![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 3816 to 3840 of 8406. Go back in thread:
Posted by lil' jimi on August 6, 2003, at 14:53:02
In reply to did you titrate up your lex dose, how long, posted by joebob on August 6, 2003, at 12:31:21
hi joebob,
you wrote:
> did the side effects last, before you could up your dose?
>
> did they go away at lower doses or only when you upped your dose?
>
> thanks
... ... and you're welcome ...
... sorry ... i have come up with more than one way to interpret your question ... ...... the simplest way, is to guess that you believe i have more experience changing my lexapro dosage than i have ...
... ... for instance, that plan to bump up 1 mg per week remains hypothetical ... even, bumping up at all remains very hypothetical in my world ...... i've only done lexapro and only for 5 months ... ... i've only changed my dosage 3 times and that's counting when i started ...
(note: i have very limited experience compared to many others on these boards!)
... ... i have read a considerable amount of the posts about lexapro ... ... most of what i post comes from that, not direct experiencemy dose changes versus side-effect:
1)
started march 6 at 10 mg:
change: 0 mg to 10 mg = +10 mg
SEs : oh, Yes!2)
march 7; decreased dose to 5 mg:
change: 10 mg to 5 mg = -5mg
SEs : still ...3)
april 9: 5 mg to 10 mg = +5 mg
re-creation of my starting SEs, but less intensein beginning and in april, the SEs faded to zero by week 3, although they were nearly gone by week 2 .... compared to week 1 , everything else seemed like a cake-walk ...
will report if and when i titrate up ...
... good luck
~ jimp.s. let me know if i missed your meaning there ...
Posted by collegekid on August 6, 2003, at 19:24:58
In reply to Anyone switched to Lexapro? « ggrrl, posted by Dr. Bob on June 11, 2002, at 7:52:48
Hello all-
I'm a 21 year old college student about to enter her senior year. I've been dealing with depression on and off since I was 10 years old- just didn't know how to put a label on it. Today is my third day on Lexapro. I've been reading previous posts from the past and they have helped tremendously in dealing with side effects. However, my doctor also wants me to take fish oil, 1000 mg 4x a day. Has anyone had any experience with this? Is it worth it to take these fish oil pills 4x a day? And thanks to all for all the benefits I've taken from this board.
Posted by joebob on August 6, 2003, at 19:39:19
In reply to quick question, posted by collegekid on August 6, 2003, at 19:24:58
i use kirunal
but understand that you can now get omega brite again........i have not tried itthe most important thing as i understand it is the ratio of epa to dha, to avoid competition for absorption
see: dr. david horrobin on the web and
fincastle, who makes kirunal
and omega britegood luck
joebob
Posted by Kacy on August 6, 2003, at 20:08:01
In reply to quick question, posted by collegekid on August 6, 2003, at 19:24:58
Collegekid: I recommend you start lower. I could feel my heart beating too hard when I went up to three, instead of two, fish oil capsules. They were the same concentration as many of the others. Others here are taking a lot more, so it wasn't that much. I think I would have needed four or five pills to get the amount people are recommending.
Just two gave me an energy boost, though. It was fairly immediate after the third or fourth day of taking them mid-afternoon with some protein.
I've never seen anyone post this before: they caused me a lot of acne. I quit and started two more times to be sure, because I wanted to take the fish oil after all I've read. The third time it only took two days before I broke out like a teenager. I took it two more days and regretted that. I am predisposed to that and fight it all the time, but the fish oil was bad for my skin. So far it looks the same for flax oil. I'll start again soon to find out. I got some CLA to try in the meantime. (That's another oil.)
Posted by kayenna on August 6, 2003, at 20:11:02
In reply to quick question, posted by collegekid on August 6, 2003, at 19:24:58
Hello College Girl- I think it works (fish oil, that is). I have taken about the amount px'd by your doc for a year now. I was slightly cyclothemic (with some times of slight manic symptoms) and the fish oil levels me...and a good way! So good luck to you...if you trust him, you might give it a try. Besides, I haven't found any data to suggest that there's a down side.
Kay
Hello all-
> I'm a 21 year old college student about to enter her senior year. I've been dealing with depression on and off since I was 10 years old- just didn't know how to put a label on it. Today is my third day on Lexapro. I've been reading previous posts from the past and they have helped tremendously in dealing with side effects. However, my doctor also wants me to take fish oil, 1000 mg 4x a day. Has anyone had any experience with this? Is it worth it to take these fish oil pills 4x a day? And thanks to all for all the benefits I've taken from this board.
Posted by billy-b on August 6, 2003, at 22:34:56
In reply to re: lexapro's sexual and anxiety side effects » billy-b, posted by lil' jimi on August 6, 2003, at 0:26:47
Thank's for the welcome. I have something for you here that is really pretty funny or sort of scary. I work as a home builder and I live pretty far north where it rarely reaches 80 degrees. It's pretty physical work but nothing serious. Now Ive read some posts here that wellb. can make you sweat. Yep. Just a wee bit.
I start work at 7am by 9:00 I honest to God look like I fell in a lake. My pant's and shirt are soaked and actually dripping. My hair is plasterd to my head with steady drips off of my nose, chin and ears. The funny part (I guess) is the look on the other guys faces while they stand there watching me squirt sweat. I think I read that its an adrenaline thing but geez I dont even feel hot. Yet another very wierd thing this stuff is doing to my body. Get dizzy to. Bad deal for my kinda work. Im going to stick this out awhile but I dont see me using this much longer. Wait and see I guess. Thanks again. Peace Billy
Posted by theump on August 6, 2003, at 23:52:08
In reply to re: And Up I Go!, posted by lil' jimi on August 6, 2003, at 0:44:22
Hi Peter and Jim,
I'll let you go first and see what happens when you raise your dose, how's that sound? Just kidding. It just really scares me, I'll hope I have the luck Peter did with raising his dose. I have a big weekend planned so I think I'll wait till Monday to start making the change.
