Re: Is there ANY positive things to say about Cipralex??
Hey Dazo. I was given Escitalopram (= Cipralex) last year (about Aug?) as the GP reckoned I had depression on top of the stress I had semi-officially suffered for a long time. I also had a CBT course. In that time frame I self-diagnosed my GAD (and looking back I would have got 20/21 on NHS's "have you got GAD?" Test). So the GP had made a good choice as Esc' claims effectiveness against GAD whereas only the NHS claims it for many SSRIs.
So anyway I had longterm GAD (exhibited as stress in public) which had become stronger and generated some phobias too. I then has a lot of sadness about my aging parents in the middle of the year which dumped depression over the top.
The Esc' completely removed the depression - given time - and I was sos blocked that I did not even feel much emotion when my Father died in November. So very effective against the depression. The anxiety only fell to about 17/21 on NHS GAD test (at best), and I spent a lot of the time on the maximum dose of 20mg daily.
My guess is that Esc is very effective on the depression - and anecdotes on the web imply that its more effective and has less side effects than Citalopram (its much cheaper cousin). Against the anxiety I think it may do best if you have light to medium GAD whereas I had and retained severe GAD.
I am currently experimenting with Buspirone for the anxiety - it is not an anti-depresant nor an SSRI. I have a post in the forum "alternatives to escitalopram" which asked and summarised about alternatives to Esc' as my PCT wanted the GP to stop prescribing it!
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Kevin, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK
Probably GAD & Phobias. Anxiety and renewed Depression medicated (Venlafaxine). Trying to improve.