Lexapro is a Godsend

[milly]

I have been taking Lexapro 10mg now for six weeks and cannot believe what a positive difference it has made to my life. It has literally given me back my life. I can do things again without thinking about them - like go to the shops.
I have had anxiety on an off for years but only been on Valium and beta blockers longterm in the past and was terrified of SSRI's due too scare stories (and a bad experience with Lustral) but one day when I felt very bad panicI thought "maybe I need help, maybe two long years of being afraid of my own shadow has thrown things out of kilter and I need help to get back on track." A life changing day.
The only side effects I had to start with was increased sweating and mild nausea but they have gone. I have not put on any weight. I feel so much better. I was just about coping (but not enjoying life) with severe anxiety but just could not cope when I started to feel depressed about the anxiety.
I would say to anyone who hesitated like me to go for it. You are not failing and maybe its not always easy or possible to beat this stuff on your own. I am so glad I stuck with it, I have a real life again.

[icicledreamz]

I agree, its a lifesaverd for me as well.

[emetetc]

I agree too, its taken the edge off my anxiety and I feel positive most of the time. The only downside for me is feeling a bit heady or drowsy at times so I'm now trying to reduce the dosage very slowly. I was told to stay on them for at least 6-8 months after feeling better.

[Georg]

Hi milly, how are you feeling now? Does cipralex still work for you?

[milly]

Hi Georg,
Yes still feeling really good on it. It has made such a positive difference to me.

[Tovah]

I'm on 5 or 6 weeks of a very low dose and my depression is lifting but I still have my anxiety. I'm hoping the Lexapro works for that soon! Thank you for posting, it gives me hope! I think I am just on too low of a dose...

[om]

totally agree. it's been few months now since posted a message and think that it's evidence of how well lexapro is working for me. i was so anxious about starting to take it. i shouldn't have worried at all. it's made a huge positive difference to my life.

[MissBoo]

I have been on Lexpro since late August, 10 mg. How do you know if you should talk with your doctor about increasing your dosage?

A few weeks after going on it I felt better, calmer, but now the anxiety is slowly starting to kick in again.

Does increasing the meds help at all or is it now up to you and therapy?

[alicia828]

I have been taking Lexapro 10mg now for six weeks and cannot believe what a positive difference it has made to my life. It has literally given me back my life. I can do things again without thinking about them - like go to the shops.
I have had anxiety on an off for years but only been on Valium and beta blockers longterm in the past and was terrified of SSRI's due too scare stories (and a bad experience with Lustral) but one day when I felt very bad panicI thought "maybe I need help, maybe two long years of being afraid of my own shadow has thrown things out of kilter and I need help to get back on track." A life changing day.
The only side effects I had to start with was increased sweating and mild nausea but they have gone. I have not put on any weight. I feel so much better. I was just about coping (but not enjoying life) with severe anxiety but just could not cope when I started to feel depressed about the anxiety.
I would say to anyone who hesitated like me to go for it. You are not failing and maybe its not always easy or possible to beat this stuff on your own. I am so glad I stuck with it, I have a real life again.

Hi Millie,

I've been prescribed Lexapro 20 mg. for PTSD (I shake and twitch constantly), but I've been afraid to take it because I've heard so many scare stories about it.

I did take Paxil and it helped me a LOT, but I had to stop it due to uterine bleeding. I think the dose was just too high (40 mg.) and I was taking diclofenac (NSAID) at the same time.

My psychiatrist really likes Lexapro. He says it's a much "purer" drug than the other SSRIs, with far fewer side effects. I know I should give it a try. I would love to feel so much better, like you do.

I'm glad to read you have your life back.

Blessing to you.

Alicia

[milly]

Go for it Alicia, I have never looked back and feel great despite a very tough year. Best of luck to you.

[Bill122222]

I am 20 years old. I use lexapro for two monts i must say great anxiety and depression are gone. I found Lexapro (http://www.antidepressantscomparison.com) online on google i must say great medicine also for young people.

