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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Scott in Vermont on May 28, 2004, at 13:52:22
Ok, here's the scenario- I've been on 10mg daily (morning dose) since March 29th. Haven't missed a single day. First week and a half was hellish, but then I leveled out and I have been feeling like a champion ever since (meaning I have regained my positive mood and my optimistic outlook).
Until a couple of days ago, that is. On Tuesday or Wednesday I started feeling the "pressure" of the world like I did when I was deeply depressed. I faced and beat it back, but I had no idea where it all came from. That kind of bothered me.
Today (about an hour ago, in fact) I started crying uncontrollably, and with a few short breaks here and there, it hasn’t stopped. I have no idea why this is happening. Nothing in my life situation has really changed, my diet is the same, my sleep patterns have been very good, and I'm exercising on my same regular schedule.
I'm seeking thoughts and opinions of what might be going on. Could the Lexapro be washing out? Could this be a “delayed reaction” to the accumulated stress and strain that life has thrown at me in the last 2 months? Is this just a really bad day and I’ve overlooked some plausible causes?
The idea that my Lexapro could be washing out is next to terrifying to me. I have enough going on right now without having to play “musical meds”… I don’t want to do that again. I really don’t.
I know my pdoc is the best person to ask this, and I have already called and left a message but being that it is Friday before a 3-day weekend, I doubt I’ll hear from him before Tuesday.
Anyone who has had a similar experience PLEASE post. Anyone who can offer any kind of advice, or anything… this really stinks. I’m at work; I don’t need this right now.
Any and all comments appreciated. I’ll only be able to read responses today for the next 2 hours, but anything after that I will read. I’m hoping today is just a bad day… or week, whatever.
Thanks.
-Scott
Posted by RetiredYoung on May 28, 2004, at 16:24:04
In reply to Lexapro washout?, posted by Scott in Vermont on May 28, 2004, at 13:52:22
Look at the long weekend as an opportunity for you. Give it the extra 3 days or so, then when your doc calls you Tuesday, you'll have a good idea if you were just having a bad few days and are doing better again, *OR* whether the medication is becoming ineffective.
It's not at all uncommon to realize at some point that your dosage is too low. Personally, I started at 10mg of Lexapro and have needed to go up over time to the 25mg/day that I'm taking now.
Good luck.
Posted by Anjul on May 30, 2004, at 20:57:58
In reply to Re: Lexapro washout?, posted by RetiredYoung on May 28, 2004, at 16:24:04
Hey, Scott. I had something similar happen 10 days ago. Same drug, same dose. I attributed it to hormones. It was awful!!! My pdoc said go up. I waited and it lasted about a week. Now I feel good again. Good Luck!!!! ANjul
Posted by Mariposa on May 31, 2004, at 12:31:50
In reply to Re: Lexapro washout?, posted by Anjul on May 30, 2004, at 20:57:58
Part of it may be that your body has adjusted to that dose, the liver is producing enough enzymes to break down the med....that was my pdoc's explanation, BREIFLY, I'm sure there's more to it.
I started @ 5mg, went to 10 week 5, went to 20 month 5, now at 30mg and have been on Lex 15 mos. It may be possible that an increase will help, but I advise you talk w/pdoc. All of my increases were pdoc approved.
Posted by MGOLDW on June 1, 2004, at 11:57:04
In reply to Lexapro washout?, posted by Scott in Vermont on May 28, 2004, at 13:52:22
Hi Scott. A couple of bad days do not mean anything. Just like normal persons, we, Lexapro users, have good and bad days. This is how life is supposed to be. Hang in there, keep us informed.
Posted by Scott in Vermont on June 1, 2004, at 13:58:01
In reply to Lexapro washout?, posted by Scott in Vermont on May 28, 2004, at 13:52:22
Thank you all for responding. My pdoc hasn't yet returned my call, but I'm doing ok right now so I'll discuss it with him in due time.I still don't know what triggered that emotional blowout. I know that Lexapro is not a "cure all" and that I'm still going to feel things the way "normal" people feel them (such as good days and bad days) and I not only accept that idea, I embrace it because I want to "feel". But what I do not want is having days like Friday, where for no apparent reason I want to curl up in a closet, completely melt down, and blow my head off.
