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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by banker on December 15, 2002, at 12:07:27
In reply to Re: Lexapro update, posted by katekite on July 31, 2002, at 11:48:47
I switched from 20mg Celexa (on this for 1 year) to10 mg Lexapro 6 days ago. My sex drive and ease of ejac improved quickly. I have experienced excessive sweating with both drugs.
Biggest concern is that I went into a deep blue funk within 3 days of the change. Should I continue with the Lexapro, consider a higher dosage, or switch back to Celexa??
Posted by ggt on December 15, 2002, at 14:29:49
In reply to Has anyone experience breast pain?, posted by Stella1 on December 13, 2002, at 8:44:10
> I've noticed that w/ Lexapro and Celexa I have a lot of breast soreness. Is this normal, is anyone else experiencing it?
I have noticed the same thing with both; 4 months with Celexa and now about 8 weeks with Lexapro.
Posted by Oblivious on December 15, 2002, at 22:19:34
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
I've been on Lexapro six weeks... absolutely no change in my mood... but I experience extreme lethargy... I have slept up to 18 hours some days... all I want to do is sleep. My boobs hurt all the time. No sex drive... don't even want a man touching me. Don't feel angry anymore... don't feel anything...
Posted by tlrtlbkdrjar on December 15, 2002, at 22:44:18
In reply to Re: Has anyone experience breast pain?, posted by ggt on December 15, 2002, at 14:29:49
this is my third day on lexapro and so far i have noticed i am a b_____ to be around. i have a headache that will not quit, my upper back muscles are very tense and neck, my eyes feel swollen, and anxiety has set in. can't sleep. don't know what day or time it is, feel lost, confused.thoughts of running away and never returning has come back. real stressed.my breast hurt like im drying up from having a baby. please advise
Posted by jjo on December 16, 2002, at 9:23:42
In reply to Re: Has anyone experience breast pain? » ggt, posted by tlrtlbkdrjar on December 15, 2002, at 22:44:18
> this is my third day on lexapro and so far i have noticed i am a b_____ to be around. i have a headache that will not quit, my upper back muscles are very tense and neck, my eyes feel swollen, and anxiety has set in. can't sleep. don't know what day or time it is, feel lost, confused.thoughts of running away and never returning has come back. real stressed.my breast hurt like im drying up from having a baby. please advise
>Oh my, I almost feel better hearing this. I thought that I was crazy. I am having the same type of symptoms. I have been on it for about 3 weeks now, and the first 3 days were horrible. Now, about 3 weeks later, my breasts are killing me, I feel very detached, my mind won't quit spinning, I feel very "hopeless", and I am so dizzy that I feel a bit drunk. It is PMS time for me, and I was wondering if this had anything to do with it. Now, I am not so sure.
Posted by newuser2 on December 17, 2002, at 8:50:27
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
I have been on Lexapro for 4 weeks. I am still experiencing terrible tightness in my upper back, neck and jaw. Does this s/e eventually subside? It is very uncomfortable. I have tried relaxation techniques and massage, but nothing seems to rid this problem. Does anyone have any information or advice? Please respond.
Thank you!
Posted by laa123 on December 17, 2002, at 14:34:07
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
> [Posted by ggrrl on June 11, 2002, at 1:19:51]
>
> > Seems like there are a lot of people on here who have talked about Lexapro's improved side-effects, specifically that it has less tiredness and sexual side effects than Celexa. Some have said that it has the same side effects as Celexa. However most people are quoting from press releases - does anyone here know from experience (theirs or others')?
>
>
I am currently taking Lexapro (20 mg once a day), and I think it is MUCH better than Celexa. I didn't like Celexa at all because I thought the side effects were harsh. I felt like a zombie all of the time, and I felt very sedated. The fact that I was so groggy all of the time didn't improve my depression at all. Now, I feel much more alert with Lexapro, and I don't feel any side effects. I started at 10 mg and moved up to 20 a month later. I would highly recommend Lexapro to anyone who doesn't tolerate Celexa well. I hope this is helpful.
