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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by merpmerp on August 2, 2011, at 13:17:38
Hi All,
It's been several months since I last posted here, but I thought I would just check in to let everyone know how I was. Back in October 2010 or so I was on 10 mg Lexapro and seriously suffering - seemed like my serotonin levels were way too high, but my pdoc didn't believe me. 5 mg was better, but not great.
Against my doc's advice, I went down to 2.5 mg and that has been fantastic. (My doc now admits she was wrong, but I have less trust and respect for her now than I did, since I suffered a lot at her well-meaning hands.) I tried 1.25 mg for a couple of months, but that made me a little edgy and not feeling quite stable enough, but 2.5 mg calms me while leaving me able to think clearly. So these last six months or so have been much better.
Is it perfect? Nope. Is it good enough? Yes, I would say I'm about 85-90% of where I want to be.
Just wanted to let everyone know!
Posted by rculater on August 2, 2011, at 16:42:31
In reply to 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick, posted by merpmerp on August 2, 2011, at 13:17:38
Thats great news thanks for the update - its good that you have returned here to give us an update as many in remission wouldn't bother.
I could not tolerate Lex at standard doses either. I tried 10mg for 6 weeks and failed.
I wonder, do you get any apathy ? carb cravings or sexual problems at that dose ???
Posted by Phillipa on August 2, 2011, at 17:12:39
In reply to Re: 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick » merpmerp, posted by rculater on August 2, 2011, at 16:42:31
Been taking that myself but nothing. Great it worked so well for you!!!. Phillipa
Posted by bleauberry on August 2, 2011, at 18:42:03
In reply to 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick, posted by merpmerp on August 2, 2011, at 13:17:38
That's a great story! Love it.
Hey, my old Lyme doc said many of his patients did well on doses as low as 1mg, or even lower by using drops, so it doesn't surprise me at all when someone does very well on a dose that most would claim is too low to be of any value. It's happened with me too, so I can relate.
I think one of the big mistakes the psych world makes is to have the patient shoot for some predetermined target, rather than attempting to methodically find the individual's sweet spot.
Posted by morgan miller on August 3, 2011, at 0:41:27
In reply to 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick, posted by merpmerp on August 2, 2011, at 13:17:38
Good news! Wow, 85 to 90% is pretty darn good. Most would be ecstatic just to get 70% relief from a drug. I would say that if you really are at 85 or 90 percent, that's the best it's ever going to get from a medication. Feeling 100 % at times will have to be all the other things you do that support your mood and well being. I admit, some may get to 100% after taking a medication, but I think this is always temporary, and it usually happens when someone is at a younger less stressful age. That's my take at least.
Good to hear your doing so well.
Morgan
Posted by merpmerp on August 3, 2011, at 22:01:44
In reply to Re: 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick » merpmerp, posted by rculater on August 2, 2011, at 16:42:31
Hi rculater,
I might have some small problems with apathy and with carb cravings, but they're things I'm willing to live with if the medicine sticks by me. I don't seem to have any sexual problems at this dose but that's not a big part of my life right now, so who knows.
> Thats great news thanks for the update - its good that you have returned here to give us an update as many in remission wouldn't bother.
>
> I could not tolerate Lex at standard doses either. I tried 10mg for 6 weeks and failed.
>
> I wonder, do you get any apathy ? carb cravings or sexual problems at that dose ???
Posted by merpmerp on August 3, 2011, at 22:03:08
In reply to Re: 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick, posted by Phillipa on August 2, 2011, at 17:12:39
I'll keep you in my thoughts and hope that you find something to help you out! I remember we'd been talking about low doses of Lexapro when I was posting here before. Best wishes.
> Been taking that myself but nothing. Great it worked so well for you!!!. Phillipa
Posted by merpmerp on August 3, 2011, at 22:05:24
In reply to Re: 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick, posted by bleauberry on August 2, 2011, at 18:42:03
I think my pdoc is still skeptical! But that's just too bad; I could definitely tell the difference between 1.25 mg and 2.5 mg, so I think it is doing something for sure. I agree, she seemed to think I was not being treated properly unless I was one some arbitrary dosage. She's well meaning and I get along with her but I still have some anger at her for basically (I feel) neglecting everything I was telling her.
