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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Wildflower on September 22, 2003, at 12:43:34
Does anyone know of anything to help with increasing energy while on Lexapro - preferably OTC? I've always been sleepy but this is crazy!
Thanks much! :-)
Posted by shoebox on September 23, 2003, at 11:24:25
In reply to I need an energy boost , posted by Wildflower on September 22, 2003, at 12:43:34
> Does anyone know of anything to help with increasing energy while on Lexapro - preferably OTC? I've always been sleepy but this is crazy!
>
> Thanks much! :-)How much Lexapro are you currently on? Are you taking it at night? I myself just switched to Effexor as of tomorrow, because the exhaustion I felt with Lexapro (and Celexa before it) was intolerable. I cut the dose from 20mg to 10mg and started taking it at night, and there was no change (plus I had the worst diarrhea and abdominal cramps I have ever had in my life, AND gained 15 pounds). I am also on 300mg of Provigil and I drink three very strong cups of coffee in the morning; right now I am on my second cup and am ready to go back to sleep! Every afternoon, after my final cup, I hop into bed for another 4 hour nap. This is no way to live.
Ironically, Lexapro also gave me insomnia. Not the right drug for me! Everyone is different, of course, but, depending on how long you have been on Lexapro, you might want to reconsider whether it's doing more harm than good. Everyone I have talked to who experienced this same fatigue said it never abated and they ended up switching to a different drug. It's too bad about the side effects, because, at least in my case, Lexapro and Celexa are excellent for anxiety. Even though I could hardly keep my eyes open, I was at least nice and calm.
Posted by Wildflower on September 23, 2003, at 12:41:36
In reply to Re: I need an energy boost » Wildflower, posted by shoebox on September 23, 2003, at 11:24:25
Ironically enough, I'm on it because I'm so tired all the time due to the depression. I'm currently on only 10 mg which I take in the morning. I've already tried Effexor and Prozac with no luck. There have been some success stories on the board with Lex so I'm not willing to give up on it yet. The side effects that you had decribed disappeared for me after 2-3 weeks - not sure how long you were on it.
Although, I do have to say that my nighttime activity has increased. I like to call it "night energy". Instead of coming home from work and sleeping (like I used to do), I've been able to run errands and find myself obsessivly cleaning.
-----------------------------------
> How much Lexapro are you currently on? Are you taking it at night? I myself just switched to Effexor as of tomorrow, because the exhaustion I felt with Lexapro (and Celexa before it) was intolerable. I cut the dose from 20mg to 10mg and started taking it at night, and there was no change (plus I had the worst diarrhea and abdominal cramps I have ever had in my life, AND gained 15 pounds). I am also on 300mg of Provigil and I drink three very strong cups of coffee in the morning; right now I am on my second cup and am ready to go back to sleep! Every afternoon, after my final cup, I hop into bed for another 4 hour nap. This is no way to live.
>
> Ironically, Lexapro also gave me insomnia. Not the right drug for me! Everyone is different, of course, but, depending on how long you have been on Lexapro, you might want to reconsider whether it's doing more harm than good. Everyone I have talked to who experienced this same fatigue said it never abated and they ended up switching to a different drug. It's too bad about the side effects, because, at least in my case, Lexapro and Celexa are excellent for anxiety. Even though I could hardly keep my eyes open, I was at least nice and calm.
>
Posted by Rick on September 23, 2003, at 16:17:17
In reply to Re: I need an energy boost » Wildflower, posted by shoebox on September 23, 2003, at 11:24:25
Hi, shoebox.
Provigil can actually intensify side effects of Celexa (and presumably Lexapro) because of an interaction between the two that doesn't occur with other AD's. A small study includes the following quote:
"Statistically significant improvements (p<0.05) in energy and concentration as measured by a sub-scale of the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D retardation scale) were seen in patients taking PROVIGIL and various antidepressants including Prozac(R) (fluoxetine HCl), Zoloft(R) (sertraline HCl), or Paxil(R) (paroxetine HCl) but as anticipated, not in patients taking Celexa(TM), (citalopram HBr), a compound with which PROVIGIL has a known metabolic interaction."
That said, I believe I've seen some folks post that the combo worked for them.
I'd wager you'll do better with the Effexor.
If you're interested, here's a link to the full study summary (press release) that yielded the above quote. I Googled it up from a multiple sclerosis site, but the study concerns depression.
http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/news/May2001/ProvigilFatigueDepression.html
Rick
Posted by shoebox on September 23, 2003, at 19:53:50
In reply to Re: I need an energy boost » shoebox, posted by Rick on September 23, 2003, at 16:17:17
WOW. How about that. Wait till I tell my doctor about this! Why is it that we are always telling our doctors about new things, instead of the other way around?? I had to "tell" my doctor to prescribe Effexor today, after he started suggesting tricyclics (none of which proved helpful in the past). He seemed to be at a loss, and it was one that I had not tried yet, so I suggested it--sometimes I feel like I'm at the deli ordering lunch instead of visiting my psychiatrist. I half-expect to see "Take A Number" stenciled over the door.
Thank you for the great link. I do intend to go with the Effexor, but at least now I can stop worrying that I am dying of leukemia or was kissed by an enchanted sloth.
> Hi, shoebox.
