Change4life

My dr. prescribed lexapro for depression. Does any one know if they help with anxiety also. I havent taken any of them yet and was curious if people have had good or bad experiences with the drug.

Thanks,
Beth

MeggieStar

I took it for a few months but it didn't agree with me. I ended up a little more anxious and I definitely had restless leg syndrome from it, esp. at night. I talked to my doctor and switched meds. Hope it works better foryou!

Rowan

Yeah, my RLS was worse when I was on it now that I think about it.
Lexapro was one that made me extremely agitated, but I know many who have had success on it. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another and vice versa.
I hope you get some relief from your symptoms soon.

Rowan

Thorn

I've been taking Lexapro for a few years now. I don't really have many side effects from it, except it making me very sleepy after I take it. So you may want to take it right before you go to bed.
If you do have side effects, it is normal that they lessen with time, so it may take some getting used to.
And, yes, my Dr. told me Lexapro can help with anxiety.

Drugs effect everyone differently, so I hope it works for you!

Thorn

Astro

I tried Zoloft and Lexapro, neither of them sat well with me, so I finally ended up on EffexorXR which worked very well.

That's only my experience, though. Remember that everyone will react differently to meds. You'll discover what works best for you, my only advice is to let your prescriber know if something's not working after a trial period.

Change4life

I took the lexapro only once and didnt like the way I felt. I was going to see if i could get use to it, but I am so glad I asked about it. I have RLS and dont want to take anything that moght make it worse than it already id. I guess I should talk to the DR.

topetah

i didnt like lexapro i was always tired. the depression stopped but i was too sleepy to notice. i take paxel now. it really helps me with anxiety. taking pills is one good way to deal with depression and anxiety but i would recomend seeing a shrink also. it has worked wonders for me...jason

Astro

Lexapro gave me a "black cloud" feeling, like impending doom. That probably sounds weird, huh?

Jason, I used to take Paxil but was told it can be addictive. I'd like to know if anyone can tell me if that's true or not.

noprob

lexapro did not work for me,tho celexa did.
my understanding is that lexapro is for the female gender and celexa is for the male gender.(I am not a doctor,but this is what was explained to me)
It took some time for my body to adjust to celexa (30 days),thereafter this medicine did indeed help. (helping to not have hopeless feelings,panic attacks,ect...)
Had I not been a member of Alcoholics Anonymous (support group) while taking this medication,I do not believe it would have worked for me in the long run.
I am now no longer taking this medication (near 3 years of use) your milage may vary.
I hope this helps you.

KOKO

*Edit another drug done that to me.can't remember it's name.
when it first came out it was refered to as the happy drug.
most terrible feeling.
wish I could remember the name.

Aristo

I was on Lexapro for 3 years - I went on it for panic attacks - It worked for me - stopped the panic attacks - However, I realise now that the panic attacks were actually caused by my drinking. Now I am sober, I have come off Lexapro - no more panic attacks - YAY !

I think everyone's experience with anti-depressants is different - different drugs do different things to different people - I think it is a matter of finding one that suits you.

Lexapro is meant to be easy to withdraw and has a short half life - or whatever -

PS - I am no Dr. - so don't rely on my advice for sure.

topetah

Jason, I used to take Paxil but was told it can be addictive. I'd like to know if anyone can tell me if that's true or not.[/QUOTE]


i havent noticed any addictive nature to taking paxle. but i do notice if i skip a week i start to feel like the old me. there are so many new drugs to deal with anxiety im willing to try anything once if it gets rid of it...jason

parentrecovers

lexapro is a more expensive copay with my health insurance. not sure why..
k

MeggieStar

It's definitely worth it to talk to your doctor. I switched from Lexapro back to Celexa which works much better for me...so well in fact that I end up gaining weight on it because I am not worried about eating too much LOL. Anxiety is my main thing and the Celexa definitely helps curb that. Lexapro also gave me a black cloud feeling and I cried all the time when I was on it. Even happy things would make me cry. But the RLS was definitely the worst!

marle

My daughter tried Lexapro and it made her OCD and anxiety worse. She would spend hours picking her scalp until she had bald spots and she also would take toothpicks and run them under her eyelids until they hurt. But she was also using opiates at the same time. When she quit the Lexapro, she stopped the picking. But can't really judge since she was not clean at the time. Marle

Change4life

Astro I totally understand the black cloud feeling. It put me in a bad mood and people I was with said I was getting nasty. I hated the way I felt. I was tired also. I am going to have to try something else. I am not even sure I need medication. It doesnt seem to unreasonable to think that I am depressed cause I ruined my entire life using and now I am having a hard time climbing back up the hole I dug. I hjust dont know. Lately I just worry so much that I will never be able to hold down a decent job, and that I will never be able to move out of where I am. I always have to worry about how long I will even be able to stay here. Everything is so unstable it is no wonder I am depressed.

f911

Lexapro 20mg/d worked GREAT for me, a real wonder drug. I did develope RLS but that was resolved with other medication. (I hate to take one drug to counter side effects of another but it has been working well.)

This has been my experience. I've been on it 3 years and feel wonderful. It took away my anxiety and actually made me somewhat HAPPY!

I understand it hasn't worked for others. You might have to hunt around abit 'til you find the antidepressent that works for you.

jane

Astro

bfree, I wish I could give you a hug and assure you that eventually everything will stabilize and hopefully the depression will leave also. For me there were days when I had to force myself to sit at my desk and try to get some work done, feeling like there was no end to my depression and sadness. What eventually helped me to climb out of my hole was constant AA meetings, the support of the Fellowship, and finding a med that worked for me. I was only on EffexorXR for one year, tapered off with no side effects, and since then life has felt pretty normal, but it still takes a constant effort to maintain a positive mental attitude.

When I talk about that black cloud feeling I always picture Winnie The Pooh walking through the forest with that black rain cloud following him. Lol