[ILMFVM]

Hi, I am new to sites like this. I am glad to be part of the community . I have always felt lesser than others. Just joined today in fact, but I am not new to anxiety and depression. I am 46 years of age, a professional engineer , on 20 mg Lexapro and sometimes 0.25 mg/day clonazepam now for about 6 months. I don't take clonazepam everyday though, so I would say, altogether a couple of weeks on clonaz. Recently, I have had to take on major job responsibilities as my Boss went on vacation and I am also new to this job. After about 2 weeks I began to feel depression and anxiety creeping in. I haven't slept much during this time and also possibly forgotten to take my meds on time and must have missed on some days. I am not quite sure as it has been very hectic. Now as I have recognized that depression and anxiety is creeping in I have started to adhere to my meds strictly again. This has been for about 3 days now. I was just wondering if anyone has had the same combination of meds as me and can stress cause trouble sometimes ?

[Jmac]

Hi ILMFVM (and fellow Canadian),

A resounding YES. Stress can absolutely cause what we refer to on NMP as "blips". I've been on Ciprelex (aka Lexapro) for 2 years and after a protracted period of stress through which I did surprisingly well, my anxiety crept in last week and is just now starting to settle back down again. Doc says make perfect sense considering the past year's events.

Positive self-talk, breathing, exercise, nutritious food and little or no booze will help. If it hangs around too long after you've given it your all, check in with your doc. Sometimes all it takes is a slight adjustment to meds to sort things out.

Take care and check in now and again. This is a great place to get advice and/or simply connect so as not to feel so alone - especially as you're not alone.

jmac

[wbhgirl]

Hi Milly.I'm.new to the site. I have suffered from anxiety for most of my life. I'm 57 yrs old. I was told by psychiatrist that I have genetic anxiety as it is in my family. I have most anxiety when driving or thinking about driving but my therapist says I also have agoraphobia. I have been prescribed Lexapro.How does one with severe anxiety get past the anxiety of putting this type of medication in the body? The potential side effects scare me to death. The commitment of staying on the drug due to discontinuation syndrome also scares me. I just can't bring myself to try them. I am so sensitive to every twinge, pain and feeling in my body that I know I would focus on every sensation and blame it on the Lexapro. I also suffer from dizziness on a daily basis which triggers my anxiety. These drugs can also cause dizziness. I find it hard to do relaxation techniques while driving since I have to concentrate on the road. Any help or advice would be so appreciated. Thank you.

[Jaime85]

Hi Milly.I'm.new to the site. I have suffered from anxiety for most of my life. I'm 57 yrs old. I was told by psychiatrist that I have genetic anxiety as it is in my family. I have most anxiety when driving or thinking about driving but my therapist says I also have agoraphobia. I have been prescribed Lexapro.How does one with severe anxiety get past the anxiety of putting this type of medication in the body? The potential side effects scare me to death. The commitment of staying on the drug due to discontinuation syndrome also scares me. I just can't bring myself to try them. I am so sensitive to every twinge, pain and feeling in my body that I know I would focus on every sensation and blame it on the Lexapro. I also suffer from dizziness on a daily basis which triggers my anxiety. These drugs can also cause dizziness. I find it hard to do relaxation techniques while driving since I have to concentrate on the road. Any help or advice would be so appreciated. Thank you.


Hello Wbhgirl, I am new to the site also..

Try Lexapro/Cipralex .. What do you have to loose..
Personally, I have been on many drugs to combat anxiety and depression. Ultimately I have stopped treatment each time because they Didn't work, yes the anxiety medication treated the symptoms but never the cause. My new doctor just put me on Cipralex,and it has been a god send for me, i have only been on it for 5 weeks, first 4 i took 20mg, and it didn't seem to be doing anything for me, so i tapered myself off to 10mg (planning to quit treatment) and WOW.. I feel human again, I do still have anxiety issues but I am taking another drug to combat them, and truth be told they have gone down significantly since dropping down to 10mg (they were worse at 20mg)

But then again I am only 5 weeks into treatment, I can tell you this, if this drug continues to do for me what it is now, I will be on it for the rest of my life(if possible)..

Jaime