Posted by tlrtlbkdrjar on December 17, 2002, at 17:42:07
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
i was talking from personal experience
Posted by pro4man on December 17, 2002, at 18:48:57
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
why did she put me on lexapro for anxiety!!!!!! ive been on zanax? now i find out this is a anti depresent???????????????? im sick i took first one at noon and feel like crap couldnt move for 6 hours layed in bed with headache and severe anxiety and im getting confused. big money for doc or what. who can you trust??????????
Posted by me so tiny on December 18, 2002, at 5:32:25
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin as a side dish » me so tiny, posted by ayuda on December 13, 2002, at 16:34:11
> I'm just glad to have gotten a sex drive back after years
> without it.Kindof ironic - without AD's, I can't calm down enough to go out with somebody. With AD's, I go out and get bored.
Many women seem to have little or no sex drive - it's unclear. Maybe sometimes it's cuz they are on weight-loss famine diets? I had a girlfriend that claimed to NEVER have had an orgasm in her life. (didn't happen with me either.) I had a different girlfriend who came so easy. ???
> I wonder if there is something about
> seratonin that makes it important to the male orgasm?Good question. Probably. Orgasm is so tricky, I don't know what to think. I've often have trouble just by having someone else in the room, not even having AD's involved. (Yes. It's a problem. So here I am.)
I had a conversation with my pdoc once where he told me that really there's like two dozen varieties of serotonin, and the same for norepinephrine and dopamine. Like, Serotonin 5B controls something in your bowels, so that's why Paxil gives you (me at least) diarrhea. And each antidepressant tweaks several different flavors of serotonin. And probably, slightly different amounts for different people. And probably tons of obscure variables we have no idea of. (Don't quote me - I don't remember exactly what he said.)
> Not to pry (though you all started the topic), but can you
> ejaculate, or is it ejaculation and orgasm that are suppressed?
> I'm just curious -- the female response to these meds just being
> so different.Typically, at least with me, excitement that gets me erect also starts leakage. Roughly the same stuff. Can cause pregnancy. More excitement, more leakage. Unless I'm like really dehydrated.
With orgasm you get surges of liquid. No O, no ejaculation, just the leakage. So if your man comes too fast, get him on some good SSRI's. At mild doses I think it would improve the experience, depending on where you're starting from.
But yeah, when you can't finish the job, it gets way way frustrating. Pointless to even start at 50mg Paxil (highest dose). I sometimes went for a week or more without trying; that's been like totally totally impossible for me normally, since puberty - hard to go three days without.
Posted by me so tiny on December 18, 2002, at 6:03:19
In reply to Re: Lexapro and Wellbutrin Anxiety Ann, posted by Kairos on December 14, 2002, at 5:02:02
> I'm really getting sick of the whole deal here. My sex drive is NON-existant - now that's a FIRST.
A problem, but maybe it can be dealt with.
> My jaw is clenched MOST of t he time - I SLEEP ALL the time and this is Lexapro??
That sounds bad. The idea is to feel better, not worse, after you add it all up. And the first several weeks are more chaotic so let the dust settle. Talk with your pdoc.
There are plenty of other AD's to try - each with different SE's so shop around. Zoloft is pretty different maybe. Wellbrutrin might do the opposite of what you're suffering. No kidding - there's about a dozen ADs that are modern and safe and common, in several categories. some more common than others. Each human has different chemistry and you can't guess the side effects till you give it a spin for a month.
Posted by Ritch on December 18, 2002, at 9:10:07
In reply to Tense Muscles: upper back, neck and jaw, posted by newuser2 on December 17, 2002, at 8:50:27
> I have been on Lexapro for 4 weeks. I am still experiencing terrible tightness in my upper back, neck and jaw. Does this s/e eventually subside? It is very uncomfortable. I have tried relaxation techniques and massage, but nothing seems to rid this problem. Does anyone have any information or advice? Please respond.
> Thank you!
>SSRI's can trigger a variety of motor/muscular side effects (restless legs, TMJ, etc.). Some of it is the initial increased anxiety they often can provoke which may fade with time (with reduced anxiety). Sometimes they are persistent. You can add something to help reduce it such as buspar or a benzodiazepine. Sometimes a switch to a different SSRI alleviates the problem. Sometimes a switch to a non-SSRI med is necessary if it is persistent and very annoying.