Friday night was hugely difficult because the children were visiting for the weekend and they didn't deserve to see Daddy look like a mess. I toughed it out, and while I did talk to them that I was having a tough time (I don't "hide" this from the kids, I just don't want them to "see" it) they didn't seem to mind or notice anything different. I kept a good exterior. Then Saturday morning I woke up and ... wow... I was my same old self. Nothing was even close to the way it was Friday. The sun was shining, I was back to where I feel "normal"... it was welcomed, but eerie.
I'm rambling now. I wrote this response out earlier and I was much more descriptive. I deleted it by accident, and have obviously lost the magic.
My point is that I'm ok now... but I'm scared that I could crash like that again. I don't know what happened. Like I said before, there was no (apparent) trigger, no cause or change... and that frightens me. No cause means that it could happen again. I saw the slip, and I felt it coming... but it didn't help me stop it.
Again, thanks for the responses.
Posted by Anjul on June 2, 2004, at 9:27:08
In reply to Re: Lexapro washout?... to all, posted by Scott in Vermont on June 1, 2004, at 13:58:01
Hey, Scott
Your post was (unfortunately )so familiar to me. To go from feeling perfectly fine to crashing down to a point of wanting to be dead, And then in a couple days, ok again but I know that eerie feeling after. All I can figure is that i still have the mental illness, but with the Lex, its MUCH less frequent. But it didn;t make it go away. And my bad days are just a little "different" than most peoples. Anjul
Posted by Scott in Vermont on June 2, 2004, at 12:14:05
In reply to Re: Lexapro washout?... to all, posted by Anjul on June 2, 2004, at 9:27:08
While it is comforting to talk to someone who knows exactly what I am feeling, it's horrible knowing that the only reason you can know this is because you lived it.
I know I'm not "cured", and that there is no "cure", and that I'll have "good days" and "bad days"... but like you said, there is a huge difference between "good & bad" vs "good & wanting to die".
I really hate this. I know this is not who I am. I never dealt with anything like this before 2001. I sure as all heck am not making this up. This isn't the kind of attention I prefer.
In all, it's a bitter frustration. I know I can be "good", and I don't mind being "bad", after all, that's the normal ebb and flow of emotion. What I can't stand is crashing.
I really hope that doesn't happen again.
Posted by Anjul on June 2, 2004, at 18:52:15
In reply to Re: Lexapro washout?... to all, posted by Scott in Vermont on June 2, 2004, at 12:14:05
Scott
Of course you are not making it up. And I hate to have to tell anyone when I'm feeling like that. I hope it doesn;t happen again for you, too. Peace to us all! Anjul
Posted by LynneDa on June 3, 2004, at 16:58:28
In reply to Re: Lexapro washout?... to all, posted by Scott in Vermont on June 2, 2004, at 12:14:05
Hi Scott, just jumping in as I noticed this is a Lex thread. I completely relate to what you are saying about knowing this is not in your head, this is not you and you don't want to be "this way" forever. I am in that same boat with you!!!
I've been on Lex for about 7+ months - 10 weeks at 10mg then up to 20mg and now I rotate 10/20mg depending on where I am in my "cycle" (I'm female). I still have crashes - about 1 or 2 per month. But, they only last a few hours now and they get less severe as time goes on.
Here's a thought: Just because you're a male doesn't mean your hormones/body chemistry may not have a cycle to them too. Keep track on a calendar of this crash and any others you may have in the future (I pray you won't have any more!). Maybe you'll see a pattern or find some sort of triggers.
Think positively - attitude matters! It was probably just your body's reaction to the recent stressful times you mentioned. Hang in there and best of luck to you!