I'll keep you posted,
Renee - aka "theump" (because I umpire adult slowpitch softball and girls fastpitch softball), you can call me either. ;)
> hi Peter and theump (or should i call you "ump", theump ?)
>
> i will be wanting to read your posts ... ... i'm in a similiar situation ... ... i'm considering bumping up ....
> .... but nothing on the order you're planning, Peter ! ... it's exciting to hear it considered ... ...
> ... .... makes me a piker, going from 10mg to maybe 15mg ! ... ... and a chicken, because i'd likely try to increase only 1 mg per week ... .... take five weeks to get there ? ... i'm not in a big hurry ... ...
>
> thanks for your posts! ... keep 'em coming!
> TAKE CARE !!
> ~ jim
>
> > Hi ump,
> >
> > We're in the same situation. I have been on Lex for 2 months. I increased to 15 and then 20mg last week and definitely noticed an effect. I increased to 25mg and last night I feel even better today. I plan to go up to 30mg. I've heard of people being on 40mg. It is just a matter of going slow. My side effects have faded pretty much completely.
> >
> > I'll post about how things are going. Best of luck!
> >
> > Peter
> >
> > > I started Lex about 2 months ago, taking 10mg per day. I have had no major side effects, actually nothing but the usual week long sexual effects and some teeth clenching. I've felt very, very lucky!
> > >
> > > However, I saw my doctor today and he wants me to up my dose to 20mg. I know I've read a lot of posts about this, but I'm going to ask again. Should I go up the full 10mg to start or should I go up to 15 and if so, for how long? And then after that time go to 20mg? I'm afraid to mess with the dose because I'm afraid of the side effects so many of you have been experiencing. But, at the same time, "the light" hasn't come on yet.
> > >
> > > Thank you for the advice!
> >
> >
>
>
Posted by lil' jimi on August 7, 2003, at 0:49:07
In reply to re: lexapro's sexual and anxiety side effects, posted by billy-b on August 6, 2003, at 22:34:56
hi Billy,
the sweats are a common lexapro SE ... not real socially acceptable either ... ... wake me up at night even ...
... ... it's like it's testing the systems that connect our sweat glands to our neurotransmitters ... ... ?... "Hello, down there! We want a big bucket of sweat from you now to test this interactive neurological communications link out here and make sure you are online there... Okay? .... Okay ... now, SWEAT !!!" ... ...
... never taken wellbutrin; guessing it's similiar ... ...
... ... these kind of meds can take time to adapt to ... ... sometimes it can take a month or more ... and typicially these initial SEs fade ...
... ... mine have faded to nothing ... not everybody's so lucky ....
.... ... hope you are or will be ...
... hang in there ...~ jim
p.s. to be on the safe(r) side, drink LOTS of non-caffeniated fluids, especially water ... ... sweats can lead to dehydration; meds give us dehydration too; dehydration can cause dizziness ... ... be careful!
~ j
Posted by trauma queen on August 7, 2003, at 1:02:03
In reply to re: And Up I Go!, posted by theump on August 6, 2003, at 23:52:08
Greetings and salutations!
Wow, what an interesting board this is. I have spent an entire day reading about Lexapro and then about the people that post here. I have gained some very valuable insight into my own experiences with severe depression/anxiety as well as this medication Lexapro that I started two weeks ago after I, myself, seemed to hit rock bottom.
Short hx...I am 32, a nurse, a perfectionist, and consider myself to be an intelligent human being...up to this point have been very resistant to taking medication or getting help. Was really hoping I could just "get thru it", "grow out of it", or that it was just a PHASE I was going thru. Little did I realize that all the stress in my life was slowly killing me and I wasn't as strong as I thought I could be. My ultimate point of weakness ended me up in the ER, Baker Acted, being fed charcoal and heaving into a pink pan. No one was allowed to talk to me, not that I remember much and could have benefited. The next day I was sent to a mental health facility...feeling like I didn't belong there amongst all those "crazy people" but then acutely aware that yes, I was one of them. I spoke with a wonderful nurse and social worker that helped me realize that many "professionals" end up there, I am not alone. They let me go the next day, and I was never as happy to be alive as I was the minute I walked out of that place with my supportive boyfriend.
My mom, the best in the world, flew down to be with me, as I moved out of my boyfriend's house into my own apt, to get my life back and get better.
I started on Lexapro about 30 minutes before I left the hospital two weeks ago. I had many of the symptoms you all have described...nausea, headaches, not eating or being hungry, having the taste of death in my mouth, insomnia (which i treated with 25mg Benadryl before bed) and the worst was the feeling of "subcutaneous anxiety"--the feeling that I could just JUMP out of my skin at any given moment! Also, very ACHY--constantly making me want to STREEETCH. An uncomfortable feeling, really. BUT!! You would not believe how happy I became!! I don't know if it's because my mom came to help me and I was SO happy to have her, SO happy to have my own place again!! NOW, I am not that happy as I was...but definitely NOT depressed or anxious. Very mellow actually... Very chill... It's a much welcome reprieve from the CRAZINESS that was inside my head two weeks ago.
