Lexapro

[Aggie_Ama]

My doctor recently (as in Tuesday) started me on Lexapro for depression and generalized anxiety. Although I have struggled with it before this is the first time I have gone to the doctor. I was already have a awful time sleeping and now the insomnia is getting even worse. I read this is the most common side effect, does it eventually subside? Currently I am taking at night because it was easy to remember but I think I will switch to morning. I take Topamax at night which can increase drowsiness so maybe it will counter it if I don't have the Lexapro? I just want to be me again and I know the doc said it won't happen overnight with a pill. I am scared about the weight gain but hoping since I am not very hungry I will be okay. I will deal with that if it happens, right?

[skinimini]

I was already have a awful time sleeping and now the insomnia is getting even worse.

Aggie, just the opposite for me. I was on Lexapro for several years and initially had an easy time adjusting to it. It did help me get through a really tough time in my life when the depression was all-consuming. However, as time passed, I became more and more lethargic, sometimes taking 3 to 4 hour naps during the day as well as sleeping 9-10 hours per night. This is no exaggeration. I could not function this way. When I decided to get off the drug, it took me forever to titrate down.

My husband is an OB/Gyn and has found that many of his patients on Lexapro have reacted the same way as I did. He only prescribes it now as a last resort or when other medications are contraindicated. I also had significant weight gain during the time on this drug. We were talking about this just the other night. This is just my personal experience, but I wanted to share.
However, my older sister has taken it for years without complications.

[bmccasland]

Aggie_Ama - have you talked to your Pharmacist? I had a chat with mine when I was put on Topomax - or rather, she was waiting for me when I came to pick it up. Anyway, they'd be the ones to discuss the timing for taking meds, side effects and all that. Sometimes I think they know more about the meds than the Docs do.

[jobob]

When I first started taking Lexapro I had a bit of a problem getting to sleep as well. My doctor initially put me on Ambien and after a few weeks I switched to benadryl (an OTC antihistamine which is also the sleep aid ingredient in the "PM" versions of many pain relivers). Over the course of a couple of months I was gradually able to stop taking the benadryl to get to sleep. I've been on Lexapro for about 3 years now and it's improved my quality of life significantly. I gained some weight over that time but that could be due as much to my crummy eating habits and generally getting older.

You would of course have to check first with your MD or pharmacist to make sure there are no contraindications w/ the Topamax, but you might want to consider taking benadryl as a sleep aid for a little while until you've adjusted to the Lexapro.

[ny biker]

Aggie_Ama - have you talked to your Pharmacist? I had a chat with mine when I was put on Topomax - or rather, she was waiting for me when I came to pick it up. Anyway, they'd be the ones to discuss the timing for taking meds, side effects and all that. Sometimes I think they know more about the meds than the Docs do.

Pharmacists do know more about meds than doctors do. They are always the best people to ask when you have questions about when to take a dose, side effects, etc.

Good luck.

[Selkie]

Ama - Sorry, I can't help you with your meds question, but I hope you start feeling better. Try not to worry about the potential weight gain side effect. If the meds help you, it's well worth it.

[Crankin]

AA, I would talk to the pharmacist, but I also am leery of primary care docs prescribing psychotropic meds. PM'ing you.

[channlluv]

...as time passed, I became more and more lethargic, sometimes taking 3 to 4 hour naps during the day as well as sleeping 9-10 hours per night. This is no exaggeration. I could not function this way. When I decided to get off the drug, it took me forever to titrate down.

I had the exact same reaction. I was falling asleep at stop lights and having to pull over after dropping my daughter off at school into a parking lot so I could take a nap, or I'd never had made the 20-minute drive back home. It was horrible.

I also found out that I was glucose intolerant during this period. I don't know if they're related. I can't eat white bread or rice without getting really sleepy. (I really miss Chinese food, and I only got to have one slice of my daughter's birthday cake because it knocked me out.)

I hope your doctor can help you find an alternative medication, Aggie. And good luck weaning off of this one.

Roxy

[Possegal]

There are quite a few drugs for depression and anxiety with varied responses that are quite individualized. It is unclear from your post, but I too have the feeling you are talking about a GP prescribing this. I would highly encourage a specialist. They work with these drugs every day and are far better informed to play around and find the one that works for you. And when you find the right one, it can be a real godsend!

And definitely talk to a pharmacist if you are worried about drug interactions or have any general drug questions.

Not that I'm biased or anything - Possegal, PhD (Dr of Pharmacology)

[jobob]

I've read Ama's post a few times and I didn't see anything that suggested that she was being prescribed by a GP. (For what it's worth, in my own post I referred to my "doctor", but that doctor happens to be a specialist in psychiatric medicine)

And I just want to echo Possegal's sentiments - anti anxiety/depression treatments work differently for different people. It's kind of a crapshoot, unfortunately. Part of the reason why I put off getting treatment for so long was because I dreaded the potential trial and error involved. Now, as it turned out, I was very fortunate that after a short adjustment period (namely, the insomnia that I experienced, which responded very well to sleep medication and which went away entirely within couple of months) I adjusted very well to Lexapro, and I didn't have to try any other medication. And it really has greatly improved the quality of my life.

All I'm trying to say is that if it didn't work well for you, that doesn't necessarily mean it won't work well for someone else.

[Aggie_Ama]

I did get prescribed my GP but he did do a thorough 45 minute sit down and talk about what was really going on. He knows about my neurological factors (my tremor disease that is not under control) that could be coming into play. I felt very comfortable with talking to him about how I was feeling. And while I have had a friend who went to the gyno and said "I am such a b*tch when I pms" and was immediately given anti-depressants this was a lot more thorough. He did suggest I try other routes but we discovered working out didn't curb the anger and crying. He also wants to see me again in 3 weeks to see how I am doing. He refused to treat my tremors because he isn't a neurologist and they won't touch my husband's crohn's issues. I have a feeling he felt it was something he could handle addressing for me because he often refers us if he finds it is in our best interest.

I also have an appointment with my neurologist next week and I am going to discuss that the last time I felt like this for so long was when my tremors went haywire which they have started to do. It feels like my own fault because when they came out of remission I was hesistant to go back on anti-convulsants.

FWIW- The insomnia subsided thanks to a cold and nyquil. I have slept like a baby the last two nights but I would rather not be sick. But I will check with the pharmacist if it returns.

[salsabike]

I think there are quite a few GPs/family practitioners out there who are very well qualified to prescribe, follow, and change antidepressants. Sounds like yours is one of them.

[Dogmama]

I heard that GP's prescribe most antidepressants. If it's working, don't mess with it. I DO believe that if it isn't working, or if you need a combination of drugs or you are trying something "off label" (meaning that the primary intended action of the drug isn't for depression/anxiety, etc., but it's been shown to help those conditions) a good psychiatrist is worth his/her weight in gold. I've become a non-responder to most antidepressants, so I'm using another med off-label and it is incredible. Even DH remarked that he's seen a huge change in me.

Finally, don't forget talk therapy. Once your depression & anxiety abates, it may become easier to see where you get off-track. For me, my thoughts are not always my friend. Sometimes my brain wants to take me to a bad neighborhood where I worry about everything.