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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sexylexy on January 7, 2004, at 13:56:19
Hi All!
I actually posted a few miniutes ago but am not sure where my post went so I decided to try to share again.
I have been reading this site for quite a while now but this is my first hand at trying to post so please bear with me!
A little background... I am a 24 year old female, graduate student finishing up my master in therapy/social work this April. My family and boyfriend live in the south while I am in school farther north. I had never before been depressed and was actually always noted as "the strong one". I about 5 months ago, I began taking the birth control pill. I started with terrible PMDD and from there it would build weeks until for the entire month I would be crying all the time, angry and thinking everything was negitiave and everyone hated me ect.
I wrote it off to being homesick but when I returned home for a fall break everything got worse because it did not get better like I had anticpated. During my ten day home, my parents and boyfriend where very scared, I wanted to die,I was crying constantly and having terrible negitiave thoughts. Finally, my father read something about birth control pill leading to depression. I stopped taking the pill and within 24 hours was a new person.
I returned to school feeling like myself again. After 10 days a tragedy struck my family. I took it well at first but then as I started to feel sad, I got terrified that I would become depressed again, like a phobia of depression, of course the anxiety lead my body back in the the "learned" habit of depression. After returning home, I was able to pull out of it. I went back to school and had 21 days where I was really starting to "come though it".
Then my boyfriend and I who never fight, got into a huge fight, I freaked out and again my body went into the extreme anxiety which lead to the depression. At this point I started to have horrible suicidal thoughts. I have never wanted to harm myself but it was as if my body was so scared that it felt like that was the way out.
I knew my next step needed to be medication. I began taking Zoloft the next day. That was a nightmare, Iwas a complete zombie, had weird sensations in my left siniuses, extreme maliase and terrible nightmare. After 3 weeks the anxiety was gone but the depression was terrible.
I finally contacted my doctor and he prescribed me Lexapro. I took 5mg the first 4 days and then started taking 10mg. Tomorrow will be my first day of my third week. I started feeling a little bit better after the first week. A lot of the hypersensitivity has gone along with the crying spells. I have also become a little more social though I am having to force myself. I also feel very tenitave and hesitant, even a little scared to get better although its what I want more than anything.
Sometimes it gets so hard because I don't know if my thoughts are the "depression voice" or my actual thoughts.I wish that one morning I would wake up and a light would shine from God and then I would be all better, "me" again.
I would love to hear all of your experiences and any encouragement you can give on depression as well as Lexapro. God bless you all and keep us all close.
MA
Posted by nicky847 on January 7, 2004, at 14:23:42
In reply to lexapro and me, does it work?, posted by sexylexy on January 7, 2004, at 13:56:19
Welcome!
Its good that you are getting some relief this soon into being on lexapro..and that you are doing better on it than on zoloft..sometimes it is hard to find the right med..have you tried seeing a therapist and asking him/her about cognitive behavioral therapy? it is really useful for helping you discern what is the depression talking and what is an actual rational thought...you will find that most of the time the negative thoughts you have are the result of filters that depressed people have on their thoughts called cognitive distortions..there is also a book called Feeling Good by Dr. David Burns which is great if you cannot see a therapist..
> Hi All!
> I actually posted a few miniutes ago but am not sure where my post went so I decided to try to share again.
> I have been reading this site for quite a while now but this is my first hand at trying to post so please bear with me!
> A little background... I am a 24 year old female, graduate student finishing up my master in therapy/social work this April. My family and boyfriend live in the south while I am in school farther north. I had never before been depressed and was actually always noted as "the strong one". I about 5 months ago, I began taking the birth control pill. I started with terrible PMDD and from there it would build weeks until for the entire month I would be crying all the time, angry and thinking everything was negitiave and everyone hated me ect.
> I wrote it off to being homesick but when I returned home for a fall break everything got worse because it did not get better like I had anticpated. During my ten day home, my parents and boyfriend where very scared, I wanted to die,I was crying constantly and having terrible negitiave thoughts. Finally, my father read something about birth control pill leading to depression. I stopped taking the pill and within 24 hours was a new person.
> I returned to school feeling like myself again. After 10 days a tragedy struck my family. I took it well at first but then as I started to feel sad, I got terrified that I would become depressed again, like a phobia of depression, of course the anxiety lead my body back in the the "learned" habit of depression. After returning home, I was able to pull out of it. I went back to school and had 21 days where I was really starting to "come though it".
