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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by BRC on March 17, 2005, at 14:21:49
Hi,
My pdoc. now has me on 60mg of Lexapro for OCD and depression. He said he would even go as high as 80mg if needed. Is this high of a dose safe. I thought 20mg was the max.
Posted by Bill LL on March 17, 2005, at 14:45:31
In reply to 60mgs of Lexapro--Is it Safe?, posted by BRC on March 17, 2005, at 14:21:49
It's safe. But it might make you tired during the day. I started on 20 and then eventually went to 40.
> Hi,
>
> My pdoc. now has me on 60mg of Lexapro for OCD and depression. He said he would even go as high as 80mg if needed. Is this high of a dose safe. I thought 20mg was the max.
Posted by Chris O on March 17, 2005, at 15:55:08
In reply to Re: 60mgs of Lexapro--Is it Safe?, posted by Bill LL on March 17, 2005, at 14:45:31
Bill:
My psychiatrist said he found 20-40mg/day was optimal dosage for most of his patients. I took 30-40mg/day over an eight month period. He never said it was dangerous to go higher. My personal experience was that Lexapro felt kind of "weak" and that maybe a dosage higher than 40mg would have been better. As the other poster said, I'm sure it would be more "fatiguing" too.
Good luck,
Chris
Posted by BRC on March 17, 2005, at 16:28:48
In reply to Re: 60mgs of Lexapro--Is it Safe?, posted by Bill LL on March 17, 2005, at 14:45:31
Thanks for the info. and putting my mind at ease.
BRC
Posted by BRC on March 17, 2005, at 16:35:18
In reply to Re: 60mgs of Lexapro--Is it Safe? » Bill LL, posted by Chris O on March 17, 2005, at 15:55:08
Thanks for the response Chris.
Don't mind me asking which of AD's maily the new ones SSRI's and SNRI's do you feel has the best effect.
I know that they effect everyone differetly. But I want to get the best BANG for my Buck sort of speak. I have been on Lexapro for over two years and my symptoms haven't diminished much. I don't know weather to ask my pdoc for a change. I sometimes wonder if there is a better med. out there for me. But I am afraid that changing may make things worse.
Thanks again,
BRC
Posted by Phillipa on March 17, 2005, at 17:43:45
In reply to Re: 60mgs of Lexapro--Is it Safe? » Chris O, posted by BRC on March 17, 2005, at 16:35:18
You know what they say "if it ain't broken don't try to fix it" Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Chris O on March 17, 2005, at 18:01:44
In reply to Re: 60mgs of Lexapro--Is it Safe? » Chris O, posted by BRC on March 17, 2005, at 16:35:18
BRC:
Sorry, BRC, meant to repond to you, not Bill LL last time. Anyway, I have only taken two SSRI drugs or combos of SSRI drugs long term. Others, I have tried short-term. As I said in my first post, I just stopped taking Lexapro after being on it for 8 months. I was on 30-40mg/day (higher was definitely better for me, got more results), but even at those dosages, I still just felt kind of "blah." You know, like it was not giving me that much relief...plus, I felt fatigued all the time on it. In 2000, I was on a Celexa (20mg) /Wellbutrin (150 mg) combo for half of the year, and a Prozac (20mg)/Wellbutrin (150mg) combo for the other half of the year. If memory serves, those combos worked better than the Lexapro for me. I think the Wellbutrin combated the fatiguing aspect of the SSRIs and the SSRIs combated the anxiety-provoking aspects of the Wellbutrin. I have only taken Effexor short-term, for a couple of weeks; it was very strong, even at low doses, but too anxiety-provoking for me. My psychiatrist just gave me some samples of Cymbalta to try, but...I have not decided where I want to go next either, like you. I have gained a solid 15 pounds from SSRI drugs and would like to take that off before going on another one. It's all so dang annoying, but...I feel so anxious, get such horrible sleep, worry so much, that...sooner or later, I know I'll have to take another drug. I am doing a little 5-htp experiment right now; 5-htp definitely has some anti-depressant/ anti-anxiety abilities, though like most "natural" supplements, it feels weak to me. I think two years is long enough time to know if a drug is "working" for you; I wouldn't hesitate to try something if you feel that Lexapro is just not doing the trick. You can always go back on it if something else doesn't work, right?
Good luck,
Chris> Thanks for the response Chris.
>
> Don't mind me asking which of AD's maily the new ones SSRI's and SNRI's do you feel has the best effect.
>
> I know that they effect everyone differetly. But I want to get the best BANG for my Buck sort of speak. I have been on Lexapro for over two years and my symptoms haven't diminished much. I don't know weather to ask my pdoc for a change. I sometimes wonder if there is a better med. out there for me. But I am afraid that changing may make things worse.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> BRC
Posted by lgmg on March 18, 2005, at 3:50:57
In reply to 60mgs of Lexapro--Is it Safe?, posted by BRC on March 17, 2005, at 14:21:49
i was on 60 mg of lexapro for a couple months, the first few days were very sleepy, but it never got me out of my "funk". i think if it isn't working you should look, ask, for something else. I don't know the long term side effects, but I don't think you should take something that isn't working. Unless of course they think they can add something new with it. A last resort i think.
Posted by lgmg on March 18, 2005, at 3:51:07
In reply to 60mgs of Lexapro--Is it Safe?, posted by BRC on March 17, 2005, at 14:21:49
i was on 60 mg of lexapro for a couple months, the first few days were very sleepy, but it never got me out of my "funk". i think if it isn't working you should look, ask, for something else. I don't know the long term side effects, but I don't think you should take something that isn't working. Unless of course they think they can add something new with it. A last resort i think.
Posted by stresser on March 19, 2005, at 14:27:04
In reply to Re: 60mgs of Lexapro--Is it Safe?, posted by lgmg on March 18, 2005, at 3:51:07
My daughter's pdoc told us that with Lexapro, one must sometimes go up to a much higher dosage to get results for OCD. -L
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