Posted by EGR on December 18, 2002, at 9:58:23
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by pro4man on December 17, 2002, at 18:48:57
I switched to Lexapro on Monday...10mgs and I move up to 20 on Friday. I haven't noticed any side effects other than a dry mouth and a little drowsiness maybe (but since I didn't sleep for the two weeks I was on Wellbutrin, maybe I'm just catching up!). I'm hoping that it's true that the sexual one doesn't happen with this.
Posted by mills on December 18, 2002, at 10:11:08
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by EGR on December 18, 2002, at 9:58:23
I'm up to 30 mg, and have been on that dose for almost 2 months, having switched from Paxil because of the sexual side effects; lex is not as effective as paxil, but it also doesn't absolutely destroy my sexual experience like paxil did, so it's not a bad trade off; i am about to go to 40 mg; does anyone else here take that much?
> I switched to Lexapro on Monday...10mgs and I move up to 20 on Friday. I haven't noticed any side effects other than a dry mouth and a little drowsiness maybe (but since I didn't sleep for the two weeks I was on Wellbutrin, maybe I'm just catching up!). I'm hoping that it's true that the sexual one doesn't happen with this.
Posted by Cletus2 on December 18, 2002, at 10:51:29
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by mills on December 18, 2002, at 10:11:08
> I'm up to 30 mg, and have been on that dose for almost 2 months, having switched from Paxil because of the sexual side effects; lex is not as effective as paxil, but it also doesn't absolutely destroy my sexual experience like paxil did, so it's not a bad trade off; i am about to go to 40 mg; does anyone else here take that much?
>
>
>
> > I switched to Lexapro on Monday...10mgs and I move up to 20 on Friday. I haven't noticed any side effects other than a dry mouth and a little drowsiness maybe (but since I didn't sleep for the two weeks I was on Wellbutrin, maybe I'm just catching up!). I'm hoping that it's true that the sexual one doesn't happen with this.
>
>
Hi mills. Everyone is different so if you feel you need to go up to 40 mgs and your doctor agrees then you should proceed. I started out on 20 mgs and gradually increased to my current dosage of 80 mgs of Lexapro a day. Each time I increased, I felt great for about a week but then it would eventually fade away. Now that I am at 80 mgs I finally seem to have leveled off and feel great! It took a while to get there but it has been almost 3 weeks now on 80 mgs and it is nice and consistent. I took 100 mgs of Celexa for nearly a year and thought it was a good drug but it caused a little drowsiness and some minor sexual problems. With Lexapro, the drug feels more "clean" than its parent Celexa and I have no real side effects to speak of. Quite refreshing. I too was a little wary of increasing to such a high dose, but as my doctor says "finding the right dose for a medicine is just like trying to find the right jacket to fit you, not everyone wears the same size..." well, it was something to that effect. Anyway, good luck in finding the right dosage for yourself. Take care!
Posted by mills on December 18, 2002, at 11:08:22
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Cletus2 on December 18, 2002, at 10:51:29
wow, 80mg; i'm encouraged that i can go up a bit and not worry about it, with the pdoc's involvement, of course; i thought i was alone at 40mg, with everyone on the board here saying they have night sweats at 2.5 mg and such, and the largest pill size being 20mg; it has occurred to me though that maybe my need for more has to do with how sort of "entrenched" and untreated my condition (i.e. obsessiveness/angst/social anxiety/panic/depression) has been (25 + years without treatment--makes me tired thinking about it); anyway, thanks for the response
> > I'm up to 30 mg, and have been on that dose for almost 2 months, having switched from Paxil because of the sexual side effects; lex is not as effective as paxil, but it also doesn't absolutely destroy my sexual experience like paxil did, so it's not a bad trade off; i am about to go to 40 mg; does anyone else here take that much?
> >
> >
> >
> > > I switched to Lexapro on Monday...10mgs and I move up to 20 on Friday. I haven't noticed any side effects other than a dry mouth and a little drowsiness maybe (but since I didn't sleep for the two weeks I was on Wellbutrin, maybe I'm just catching up!). I'm hoping that it's true that the sexual one doesn't happen with this.
