View Full Version : Lexapro for severe anxiety?
I have GAD and am currently struggling with severe health anxiety. Any depression is secondary to this overwhelming anxiety. Is Lexapro suitable? I've tried several SSRIs in the past, can't remember which except for Paxil, and had no luck with them. Desperate at this point, so am going to try again.
Heck yeah, Mel!
Come over to the dark side with us Lexapro users... We have cookies... ;)
Good stuff that Lexapro :yesyes:
I am heading your way in a few months so may I come and have a cookie.:winks:
Heck yeah, Mel!
Come over to the dark side with us Lexapro users... We have cookies... ;)
If the cookies are laced with horse tranquilizers, I'm in.
Seriously, tho, does Lexapro help with that incessant ruminating kind of anxiety that won't let up?
---------- Post added at 19:58 ---------- Previous post was at 19:58 ----------
Good stuff that Lexapro :yesyes:
I am heading your way in a few months so may I come and have a cookie.:winks:
I'm from Oz :yesyes:
I can only speak for myself Mel,they work for me along with the occasional benzo when I need it.
I have been on several but Lexapro seems to agree with my head.:D
Maybe you should come back to your Island Home and come and visit me and Phill,we will help you on the road to recovery.:hugs:
Yes, I will still have the bad thought, but I don’t dwell on it. For the super bad days, I take a Xanax. I use about one a month, usually during PMS or visits from my MIL.
I was on 10 mg of Lexapro for the first 6 mos, then went up to 15 a day, and I’ve been on that for 3 years.
If you have start up issues, take 5 mg for a week before going to 10 mg, which is the smallest effective dose.
Thanks! Now I have to leave the house to find a doctor ...
Get some new shoes while you’re at it...that always makes me feel better.
My husband already calls me Imelda ...
Lol good, then you’re on the right track...
Seriously though, after losing my friend, I had a really hard time feeling safe outside my home for awhile. I took up gardening, and that really helped me get outside and get me out of the house.
That's what I plan to do this spring! Gardening, and lots of it
:) me too! I have so many things I want to do. I want to get something to cover my back fence. I saw these DIY hanging baskets I want to try making and filling with succulents. Then hang them over. Also my neighbor gave me some white pots, so I want to paint some cool designs on them.
Sounds fun! I love painting terracotta pots
Something I've noticed with my HA. I don't allow myself to enjoy things. I tell myself I can't because of whatever symptom is front of mind. Right now, I'm like, what's the point of painting, when I have this big visual disturbance. Also, reading :(
It's really self-defeating and makes me miserable to think like this
---------- Post added at 21:42 ---------- Previous post was at 21:26 ----------
What I mean is, I find it impossible to compartmentalise the symptom. It bleeds over into everything in my life. So a minor hassle with a bank transaction becomes a horrible stress because of the symptom overlaying it. It's the same for the good things too. I can't enjoy them because of the symptom. ugh. I hope meds can help with that part at least
We all have been there. I used to spend my spare time texting each of my loved ones, asking for their whereabouts, essentially stalking them, because I was afraid if I didn’t worry and keep tabs on them something bad would happen to them. Talk about magical thinking.
---------- Post added at 22:49 ---------- Previous post was at 22:45 ----------
The meds help a lot. They cause you not to dwell on the thoughts...but for me, therapy helped fill in the gaps. Once the meds stopped the spiral of thoughts, I had to put my mind on other things. I had to also deal with the real emotions from the trauma. It takes a lot of processing to learn which thoughts and emotions are productive and which ones are not. That’s why I needed therapy.
Makes sense, thank you :)
I think I need to triage this. First step needs to be getting a handle on anxiety, because it's crippling and horrible and I can't live like this much longer. I think that's where the meds come in. Once I normalise somewhat, start eating again etc, then I can look into therapy. Scant options here, though, so I may have to DIY it with books.
That sounds like a good plan :). A lot of therapy is DIY anyway, the hard work part of it anyway, but it does help to have someone holding you accountable. Otherwise we get lazy..it’s kinda like dieting; the people on tv always lose weight cause they have those personal trainers screaming down their throats lol. There are a lot of therapy groups online though...
It works for me also. And i have general anxiety mixed with health anxiety. I started taking it again about 2 months ago. But I also take ativan daily, hoping i will stop the ativan soon. Have faith, it will work.
Thanks, everyone. I feel more optimistic about trying an SSRI again
Ugh, I can't try an SSRI until I see a glaucoma specialist first. Back to square one
I have narrow angles. SSRIs dilate the pupil and are contraindicated if there's a chance your angles could be occluded. Can cause an acute closed-angle glaucoma attack, which is really bad news
The point it that at least now you're willing to try to get some help, whereas a few weeks ago, you were not.
True. My anxiety is still about my symptoms though. I wouldn't be this anxious without them.
Yeah, but after awhile the heightened anxiety just makes you have more symptoms. Some of us develop health issues we never would have had otherwise without anxiety.
How long does Lexapro take to kick in? It’s 20 days today. Mornings are the worst.
Give 1-2 months. It gets better each passing week.
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