MY PROBLEM NOW...is that I have little motivation...as I have heard others speak of. The last week has been spent sleeping 12 or more hrs a day. I have spent a few days isolating myself, not going out, not wanting to be with people...just staying at home, on the computer, with my cats, or on the phone, or reading an entire Danielle Steele novel in one day. Yesterday, I actually went to Lollapalooza with my friends, was a little nervous about how people would treat me, who would know what happened...cause as you know...word gets out... But I sang along quite heartily to Incubus--every song seemed to be written for me (or by me!) and had a super time despite the fact that it was AFRICA HOT outside!
But this feeling of low motivation could possibly thwart my recovery...I am wondering if 10mg a day is not enough...or should I just wait it out... After all...it's only been 2 wks.
Thank you for your courage and wisdom thus far...I hope I can be a benevolent addition to your group!
TraumaQueen aka Tari Anne
Posted by lil' jimi on August 7, 2003, at 1:16:30
In reply to re: And Up I Go!, posted by theump on August 6, 2003, at 23:52:08
hi Renee and Peter,
you crack me up !!
... i already said i was a chicken ... you can go first ... heh, heh ...
... i think the lights are on .... but, hey, i'm a thrill seeker, right? ... ... maybe the lights can be brighter ... how would i know without trying ? .... .... i could talk myself into this if i keep this up ....
... ... on a lighter note ...
... how about we set up a betting pool to wager on certain pBabble events ?possible contenders?
... ... when will so-and-so quit their latest/start their next med?
... ... will so-and-so go back to such-and-such old med?
... ... when will so-and-so get their (next) PCB?
... ... when will the (whichever is the then current) latest drama at Admin die down?... and in our case,
... Who will bump up their Lexapro first ?
... Renee the Ump
... OR
... lil' jimi (aka "Just Plain Jim")
.... ???????got to be some way to make money out of this! ... i'm telling ya !
take care everybody!
~ jim
> Hi Peter and Jim,
>
> I'll let you go first and see what happens when you raise your dose, how's that sound? Just kidding. It just really scares me, I'll hope I have the luck Peter did with raising his dose. I have a big weekend planned so I think I'll wait till Monday to start making the change.
>
> I'll keep you posted,
>
> Renee - aka "theump" (because I umpire adult slowpitch softball and girls fastpitch softball), you can call me either. ;)
>
>
> > hi Peter and theump (or should i call you "ump", theump ?)
> >
> > i will be wanting to read your posts ... ... i'm in a similiar situation ... ... i'm considering bumping up ....
> > .... but nothing on the order you're planning, Peter ! ... it's exciting to hear it considered ... ...
> > ... .... makes me a piker, going from 10mg to maybe 15mg ! ... ... and a chicken, because i'd likely try to increase only 1 mg per week ... .... take five weeks to get there ? ... i'm not in a big hurry ... ...
> >
> > thanks for your posts! ... keep 'em coming!
> > TAKE CARE !!
> > ~ jim
> >
> > > Hi ump,
> > >
> > > We're in the same situation. I have been on Lex for 2 months. I increased to 15 and then 20mg last week and definitely noticed an effect. I increased to 25mg and last night I feel even better today. I plan to go up to 30mg. I've heard of people being on 40mg. It is just a matter of going slow. My side effects have faded pretty much completely.
> > >
> > > I'll post about how things are going. Best of luck!
> > >
> > > Peter
> > >
> > > > I started Lex about 2 months ago, taking 10mg per day. I have had no major side effects, actually nothing but the usual week long sexual effects and some teeth clenching. I've felt very, very lucky!
> > > >
> > > > However, I saw my doctor today and he wants me to up my dose to 20mg. I know I've read a lot of posts about this, but I'm going to ask again. Should I go up the full 10mg to start or should I go up to 15 and if so, for how long? And then after that time go to 20mg? I'm afraid to mess with the dose because I'm afraid of the side effects so many of you have been experiencing. But, at the same time, "the light" hasn't come on yet.
> > > >
> > > > Thank you for the advice!
Posted by lil' jimi on August 7, 2003, at 1:49:28
In reply to new to Lexapro AND babbling..., posted by trauma queen on August 7, 2003, at 1:02:03
hi Tari Anne,
it's wonderful to have you join us ... let me welcome you .... !
W E L C O M E ! ! ! ! ... glad to have you !
> Greetings and salutations!
>
> Wow, what an interesting board this is. I have spent an entire day reading about Lexapro and then about the people that post here. I have gained some very valuable insight into my own experiences with severe depression/anxiety as well as this medication Lexapro that I started two weeks ago after I, myself, seemed to hit rock bottom.
>
> Short hx...I am 32, a nurse, a perfectionist, and consider myself to be an intelligent human being...up to this point have been very resistant to taking medication or getting help. Was really hoping I could just "get thru it", "grow out of it", or that it was just a PHASE I was going thru. Little did I realize that all the stress in my life was slowly killing me and I wasn't as strong as I thought I could be. My ultimate point of weakness ended me up in the ER, Baker Acted, being fed charcoal and heaving into a pink pan. No one was allowed to talk to me, not that I remember much and could have benefited. The next day I was sent to a mental health facility...feeling like I didn't belong there amongst all those "crazy people" but then acutely aware that yes, I was one of them. I spoke with a wonderful nurse and social worker that helped me realize that many "professionals" end up there, I am not alone. They let me go the next day, and I was never as happy to be alive as I was the minute I walked out of that place with my supportive boyfriend.
