Lexapro...

T1+T2 · September 2010

I've just been put on this med - I hate having to take anything, but these anxiety attacks are getting way too hard to handle on my own.

I know I've seen a few ladies here mention that they take/took it. I was hoping I could get some pointers as to what works best in terms of taking it (timing, food/no food, etc.).

I've already covered all the basics with my doctor, but she told me to take it whenever I wanted to and I'm trying to see if there's a better time to take it.

Any advice?

arbolita · September 2010

When I was on it, if I didn't take it about 15 minutes after eating something, I'd feel incredibly nauseous. It's been a long time since I was on it, so I don't remember any other details except that.

LDYGTR13 · September 2010

When I was taking Lexapro I had to take it before I went to bed because it made me really sleepy. I also usually took it with a glass of milk - but i have a sensitive stomach. It never bothered me, I just had to get off of it because it was so dang expensive - then of course the other options didn't work and now I take Cymbalta - Cymbalta is the shiz lol - even if it IS $50 a month.

I hated taking medicine at first too - but my life is 100% better now.

AllAboutTheBenjamin · September 2010

My sister was on Lexapro while she was recovering from her eating disorder - she was depressed and not eating and yeah. Apparently Lexapro gives you an appetite? She gained weight while she was on it.

Don't know much else though.

jennymmorley · September 2010

lexapro was the best thing that ever happened to me and now i am free of anxiety attacks! YAY!

Youll have to find out which timing works best for you. when i took it at night it sped me up and i couldnt sleep, but alot of people have the opposite effect.

the thing you really need to test is your alcohol tolerance. lexapro increases the effects of alcohol, and i found that out the hard way. but i sure do save alot of money on drinks now!

crfische · September 2010

1) Good for you for taking charge of your anxiety! It takes a lot of courage to do that. GO YOU.

2) this is pretty cliche, but you're just gonna have to see what works best for you and your body. People's bodies are different and metabolize things differently, ya know?

I know that's not helpful but anywhere you ask, you're going to get a mixed bag of answers and everyone who gives you an opinion will think they are right and their way is the best. And it probably is...for them. That doesn't mean it's gonna be right for you.

salt78 · September 2010

<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Times;font-size:medium;line-height:normal;" class="Apple-style-span"><div style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10px;background-color:initial;background-image:none;background-repeat:initial;background-attachment:initial;-webkit-background-clip:initial;-webkit-background-origin:initial;color:#1f1f1f;font:normal normal normal 11px/14px Arial, sans-serif;text-align:left;">In Response to <a style="text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal;color:#1f1f1f;" href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_lexapro?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:47ecb1c5-f79b-4b89-9940-6002fe60a6b6Post:ac1ae89e-b264-4cb9-96aa-90dc166bdd7e">Re: Lexapro...</a>:
[QUOTE]Apparently Lexapro gives you an appetite?
Posted by AllAboutTheBenjamin[/QUOTE]

<div>Luckily this didn't happen with me. </div><div>I've been taking a low dose for two years now. The best advice I can give you is take it at night before you go to bed. I started off taking it in the morning and I felt kind of zombie-ish during the day because of it. After I started taking it at night, I guess I slept through the worst part and felt more even during the day time. </div></div></span>

T1+T2 · September 2010

Oh, I know these things are definitely personal trial and error - but sometimes you get a few mentions. PP's have all mentioned food, so taking it with food is on my list now. My stomach is usually very strong, but when it gets screwed up, its very baaaad.

And thanks Fishy (may I call you Fishy?). I got sick of trying to power through waking up feeling like I was losing my mind. ::shrugs:: I just hope I can do what I need to do in as little time as possible. I'm a major believer in seeking help and taking medication when necessary but for some reason, it feels a bit different when its for YOU, ya know?

Bubbalub · September 2010

My sister started on Lexapro this last year and she swears she will never go back and it worked like a miracle for her. Anxiety issues run in my family and we are all medicated at this point.

She takes it at night because it made her drowsy at first. She also struggled with it the first two weeks because 1) it took a while to REALLY start working and 2) the initial side effects were bad for her. But she stuck with it, the side effects went away and now she feels great and loves it.

Good luck to you. Many of us here know how big a decision it is to take charge of your own health and life. Good for you for having the courage to do it!