> >
> >
> Hi mills. Everyone is different so if you feel you need to go up to 40 mgs and your doctor agrees then you should proceed. I started out on 20 mgs and gradually increased to my current dosage of 80 mgs of Lexapro a day. Each time I increased, I felt great for about a week but then it would eventually fade away. Now that I am at 80 mgs I finally seem to have leveled off and feel great! It took a while to get there but it has been almost 3 weeks now on 80 mgs and it is nice and consistent. I took 100 mgs of Celexa for nearly a year and thought it was a good drug but it caused a little drowsiness and some minor sexual problems. With Lexapro, the drug feels more "clean" than its parent Celexa and I have no real side effects to speak of. Quite refreshing. I too was a little wary of increasing to such a high dose, but as my doctor says "finding the right dose for a medicine is just like trying to find the right jacket to fit you, not everyone wears the same size..." well, it was something to that effect. Anyway, good luck in finding the right dosage for yourself. Take care!
>
Posted by johnj on December 18, 2002, at 11:12:41
In reply to Re: Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by mills on December 18, 2002, at 11:08:22
Did you all have lots of anxiety on lexapro? I took it for a few days but the sleepiness was terrible. Did that fade too?
Posted by mills on December 18, 2002, at 11:28:00
In reply to lexapro question for all, posted by johnj on December 18, 2002, at 11:12:41
you know, what's weird to me is that we all have such different experiences on this stuff; i take lexapro partly to rid me of anxiety (angst), and so i can't imagine it causing me more; as far as sleepiness, i have had no sleepiness at all on lexapro or paxil; i had terrible night sweats from beginning to end on paxil and only had night sweats for about 2 weeks on lexapro
> Did you all have lots of anxiety on lexapro? I took it for a few days but the sleepiness was terrible. Did that fade too?
Posted by ayuda on December 18, 2002, at 11:53:49
In reply to lexapro question for all, posted by johnj on December 18, 2002, at 11:12:41
> Did you all have lots of anxiety on lexapro? I took it for a few days but the sleepiness was terrible. Did that fade too?
I came off of Effexor XR, which is excellent for me for depression and anxiety, to go onto Lexapro, so I've had an increase in my anxiety, but I think that is because Effexor was just so much better at taking care of it than Lexapro. Since I normally suffer from high anxiety (another movie reference for those who care), I've found the Lexapro to be pretty good at taking care of it, though not as good as the Effexor.
Do you normally suffer from anxiety? There may be a difference between those of us who naturally suffer from it and people who experience it from the ADs.
As for sleepiness, I have personally gotten so accustomed to insomnia, sleepiness, etc., that I can't even differentiate if it's due to the meds or not. I'm taking Trazodone at night to help me sleep, so I am kind of groggy in the mornings from that.
Posted by EGR on December 18, 2002, at 14:04:24
In reply to Re: lexapro question for all » johnj, posted by ayuda on December 18, 2002, at 11:53:49
I had night sweats with Paxil, Effexor and Wellbutrin... but so far NOT with Lexapro. I thought I was in heaven on Paxil untilt he sex thing happened, so I'm really looking forward to Lexapro.... 80 mgs?... that seems far from the 20 I'm about to head to. I guess I hope my GP will let me go that high if needed....
Posted by wharfrat on December 18, 2002, at 16:06:58
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
Oh what a tangled web we weave! Am going to see my doc about putting me on Wellbutrin to see if it will help with the sexual side effects of Lexapro. I'm sure he will do it because he's been nagging me about smoking since I started going to him. He really was disappointed when he got my blood work back and gave me a physical (41 years old by the way)and found no reason to say "smoking is going to kill you". Good cholesterol good, Bad cholesterol good, white cells good, red cells good, kidneys good, liver good, heart good, stress test good, anxiety and depression BAD!!.Lexapro good, sexual side effects BAD!! So now the choice is down to two of the only things that I really enjoy. Sex and cigarettes (That sounds pretty pathetic does'nt it?) So my question is, I've heard that wellbutrin just makes you not want to smoke anymore. What if I don't want to quit smoking but just want my sex life back? Is this like what they gave young Alex on A Clockwork Orange? Will I retch at the thought of a cigarette? Won't I be able to have a cigarette after sex? Oh the pain!! Has anyone used Wellbutrin just to quit smoking? What are the side effects? Will I be wired out? Will I be Zombie?
