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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by need_some_help on September 24, 2003, at 22:59:56
Hi,
I am new to this group. I find myself facing making some decisions that are difficult.
Three years ago I suffered major depression and dysthymia. I was put on 20mg Celexa and stayed on that for a little over 2 years. It worked well for me except for weight gain, sleepiness unless taken at night, and of course, sexual S/Es. I disussed it with my doc at the beginning of this year and he put me on Lexapro 10mg per day. This has been great - I take it at night. My brain is sharper (I am a researcher, so that really matters) than it was on Celexa, the weight gain stopped (and I was even able to lose most of the gain earlier this year), but I still suffered sexual S/Es. After almost 3 years, I think my husband would like his wife back!
The reason I stayed on the meds is because I discovered an unexpected positive side effect - the obsessive worrying I had had all my life (and didn't realize was not normal, despite being married to a social worker who kept telling me it wasn't) went away almost completely. Instead of getting into a spiral of worry which inevitably ended up in sleeplessness, inability to focus on anything but whatever was consuming me, and then crying jags, I could set the problem to one side and move on.
OK - I decided to taper off Lexapro (with my doc's help) last Spring - was off 3 weeks and then the worry hit me full force again - so I got back on and three weeks later was feeling "normal" again. I am now off again after 3 weeks of reducing the dose. But this time I am only 2 days out and it is driving me nuts. When I discussed changing drugs with my doc, he gave me a scrip for Effexor in the hope that it will do the same thing as Lexapro, but not make me asexual! But in researching it, I think it is way more drug than I want...and am going to tear up the scrip.
I think I am realizing that a low maintenance dose of something to help with the worry will make me much happier to be around, but I am not sure my husband should have to suffer my being on Lexapro indefinitely (although in every way other than sexual S/Es it has been a wonder drug for me) so I am looking for ideas...
Anyone else have success with Lexapro or Celexa and then find something else that controls symptoms, but diminishes the sexual side effects?
Thanks in advance for any insights you might have.
This is the end of the thread.
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