> Then my boyfriend and I who never fight, got into a huge fight, I freaked out and again my body went into the extreme anxiety which lead to the depression. At this point I started to have horrible suicidal thoughts. I have never wanted to harm myself but it was as if my body was so scared that it felt like that was the way out.
> I knew my next step needed to be medication. I began taking Zoloft the next day. That was a nightmare, Iwas a complete zombie, had weird sensations in my left siniuses, extreme maliase and terrible nightmare. After 3 weeks the anxiety was gone but the depression was terrible.
> I finally contacted my doctor and he prescribed me Lexapro. I took 5mg the first 4 days and then started taking 10mg. Tomorrow will be my first day of my third week. I started feeling a little bit better after the first week. A lot of the hypersensitivity has gone along with the crying spells. I have also become a little more social though I am having to force myself. I also feel very tenitave and hesitant, even a little scared to get better although its what I want more than anything.
> Sometimes it gets so hard because I don't know if my thoughts are the "depression voice" or my actual thoughts.I wish that one morning I would wake up and a light would shine from God and then I would be all better, "me" again.
> I would love to hear all of your experiences and any encouragement you can give on depression as well as Lexapro. God bless you all and keep us all close.
> MA
Posted by nicky847 on January 7, 2004, at 14:29:09
In reply to Re: lexapro and me, does it work?, posted by nicky847 on January 7, 2004, at 14:23:42
Lexy-
one more thing i forgot to comment on was your question about the light shining down from on high, pulling the switch, and setting everything back to the way it was...from my experience although we all want very badly for that to happen it seldom does..depression is beaten by collecting little victories and savoring those victories..they may seem few and far between at first..or sometimes you may feel like you are not doing as well as you were yesterday...but soon the victories begin to pile up and outweigh the defeats...the setbacks get fewer and farther between and less scary...and gradually you start to feel "normal" again...patience is the key..each persons timetable is different..but be patient with yourself..
> Welcome!
> Its good that you are getting some relief this soon into being on lexapro..and that you are doing better on it than on zoloft..sometimes it is hard to find the right med..
>
> have you tried seeing a therapist and asking him/her about cognitive behavioral therapy? it is really useful for helping you discern what is the depression talking and what is an actual rational thought...you will find that most of the time the negative thoughts you have are the result of filters that depressed people have on their thoughts called cognitive distortions..there is also a book called Feeling Good by Dr. David Burns which is great if you cannot see a therapist..
> > Hi All!
> > I actually posted a few miniutes ago but am not sure where my post went so I decided to try to share again.
> > I have been reading this site for quite a while now but this is my first hand at trying to post so please bear with me!
> > A little background... I am a 24 year old female, graduate student finishing up my master in therapy/social work this April. My family and boyfriend live in the south while I am in school farther north. I had never before been depressed and was actually always noted as "the strong one". I about 5 months ago, I began taking the birth control pill. I started with terrible PMDD and from there it would build weeks until for the entire month I would be crying all the time, angry and thinking everything was negitiave and everyone hated me ect.
> > I wrote it off to being homesick but when I returned home for a fall break everything got worse because it did not get better like I had anticpated. During my ten day home, my parents and boyfriend where very scared, I wanted to die,I was crying constantly and having terrible negitiave thoughts. Finally, my father read something about birth control pill leading to depression. I stopped taking the pill and within 24 hours was a new person.
> > I returned to school feeling like myself again. After 10 days a tragedy struck my family. I took it well at first but then as I started to feel sad, I got terrified that I would become depressed again, like a phobia of depression, of course the anxiety lead my body back in the the "learned" habit of depression. After returning home, I was able to pull out of it. I went back to school and had 21 days where I was really starting to "come though it".
> > Then my boyfriend and I who never fight, got into a huge fight, I freaked out and again my body went into the extreme anxiety which lead to the depression. At this point I started to have horrible suicidal thoughts. I have never wanted to harm myself but it was as if my body was so scared that it felt like that was the way out.
> > I knew my next step needed to be medication. I began taking Zoloft the next day. That was a nightmare, Iwas a complete zombie, had weird sensations in my left siniuses, extreme maliase and terrible nightmare. After 3 weeks the anxiety was gone but the depression was terrible.
> > I finally contacted my doctor and he prescribed me Lexapro. I took 5mg the first 4 days and then started taking 10mg. Tomorrow will be my first day of my third week. I started feeling a little bit better after the first week. A lot of the hypersensitivity has gone along with the crying spells. I have also become a little more social though I am having to force myself. I also feel very tenitave and hesitant, even a little scared to get better although its what I want more than anything.
