Posted by johnny b good on September 15, 2003, at 1:04:19
Hi all, I have been reading these posts as if they were a best selling novel. Just can't seem to pull myself away. I can relate to so much that I have read here today. I am a 58 year old male. I am recently taking Lexapro and am currently in my 21st day. My results are like a cranky automobile that is trying to get up to speed. An occasional backfire and sputter and the car lunges ahead for a half block and then stumbles and sputters and struggles til the next lunge. Around about day 14 I felt as if the clouds were lifting and did well for a day or two but the clouds came down again shortly there after. I call it a preview of the good days to come. I took Paxil for several years and did ok with the exception of gaining a good deal of weight and difficulty with sexual intimacy. Also I had a tendency to sleep more than I felt like I should. I am a business owner and it is not good to show up late to open up the place and let your employees in. I might add that it is also very embarrassing. Back in July I took a few days off and visited the ranch where I spend time in the fall of the year. Upon returning home from the 300+ mile trip I discovered that I had left my medication at the camp house there. Well I decided to make the best of a bad situation and stop taking any med until my system was clear of the Paxil and then I would ask my Doc about one of the new "Wonder Drugs". I have heard people speak of the dreaded burn-out effect that can happen after prolonged use of anti-depressants and I felt like I might be riding a good horse to death so why not try something else? And what better time than this situation to switch? I am very grateful for having found the relief that I did in Paxil for my bouts of anxiety and depression. I was feeling pretty brave along about this time and having not had to deal with anx./dep. for several years I felt like this would be the time to stand up on my two legs and look this monster in the eye and see what I had been seeking relief from. The cold turkey withdrawal method from Paxil is not one that I would recommend to any of you. I have been on a physical exercise routine at the health club for about four months prior to this and had lost about 25 lbs in the process. I was in high hopes that I could eliminate the need for medications altogether with a vigorous work out program and did for about 6 weeks or so. Sure enough those clouds began to form over me and it just got darker and darker. After that I didn't really want to do the exercise thing any more. I could feel hope start slipping away a little more each day. So I got my rear end over to see my P-Doc and was told about the latest phenom to hit the drug market, Lexapro. And here I am. I might add that I am a recovering alcoholic and entered A/A in May, 1993. I have not had a drink since. I suppose that I was a classic self medicator for 25 years. I drank every day for that period of time and alcohol seemed worked for many years. In 1989 my family doctor told me after reading my blood test results that I would have to "learn to live without alcohol or my liver" And he added, "it's your choice". I knew more old drunks than I did old doctors so I kept on drinking until 93 when alcohol could no longer stop the pain. I guess you could say I was driven into recovery. It felt good to see the world with a clear mind after so many years. I still experienced occasional bouts with depression and anxiety and went untreated for a long time. I knew about A/D medications and decided it was time to seek some relief. The rest is history and that is what brought me to this point. Some meds worked and some didn't but Paxil was one that did and really helped me to move forward. I am very hopeful that Lex will be one to help me to continue this journey forward. I have read many good things about it here from your posts and can't wait for it to kick in on a regular basis. I know it may take 4 to 6 weeks to help but I came a long way and don't intend to stop now. Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences as it means so much to have the support that is offered here. I will give progress reports in the future. Keep that chin up.
poster:johnny b good
thread:260117
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030912/msgs/260117.html