~ Lynne
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Posted by Scribbler on June 3, 2004, at 21:22:25
In reply to Re: Lexapro washout?... to all » Scott in Vermont, posted by LynneDa on June 3, 2004, at 16:58:28
Hello again -- I haven't posted a message in many months. Began 10 mg. of Lex in October with nausea first day and a rough couple of weeks but then I began feeling much less anxious and really pretty good. But lately I'm feeling anxious again, sort of like before, and think I need to increase my dose. I realize 10 mg. isn't very much. I'm seeing my doctor on Monday and expect he will say 15 mg is okay, but I'd like to go up by increments, maybe 12.5 to begin with because I'm afraid of having nausea side effects and headaches again. Or maybe it's best to go right to 15 and tough it out for a few days? Someone said earlier that one's liver has probably adjusted to the Lexapro by this time and side effects will be less with increased increments than with initial dose. Advice and experiences are welcome. Please!
Posted by Mariposa on June 3, 2004, at 22:43:41
In reply to Re: Lexapro washout...what about increased dose?, posted by Scribbler on June 3, 2004, at 21:22:25
> Hello again -- I haven't posted a message in many months. Began 10 mg. of Lex in October with nausea first day and a rough couple of weeks but then I began feeling much less anxious and really pretty good. But lately I'm feeling anxious again, sort of like before, and think I need to increase my dose. I realize 10 mg. isn't very much. I'm seeing my doctor on Monday and expect he will say 15 mg is okay, but I'd like to go up by increments, maybe 12.5 to begin with because I'm afraid of having nausea side effects and headaches again. Or maybe it's best to go right to 15 and tough it out for a few days? Someone said earlier that one's liver has probably adjusted to the Lexapro by this time and side effects will be less with increased increments than with initial dose. Advice and experiences are welcome. Please!
Yes I have found this to be true in my case, started at 5mg and had a very rough time. Went to 10mg at week 5 with very diminished *re-visit* of some but not all se's. At month 5 went from 10 to 20mg with no se's at all. My pdoc told me that the liver does *get used* to your dose and increasing in 10mg increments is normal. In Jan. I started feeling a return of my *symptoms* and could not get in to pdoc for a script so I started taking 25mg with NO EFFECT! When I finally got in and got a new script I went to 30mg and with a day or two got relief.
It may very well be that an increase will help you also.~~~8|8
Posted by Scribbler on June 4, 2004, at 9:41:22
In reply to Re: Lexapro washout...what about increased dose?, posted by Mariposa on June 3, 2004, at 22:43:41
Mariposa, nice to see your butterfly again! And glad for your continued encouragement. For the first couple of months, 10 mg seemed to work for me and then my system seemed to adjust...tho I'm not as much of a basket case as I was before I began Lex last fall. I think I'll swallow hard and go with an increase of 5 mg next week instead of two increments of 2.5 --if, for no other reason, because it's really hard to split those tough little pills into fourths! Busy summer ahead that I want to enjoy, not dread and worry about "what ifs." SO GLAD to have this site to come to for understanding and insight.
Posted by Mariposa on June 5, 2004, at 9:22:40
In reply to Re: Lexapro washout...what about increased dose?, posted by Scribbler on June 4, 2004, at 9:41:22
> Mariposa, nice to see your butterfly again! And glad for your continued encouragement. For the first couple of months, 10 mg seemed to work for me and then my system seemed to adjust...tho I'm not as much of a basket case as I was before I began Lex last fall. I think I'll swallow hard and go with an increase of 5 mg next week instead of two increments of 2.5 --if, for no other reason, because it's really hard to split those tough little pills into fourths! Busy summer ahead that I want to enjoy, not dread and worry about "what ifs." SO GLAD to have this site to come to for understanding and insight.
Hopefully your transition to a higher dose will go as smoothly for you as it did for me. You should be able to tell within a day or two if se's will be a problem. I barely noticed a little vertigo that came and went quickly and that was about it.
Happy Thoughts!!!! and have a GREAT summer!!!~~~8|8
This is the end of the thread.
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