T1+T2 · September 2010

Thanks for the advice girls! My doc's plan is actually to medicate me for a bit, work on some cognitive skills to get through the attacks and then try to wean me off the meds. But we shall see how that goes. As long as I don't have to feel like my heart is about to jump out my throat - I'm game.

Oh and Salt - please to be sending me some of that gorgeous blue water behind you in your pic, k? TYIA!

crfische · September 2010

Of course you can call me Fishy. Good luck! I hope it does the trick for you! But if it doesn't, remember there's other stuff you can try!

salt78 · September 2010

I wish I could! I wish I could have some of that gorgeous blue water for ME right now.

saschaduran · September 2010

I love my Lexapro. It helped my anxiety tremendously and I do not obsess over negative things like I used to. I did have the grogginess during the day so I started taking it at night. It never bothered my stomach but it won't hurt to take it with something small in the beginning.

Birdie1483 · September 2010

It worked well for me, but I noticed it started not working as well and I didn't want to up my dose, so I stopped taking it and decided to try to handle the anxiety on my own. I can't remember if I took it in the morning or night, but I did one for a specific reason. You'll have to wait and see how it affects you.

I will say, watch your weight closely for changes if you're afraid to gain weight. I didn't pay attention and was used to wearing sweatshirts, big sweaters, etc because it was winter and the next thing I knew I had gained 20lbs. This was over a 6 month period. Looking back I would have kept an eye on it and started taking preventive measures (watching what I ate/drank more closely, exercising more) to try to prevent the weight gain.

T1+T2 · September 2010

Awesome everyone - thanks for not telling any horror stories and scaring the crap out of me! ;o)

mkrupar · September 2010

My doctor prescribed Lexapro for my anxiety, and it actually increased the symptoms. Strange I know, but if you read the side affects, one of them is anxiety. I basically saw a counselor and we worked on cognitive skills. I can handle my anxiety on my own now, but always have Klonopin (sp?) on hand if it ever gets really bad (haven't had to take it in over a year, sadly, my prescriptions tend to expire before I use them all).

The best thing that helped me was a relaxation technique tensing and relaxing various muscles, and a Yoga for Stress Relief DVD. If ever I feel like my anxiety may be getting the better of me, I jump to one of those things to try and control it before an attack ensues.

LauraT25 · September 2010

I ditto the other girls about taking it at night because of sleepiness, and having to eat something with it. Usually just a couple of crackers was enough, but if I didn't eat something I got sick.

Not everyone has the increase in appetite, but I definitely did. I had to start keeping a food journal because I was always hungry, and I had always been of the 'if you're hungry, eat something' mentality. I gained 35 lbs when I was on it for 6 months.

2dBride · September 2010

Ok, the closest I will come to a horror story is that you should never stop any of the SSRIs (Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro) cold turkey, because you can get serious rebound effects. If and when you want to stop taking it, work with your doctor to get a gradual tapering off plan. These drugs are not addictive, but a sudden discontinuance is Not A Good Thing.

jess9802 · September 2010

I was prescribed Lexapro in May 2008 and took it for about 11 mos. I don't remember whether I took it in the morning or evening or with food. The drowsiness I experienced the first couple of weeks didn't last, and neither did the nausea. I didn't gain any weight that I can't attribute to bad eating habits and not exercising enough. It took a couple of weeks before I began to feel better--one day I realized I didn't have an endless loop of negative thoughts running through my head anymore, I began to feel more social and up for putting myself out there socially and professionally.

One major side effect was a decline in libido and inorgasmia. I met my now-FI while taking it, and I was not able to have an orgasm with him until about three or four days after I went totally off the medication. The other side effect which I suspect is linked to Lexapro but for which I have no proof is hair loss - I developed a bald spot along my hairline on the top part of my forehead, and it didn't start growing back until about six months after I stopped taking Lexapro.

Despite the side effects, taking the medication (and starting therapy a few months later) is one of the best things I've ever done for myself.

DrPB2b13 · September 2010

I never took Lexapro, but I did take its sister drug, Celexa, for a while, for both anxiety and depression. One of the major things I experienced, and something you will definitely want to watch out for, is that I would get increasingly better but hit a plateau and "stall out" in my recovery. I would get a little better with each dosage increase, but after 3-4 months I'd plateau again, and I've been told it's not uncommon with either drug. I do deal with chronic depression coupled with anxiety, though, so after a while I did switch meds.

Good for you for seeking help; I know it's a tough thing to do. Good luck in your recovery!

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