> > Sometimes it gets so hard because I don't know if my thoughts are the "depression voice" or my actual thoughts.I wish that one morning I would wake up and a light would shine from God and then I would be all better, "me" again.
> > I would love to hear all of your experiences and any encouragement you can give on depression as well as Lexapro. God bless you all and keep us all close.
> > MA
>
>
Posted by bluesfan on January 7, 2004, at 14:45:42
In reply to Re: lexapro and me, does it work?, posted by nicky847 on January 7, 2004, at 14:29:09
Nick....just wanted to let you know that I feel AWESOME today. I have been reading "How to win over depression" by Tim Lahaye, and it has really helped me. I gave this problem I'm having up to God last night, and decided to have a positive outlook about this whole thing. It helps tremendously to have a positive outlook about things and not seeing the negative about everything. This is the first day that I actually feel like I will get better.....hopefully I will continue to feel that way. Just wanted to let you know how things were going......day 18 on the Lexapro, and it has really taken the edge off!
Posted by nicky847 on January 7, 2004, at 14:54:27
In reply to Re: lexapro and me, does it work? » nicky847, posted by bluesfan on January 7, 2004, at 14:45:42
THAT IS SOOOO GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I knew you would be feeling better soon...staying positive is the absolute best thing you can do and is more effective than any med..remember how you feel today b/c nothing can take this success away from you and you will always have it to refer back to...
> Nick....just wanted to let you know that I feel AWESOME today. I have been reading "How to win over depression" by Tim Lahaye, and it has really helped me. I gave this problem I'm having up to God last night, and decided to have a positive outlook about this whole thing. It helps tremendously to have a positive outlook about things and not seeing the negative about everything. This is the first day that I actually feel like I will get better.....hopefully I will continue to feel that way. Just wanted to let you know how things were going......day 18 on the Lexapro, and it has really taken the edge off!
Posted by JohnFromCalifornia on January 7, 2004, at 21:34:38
In reply to lexapro and me, does it work?, posted by sexylexy on January 7, 2004, at 13:56:19
You and I started Lexapro at the same time, but our histories could not be much more different except for one possibly pertinent shared experience.
You went through a big depression/anxiety phase brought on my birth control pills. I went through a similar trauma in my 20s due to life circumstances. I wonder if both of us "learned" mentally and physically how to be depressed, and thus have been more susceptible to it ever since.
My experience with SSRIs is almost nil, and I'm going through the unpleasant but not unbearable side effects of Lexapro just in case my tendency toward depression/anxiety is, in fact, due to a chemical imbalance. I'm going to give it at least two months -- I'm feeling better already, but not better enough if you know what I mean.
What has worked for me in the past is good counselling. A behaviorist approach works best for my personality (I'm sort of a super-rationalist Type-A): lots of exercise and positive thinking, that sort of stuff. Our moods are fragile, as you know, so feeling good and being optimistic give us a head start against the triggers of depression coming along and spoiling our day. (Tip: If you have trouble sleeping, try jogging or swimming or similar aerobic exercise. It works wonders.)
This message board, which I've discovered only the other week, is an excellent souce of information and inspiration. For some reason the level of discourse is higher here than on other boards I visit for my various hobbies. That says something good about us "sensitive" types.
Anyway, good luck with Lexapro and please post frequently -- I'm interested in your progress and will pass along any information of substance if I come across it.
- John from California
Posted by sexylexy on January 7, 2004, at 22:31:56
In reply to Re: lexapro and me, does it work?, posted by JohnFromCalifornia on January 7, 2004, at 21:34:38
Hi Again
Thanks for the support you guys! I totally understand what you mean by "feeling better but not feeling better enough". Questions for you Lexapro users... I am feeling a little spacey on it but it kinda comes and goes, sometimes I will feel just a touch spacey and out of focus but not unberable. Other times (like tonight) I was so spacey that I felt like a zombie or like my eyes needed to be open wider to be able to be mentally clear. I was wondering if anyone has experienced anything like this, it was terrible when I was on Zoloft and is not nearly as bad on Lexapro but still a very real s/e. Thanks guy ya'll are great!
lexy
Posted by Mariposa on January 8, 2004, at 11:41:45
In reply to Re: lexapro and me, does it work?, posted by sexylexy on January 7, 2004, at 22:31:56
> Hi Again
> Thanks for the support you guys! I totally understand what you mean by "feeling better but not feeling better enough". Questions for you Lexapro users... I am feeling a little spacey on it but it kinda comes and goes, sometimes I will feel just a touch spacey and out of focus but not unberable. Other times (like tonight) I was so spacey that I felt like a zombie or like my eyes needed to be open wider to be able to be mentally clear. I was wondering if anyone has experienced anything like this, it was terrible when I was on Zoloft and is not nearly as bad on Lexapro but still a very real s/e. Thanks guy ya'll are great!