>
> My mom, the best in the world, flew down to be with me, as I moved out of my boyfriend's house into my own apt, to get my life back and get better.
>
> I started on Lexapro about 30 minutes before I left the hospital two weeks ago. I had many of the symptoms you all have described...nausea, headaches, not eating or being hungry, having the taste of death in my mouth, insomnia (which i treated with 25mg Benadryl before bed) and the worst was the feeling of "subcutaneous anxiety"--the feeling that I could just JUMP out of my skin at any given moment! Also, very ACHY--constantly making me want to STREEETCH. An uncomfortable feeling, really. BUT!! You would not believe how happy I became!! I don't know if it's because my mom came to help me and I was SO happy to have her, SO happy to have my own place again!! NOW, I am not that happy as I was...but definitely NOT depressed or anxious. Very mellow actually... Very chill... It's a much welcome reprieve from the CRAZINESS that was inside my head two weeks ago.
>
> MY PROBLEM NOW...is that I have little motivation...as I have heard others speak of. The last week has been spent sleeping 12 or more hrs a day. I have spent a few days isolating myself, not going out, not wanting to be with people...just staying at home, on the computer, with my cats, or on the phone, or reading an entire Danielle Steele novel in one day. Yesterday, I actually went to Lollapalooza with my friends, was a little nervous about how people would treat me, who would know what happened...cause as you know...word gets out... But I sang along quite heartily to Incubus--every song seemed to be written for me (or by me!) and had a super time despite the fact that it was AFRICA HOT outside!
>
> But this feeling of low motivation could possibly thwart my recovery...I am wondering if 10mg a day is not enough...or should I just wait it out... After all...it's only been 2 wks.
>
> Thank you for your courage and wisdom thus far...I hope I can be a benevolent addition to your group!
> TraumaQueen aka Tari Anne... ... pleasure to read your post ... thank you ...
.... .... "two weeks" says a lot about this to me, because it might not be enough time yet
... but it might be !
... ... if i was deciding this right now for me
... i'd wait a week and then titrate up
... ... the stout-of-heart might bump up all the way... but hey, that's me ... and i may be wrong
... ... also. i've been talking myself into going up to 15 mg ... ... i might ! ... might not ... ...
... so anyway, this dilemma may tinge my view of what you should do ... ... ... probably ... ... maybe not ...
... wish i was better help ... ...... oh, and, you babble great ... look forward to your posts !
TAKE CARE !!
~ jim
Posted by tm on August 7, 2003, at 7:22:49
In reply to quick question, posted by collegekid on August 6, 2003, at 19:24:58
>I started taking Flax seed oil about 11 months ago. I was taking it for Chloresterol. I take a Tbls. a day. That would be equal to 9 1000mg tablets a day. Now I started that before I started suffering from anxiety this past March. So your ? reminded me about the mental benefits, so I looked back at my research at Barleans.com and other places. It suggested that I may not be taken enough. I'm going to up my dose to 2 Tbls. a day and see what happens and go from there. I don't know if this helps, but I sure would try it. Fish oil and Flax are very similar. I had no SE's from the Flax. Thanks for the question, because it reminded me of the benefits. I hope it works for you! Take care Tim
Hello all-
> I'm a 21 year old college student about to enter her senior year. I've been dealing with depression on and off since I was 10 years old- just didn't know how to put a label on it. Today is my third day on Lexapro. I've been reading previous posts from the past and they have helped tremendously in dealing with side effects. However, my doctor also wants me to take fish oil, 1000 mg 4x a day. Has anyone had any experience with this? Is it worth it to take these fish oil pills 4x a day? And thanks to all for all the benefits I've taken from this board.
Posted by mph-speedy on August 7, 2003, at 7:52:50
In reply to re: new to Lexapro AND babbling... » trauma queen, posted by lil' jimi on August 7, 2003, at 1:49:28
Hey Trauma Queen -
Whoa! is that a self imposed moniker or did someone else christine you? Anyway, I have been on lex since mid-May 2003. Very few side effects except for the good kind. Your experience getting there interests me and your concern about others thoughts on your "condition". I could have been where you were and probably would have had I waited a week or so to get treatment. As it is, only three people know I'm being treated - my doc, my boss (who is a friend), and my significant other (thought he should know in case I was in a car wreck or something). Anyway, here's a question to all -- how much do you share with family, friends, the world?
Speedy
Posted by aloe on August 7, 2003, at 9:28:37
In reply to re: lexapro's sexual and anxiety side effects, posted by guyndenver on August 6, 2003, at 0:47:55
Hi all-
I just found this group while I was doing some investigating into the drugs my doc has me trying. It's been helpful to see the posts, but I've got to tell you that I am now doubtful if I want to take this stuff at all. He started me on 5 mg lexapro for depression and anxiety, and had me up the dose to 10 mg after a week or so of no results. I felt so good! Finally! Only one little problem.. anorgasmia. Talk about mental torture. I'm too young! But otherwhise I felt so happy and wonderful. I told my doc and he suggested I stop the lexapro and try Effexor XR. Normal sexual function returned for about two days while I had stopped the lexapro and was starting the effexor xr. I've been on the effexor xr (I'm at 150mg now, working up to 225 mg) for about a week now and haven't had a chance to check out the sexual side effects, but after reading all the horrible side effects of effexor xr and how giving the lexapro a couple weeks seemed to help I'm now so confused about if I should have switched. I've been down in the dumps since I switched a week ago, but I guess I should give Effexor SR some time. Then again, from reading the Effexor posts it sounds like I'm stuck on this stuff for the rest of my life unless I want horrible withdrawal effects. Now I'm thinking I'd rather just be depressed instead of being an anorgasmic AD addict. Has anyone else gone through this? Sorry to ramble, but I'm new to this anti-depressant meds stuff. Any input would be wonderful.
