Has Anyone Taken Lexapro?? What Is It Like??

Hi K.:
I was much like you too much stress same physical symptoms and family problems too! My doctor recommended Lexapro 10mg one time per day. It has really helped me. It takes a while for it to build up and start working when you first start taking it but things are much better for me know. I can cope much better now.

I was on Lexapro for about 1year and it made me worse. I know everyone is different. Also like most meds no sex drive LOL.

Hi!
I had started getting anxiety attacks and was really stressed out from kids, school, and my job and was really depressed and moody. I started taking paxil (I think I spelled it right) and it made me feel 100 times worse so the doctor switched me to Lexapro. I have had no side effects and no anxiety attacks. I am not depressed and no more crazy mood swings. I really like Lexapro. It has really helpe me.

I have no experience with this drug but I would suggest in addition to try Progressive Muscle Relaxation. These are exercises that you can do daily to relieve stress and anxiety. Also, once you have done the exercises for a while you can train your body to respond to certain key words, like 'relax' or 'calm down' and you will have the same feeling of calmness to these words that you have completing the exercises. Good luck!

Hello. I have had a huge amount of stress the past 7 years due to a special needs daughter and seems like everything else going wrong too. My body has also responded negatively to this. I found that the Chiropractor Dr. Brett Blitzstein (he does a non-cracking method which helps the nervous system) type of chiropractic, more similar to massage, has really helped most of my body. He accepts whatever payment you afford, just drop it into a box, no questions asked. He just really wants to help. He is located in Powell phone #6614-###-###-####, if you get the machine, leave a message, that is how he can afford to not charge patients a set fee, he answers the phone. He is Wonderful! Also, I recommend trying natural drugs, they have no side effects, what works for me is "Rescue Remedy" it works immediately when you are extra stressed, it even stopped my panic attack. On a day to day basis I recommend "Calm Thoughts." Both of these can be found in most Health Food Stores. Good Luck!

Hi I'm new to mamasource but I thought I could offer some advice to you. I was on a similar medication and everyone is different and expeirence different symtoms. The biggest symptom for me was drowsiness I slept a lot. Also I was calmer so I guess it worked but a lot of little things got on my nerves. And I also went to the counseling too and I still go I think it helps tremendously to talk to someone outside of your friends and family.I also wanted to tell you good luck and I hope everything gets better for you.

I understand your situation. I think the Lexapro is a good SHORT TERM solution. You need to heal, but you also need a long term plan for health. Start the Lexapro with an understanding that it is going to be a gradual step down program for tapering off of it. Give yourself a specific amount of time. "I will take it for 8 weeks - tapering off so at the end of 8 weeks I will not need it anymore." Or whatever your Dr. suggests.
You need a coping mecanism for the stress - and one that doesn't have medicated physical side effects. Look into Yoga, Meditation or relaxation massage. Prayer can be very powerful, too. None of those have detrimental side effects!

Good luck and take care of yourself!
-S.

Dear K.,

I personally have not taken Lexapro, but a friend of mine was perscribed it shortly after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She too was experiencing a lot of stress. She did not feel like the Lexapro really did anything to help and she too was on the same dosage. I have been diagnosed with Bipolar and have taken several diffrent types and combiniations of psychotropic drugs depending on my symptoms. Probably the best drug I have been on and have taken for several years is Welbutrin (think I spelled it right). It can help level out your moods and it helps with depression, I also find that I am less irritable when on it. They now have a form that is an extended release. I feel like my moods are more stable throughout the day with the extended release (Welbutrin XL) and you only take it once a day. I would recomend maybe talking to the your therapist before taking anything. It has been my experience that general practioners are quick to perscribe meds and a therapist can usually offer various options including exercise, meditation, and meds to name a few. Your therapist may also recomend a psychiatrist, which I found they are more qualified to perscribe meds for mental health issues. The good news is if you do need meds to help you through this time in your life it does not mean you will need them forever. Good luck and be strong. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions, I know how hard it is to be faced with the meds or no meds debate. I hope this helped.

Take Care,
J.

Hello K.,
I have taken Lexapro and I loved it. It isnt one of those "fake happiness" pills it makes your brain work more naturally so that its not a false feeling. It worked great for me...it does take it about a week to kick into full affect, but it really does help you feel less stress/anxiety. Don't worry you will still have emotions and while I was taking it I don't recall any side effects I had. Well good luck with everything let me kno whow it goes.