> That's a great story! Love it.
>
> Hey, my old Lyme doc said many of his patients did well on doses as low as 1mg, or even lower by using drops, so it doesn't surprise me at all when someone does very well on a dose that most would claim is too low to be of any value. It's happened with me too, so I can relate.
>
> I think one of the big mistakes the psych world makes is to have the patient shoot for some predetermined target, rather than attempting to methodically find the individual's sweet spot.
Posted by merpmerp on August 3, 2011, at 22:09:20
In reply to Re: 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick, posted by morgan miller on August 3, 2011, at 0:41:27
Hi Morgan,
Yes, I agree, 100% comes from managing one's lifestyle properly. And I'll admit that because it's summer right now I'm getting a boost from that natural light, so that's helping the medication. Although I did handle this last winter pretty well, for me.
It's weird, but once the Lexapro dosage came back, I was kind of scared for a while at how well my brain was working. (I wasn't manic or anything.) I suddenly had the horrible cloud of lethargy and apathy lifted. And I would have weird, strong emotions about things that had happened months earlier, but my emotions had been chemically suppressed at the time, so I hadn't been able to feel anything. I was able to focus and plan future things much better and so my relationship with my advisor (I'm a grad student) improved, since the quality of my research went up. I can't believe the difference that 7.5 mg of a drug can make...
> Good news! Wow, 85 to 90% is pretty darn good. Most would be ecstatic just to get 70% relief from a drug. I would say that if you really are at 85 or 90 percent, that's the best it's ever going to get from a medication. Feeling 100 % at times will have to be all the other things you do that support your mood and well being. I admit, some may get to 100% after taking a medication, but I think this is always temporary, and it usually happens when someone is at a younger less stressful age. That's my take at least.
>
> Good to hear your doing so well.
>
> Morgan
Posted by Phillipa on August 3, 2011, at 23:31:38
In reply to Re: 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick » morgan miller, posted by merpmerp on August 3, 2011, at 22:09:20
How long did this take for you to notice good things. I had'nt realized it has been that long seems like yesterday. Phillipa
Posted by merpmerp on August 4, 2011, at 10:27:07
In reply to Re: 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick » merpmerp, posted by Phillipa on August 3, 2011, at 23:31:38
A few days to notice a definite positive change. (With Lexapro I've always noticed dose change effects within 72 hours, like clockwork.)
But then my mind was in turmoil for a while because it had been so long since I had been able to feel real emotions that it took a while to be able to cope with them. That all settled down after probably 4-6 weeks and then I was back to my old self, more or less, but somewhat shaken still by all that had happened.
> How long did this take for you to notice good things. I had'nt realized it has been that long seems like yesterday. Phillipa
Posted by merpmerp on February 19, 2014, at 10:54:16
In reply to 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick, posted by merpmerp on August 2, 2011, at 13:17:38
Hi Everyone,
I'm replying to this old thread to save myself having to recap everything.
Since that post, I got a job (left grad school) and moved across the country to be with my boyfriend. That was in early 2012.
Basically, I think the Lexapro (still 2.5 mg, ever since early 2011/late 2010) *might* be losing efficacy. I say might - I'm not entirely sure.
For the last month or so I've been feeling pretty bad, and it's not been going away. Loss of energy, feeling bleak, weepy, scared, you know the drill.
I decided I'll wait another week, trying to make positive changes (more exercise, healthier eating, etc.) but I'm considering changes in either the Lex dosage or another med entirely.
Just wanted to update...
> Hi All,
>
> It's been several months since I last posted here, but I thought I would just check in to let everyone know how I was. Back in October 2010 or so I was on 10 mg Lexapro and seriously suffering - seemed like my serotonin levels were way too high, but my pdoc didn't believe me. 5 mg was better, but not great.
>
> Against my doc's advice, I went down to 2.5 mg and that has been fantastic. (My doc now admits she was wrong, but I have less trust and respect for her now than I did, since I suffered a lot at her well-meaning hands.) I tried 1.25 mg for a couple of months, but that made me a little edgy and not feeling quite stable enough, but 2.5 mg calms me while leaving me able to think clearly. So these last six months or so have been much better.