Posted by Dr. Bob on August 7, 2003, at 12:29:18
In reply to Re: Lexapro Withdrawal Dizziness, posted by Bela on August 5, 2003, at 15:00:18
> Since there has been considerable discussion about withdrawal problems with Lexapro, I am curious as to whether anyone has read either Joseph Glenmullen's book, "Prozac Backlash"...
I'd just like to plug the double double quotes feature at this site:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#amazon
The first time anyone refers to a book without using this option, I post this to try to make sure he or she at least knows about it. It's just an option, though, and doesn't *have* to be used. If people *choose* not to use it, I'd be interested why not, but I'd like that redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020918/msgs/7717.html
Thanks!
Bob
Posted by trauma queen on August 7, 2003, at 13:56:30
In reply to re: new to Lexapro AND babbling... » trauma queen, posted by lil' jimi on August 7, 2003, at 1:49:28
lil Jimi...
thank you for your kind welcome... i have especially enjoyed reading all you, Jimi, have to say with such amazing humor! I love when i can actually LOL to what people write...I am fond of your wittiness and awesome rapport with your fellow humankind... You go BOY! :)
>.... .... "two weeks" says a lot about this to >me, because it might not be enough time yet
> ... but it might be !
> ... ... if i was deciding this right now for me
> ... i'd wait a week and then titrate up
> ... ... the stout-of-heart might bump up all the way
>
> ... but hey, that's me ... and i may be wrong
> ... ... also. i've been talking myself into going up to 15 mg ... ... i might ! ... might not ... ...
> ... so anyway, this dilemma may tinge my view of what you should do ... ... ... probably ... ... maybe not ...
> ... wish i was better help ... ...
Jimi...you are more help than you know. You lend validation to my dilemma because you are ALSO having the same dilemma. I have the same thoughts as you...wait it out...bump it up to 15mg.....maybe...maybe not. My actual worry is that I DON'T HAVE INSURANCE! And this one month of Lexapro cost me $75...BUT, we have a wonderful thing called "Discount Drugs of Canada" down here in South Florida and I think I will check their prices out. Plus I DON'T have a "pdoc" (love that abbreviation, by the way--should be added to Shar's lingo link) The pdoc that saw me in the mental health place could barely speak English, looked off into other directions when I was speaking with him for the first time and showed absolutely no respect or compassion towards me. It was horrible. I will definitely NOT be stopping the Lexapro though...it has really saved me...How long have you been at 10mg??
thank you thank you thank you...
Tari Anne
> hi Tari Anne,
>
> it's wonderful to have you join us ... let me welcome you .... !
>
> W E L C O M E ! ! ! ! ... glad to have you !
>
> > Greetings and salutations!
> >
> > Wow, what an interesting board this is. I have spent an entire day reading about Lexapro and then about the people that post here. I have gained some very valuable insight into my own experiences with severe depression/anxiety as well as this medication Lexapro that I started two weeks ago after I, myself, seemed to hit rock bottom.
> >
> > Short hx...I am 32, a nurse, a perfectionist, and consider myself to be an intelligent human being...up to this point have been very resistant to taking medication or getting help. Was really hoping I could just "get thru it", "grow out of it", or that it was just a PHASE I was going thru. Little did I realize that all the stress in my life was slowly killing me and I wasn't as strong as I thought I could be. My ultimate point of weakness ended me up in the ER, Baker Acted, being fed charcoal and heaving into a pink pan. No one was allowed to talk to me, not that I remember much and could have benefited. The next day I was sent to a mental health facility...feeling like I didn't belong there amongst all those "crazy people" but then acutely aware that yes, I was one of them. I spoke with a wonderful nurse and social worker that helped me realize that many "professionals" end up there, I am not alone. They let me go the next day, and I was never as happy to be alive as I was the minute I walked out of that place with my supportive boyfriend.
> >
> > My mom, the best in the world, flew down to be with me, as I moved out of my boyfriend's house into my own apt, to get my life back and get better.
> >
> > I started on Lexapro about 30 minutes before I left the hospital two weeks ago. I had many of the symptoms you all have described...nausea, headaches, not eating or being hungry, having the taste of death in my mouth, insomnia (which i treated with 25mg Benadryl before bed) and the worst was the feeling of "subcutaneous anxiety"--the feeling that I could just JUMP out of my skin at any given moment! Also, very ACHY--constantly making me want to STREEETCH. An uncomfortable feeling, really. BUT!! You would not believe how happy I became!! I don't know if it's because my mom came to help me and I was SO happy to have her, SO happy to have my own place again!! NOW, I am not that happy as I was...but definitely NOT depressed or anxious. Very mellow actually... Very chill... It's a much welcome reprieve from the CRAZINESS that was inside my head two weeks ago.
> >
> > MY PROBLEM NOW...is that I have little motivation...as I have heard others speak of. The last week has been spent sleeping 12 or more hrs a day. I have spent a few days isolating myself, not going out, not wanting to be with people...just staying at home, on the computer, with my cats, or on the phone, or reading an entire Danielle Steele novel in one day. Yesterday, I actually went to Lollapalooza with my friends, was a little nervous about how people would treat me, who would know what happened...cause as you know...word gets out... But I sang along quite heartily to Incubus--every song seemed to be written for me (or by me!) and had a super time despite the fact that it was AFRICA HOT outside!
