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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by TommyTommy on February 20, 2003, at 0:02:38
I've been on 10mg of Lexapro for about 6 weeks now and I have to say that: Yes it has brought me out of the cellar of depression but other SSRI's have also done that. When I say cellar I mean the extreme depths of feeling low. It has brought me to a liveable coping level I guess you could say. Being that it is a new drug and of coarse my doctor was pushing it, I decided to give it a shot. So far I feel like I'm just floating in limbo and wasting my time and money. As far as being social, I still feel like being isolated and by myself and that is not my normal personality at all. I am usually very outgoing and fun to be around. It also seems to make me extremely unmotivated and isn't helping at all with anxiety. The sex thing: I don't seem to have that much anorgasmia compared to Effexor but I'd rather be a happy camper in general than just be able to have an orgasm. Should I up my dosage to 20mg? Has that been a key difference to anybody? Is Celexa better as it seems that most of the people on this site seem to think so? I'm also taking 2000Mg of Depakote a day. Does anybody else feel that this drug was just something that the drug companies quickly got onto the market? I mean all they did was isolate half of Celexa in laden terms. So basically it seems that Lexapro is a crappier form of Celexa. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Tommy
Posted by Eddie Sylvano on February 20, 2003, at 9:10:43
In reply to Lexapro seems to be a step back in AntiDeppresants, posted by TommyTommy on February 20, 2003, at 0:02:38
>Is Celexa better as it seems that most of the people on this site seem to think so?
-------------------Good question. I recently started on Celexa, and am wondering how it compares to Lexapro. Given the constraints of my HMO, Celexa is moderately cheaper than Lexapro. If Lexapro is more effective, however, I'd be willing to pay the difference.
Posted by Bill L on February 20, 2003, at 9:11:35
In reply to Lexapro seems to be a step back in AntiDeppresants, posted by TommyTommy on February 20, 2003, at 0:02:38
I would first try upping it to 15 mg. Get your doc to prescribe 20 mg pills and cut them in half. Then cut again for a fourth. Or you can get liquid Lexapro. If 15 mg is not good enough after a few weeks, then try 20. That should help. But if it does not, then consider going back on Effexor. For anorgasm, try adding Yohimbine (10 mg about an hour before sex). I generally do not have anorgasm (I take 20mg Lexapro) but occasionally I take it and it works well for me.
Posted by sjb on February 20, 2003, at 10:32:26
In reply to Lexapro seems to be a step back in AntiDeppresants, posted by TommyTommy on February 20, 2003, at 0:02:38
Going to 20 mg didn't help me, in fact it was worse. I'm sick of all the drugs and the PDocs pushing all the new ones.
Posted by Dysfunk on February 20, 2003, at 11:37:50
In reply to Lexapro seems to be a step back in AntiDeppresants, posted by TommyTommy on February 20, 2003, at 0:02:38
Lex was supposed to be a "new and improved" form of Celexa. I was about about to start Celexa when my doctor got his "package" on Lex. Suddenly, he said let's try this. I was pretty skeptical that a pamphlet would suddenly change his course of treatment, but I decided to give it a try.
I too don't feel in the depth of depression, yet I do feel apathetic about chores and things without deadlines. I haven't been shown that this is a wonder drug, but some people on this site swear by it.
Posted by Dysfunk on February 20, 2003, at 11:41:12
In reply to Re: Lexapro seems to be a step back in AntiDeppresants, posted by sjb on February 20, 2003, at 10:32:26
I agree, we are guinea pigs for new medications. I was one of the first to experience the Prozac "poop out". I remember being told it wasn't possible by my doctor. It is all very frustrating and you can't help but have a negative feeling about it all. On the other hand, doctors only know how good a medicine is by trying it on people. I am trying to keep that frame of mind. I think this board has been incredibly insightful.
Posted by ROO on February 20, 2003, at 12:22:22
In reply to Lexapro seems to be a step back in AntiDeppresants, posted by TommyTommy on February 20, 2003, at 0:02:38
Everyone's reactions are personal and vary, but
I've personally found lexapro to be a much better
drug than celexa. With celexa I was really sleepy (but yet
had insomnia at night and was really sweaty)
and dumb feeling and extremely anorgasmic and bloated.
With lexapro I hardly have any side effects at all. It
seems to be what they claim to me--a much cleaner side
effect profile.
Posted by TommyTommy on February 20, 2003, at 15:18:45
In reply to Re: Lexapro seems to be a step back in AntiDeppresants, posted by ROO on February 20, 2003, at 12:22:22
> Everyone's reactions are personal and vary, but
> I've personally found lexapro to be a much better
> drug than celexa. With celexa I was really sleepy (but yet
> had insomnia at night and was really sweaty)
> and dumb feeling and extremely anorgasmic and bloated.