>
> Is it perfect? Nope. Is it good enough? Yes, I would say I'm about 85-90% of where I want to be.
>
> Just wanted to let everyone know!
Posted by europerep on February 19, 2014, at 15:06:53
In reply to UPDATE to: 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick, posted by merpmerp on February 19, 2014, at 10:54:16
Hey there,
I thought I'd respond because I think I can kind of relate.
I too have found that, for me, very small differences in the amount of an antidepressant can make a big difference. I'm currently on amitriptyline and even just slightly tweaking the dose has a huge impact.
I can't really give you any advice as to what to do, since this is probably more or less "uncharted territory". But, what I would if I were you, is indeed to first check whether there could be other factors explaining it. Have you ever had difficulty with "seasonal" stuff, as in winter/little sunlight/seasonal affective disorder?
If you do find that you don't get back to where you were before, and if it's possible for you, you could then try an even finer dose adjustment. 1mg of amitriptyline makes a huge difference for me. I would look into that before trying a different med, in any case.
ER
Posted by merpmerp on February 19, 2014, at 15:54:49
In reply to Re: UPDATE to: 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick » merpmerp, posted by europerep on February 19, 2014, at 15:06:53
Thanks for the response!
I do have winter mood problems, but I moved to possibly the sunniest state in the US, so there's no shortage of sunlight/blue skies. I find that it does make a noticeable, but small, difference when I make time to get out and enjoy the weather.
There is a new stressor in my life, but then there's always something. It could definitely be contributing.
I agree, I don't really want to try a new drug if I don't have to - it's such a crapshoot. My current scrip says 2.5-5 mg daily, so if I need to I can go up to 5 mg. I'm just a bit nervous to do so because the higher doses of Lexapro caused some akathisia and other problems last time I tried it. (But that doesn't mean it has to happen this time, and as long as I watch out for that it should be okay.)
> Hey there,
>
> I thought I'd respond because I think I can kind of relate.
>
> I too have found that, for me, very small differences in the amount of an antidepressant can make a big difference. I'm currently on amitriptyline and even just slightly tweaking the dose has a huge impact.
>
> I can't really give you any advice as to what to do, since this is probably more or less "uncharted territory". But, what I would if I were you, is indeed to first check whether there could be other factors explaining it. Have you ever had difficulty with "seasonal" stuff, as in winter/little sunlight/seasonal affective disorder?
>
> If you do find that you don't get back to where you were before, and if it's possible for you, you could then try an even finer dose adjustment. 1mg of amitriptyline makes a huge difference for me. I would look into that before trying a different med, in any case.
>
> ER
>
>
>
>
Posted by merpmerp on February 20, 2014, at 13:05:33
In reply to UPDATE to: 2.5 mg Lexapro did the trick, posted by merpmerp on February 19, 2014, at 10:54:16
I'm currently trying to decide if i should cut Lexapro to 1.25 mg/day or raise it to 5 mg/day. (I want to play with the dosage before trying to find a new med - as i mentioned, my scrip allows for dosage tweaks.)
My symptoms are broadly similar to when i was on way too much Lexapro, but with one difference. I feel physically revved up, having trouble staying calm except if i crash from exhaustion. I feel spikes of panic and hyper vigilance - symptoms I've only had when on too high an ssri dose. I feel slightly internally restless and agitated like akathisia, but only mildly. I'm (sorry) having diarrhea again, which was a big sign to me last time that my med needed to be reduced.
However, the difference is that i can still focus. Three years ago, on 10 mg Lexapro, my concentration was totally shot. I can still concentrate on things which makes me think maybe it's me, not the meds. At work when I'm busy i feel fine, but i dread going home and weekends because i know I'll be miserable.
Any thoughts? I'm so scared of going back to where i was - I thought I had this mostly figured out.
If i do have to change meds I'm considering Prozac. Worked like a charm for me the first time, not the second time, but I'd like to try it again at a lower dose.
This is the end of the thread.
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