Lexapro

[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.

[ASammy1]

I don't have any experience with Lexapro, but Zoloft has been a life saver for me. It has the anti-anxiety properties that Lexapro has. At first it made me sleepy so I just took it at night. I also lost 40 lbs in 2 months (I had it to lose) because it completely curbed my apetite. I pretty much lived off smoothies and Boost because the thought of food made my stomach turn.

I used to be one of those people who cringed at taking medication. My mom was the one who urged me to see my Dr after she started to really notice the symptoms of depression in me. Apparently it runs in my family, but I didn't know it because it was kept "hush hush." My depression was so gradual that I didn't realize just how bad I was feeling until I started to feel better. Anti-depressants have given me my life back

[snapdragen]

Gee ASammy1, we could be related. I had the same "hush hush" experience with my family. I've been taking Zoloft for a few years now, but it wasn't until my nephew overdosed that we found out my dad had been hospitalized 40+ years ago for depression.

+ a million on getting your life back! In this case better living through chemistry was a lifesaver for me!

I used to be one of those people who cringed at taking medication. My mom was the one who urged me to see my Dr after she started to really notice the symptoms of depression in me. Apparently it runs in my family, but I didn't know it because it was kept "hush hush." My depression was so gradual that I didn't realize just how bad I was feeling until I started to feel better. Anti-depressants have given me my life back

[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