> With lexapro I hardly have any side effects at all. It
> seems to be what they claim to me--a much cleaner side
> effect profile.
Are you taking any other meds along with the Lexapro? How much Lexapro are you taking? For how long have you been on Lexapro? Do you suffer from anxiety and if so does the Lexapro seem to help at all with it?Tommy
Posted by ROO on February 20, 2003, at 15:52:19
In reply to Re: Lexapro seems to be a step back in AntiDeppresants, posted by TommyTommy on February 20, 2003, at 15:18:45
>
> Are you taking any other meds along with the
Lexapro?Yes, I have cyclothymia, so I also take a mood stabilizer
(topamax).
How much Lexapro are you taking?I started out with 5 mgs, but that wasn't enough to take care of the
depression, so then I took 10 mgs and that seemed to be enough to take care
of the depression.
For how long have you been on Lexapro?About 3 or 4 months, maybe a little longer.
Do you suffer from anxiety and if so does the
Lexapro seem to help at all with it?
When I "cycle" (part of my cyclothymia)....I get really anxious...that's
what the mood stabilizer is primarily prescribed for, to help that anxiety.
I don't think the lexapro really helps with that, the mood stabilizer does though.
You might want to ask your doctor about taking a mood stabilizer along with an AD
if you're having a lot of problems with anxiety...sometimes AD's can cause anxiety.
My p-doc thought that maybe the lexapro was causing me to "cycle" (i.e. be anxious) and
she upped the dose of my mood stabilizer and it helped me out. I also need to be on an
antidepressant though because depression is a major problem for me. If anxiety was my major
problem, I would probably just take a mood stabilizer.
Posted by indirect00 on February 21, 2003, at 12:55:32
In reply to Re: Lexapro seems to be a step back in AntiDeppresants » TommyTommy, posted by Dysfunk on February 20, 2003, at 11:37:50
I agree w/ you. I used to take 20mg of celexa twice a day. I am now on 10mg of lexapro twice a day. I think I'm going to go back to celexa. Lexapro makes me very lazy and my grades have gone to hell. I can definitely relate to the apathy. I suggest switching over to celexa; it doesn't kill the ol' sex drive quite as much either ;)
Posted by ayuda on February 23, 2003, at 23:13:14
In reply to Lexapro seems to be a step back in AntiDeppresants, posted by TommyTommy on February 20, 2003, at 0:02:38
> I've been on 10mg of Lexapro for about 6 weeks now and I have to say that: Yes it has brought me out of the cellar of depression but other SSRI's have also done that. When I say cellar I mean the extreme depths of feeling low. It has brought me to a liveable coping level I guess you could say. Being that it is a new drug and of coarse my doctor was pushing it, I decided to give it a shot. So far I feel like I'm just floating in limbo and wasting my time and money. As far as being social, I still feel like being isolated and by myself and that is not my normal personality at all. I am usually very outgoing and fun to be around. It also seems to make me extremely unmotivated and isn't helping at all with anxiety. The sex thing: I don't seem to have that much anorgasmia compared to Effexor but I'd rather be a happy camper in general than just be able to have an orgasm. Should I up my dosage to 20mg? Has that been a key difference to anybody? Is Celexa better as it seems that most of the people on this site seem to think so? I'm also taking 2000Mg of Depakote a day. Does anybody else feel that this drug was just something that the drug companies quickly got onto the market? I mean all they did was isolate half of Celexa in laden terms. So basically it seems that Lexapro is a crappier form of Celexa. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> TommyI've taken both Celexa and Lexapro (what I'm on now), as well as some others. Every SSRI I've taken has helped with the depression, and some have helped with my GAD, too. The Lexapro works very good for my depression and pretty well for my GAD. With the Celexa, I had depersonalization, which became a major issue for me, and was the main reason I switched off it after about 5 months. After several months on Lexapro, I am not having any psychiatric side effects. I have some of the physical ones (excessive sweating, insomnia), but I am feeling human. So, in my experience at least, for what it's worth, it feels like they kept what was good about Celexa and took away what I could not handle about it when they created Lexapro.
Posted by Lawrence S. on February 24, 2003, at 0:14:42
In reply to Lexapro seems to be a step back in AntiDeppresants, posted by TommyTommy on February 20, 2003, at 0:02:38
I tried it for a month and a half and I found it to be the least effective AD I have ever tried. I had high hopes for it because celexa worked good. I would recomend it for someone who is hypersexual since it gave me complete erectile dysfunction throughout the duration and 2 months after discontinuation.
This is the end of the thread.
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