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View Full Version : Cipralex success stories please!



BexieB
17-08-08, 12:58
On day 20 on this med 10mg. Very bad side effects, panic attacks, which I didn't have before. Some progress but very slow. I would really appreciate any postitive experiences on this med. Thanks a million

bab
17-08-08, 13:34
Ditto everything Robot has said!

BexieB
17-08-08, 14:14
how long u been on the meds bab?

bab
17-08-08, 17:43
I think about 6 weeks on 10mg - how u feeling

BexieB
17-08-08, 17:52
very up and down. but i think the general trend is upward. how u?

bab
17-08-08, 20:14
To be honest - I couldnt tell you how im feeling. I feel wierd... I feel like ive got no energy but on the other hand i have loads of adrenalin going through my body. I have been on citalopram and its supposed to be similar but i feel different on this - its hard weighing up pros and cons - i feel less anxious but side effects!! what side effects do you get?

BexieB
17-08-08, 20:36
No appetite, I've lost a stone in the past 3 weeks! Panic attacks, which I didn't have prior to meds. Sweating at night. On the plus side my general anx has reduced, but I must start eating properly. How did u find the cipralem tha last time? Why did u change to lex?

bab
18-08-08, 08:37
I think they stopped working for me - had been on them about 5 yrs - prior to that was on seroxat which was great.. i wish they had that effect on me! anxiety also reduced - lets keep each other posted... im just not sure about these - what do you think?

bab
18-08-08, 08:37
forgot to say - also sweating terribly - lo vely!

BexieB
18-08-08, 12:05
I also thought seroxat was great, I know it would have worked by now. I realise there has been a lot of bad press about seroxat but wish I was on it now, it worked so well for me. Is it still prescribed? Maybe these meds are just more subtle then seroxat. With seroxat I just woke up one morning and all was better. It took about two weeks, but when it worked it seemed to resolve everything at once.

I keep looking for small changes in my mood and behavior. I'm definitely sleeping better. Last night I only woke up once. Mornings are improving, they were horrible. And I'm not running to the doctor every other day.

Have you noticed any small changes like these, I find it helps.

Going back to work tomorrow, but because of the meds I can't do my usual job, so it's office work for me, which I don't have a clue about.

Feeling pretty perky this morning, how are u?

bab
18-08-08, 13:18
I find that differnet shrinks/docs have their prefernces on meds... i go to priory to see psych there who I am not sure about - she said seroxat not clean drug so doesnt prescribe it anymore.. in some way I think my problems started after coming off seroxat but it was amazing when i was on it. I came off that as I wanted to be off med sthen about 3 months later started having major health anxiety so was put on citalopram - was ok kept me on even keel but not as helpful as seroxat.. i then came off citalopram as stopped doing anything - i was put on prozac - did not like that was no good for panic for me so she try me on this.. my thing is major health anxiety... on this i feel like im on drugs basically.. got no energy but feel bit hyper of that makes sense. dont like driving as dont feel i have wits about me and i feel quite unsociable (although not really party animal anyway)
im doing more things like going out more (only with husband) but dont feel can do things on my own

as good as it gets????

BexieB
18-08-08, 14:02
Health anxiety must be terrible, you poor thing. This seroxat thing is such a shame, I mean it's still a licenced drug. It really does depend on the individual, and if your prior experience with serox was good then that surely should be taken into account. In fact I had all off those horrific side effects that serox is famed for on lex, not on serox.

I haven't pushed my doc on the serox issue, I think it's a bit early. But I would like to think the option was there If this doesn't work. How cruel would it be to withhold a med that has a good chance of working because of a media frenzy.

I do know that ADs are slow working though, focus on any small improvement.

bab
18-08-08, 14:08
thanks robot - can I ask what kind of panic do you suffer

BexieB
18-08-08, 14:33
Only had generalised axniety prior to meds, couldn't switch my mind off about actual life events/problems. Just kept churning them over and over, searching for solutions that would only come with time. Because my eating and sleeping was seriously disturbed and my physical functioning was plummeting, I took the decision to go on meds. This was a very big decision as my profession does not allow the use of ADs while working. I had to tell my employer.

It was only after taking lex that the panic attacks started. They are quite typical panics in that my biggest fear is the fear itself and the fear of not recovering. They make the world seem hopeless, joyless. I really hate this feeling because I'm such an optimistic person when I'm not sick.