First off - don't beat yourself up over this - it's soo common it's scary. Today 1 in 4 Americans are on some sort of Anti-Depressant - either for the long haul or temp basis - and most are women. I was on Paxil for about 4 years and loved the results - but I gained close to 40 pound!! I was switched to Lexapro and Wellbutrin together - it's a great combination. I feel like me - not numb at all. It will take a few weeks to notice any difference - either positive or negative - so give it time. If after a while you feel funny or numb or out of sorts - see your doctor again - you might need the dosage changed or even take it at adifferent time of day will help. You should NEVER feel numb as you say or like a zombie when on anti-depressants - if you do see your doctor ASAP - the dosage or medication is wrong. Anti-Depressants should make you feel like "you" if that makes any sense - - the you before all the stress and problems - not weepy, or sad or confused or anything like that.
Sorry so long - but I'm very passionate about this - i did a lot of research when I was diagnosed w/ Clinical Depression - I felt the need to defend myself and educate myself because I had the same fears as you. But remember there is NO NEED. ____@____.com

yes i have been taking lexapro for about 2yrs now. the side effects for me were small, i really didn't notice them. i don't feel numb. it just helps me "deal" with daily streses. hope this helps. good luck. any other questions, feel free to ask me.

I've been taking it for a few months and have found it to be very helpful. I don't think it works for everyone, but it definitely has for me. I haven't experienced any bad side effects, other than headaches if I drink too much alcohol (which you're not supposed to do when taking it, but ...) So I would say give it a try and see how it works for you. Good luck!

I have taken Lexapro in the past and I am considering going on it again. I did not have any side effects and I really did like not snapping at my family. Work was stressful, having a child, college and marriage was just about all I could handle. The only thing I want to say is don't skip days. It is so hard to get back on track. Good luck to you.

Hi! Well, since your Lexapro question was answered, I'll keep it short and sweet. My best friend, whom I lived with for 3 of my 4 college years was on Lexapro, and it was a godsend, for both her and me. She never felt "numb" and did not have sexual side effects. 10 mg is a very low dose. It should help balance you out.

I also had irratable bowel syndrome all my 4 years of college; the most stressful time in my life! I found that certain foods triggered it. It was the worst stomach pain in the world; I ended up in the ER many times because of it. The pain let up when I changed my diet. I was told to keep a food diary to help find the triggers. It helped manage it. I hope all goes well. I wish you the best of luck.

After I had my second child about 7 years ago, I had horrible post partum depression. I didnt realize it until about the time when he was 12 weeks old. My doctor prescribed lexapro and it did help. It took about a week to kick in and I felt great after that. The only thing I didnt like about it, is I had one of the side effects which was it effected my sex drive (and I was newly married). It also made it more difficult to enjoy sex. However, the pros(the way I felt on it) definitely out weighed the cons.

I have taken it. I was taking 20mg a day and it really didn't not help me or at least i didn't seem to think i was. Between a up and down relationship a idiot manager at work and raising my two boys basicly on my own....stress was a whole lot more than i could handle. they could have probably given me 100mg and i would have still be depressed and having anxiety attacks. Which is what lexapro is for.

I can't say I've taken Lexapro, but my husband has been on it a while now. He says it makes him feel more on an even level. Other meds he was on made him feel numb (Zoloft, Welbutrin)and he wouldn't feel anything and kind of went through every day kind of like a zombie. On Lexapro, he says he feels like he can be sad if it's appropriate, happy, excited, whatever - but on a "normal" level and no longer so extreme. Now, I have been on Zoloft and it does the same for me that Lexapro does for my husband. I truly believe it's all about body chemistry and nobody can provide you with a textbook answer, unfortunately. Remember a few very important things - meds take at least a week (usually more like 2) to really get into your system and start helping. If you have mild headaches, attempt to work through them for those 2 weeks and they may very well stop. It's your brain's way of getting used to new chemicals in your body. I had horrible headaches while on Welbutrin, so that's when they put me on Zoloft - and it worked just fine! Secondly, remember that taking medication and/or seeking counseling is not a sign of weakness or craziness (in the literal sense). It just means there is a chemical inbalance and you need some meds to even it out and/or someone to talk to that is an impartial party to the problems you are going through! Plus, counselors are trained to teach you how to better deal with everyday stressors and those "over the top" ones too. I wish you the best of luck!!! Remember, you are definately NOT alone! I do hope everything works out for you and your family!

Boy K. - I could have written your question....:)

I took 10 mg Lexapro about 3 years ago - I was proably on it for about 18 months when I was going thru a stressful time and I was having anxiety attacks and just felt so out of whack all the time. I too suffered from IBS (and still periodically do). I think that's something that always seems to come a long with stress.

At any rate, it took about 7 - 10 days to "kick in" and it really helped me "even" out. I still felt normal emotion, but it eliminated the huge swings or really bizarre "over-reactions" to situations. I had virtually no side-effects, may be I was a bit sleepier but that went away pretty quickly and I did sleep much better, definitely sounder. I had no sexual side effects and the going off of it was easy - I got pregnant with our 4th and my ob decided it was best I come off. That whole process took about 2 weeks. My baby is now 14 months and I'm feeling good. I've not had any anxiety attacks in over 2 years and it definitely made a difference in how I was able to handle everything else in my life.

Hope that offers you something. Hang in there and kudos to you for staying strong and moving towards counselling.