> >
> > But this feeling of low motivation could possibly thwart my recovery...I am wondering if 10mg a day is not enough...or should I just wait it out... After all...it's only been 2 wks.
> >
> > Thank you for your courage and wisdom thus far...I hope I can be a benevolent addition to your group!
> > TraumaQueen aka Tari Anne
>
> ... ... pleasure to read your post ... thank you ...
>
>
>
> ... oh, and, you babble great ... look forward to your posts !
>
> TAKE CARE !!
> ~ jim
Posted by trauma queen on August 7, 2003, at 14:24:23
In reply to re: new to Lexapro AND babbling..., posted by mph-speedy on August 7, 2003, at 7:52:50
haha...
> Hey Trauma Queen -
>
> Whoa! is that a self imposed moniker or did someone else christine you?speedy...i like your name too...wish i *felt* that way...i remember reading you're a runner. So was I before I got myself into this mess...see what happens when you stop running!!!
Trauma Queen does me double duty...kind of an irony... I'm a trauma nurse and i love it... plus i've got all this DRAMA in my life...unwanted, unnecessary...
>Your experience getting there interests me and your concern about others thoughts on your "condition". I could have been where you were and probably would have had I waited a week or so to get treatment. As it is, only three people know I'm being treated - my doc, my boss (who is a friend), and my significant other (thought he should know in case I was in a car wreck or something). Anyway, here's a question to all -- how much do you share with family, friends, the world?
>
> SpeedyAt first, I wanted NO ONE to know, except for the few that my boyfriend called. But one of my close friends, who is like a brother to me and has had a lot of experience with things of this nature...he unwittingly told a couple close friends, so of course I'm worried word will get out amongst the nurses I know, and then eventually every hospital I happen to work at... they eat that stuff up!!! I worry for my job and my license, but I was Baker Acted, which is something they do in Florida when you attempt suicide or are unfit mentally...you basically have no rights...but it protects you because all information is kept confidential and therefore cannot be used against you. ...or so I was told...
So far, the few that know that are very close to me have been supportive, yet they kinda "slapped me on the hand" so to speak...saying..."don't ever do that again..." Like I had much of a say over my actions at that moment. No one, except my close friend mentioned above, knows what it's like to be THAT desperate, to honestly feel the world SHOULD go on w/out you, would be better for all concerned if you were not there to make such problems for everyone. Not even the girl I thought was my best friend would help me. After all was said and done, though, i knew who I could count on. AND, I knew what I did was VERY stupid, and I'm very thankful to God that it turned out the way it did.
And now, I'm thankful to this drug, for giving me a little sanity...but i've found that i'm not too much better...last night I cried like I did 2 wks ago...before I took MANY pills... it had to do with my boyfriend... He is so *incredible* in the way he can make me feel cared about one minute and then totally, amazingly, horrible the next. I have depended on his support thru this, but he still remains very self-centered (namely threatening to get a new girlfriend b/c he's not "getting any"). This coming from a 40 yr old with two small children...now I know why he's divorced... I can't believe his utter ignorance...I need to get away from him.
I've gone on too long...ranting, raving, venting! I appreciate your thoughtful replies...thank you so much...
Tari Anne
Posted by lil' jimi on August 7, 2003, at 16:09:17
In reply to re: new to Lexapro AND babbling... » lil' jimi, posted by trauma queen on August 7, 2003, at 13:56:30
Aw ... heck there, Tari Anne,
i like the way you write ... and you're sweet!
... and you are welcome, welcome, welcome ! !> lil Jimi...
>
> thank you for your kind welcome... i have especially enjoyed reading all you, Jimi, have to say with such amazing humor! I love when i can actually LOL to what people write...I am fond of your wittiness and awesome rapport with your fellow humankind... You go BOY! :)
>
>
> >.... .... "two weeks" says a lot about this to >me, because it might not be enough time yet
> > ... but it might be !
> > ... ... if i was deciding this right now for me
> > ... i'd wait a week and then titrate up
> > ... ... the stout-of-heart might bump up all the way
> >
> > ... but hey, that's me ... and i may be wrong
> > ... ... also. i've been talking myself into going up to 15 mg ... ... i might ! ... might not ... ...
> > ... so anyway, this dilemma may tinge my view of what you should do ... ... ... probably ... ... maybe not ...
> > ... wish i was better help ... ...
>
>
> Jimi...you are more help than you know. You lend validation to my dilemma because you are ALSO having the same dilemma. I have the same thoughts as you...wait it out...bump it up to 15mg.....maybe...maybe not. My actual worry is that I DON'T HAVE INSURANCE! And this one month of Lexapro cost me $75...BUT, we have a wonderful thing called "Discount Drugs of Canada" down here in South Florida and I think I will check their prices out. Plus I DON'T have a "pdoc" (love that abbreviation, by the way--should be added to Shar's lingo link) The pdoc that saw me in the mental health place could barely speak English, looked off into other directions when I was speaking with him for the first time and showed absolutely no respect or compassion towards me. It was horrible. I will definitely NOT be stopping the Lexapro though...it has really saved me...
>
> How long have you been at 10mg??
>
> thank you thank you thank you...