Sometimes I just get the physical panic symptoms with none of the negative thoughts, which is very odd. It was definitely the meds that pushed me in this direction so I really hope it will settle down. The general anx has diminished greatly, but is this the price you have to pay?

Donny
30-08-08, 17:40
I started of on Citalopram but it did not have that great an effect on me. My Doc and I messed about with different doses but it never quite got to grips with the general underlying anxiousness and it never got rid of the Full-Blown attacks.

Ecitalopram on the other hand has been an absoloute God send. It did increase the anxiety initially but all anti-depressents do to begin with. It took about 12 weeks to have a full effect but once It had, it reduced the full-blown attacks to zero with only very minor attacks still happening every now and then. But when you consider I was having three to four attacks a day I feel almost cured.

I would continue trying them for a while longer. But please remember there are quite a few meds out there to try and only one might be right for you.

Don't get down-hearted. It has taken me three years to get to where I am now. I am about to spend ten days in the highlands of Scotland on my own in a tent miles and miles and miles away from any help.

Sure, I'll have my pills with me but so what? People take pills every day sometimes to stay alive. If I have to take 10mg of Ecitalopram every day for the rest of my life then I will happily do so.

Any questions or advice needed? Just ask. I will always answer.

BexieB
30-08-08, 20:40
Hi donny

Thanks for your reply, things are definitely improving on the cipralex, it's just very gradual and subtle. I'm 5 weeks in now. It's good to know you're normality was around the 12 week mark. I keep thinking, if this is the full theraputic effect then i need a change of dosage/med, bit i think i'm just trying to rush things.

My main problem is i can't do my job while on these meds and am confined to office duties, so i feel under pressure to improve and come off the meds, which doesn't help the situation.

Anyway thanks again for your reply, it's great to hear you're doing so well.

mallen
07-09-08, 13:40
On day 20 on this med 10mg. Very bad side effects, panic attacks, which I didn't have before. Some progress but very slow. I would really appreciate any postitive experiences on this med. Thanks a million
Hi Robot 1
I am too experiencing more panic since taking escitalopram and want some positive feedback. What I don't get is that if they're for anxiety why do they make you feel more panicky? I very rarley got panic attacks but feel at the moment I am constantly trying to calm myself down.Have you had any positive feedback yet as saw you were on day 20 and I am only on day 3 which has scared me more now as hoped this panicky feeling would go away after a couple of weeks?
Thanks
Marie
x

mallen
07-09-08, 13:50
Hi Donny
Just read your message and it has given me some hope.I have only been on escitalopram for three days now and am feeling more panicky and nervous than ever.I want to carry on taking them but only if this feeling goes away as this is the reason I went on them in the first place.I too tried citalopram and the side effects were too much for me to continue.I was spaced out al day and soooo tired.Feeling abit better on escitalopram but my nervous feelings are increasing every day since starting the meds.Please tell me this won't last so I know theres some hope?P.s you're very brave tenting it on your own. You must be feeling good to feel you can do that.Welldone!!
Thanks
Marie
x

BexieB
07-09-08, 20:33
Hi Mallen

Stick with it, I'm sure things will improve. I'm 5 weeks in now, was raised to 15mg a week ago. Things are much better, very few bad spots during the day. First few weeks were very bad, but you just have to ride it out, try not to bale out too early. I know it's hard but you've got to give the meds a chance to work. It has been a very gradual process for me, the change in dosage really helped. Keep in touch with your doc.

Best of luck :winks:

bab
07-09-08, 20:55
I can def see an improvement in me on these! (youch wood)

canada604
19-11-08, 02:38
I've been on Cipralex for 10 weeks and I've noticed a big improvement. The first 3 weeks I had a lot of side effects, including a strong nervous energy type anxiety which was different from my previous panic attacks.

I found that 0.5mg of Clonazepam daily during the first month helped a lot. Then I moved down to 0.25mg daily of clonazepam for the last 6 weeks and I feel great.

Currently on 10mg of cipralex daily and 0.25mg of Clonazepam as needed with almost 0 symptoms of panic.

Life without panic disorder..wow..who would've thought it was possible.

The only things I don't like about this drug is that it costs so much and tends to reduce my sex drive. Maybe I was a little oversexed before anyways.

Cheers!

BexieB
20-11-08, 22:17
Well done canada

I'm 3 months on Lexapro now 20mg and am much, much better:yesyes:

Glad it's working for you too.