>
> Provigil can actually intensify side effects of Celexa (and presumably Lexapro) because of an interaction between the two that doesn't occur with other AD's. A small study includes the following quote:
>
> "Statistically significant improvements (p<0.05) in energy and concentration as measured by a sub-scale of the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D retardation scale) were seen in patients taking PROVIGIL and various antidepressants including Prozac(R) (fluoxetine HCl), Zoloft(R) (sertraline HCl), or Paxil(R) (paroxetine HCl) but as anticipated, not in patients taking Celexa(TM), (citalopram HBr), a compound with which PROVIGIL has a known metabolic interaction."
>
> That said, I believe I've seen some folks post that the combo worked for them.
>
> I'd wager you'll do better with the Effexor.
>
> If you're interested, here's a link to the full study summary (press release) that yielded the above quote. I Googled it up from a multiple sclerosis site, but the study concerns depression.
>
> http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/news/May2001/ProvigilFatigueDepression.html
>
> Rick
Posted by shoebox on September 23, 2003, at 20:03:08
In reply to Re: I need an energy boost » shoebox, posted by Wildflower on September 23, 2003, at 12:41:36
"Night energy", eh? Hmmm. This doesn't worry you, I assume? I'm bipolar II, so "night energy" is a serious red flag. *sigh* Too bad we can't all hit that gently hypomanic groove and stay in it indefinitely, causing no harm to ourselves or others, and accomplishing all kinds of cool stuff. Some day, perhaps.
Maybe you should take the Lexapro at night? Might help a bit, though it didn't help me. I was on Celexa for 6 weeks, then on Lexapro for 5 more--11 weeks of diarrhea and exhaustion. Talk about depressing! ;^) [And of course, oversleeping makes depression worse! AGGHH!!!]
Posted by Kacy on September 25, 2003, at 15:17:48
In reply to Re: I need an energy boost » Wildflower, posted by shoebox on September 23, 2003, at 20:03:08
Wildflower: Here are some ideas from Mind Boosters. About halfway down the page, under Figure 13.1 on tyrosine and phenylalanine, I found the following paragraph:
"Be careful when you are adding either of these two amino acids to a regimen that includes other stimulants since the effects can be cumulative. Some of the nutrients that can act as stimulants include DMAE, CDP-choline, pantothenic acid, methyl donors, ALC, CoQ10, DHEA, pregnenolone, St. John’s wort, and Ginseng."
http://www.mind-boosters.com/chapter_13.html#PHENYLALANINE%20AND%20TYROSINE
I have been doing some research on them. Here's what I've gathered. I got the information off iHerb. I chose some of the lesser priced brands. You can get an idea of cost of taking these. I plan to try some but haven't decided what to start with.
• DMAE Bitartrate
Supplying 260 mg of 2-dimethylaminoethanol 700 mg
w/ b6 (as pyridoxine HCI, pyridoxine alpha-ketoglutrate) 1000% rda
w/ Pantothenic Acid* 1000% rda
50 capsules of 350 mg ea - Serving size = 2 Biochem/Country Life $ 8.70 iHerb Price: $5.70• CDP-Choline = citicoline
Memory formula:
Citicoline (CDP choline) 150 mg
alpha-Lipoic Acid 20 mg
Vinpocetine Extract (Voaconga africana) 5 mg
(seed)(standardized at NLT 98%)
Huperzine A Extract (moss) 50 mcg
50 capsules of 150 mg ea - Serving size = 2 Biochem/Country Life $25.25 iHerb price: $15.15• pantothenic acid - see DMAE supplement above as it would supply both,
• methyl donors
• ALC = acetyl l-carnitine
• Multiple supplement formula $40, 3 mos http://www.iherb.com/highermind.html,
• Acetyl L-Carnitine 60 tablets of 500 mg ea - Serving size = 1 Source Naturals iHerb price $18• CoQ10 = Coennzyme Q-10
about $18 mos• Ginseng
Ginseng Supreme Complex Blend 150 mg *
Providing:Eleuthro Extract ( Eleuthrococcus senticosus) (root) (Siberian ginseng),
Panax ginseng (root), Red Panax ginseng (root), Panax notoginseng (root),
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)(root), Codonopsis (Codonopsis chinesis)(root),
Maca (Lepidium meyenii)(tuber), Gynostemma (Gynostemma chinesis)(root)
(Blue ginseng), American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) (root)
Astragalus (root) 25 mg
Reishi Mushroom 25 mg
Lycium (berry) 25 mg
Soy Phosphatides (soy lecithin) 25 mg
Lipase 6 mg
60 capsules Serving size = 1 Natrol/Country Life $ 10.70 iHerb Price: $6.42• Pregnenolone
http://www.iherb.com/preg501.html
120 tablets of 50 mg w/35% C - Serving size = 1 Source Naturals $21.98 iHerb Price $14
Consult your physician before taking PREG if you have…adrenal…disorder, or if you are taking any
medication including …anti-anxiety drugs…• DHEA
There are a lot more "ask your doctor" conditions to consider under the Pregnenlone one. I just copied two.
Posted by Dr. Bob on September 25, 2003, at 20:39:07
In reply to Re: I need an energy boost, posted by Kacy on September 25, 2003, at 15:17:48
> Wildflower: Here are some ideas from Mind Boosters...
Sorry if it's confusing here, but I'd like to redirect follow-ups regarding alternative treatments to the new Psycho-Babble Alternative board. Here's a link:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20030903/msgs/263334.html
Bob
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