> lexyThat feeling does go away, the spacey feeling. It was pretty much gone for me around 5-6 week. Hang in there and hopefully you will feel *better* soon.~~~8|8
Posted by Marietta on January 8, 2004, at 12:38:54
In reply to Re: lexapro and me, does it work?, posted by sexylexy on January 7, 2004, at 22:31:56
Spacey and not quite "all there"? That's me. About 1 1/2 hours after i take my Lex, i get that buzzed out feeling and then later in day kinda feel wired but wiped out at same time. I am into day 15 (woo hoo...i made it two weeks!). I DO feel better emotionally but after my first week, i had to cut back my 10mgs to 5 mgs for a few days, then up to 7.5 for a few days and today took the full 10mgs again. I just wasn't sleeping --- at all! Even on the 7.5 i had a hard time the other night but i started feeling the anxiety creeping back in so for that, the 10mg works best right now. WE'll see --- I've heard week 2 (which i just made it thru) was the worst AND I SURVIVED although i wasn't on the full 10mg. I'll let you all know!!
Posted by KathrynLex on January 8, 2004, at 13:19:03
In reply to Re: lexapro and me, does it work? » sexylexy, posted by Marietta on January 8, 2004, at 12:38:54
Mariposa - It's so good to hear that the spacey feeling goes away! I've felt very out of it for almost 3 weeks and it would be nice to be able to think clearly again. Knowing that someone else had the same experience and got better is wonderful. You just made my day!
Marietta - Congratulations on making it through week 2! I'm wrapping up week 3, and while it was a bit rocky it wasn't nearly as bad as the second week. I'm on day 20 and starting to sleep a bit better too. So, things DO get better.
K.
Posted by steve3211 on January 8, 2004, at 13:51:31
In reply to lexapro and me, does it work?, posted by sexylexy on January 7, 2004, at 13:56:19
Lexy,
I am on day 17 on 5mg Lex and must say I am pretty optimistic about it although the ups and downs continue. Some of the side effects were and still are severe nausea and dry heaves, slight agitation, anxiety, being slightly wired, racing thoughts and maybe slight rash. Fun, huh? They are letting up though so of course now I am worried about bumping up to 7.5 I have a long history of periodic moderate to severe depression starting at age 20. This one was my fourth episode and they all lasted around six months. This time at age 35 I decided it was time to get help with the meds and so I am on my first ever medication Lex and hope I have hit the jackpot first time around. I would seriously give the medication a chance. I wish I had the first time and maybe I could have saved myself alot of pain. Once you have suffered a depressive episode the chances of having another go up drastically. However with medication and talk therapy you can limit that possibility highly according to the literature. So stick with it and hang in and keep posting as will I.
Best Steve
Posted by sexylexy on January 8, 2004, at 14:22:42
In reply to Re: lexapro and me, does it work?, posted by KathrynLex on January 8, 2004, at 13:19:03
Hi Guys!
Well, I just talked to my Pdoc and thought I would pass along the info...She said 50% of people get that day dreamy, tunnel vision, spacey feeling on Lexapro then it goes away. I am on day 17 and that is the only symptom I seem to have left. I still do not have a big appitite, I kinda have to remind myself to eat. As to the sleeping thing, I was able to sleep after two weeks. Good luck and God Bless.
Lexy
Posted by Baseball85 on November 12, 2012, at 10:27:33
In reply to Re: lexapro and me, does it work?, posted by sexylexy on January 8, 2004, at 14:22:42
> Hi Guys!
> Well, I just talked to my Pdoc and thought I would pass along the info...She said 50% of people get that day dreamy, tunnel vision, spacey feeling on Lexapro then it goes away. I am on day 17 and that is the only symptom I seem to have left. I still do not have a big appitite, I kinda have to remind myself to eat. As to the sleeping thing, I was able to sleep after two weeks. Good luck and God Bless.
> LexyLexy,
Did this day dreamy, spacey feeling go away for you?
This is the end of the thread.
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