Lexapro Experiences

Lexapro Experiences (Full Version)

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littlewonder -> Lexapro Experiences (2/10/2009 5:54:58 PM)
Has anyone here taken lexapro for depression? What have been your experiences with it? Did it work for you? If so how long till you started to feel better? Did you have side effects from it? My daughter has been taking 10 mg for a week now and I'm very concerned. She's been extremely tired, finding it hard to stay awake for long at all, she has dark circles under her eyes, she's been sick to her stomach, has lost 5 lbs already and she's already skinny to be begin with and can't afford to lose anymore weight, and she seems like a walking zombie most of the time. Will the meds eventually taper off and her body adjust to them? She sees the doc next week to see how she's going on them but until then I'm just a little worried about her health. I'm starting to feel right now that maybe her walking around in a depressed and angry mood everyday was better.... Any help anyone can give me I'd appreciate it.

aravain -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/10/2009 9:12:41 PM)
hrm, most anti-depressants... well, stimulate, make it hard to sleep, that sort of thing. Lemme double check (I was on it for a grand total of a day, so I don't really know how it affected me)

Maya2001 -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/10/2009 9:19:46 PM)
http://depression.emedtv.com/lexapro/lexapro-side-effects.html

DomMeinCT -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/10/2009 9:21:05 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: littlewonder Has anyone here taken lexapro for depression? What have been your experiences with it? Did it work for you? If so how long till you started to feel better? Did you have side effects from it? My daughter has been taking 10 mg for a week now and I'm very concerned. She's been extremely tired, finding it hard to stay awake for long at all, she has dark circles under her eyes, she's been sick to her stomach, has lost 5 lbs already and she's already skinny to be begin with and can't afford to lose anymore weight, and she seems like a walking zombie most of the time. Will the meds eventually taper off and her body adjust to them? She sees the doc next week to see how she's going on them but until then I'm just a little worried about her health. I'm starting to feel right now that maybe her walking around in a depressed and angry mood everyday was better.... Any help anyone can give me I'd appreciate it. There are quite a few websites where people can rate share their experiences, such as this one: http://www.drugratingz.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=78 (Try googling "prescription drug ratings" for more sites.)

aravain -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/10/2009 9:22:07 PM)
Yeah, looking into it I would think/expect that it's not working correctly (EDIT: By this I mean: It's causing more harm than good). It might be worth getting her in to see the doctor earlier if possible, especially since she's experiencing this much dramatic change in a week of being on it, though on its website it DOES warn of acute somnolence (basically feeling like you're about to fall asleep) in addition to drowsiness, nausia, etc. If it's causing a dramatic change (and I'd say 5 lbs if she was already light would be so) and it's adversely affecting her, calling and asking to talk to a nurse, at least, couldn't hurt. Explain that she's worried about some of the side effects that she's experiencing, and they're causing actual problems. I can say that the drowsiness and such will likely go away, eventually, but it may take a while. I remember when I was on seroquel (a completely different medication, though it's also used at a non-therapeutic dose as a sleep aid, to give you an idea) it was absolutely horrible for the first three weeks. I could hardly stay awake (and once fell in the shower because I fell asleep standing up)! It did start fading after my body adjusted to the med. The doc may think about prescribing a stimulant for her, too, while she gets used to the meds... it all depends. Good luck :(

Vendaval -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/10/2009 9:25:31 PM)
Another consideration is whether she is going through the hormonal changes of adolesence. Is she taking any other medication? Talking with her doctor/psychiatrist would be the best place for answers.

Maya2001 -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/10/2009 9:27:13 PM)
noted this on the site I linked to quote: Lexapro Side Effects to Report There are a number of less common but more serious side effects of Lexapro that you should report to your healthcare provider. These include but are not limited to: Suicidal thoughts or behavior (see Lexapro and Suicide) Anxiety, agitation, or panic attacks Hostility or aggressiveness Engaging in unusual or dangerous activities Restlessness or an inability to sit still Extreme elation, or a feeling of happiness that may switch back and forth with a depressed or sad mood Other unusual changes in behavior Hallucinations A fast heart rate Chest palpitations Difficulty sleeping Signs of an allergic reaction, including unexplained rash, hives, itching, unexplained swelling, wheezing, or difficulty breathing or swallowing.