> Tari Anne... ... got to let me recover from blushing so much here ... gosh ! ... and thanks ...
i really feel for your dilemma with no insurance and having to pay for your care out of your pocket there ... ... my insurance makes my lexapro costs tolerable for me ... ... i haven't had a pdoc yet either ... ... i think i get some pity from folks who do have support from a psychiatrist or a therapist ... maybe ... ... winging it here without one has been okay for me, so far ... ...
i spent my first month at 5mg and then the last 4 months at 10mg ... ...
... ... so we ask oursleves:
hold what we got ?
Or
bump up ?now i have to agree with myself from our last message ... 2 weeks is barely enough time for your SEs to start to settle down, but Probably Not enough time for you to expect the full therapuetic benefits from Lexapro yet ... very specualtively on my part, i wouldn't expect you to have a real assessment of your lexapro's effects for several more weeks yet ... ...
now me?
... ... i don't yet have enough
.... .... dissatisfation
.... .... to make myself decide i need to try more than 10mg of lex
... ... 4 months
... but not enough complaints to make the leap to 15 mg ... yet ... ... ?... ... How's Peter doing out there?
... ... beyond 30 mg yet?Tari Anne, Peter & everyone ... ...
take care!!
~ jim
Posted by mph-speedy on August 8, 2003, at 12:47:26
In reply to Re: First few days on Lexapro » mph-speedy, posted by trucker on July 26, 2003, at 13:35:20
> if it were me in your shoes and the family past history i would enjoy the meds if you find one that makes you feel better. chances are if grandma had the meds we have she never would have been institutionalized. see ive been there done that with the post partum depression. my baby i caried 7 + months my only son, born dead. i was always a strong and happy go lucky person i could look death in the eye and carry on( had a death wish i guess) any way after the dead baby i had horrible post partum and the went straight in to post tramatic stress syndrom. raped at age three and beating by mommy dearest after words FOR I BROUGHT IT ON MYSELF DON'T YA KNOW... see at age three i still needed a little guidance in dressing my self. ( got shirts on inside out, backwards,etc... thats when any way that it happened) carried on the rest of life as well. thats enough of that. any way i tried to rough it out and damn near killed me and others because i couldn't funtions. yet i was afraid i was cracked if i took meds. 2 yrs went by and i got progressivly worse. DON'T DO THAT TO YOU AND YOURS. IF YOU CAN FIND A MED THAT MAKES YOU FEEL TEN PERCNT(PREFERABLY BETTER THAT THAT) BETTER YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY TO FELL BETTER AND HELP YOUR SELF. don't tell everyone though because not every one likes meds. they think you are cracked... when in actually they just don't know about meds. its afear they have about the unknown...
> take care and i hope you find one that makes you feel 100% better
>
> GOD BLESS
> trucker
>
> enjoy the meds... its legal drugs!!!Hey Trucker -
Just read back on your post, and after a couple more weeks of calm I see what you mean. I also am with you on the "sharing" part. I have always been a "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" kind of gal, and at one time lacked compassion for those who might need such a "crutch". There but for the grace of god...right? Anyway, it all seems to be leveling out, excellent side effect is non-interest in alchohol self medication or other recreational drugs. Interesting.
Speedy
Posted by jrbecker on August 8, 2003, at 16:16:14
In reply to Re: dirurnal variation - jrbecker » BekkaH, posted by jrbecker on July 29, 2003, at 16:48:49
By the way, I just thought I'd let you know that I recently doubled the dosage of B12 to a total of 10,000 mcg by taking another pill at lunchtime. Just wanted to let you know that I definitely feel an enhanced effect energy-wise, and perhaps slightly in terms of mood. To note though, it is the methylcobalamin form of B12, which is the form most known to cross the blood-brain barrier. You probably can't find this at every drug store, so you might have to go to a specialty health food store.
> I take 5,000 mcg of methylcobalamin B12 in the form of a sublingual lozenge (dissolves within a minute under the tongue) at breakfast. I'd recommend trying 2,000 mcg to see if it has any benefit. The reason I take 5,000 is only because the tablet comes in that dosage. I have thought of experimenting with a second dose at lunch, but have not gotten around to it yet. It's not stimulating at all, so you shouldn't have any concern with taking too much, your body will just get rid of the excess anyways (since it's water-soluble).
Posted by Doug in PA on August 8, 2003, at 20:30:49
In reply to Re: B12 dosage rejiggering» BekkaH, posted by jrbecker on August 8, 2003, at 16:16:14
I just came across your B12 post and I have a question after this bit of history. About a year ago I went to a doctor for noticable and measurable memory loss. Blood tests showed that I had a marginally low B12 level. I do not have alzheimers and am also taking Lexapro for depression. I am currently taking 1000mcg of B12 daily. I am 62 years old but seriously look in the mid fourties. As the old saying goes..."Of all the things that I have lost, I miss my mind the most". Do you think that B12 really helps memory??? It is affecting my job. I am disappointed that I have not seen any improvement in the past year. Does this "methylcobalamin" appear on the lable??? It is not on mine. Do you think a trip to a GNC store would be in order and what do I look for??? Any feed back on memory and B12 will be appreciated.
Doug in PA
================================================> By the way, I just thought I'd let you know that I recently doubled the dosage of B12 to a total of 10,000 mcg by taking another pill at lunchtime. Just wanted to let you know that I definitely feel an enhanced effect energy-wise, and perhaps slightly in terms of mood. To note though, it is the methylcobalamin form of B12, which is the form most known to cross the blood-brain barrier. You probably can't find this at every drug store, so you might have to go to a specialty health food store.