Help!!!!
Wharf
P.S.Happy Holidays
Posted by mills on December 18, 2002, at 16:24:53
In reply to Cigarettes or Lexapro, Wellbutrin Sex?, posted by wharfrat on December 18, 2002, at 16:06:58
oh, how i wish it were that simple for me; i wish I could have fun with the sex and enjoy a good cigarette afterwards; but these ssri's make it almost impossible to have any fun, although i'm still holding out hope for lex; ah, just the thought of a nice smoke after sex...! but i digress; the wellbutrin is definitely supposed to curb your need for the demon of nicotine, but i wouldn't know personally, because i am apparently terribly allergic to wellbutrin, so i guess all i can have is the smoke; i would rather have your dilemma; what have you got to lose, right?
> Oh what a tangled web we weave! Am going to see my doc about putting me on Wellbutrin to see if it will help with the sexual side effects of Lexapro. I'm sure he will do it because he's been nagging me about smoking since I started going to him. He really was disappointed when he got my blood work back and gave me a physical (41 years old by the way)and found no reason to say "smoking is going to kill you". Good cholesterol good, Bad cholesterol good, white cells good, red cells good, kidneys good, liver good, heart good, stress test good, anxiety and depression BAD!!.Lexapro good, sexual side effects BAD!! So now the choice is down to two of the only things that I really enjoy. Sex and cigarettes (That sounds pretty pathetic does'nt it?) So my question is, I've heard that wellbutrin just makes you not want to smoke anymore. What if I don't want to quit smoking but just want my sex life back? Is this like what they gave young Alex on A Clockwork Orange? Will I retch at the thought of a cigarette? Won't I be able to have a cigarette after sex? Oh the pain!! Has anyone used Wellbutrin just to quit smoking? What are the side effects? Will I be wired out? Will I be Zombie?
> Help!!!!
> Wharf
> P.S.Happy Holidays
Posted by sebastian on December 18, 2002, at 19:13:55
In reply to Cigarettes or Lexapro, Wellbutrin Sex?, posted by wharfrat on December 18, 2002, at 16:06:58
I don't think it will make you stop smoking. I haven't found one yet that makes me stop smoking even nicorette.
Posted by AnelizeDarkEyes on December 18, 2002, at 20:04:50
In reply to Re: Tense Muscles: upper back, neck and jaw » newuser2, posted by Ritch on December 18, 2002, at 9:10:07
I found this post very interesting because I, too, am experiencing this particular phenomenon. I find it interesting that I have taken several of the other SSRI's (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, Effexor) and have not experienced this phenomenon. I have chronic severe major depression which tends to be somewhat recalcitrant towards meds. After 3 years on Zoloft, my last year at 250mg, I have had two relapses in the last 4 months. So far, I have been on 10 mg of Lexapro for 9 days, and will be increased to 20 at the end of the week. Each day I've been on this stuff I've had the tension headache, neck, jaw pain thing going on. My other meds are 300mg of Topamax for mood stability and 75mg of Seroquel at night for sleep. They never have given me any trouble before. Frankly, I haven't had a headache in I don't know how long..Of course I'm going to have a little chat with my doctor about this, but I thought I'd throw this into the mix, and see if anyone ELSE is experiencing this phenomenon...
Posted by EGR on December 18, 2002, at 20:30:30
In reply to Re: Tense Muscles: upper back, neck and jaw » Ritch, posted by AnelizeDarkEyes on December 18, 2002, at 20:04:50
Well now, that IS interesting, because now that you've mentioned it, YES, my neck, jaw and shoulders/upper back have been tense... I never linked it to the lex. Let me ask all you veterans this... I've just been using a therapist and my GP... and I don't think my GP is well versed in this stuff because it seems to me that she's quick to switch meds. Would you guys recommend me finding a pdoc or sticking with the GP and maybe making med suggestions to her?
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