though. I also had a very bad withdrawl experience with Zoloft. My only advice is do it as slow as possible. Even if you get to the point of crushing the pill and putting a little peice on your tongue. That helped me get off the zoloft. jdgjdg
Posted by hhuneey on February 18, 2004, at 21:54:47
In reply to Re: lexapro, posted by hhuneey on February 17, 2004, at 14:26:01
I just wanted to thank everyone for responding. This is great knowing that there are others that understand what you are going through. One more question..i drink on lexapro. I have noticed that I act crazier then when i wasen't taking it. Can anyone tell me why this is? And what are other experiences others have had while drinking on lexapro?
Posted by maliapia on February 18, 2004, at 22:12:47
In reply to Re: lexapro, posted by hhuneey on February 18, 2004, at 21:54:47
Hello,
just reading some of your posts, i was given lexapro 2 weeks ago to take, have not yet. then today finally saw head guy for panic attacks, gave me some samples for paxil cr, im afraid to take anything, any suggestions? and what side affects can i expect? and what do some of you think, paxil cr or lexapro? i need HELP
Posted by KathrynLex on February 19, 2004, at 12:05:43
In reply to Re: lexapro, posted by maliapia on February 18, 2004, at 22:12:47
Hi Maliapia,
If you're afraid of the side effects of either Paxil or Lexapro, start with a very small dose. For example, if you decide to take Lexapro start at 5 mg for one week and then go up to 10 mg. Doing this will give your body time to adjust to the medication and you won't experience as many side effects.
Paxil and Lexapro are both effective for treating panic attacks. It just depends on which one you prefer. I've taken regular Paxil before and didn't care for it, but Lexapro has been wonderful. I'm currently taking 15 mg and haven't had a single panic attack since I raised my dose from 10 mg to 15 mg.
I wish I could tell you what to expect in the way of side effects, but meds effect everyone differently. I had a bad reaction to Paxil because I started at a dose that was to high for me. (20 mg) Lexapro is said to have very few side effects, and the ones I experienced were tolerable. They included decreased appetite, insomnia and mild anxiety. But all of those side effects are gone now.
Whichever medication you decide to take I strongly recommend that you have a doctor who monitors your meds. This ensures that you are on the right med and you have someone to call with questions/concerns.
Best of luck to you. Please let us know what you end up taking and how you like it.
K.
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