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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 winterbluez on April 8, 2008, at 8:26:44
hello,
i am under the impression that 10 mg. lexapro is basically the same as taking 20 mg. paxil as far as anxiety control and antidepressant relief.
am i under the correct assumption here? i recently made the switch from paxil to lex and feel they are pretty much the same just paxil may have left me more unmotivated and chilled out and lex seems to be more stimulating?ALSO!!!! does anyone know how to counter the non ejaculatory side effect from these ssri's,, i never have remained on a theraputic dose for more than a few weeks because sexually i am totally numbed by these things and that is totally unacceptable to me.
as bad as depression!
pleeeeeez any answers???
Posted by bleauberry on April 8, 2008, at 15:49:01
In reply to lexapro or paxil?, posted by winterbluez on April 8, 2008, at 8:26:44
It's hard to compare meds because they are different for everyone. You are the best judge of how they feel to you, in comparison to each other. They are quite similar, but with some subtle differences.
The sexual stuff is not likely to go away. In a year on Paxil it was constantly a problem, so it is with most people. In that regard though, I do think Lexapro is friendlier. Lots of antidotes have been tried. Wellbutrin, Ritalin, Remeron, Zyprexa for example. Dopamine enhancing things such as Wellbutrin or Ritalin can enhance the experience, not guaranteed though, but don't do much for the difficulties you describe. The best antidotes I have seen for that is to block serotonin receptors with something like remeron or zyprexa. My sexual side effects decreased signifantly, but did not completely go away, when zyprexa was added to prozac. Desire was still low, but the delay was actually cured.
Posted by Dopamine123 on April 13, 2008, at 11:03:59
In reply to Re: lexapro or paxil?, posted by bleauberry on April 8, 2008, at 15:49:01
They both have the same mechanism of action inhibit serotonin uptake, so they are probably interchangable. All the SSRI's do essentially the same thing. However its still worth trying a few different ones if you don't respond to one. Each one has slightly different properties that could affect your response.
I would expect the efficacy and side effect profile to be pretty much the same for each of them.
Posted by undopaminergic on April 13, 2008, at 21:52:29
In reply to Re: lexapro or paxil?, posted by Dopamine123 on April 13, 2008, at 11:03:59
> They both have the same mechanism of action inhibit serotonin uptake, so they are probably interchangable. All the SSRI's do essentially the same thing. However its still worth trying a few different ones if you don't respond to one. Each one has slightly different properties that could affect your response.
>
> I would expect the efficacy and side effect profile to be pretty much the same for each of them.
>The differences can actually be quite significant, although the SSRIs all share the effects associated with serotonin reuptake inhibition.
Some of the differences I've noted:
Paroxetine is the most potent SSRI; it has anti-cholinergic side effects and is somewhat noradrenergic. It's the most likely to cause weight gain and sedation. Although its half-life is not much shorter than that of sertraline, it appears to be the SSRI most often implicated in difficult withdrawal issues - probably due to its potency.
Sertraline is the second most potent of the SSRIs, and has a slight dopaminergic action. It lacks most of the sedative properties of paroxetine, and is more likely to cause insomnia. Weight gain is rare in comparison with paroxetine, but somewhat more common than with fluoxetine.
Fluoxetine has the longest half-life, but is the least selective and potent SSRI. It has the least incidence of sexual side effects and weight gain, and is probably the easiest to quit.
In my experience, none of them are effective, but fluoxetine is the easiest to tolerate, followed by sertraline. Paroxetine made me sleep most of the time, and quitting it abruptly after finally running out of it was a relief.
Posted by elanor roosevelt on April 14, 2008, at 22:13:53
In reply to Re: lexapro or paxil?, posted by undopaminergic on April 13, 2008, at 21:52:29
oh, so different
paxil i crashed everyday in the afternoon and inhaled coffee and sweets to get through
and it triggered anxiety attacks
was splitting with my kids dad at the time so i don't know about the sexlexapro was completely different for me
no anxiety
good sense of future
laughter
pro social
pro sensualmileage may vary
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