FelineFae -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/10/2009 10:02:56 PM)
~fr~ well, it was given to me to treat PTSD. the first week on it i was ill at my stomach. then that went away. it seemed to work for a while, i was even sleeping better, now several months later, it doesn't seem to be helping any more. hope this can help a little, but what is her age? that can be a big factor- feline

MistressRoxie -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/10/2009 11:26:29 PM)
I don't think I lasted on Lexapro more than a week because of those same symptoms. However, I will tell you that I was recently put on a similar anti-depressant and found that taking it at night helped with the sleepiness and the nausea a little bit. Also, I had to eat small snacks that were high in protein, which really seemed to help stave off the nausea until my body adjusted to the meds. For me, it took more like two weeks. However, with that all said, call her doctor about it. They may tell her to wait it out another week, but they may also decide that it's severe enough to try her on something else.

AnthaFW -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/11/2009 1:48:37 AM)
Greetings littlewonder, I have sent you an email on CM Be well Antha

sambamanslilgirl -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/11/2009 4:10:05 AM)
my oldest is taking that now - and i'm noticing the opposite reaction than yours. mine is alert, not sleepy and doesn't have the foot tapping like zoloft caused her to do. she does take a prescribed sleeping pill to help her sleep but at least she's more chippper than before. Daddy has experienced with patients on this and other anti-depressant meds. note me on the other side and i'll give contact info if you want to talk to Him.

littlewonder -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/11/2009 4:57:39 PM)
Thanks for all the references and help you have all given..btw, she's 17. She has another appt with her dr tomorrow evening and hopefully we can straighten this all out.

aravain -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/11/2009 5:37:18 PM)
~FR~ Ouch! At 17 I would definitely be wary! You did the right thing in calling the doctor! Let us know if everything's ok.

lovingpet -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/11/2009 6:37:35 PM)
Children, teens, and folks in their early 20's can really react differently than adults (in this case 25 and up approximately) to antidepressants. Be careful. I used it for two weeks and had absolutely no response good or bad at all. My issues are short lived as I am trying to get through all the testing and procedures to fix the underlying problem(s), so I just am waiting it out rather than wasting money on drug after drug. In my case, it was likely that my condition(s) interfered and would interfere with the action of these kinds of medicines. There are different families of antidepressants and it may be that a different family of them will work better than this type of drug. They work in the body differently and, therefore, have different levels of relief of various depression symptoms and different side effects as well. Sometimes this becomes about finding the one that does the most with side effects that are tolerable. A few will find a drug that is perfect for them, but usually there is a bit of a compromise. Good luck and I hope she and you are feeling better soon! lovingpet <<edited because proofreading bores me....

DesFIP -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (2/11/2009 7:03:39 PM)
I haven't had lexapro but zoloft gave me nausea. As a result the doctor had me get a pill splitter and take half the lowest dose for two weeks, then a full for two weeks, and slowly ramped me up. If her depression symptoms have lifted, then it is worthwhile doing this kind of very slow increase. If she isn't feeling any better, then he may want to switch meds. But have her call in and talk to the nurse, no reason to suffer like this till the next appointment if cutting the pills in half could be advised over the phone.

akirauke -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (10/21/2009 8:28:39 AM)
I am currently taking 15mg of Lexapro. When I started on 10mg I was very tired and sleepy and slept alot, taking naps twice a day for 4 hours at a time. I took 10mg for a year before being bumped up after a few months (4-6)I stopped taking naps. Giving her a nice cup of tea an hour after the tablet taking helped me. Don't worry about her sleeping patterns, its just her body getting used to anti-depressants. I once slept for 36 hours, and that was when I began taking 10mg, give it time and let the body do its work. Allow her to get used to it. Do watch out for her wearing long sleeves, long gloves, jeans ect 24/7 as coming down from the anti-depressant high when you start may lead to self-harm... If she is self-harming... talk to her, slowly ween her off it. encourage her to talk to you The worse thing you can do with self harm is taking the impliment away from her. Just give her dis-infectant wipes so she can clean it. Give her time, time is the best healer. I hope my experiance has helped you. Best wishes

TwistedHeart74 -> RE: Lexapro Experiences (10/21/2009 9:22:45 AM)
I took Lexapro for 6 months. I went through a special sort of hell on that pill. Coming off of it was worse. Don't walk..RUN to your dr., tell him everything. My symptoms got steadily worse over that period, until I ended up curled into a ball on the bedroom floor holding my exhusbands glock trying to think of why I SHOULDN'T pull the trigger. Granted, not everyone will have that reaction, but I did. Go with your gut, if you're concerned, I'd see if they could change her meds.

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