Lexapro

RachB

Active member
So I've been on Lexapro for 4 months already. The doctor started me off on 5mg and now my dosage is 20mg. I feel like the drug has never worked for me and every time I saw my doctor and told him that, he just kept increasing my dosage rather than prescribing me something else. I just stopped taking my medication 2 days ago and haven't had any side effect or withdrawals. I take that as a sign that it doesn't have any effect on me at all. Not sure what to do. My partner keeps saying I should see another doctor but it was so hard to open up to this doctor and explaining my anxiety that I feel I don't have to strength to go thru it all again. Has anyone here taken Lexapro and feel like it hasn't done anything for them? Or just your experience with lexapro?
 

PugofCrydee

You want to know how I got these scars?
I tried Lexapro.. it sent me off the deep end. I became aggressive, snappy.. It also gave me akathisia (restless leg syndrome).

I tried many different medicines over about a 2 year period, I can honestly say that hardly any of them worked for me.
 

ana0989

Active member
Hi RachB, I hope you get better.

Well, I was prescribed Lexapro after taking another medication which didn't work for me. In my case, it worked and I kept on taking it for a while.

I think the results and effects depends a bit on the person (that's why some medication works better for some people and not for others). It is also important to consider that the outcoming results of taking this type of medication are not immediate, since it takes a process. I don't know exactly what the time period is to start experiencing the results and to decide if it works or not. Maybe you should ask your doctor about this.

But I would recommend you ask your psychiatrist if it is possible for you to change your medication and to tell him what you feel. Then, listen to what he tells you and then you can decide what to do next.

I totally understand you when you say how hard it was for you to open up with him. I feel identified with you in this case, I would suggest that you try to be as honest as possible and tell the doctor about your feelings. Then if you feel things are not getting better, you could try seeking for another professional.

I send you a bug hug.
 
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RachB

Active member
I tried Lexapro.. it sent me off the deep end. I became aggressive, snappy.. It also gave me akathisia (restless leg syndrome).

I tried many different medicines over about a 2 year period, I can honestly say that hardly any of them worked for me.

That sucks that not many worked for you. Are you on any medication now or you don't bother?
 

RachB

Active member
Hi RachB, I hope you get better.

Well, I was prescribed Lexapro after taking another medication which didn't work for me. In my case, it worked and I kept on taking it for a while.

I think the results and effects depends a bit on the person (that's why some medication works better for some people and not for others). It is also important to consider that the outcoming results of taking this type of medication are not immediate, since it takes a process. I don't know exactly what the time period is to start experiencing the results and to decide if it works or not. Maybe you should ask your doctor about this.

But I would recommend you ask your psychiatrist if it is possible for you to change your medication and to tell him what you feel. Then, listen to what he tells you and then you can decide what to do next.

I totally understand you when you say how hard it was for you to open up with him. I feel identified with you in this case, I would suggest that you try to be as honest as possible and tell the doctor about your feelings. Then if you feel things are not getting better, you could try seeking for another professional.

I send you a bug hug.

Thank you :)
Are you still on Lexapro now or have you stopped?
And I am going to make an appointment to see another doctor this Friday. I've heard good things about her so hopefully she can help me out. Because I've already used all my free sessions with my psychologist (I'm in Australia and you get 10 free and have to pay for the rest)
 

ana0989

Active member
Great, I hope she can help you. Yes, I have already stopped taking it, the last time I took it was in 2014. I had taken it before but I had to come back to treatment since I felt bad again.
 

PugofCrydee

You want to know how I got these scars?
That sucks that not many worked for you. Are you on any medication now or you don't bother?

I'm drug free and have been for quite some years. It's not that I don't bother, more so that I found a very good therapist, the self driven will to change from within and - most importantly - I learned to accept me for who I am.

I know I'm far from perfect etc. But I've stopped trying to be 'normal'.

Normal is boring anyway.
 

Glenrowan

Member
My story is similar to PugofCrydee. Lexapro was one I tried long ago. Actually worked for both anxiety and depression for me, but hated the side effects.

Was lucky enough to find a group therapy session available, and wanted to be medication free during it to see if the therapy alone helped.

I'm definitely not cured yet, and I feel worse in terms of anxiety and depression than when medicated. But the feelings are mild enough to live with, and I'm making real progress. Overcoming small hurdles now gives me true euphoria - so I experience both highs and lows now - in other words, I feel alive again. Not like a zombie who was trying to avoid the world.

This is not to say that meds don't help. Especially if you're suicidal they can literally be life savers. Extreme anxiety probably causes depression eventually too, so they can save lives in this way too. But I feel until we know more about how our brains actually work and accordingly design better drugs with less side effects, psychotherapy is the best treatment.

@RachB, I would insist on trying different meds if Lexapro isn't working.
 
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