Feeling worse on escitalopram...advice needed please!

[starfish01]

Hi Karen,

So I'm now on day 49 of taking my meds, 9 of which I've been on 15mg.
I have to say that so far all I've noticed with the increase is that the de-realisation has gone and I'm feeling a bit less anxious but I'm feeling more depressed and am really struggling to get ou of bed in the mornings. Maybe this will improve over time, I do hope so. I could do with a real boost of energy and vitality as both of these have pretty much disappeared. How are things with you? Hope that your son's dentist appointment went smoothly yesterday.

I hope that everyone else on this thread is also ok, and managing with their various side effects and symptoms.

Take care xx

[steveo]

Am on day 45 on 10mg.

No real improvements. I just want to sleep all day to forget about the anxiety. I still can't leave the house. I feel very de-realised. Mornings are a terrible time for me. I have massive problems getting up in the morning. Takes me hours! My vivid dreams are the worst!
I also still have lingering depression.

I have 14 tablets left in this box. Might make a decision then about what to do. Might increase to 15mg? Or might try drug number 3 which I don't know what that will be yet!

x

[karenp]

45 days really is early days Steveo, I know it doesn't feel like it to you....I have been on 10mg's since late Jan early February and am only really starting to feel really normal most days now. It take s a good while to really take effect and I still get some anxious moments and depressed thoughts but also mainly great days now (:
I never ever thought I would get to this stage and it has been a terrible roller coaster but the Cipralex has really helped me. I am meant to increase to 15mg but now I am gonna stick with 10mg and just see how I go as one of the things I was most stressed out about happened on Friday and I was cool as a cucumber (My little boy had to go into hospital and be put to sleep, not permenantly I might add, lol)
I know it's awful but just speak to your doctor and if you think going up to 15mg's will help you go for it but I have honestly found Cipralex to be a very slow to take effect drug for me personally but also an excellent one. This time last year I was under the crisis team my anxiety was so bad and right now I'm not even thinking one anxious thought! Thinking of you (:

[steveo]

Thanks Karen.

I contacting my GP today and has prescribed me 5mg as well as my 10mg. I'm going to wait until next Monday to start the increase as my girlfriend is coming down this weekend and I'm aware the increase is going to have me climbing the walls with anxiety!!

Should I just stick out the 10mg or try the 15mg increase? I'm VERY scared because I know that the increase is going to kick my butt and I'm very scared about the increased anxiety from upping the dose!!! HELP!

[karenp]

Are you not taking anything else at all to help with the anxiety??? I can't remember now sorry darl. I have Lorazepam still but only need one now not 2 and hope to come off it soon.
I know how scary it is to increase, I actually go up in 2.50mg bits which I found helped me. Hope you will be ok xxx

[starfish01]

Hi,

I went up to 15mg from 10 mg 11 days ago. I was scared about increasing too Steveo but just decided to take the plunge as after 5 weeks on 10 mg I still wasn't feeling great. So far, I have noticed an increase in feelings of depression but it comes and goes and I have periods where I don't feel too bad. I find that if I give myself a small goal to work towards every day it helps. For example, today I told myself that I would take a nice hot bath, and clean the bathroom. I managed to do both these things plus more! I went for a long walk around my village, did the washing up, hoovered the flat plus spent some time grooming my cat. I'm quite impressed with myself! I know it's hard, but goals, however small, give you a sense of purpose and can help you get through the day. I also find that going for long walks helps and can clear your head a bit. I hope you begin to feel a bit better and please don't lose hope! Why don't you try finishing the 10mg tablets and then if you still don't feel any better try going up to 15mg?

Best wishes

[steveo]

Karenp - I'm on Diazepam 4mg a day but it no longer does anything for me. Have been trying to decrease it.

[Jmac]

Hi All,

I've been on escitalopram (cipralex here in Canada, Lexapro in US) for about 1.5 years and could have written the same about my first month or two on them. I adjusted my dose gradually from 2.5 mgs up to 10mgs over the course of the first month which helped with side effects. I too, had a week that I felt totally depressed and sometimes, felt more anxious than without the pills but when the fog lifted, it was wonderful. My doc and others on NMP assured me the increased anxiety and other side effects were quite common.

I take my meds at night to avoid nausea and when I started, I always took them with a little food. Helped enormously.

Hang in there. It really does get better and escitalopram is an excellent option.

[starfish01]

Thanks for your post jmac, it's reassuring to know that these horrible side effects will pass. At the moment it feels like it will never end. Today I'm feeling very anxious and am worrying a lot about the future, wondering if I'll ever feel better and be able to work again. It's such a lonely illness which doesn't help matters. Some friends are being supportive but I can't help but feel they just don't understand the illness fully and think it's something one can control or snap out of. I went for a drink with a friend today and she commented that I 'didn't seem too bad at all', that's the thing though, I might look ok to others but it doesn't mean that I feel ok!! I emailed another friend recently to let her know of my illness. She replied saying 'I think most people have some form of depression at some point' I couldn't help but feel mad at her lack of knowledge. She's probably thinking that I"m 'just feeling down' which of course most people get. Why don't people understand that it's a real illness which is very debilitating? I don't know why I get so fed up with people not understanding. I guess I just want to feel fully supported but It's hard when people don't take the illness seriously. Another friend annoyed me today. I had asked her and 2 other friends from my old workplace if they wanted to meet up for lunch this week. They all replied yes. I then got a text from the friend offering to do a dinner at her place tomorrow evening. I accepted the invitation but have now found out that my former client will be there ( the one I wrote about in my previous posts). I can't believe my friend invited her! It just seems so utterly tactless!! Now I'm feeling anxious about going, cannot sleep and feel majorly anxious. I think I'll just have to cancel as I really don't feel like seeing her. I need fun at the moment not more anxiety..some people!!
Sorry for the rant but it's 2.45 am and my mind is racing. I just need peace, quiet and nothing that will stress me out!! Looks like the the meds are still not anywhere near working even after 52 days!! I just want some light at the end of the tunnel.

[karenp]

It will come darl....I felt the same this time last year and now I am dealing with a lot of stress at the mo going through the final stages of my divorce which has been bitter and incredibly difficult but I feel calm and like I can cope perfectly now as I have my fight back because of Escitalopram!!! It has take a good 6 months though to get to this point, I have had many brilliant days on the way and many not so brill ones too, I will probs have blip days again but you will get through this!!!
Even my Dad's told me to snap out of it you know and said stuff like,"we all get down" but he has never suffered himself and people haven't a clue what this illness is really like until they have been there themselves, I didn't...10 years ago my friend suffered with anxiety and depression and I had no idea how she was feeling because I had never been depressed or anxious in my life at that point.
Hugs Karen xx