I am taken Lexapro and I have had great success.. Not to many side effects. maybe a little jittery. I have also found that I have a bit more energy. Well to tell you the truth I cant sit still. I am not sure if that is the Lexapro or not I asked the Doc and she said that I should just use it.. So I do. Sleeping isnt and issue with Lexapro either..
I wish you luck in you indervers.
Remember to Take a Deep Breath and remember They DO LOVE you!!
J.

PS. I didnt realize this was an older entry..SORRY
I am glad to hear you are doing well!!

It sounds like you're on the right path to leveling out your life and stress. I went through a similar period of tremendous stress at work, home, and depression. I tried to manage how i was feeling myself for about a year before I was starting to crack. Too edgy at work, home, and well that crying thing kept coming up. I went to a cousling and they recommended Lexapro and Wellbutrin. I reluctantly gave in agreeing to try it for 6 weeks. I must admit it was a huge help. I took the wellbutrin during the day and Lexapro at night after the initial 2 weeks. I did not experience any negative side effects. I was afraid all sex drive would leave, but that wasn't a big part of our life at the time i was managing my stress anyway. It did just seem to take the edge off, bring me into "normal" so I could deal with situations more rationally. No obvious changes just a lighter feeling in general. I was on it for 8-10 months, counsling for 2 months. THen i didn't need it anymore. I had made other changes in my life too so the stress was less oppressive. I've been off both medications now for 9 months and still feel level or okay. I would recommend you try it. It definately helped me in my communications with others.

Hi there...after looking at the other responses, they have covered what I was going to say so I'll keep it short and sweet....what you are experiencing is so completely normal these days...take the Lexapro...10 mg really is a low dosage but very appropriate for what you've described. As you start it keep in mind that it takes up to 10 days to kick in so give it a chance. Good luck and take care.

Dear K.....

We all go through this at one point in our life so don't feel bad about yourself. I have manic depression and have had it since I was 13. I've had every drug you can think of. When I was about 20 I gave up on ALL drugs. When I had my first son, at 23, I had post partum depression and was given zoloft...that made me have no sex drive. Lexapro was next. It worked a little but still no sex drive. The best that I have been on with no problem in the sex is wellbutrin xl. I'm 27 with another kid...also with post partum depression again and I can't tell you how much better I feel and it also helped me stop smoking before I even got pregnant. So if you have any problems with lexapro....I strongly recommend wellbutrin xl. IT's the best. Hope it helps either way for you and good luck

Cher

I was on lexapro for about 9 months because of craziness in my life. It was very helpful while things were crazy, but as soon as things got better, I felt so unphased by anything, I knew I needed to stop taking the medicine. I tried to stop cold turkey, but had severe headaches; you have to stop taking it slowly. I'm sure when your ready your dr will explain how to decrease dosage. I hope things get better for you soon!

i would like to know about this as well!!

Wow alot of good advice here! Im goin to ask my Dr about it!!

Hi K.
I haven't taken Lexapro yet, but my daughter who is now 17, was on it for a short period of time, about 4-5 years ago. She went thru a period where she was doing some things and having a hard time dealing with disappointing me (even though I didn't know that she was "experimenting", she knew what she was doing would disappoint me). When I noticed her grades dropping, and her change in attitude, I knew something was up....unfortunately I had to hospitalize her for 4 days after the doctor put her on Zoloft...(which now it has been noted increases in teenagers suicidal ideations..which it did to her, hence the hospitalization)....anyway, the doctor at the hospital put her on the Lexapro, and in time I could see a big difference in her, a positive one. Her grades improved, her attitude improved, she was back to being 'my little girl' again. No, it didnt make her numb, and she was only on it a short time, because 1. when she realized that, yes, she had dissappointed me, but I also forgave her and encouraged her, explainging that it really was ok to tell me things...that yes, I may be angry, and yes she may get punished, but I will never stop loving her......
Also, my doctor has decided to put me on it as of Thursday. I suffered a work related injury in July, and since then my weight has slowly climbed...causing a cycle....I go to work, come home and sit on couch with my leg up...I get sad, frustrated and eat...my knee hurts so I don't exercise, therefore gaining more weight..I work at a hospital so he sees me frequently, and made the remark that I don't smile or laugh anymore....so we agreed to try the Lexapro.....
So I guess what I am saying is we can take it together and see what happens.....I think it will help both of us, and it isnt something that hopefully will have to be taken for the rest of our lives, because my daughter is off of it, and is making A's & B's in school, so if she can do it, we can!!!!!!!!!
Have a great day, and hope this helped
D.

p.s. after i sent this, i realized that you sent out you had already started it....sorry, I didnt realize this, I just joined today and saw the question and responded.......I am glad you are doing ok and good luck with the counseling

K.,

Depression and other mental illness runs in my family. My two daughters 22 and 17 have been on Lexapro with no problems. I think it's pretty safe. I am on Celexa, which is similar to Lexapro, but Lexapro is a newer, improved version of the same drug. I think it might be more time released or something.