>
> > I take 5,000 mcg of methylcobalamin B12 in the form of a sublingual lozenge (dissolves within a minute under the tongue) at breakfast. I'd recommend trying 2,000 mcg to see if it has any benefit. The reason I take 5,000 is only because the tablet comes in that dosage. I have thought of experimenting with a second dose at lunch, but have not gotten around to it yet. It's not stimulating at all, so you shouldn't have any concern with taking too much, your body will just get rid of the excess anyways (since it's water-soluble).
>
>
Posted by BekkaH on August 9, 2003, at 0:27:04
In reply to Re: B12 dosage rejiggering» BekkaH, posted by jrbecker on August 8, 2003, at 16:16:14
Hi jrbecker,
Thanks so much for the information! By the way, I read somewhere that exercise suppresses melatonin for about 12 or more hours. In the past, you've discussed your circadian phase shift, and I wonder whether you've ever tried exercising in the morning, every day for a few weeks? I find that the later I exercise, the later I stay awake at night. I'm going to try to go back to exercising in the morning and see whether that helps my delayed sleep phase.
Bekka
Posted by downbutnotout on August 9, 2003, at 10:02:10
In reply to re: new to Lexapro AND babbling... » trauma queen, posted by lil' jimi on August 7, 2003, at 1:49:28
Hi!
I've just been diagnosed with depression, although I think I've been fighting with it for a very long time. My doctor put me on 10mg of Lexapro beginning two days ago. I'm already starting to feel better. I noticed that if I take the meds at 7am I have a good upward swing in mid-afternoon and then come back down in the evening. Is this normal? Or am I just imagining it?
Also, I have just had a weird experience with mis-diagnosis and I was wondering if anyone else out there went through any of this. Five years ago I went to a doctor with complaints of aching muscles, extreme tiredness, mood swings. They took a blood test and told me I was hypothyroid. I went on Synthroid for three years. Because my muscle aches continued, they also diagnosed me as having fibromyalgia.
I quit my teaching job three years ago (I just couldn't do it anymore - isn't that sad? But that's not a story for here!) so I lost my insurance. I quit taking my thyroid meds two years ago because of having no insurance. Now I have insurance and returned to the doctor as my old symptoms were starting to reappear and I was having chest pain. This doctor told me that according to his blood-test I am not hypothyroid and that it has "healed". He also didn't think I have fibromyalgia, but that the muscle pain was a symptom of something else (depression?).
He put me on Lexapro for depression (which I definately have.) Has anyone else had a similar experience? I'm thinking that this has been depression all along. Do you think that is possible?
Thanks!
Posted by OceanMist on August 9, 2003, at 10:46:25
In reply to New to meds/acknowledging depression, posted by downbutnotout on August 9, 2003, at 10:02:10
Hello,
I started taking Lexapro 10mg about 5 weeks ago, and right away I noticed a big difference in myself. I was in closet depression as I like to call it. Nobody around me knew I was depressed. They had no clue I was so unhappy and could not get through a day without crying. When I thought of dying all the time I knew it was time to get help. My doctor put me on Lexapro because she said the side effects were suppose to be less than all the rest. At first I was nausea, but that subsided. Now the only side effects I have is extreme fatigue, I could sleep all day, and I never had that problem before. I just dont care about anything any more. I have to make myself do things. I have no sexual desire what so ever and cannot reach an orgasim. I have gained weight. I laugh that all I feel like doing is sleeping and eating. But I have tremendous amount of insomnia when I do go to bed. What are your thoughts on this? Was thinking of asking my Dr. to put me on Wellbutrin? Do you all think this would help with the side effects. I know that Lexapro has helped me tremendously. I have not cried once in 5weeks. I am starting to wonder if I could.
Thanks
Posted by BLKVETTES on August 9, 2003, at 11:37:10
In reply to New to meds/acknowledging depression, posted by downbutnotout on August 9, 2003, at 10:02:10
> Hi!
>
> I've just been diagnosed with depression, although I think I've been fighting with it for a very long time. My doctor put me on 10mg of Lexapro beginning two days ago. I'm already starting to feel better. I noticed that if I take the meds at 7am I have a good upward swing in mid-afternoon and then come back down in the evening. Is this normal? Or am I just imagining it?
>
> Also, I have just had a weird experience with mis-diagnosis and I was wondering if anyone else out there went through any of this. Five years ago I went to a doctor with complaints of aching muscles, extreme tiredness, mood swings. They took a blood test and told me I was hypothyroid. I went on Synthroid for three years. Because my muscle aches continued, they also diagnosed me as having fibromyalgia.
>
> I quit my teaching job three years ago (I just couldn't do it anymore - isn't that sad? But that's not a story for here!) so I lost my insurance. I quit taking my thyroid meds two years ago because of having no insurance. Now I have insurance and returned to the doctor as my old symptoms were starting to reappear and I was having chest pain. This doctor told me that according to his blood-test I am not hypothyroid and that it has "healed". He also didn't think I have fibromyalgia, but that the muscle pain was a symptom of something else (depression?).
>
> He put me on Lexapro for depression (which I definately have.) Has anyone else had a similar experience? I'm thinking that this has been depression all along. Do you think that is possible?
>
> Thanks!Hi, its possible to feel better in the first week. But it usually takes 4 to 8 weeks. Muscle aches ans pains are possible. Here is a link below. TAKE CARE!!!
WAYNE
http://www.familyaware.org/resources/symptoms.asp
Go forward in thread:
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.