Lexapro Woes

Hi all - I gather from reading older posts that getting adjusted to
Lexapro can take different lengths of time for different people.
Still, I'm getting a little concerned. I've been taking Lexapro, 10mg/
day, for a month. The initial uptick in anxiety as moderated but is
not gone. I go through much of the day feeling like I've consumed a
little too much caffeine. It's not intolerable, but it is unpleasant.
My doc prescribed some extra Xanax, which helps some, but does not
alleviate the problem altogether. I called his office the other day.
Of course getting to actually speak with the doctor between
appointments is a bit like trying to meet the Wizard of Oz, but I did
have a conversation with his nurse. She suggested it was still too
early to tell if the increased anxiety would be ongoing and suggested
that I hang in there a few more weeks. She said some people can go as
long as six to eight weeks for this effect to wear off and then can
have pretty good results from the medication. Is this consistent with
anyone's experience here?

On the positive side, I am noticing an improvement in my mood with
regard to depression and some obsessive thinking, especially about my
health. So if the Lexapro would even be neutral with regard to my GAD
it would be a plus. If it actually helped with the GAD as well, as is
claimed by those who sell the stuff, whoohoo, that would be a nice
bonus. But I'm concerned about this ongoing extra anxiety. If I wanted
that, I could get it a lot cheaper just by drinking coffee.

Any comments or insights would be much appreciated. Thanks.

dieuestmort@gmail.com schreef:
> Hi all - I gather from reading older posts that getting adjusted to
> Lexapro can take different lengths of time for different people.
> Still, I'm getting a little concerned. I've been taking Lexapro, 10mg/
> day, for a month. The initial uptick in anxiety as moderated but is
> not gone. I go through much of the day feeling like I've consumed a
> little too much caffeine. It's not intolerable, but it is unpleasant.
> My doc prescribed some extra Xanax, which helps some, but does not
> alleviate the problem altogether. I called his office the other day.
> Of course getting to actually speak with the doctor between
> appointments is a bit like trying to meet the Wizard of Oz, but I did
> have a conversation with his nurse. She suggested it was still too
> early to tell if the increased anxiety would be ongoing and suggested
> that I hang in there a few more weeks. She said some people can go as
> long as six to eight weeks for this effect to wear off and then can
> have pretty good results from the medication. Is this consistent with
> anyone's experience here?



Yes. It's also consistent with the literature. Although it's very
individual and there are people who experience some benefit from day one
(it's rare but it does occur) usually Lexapro, like all antidepressants,
takes more time, often eight weeks or sometimes even a bit longer to
kick in.


>
> On the positive side, I am noticing an improvement in my mood with
> regard to depression and some obsessive thinking, especially about my
> health. So if the Lexapro would even be neutral with regard to my GAD
> it would be a plus. If it actually helped with the GAD as well, as is
> claimed by those who sell the stuff, whoohoo, that would be a nice
> bonus. But I'm concerned about this ongoing extra anxiety. If I wanted
> that, I could get it a lot cheaper just by drinking coffee.



The heightened anxiety is a most common initial side effect (it can be
pharmacologically explained) which is supposed to go away with time. It
is one of the biggest drawbacks of antidepressants that they make you
feel worse before making you feel better. It's a good sign that you feel
some positive effect as to depression and obsessive thoughts, it seems
that the stuff is starting to work. If I were you I would give it at
least four weeks more if you can handle it and maybe it will kick in
sooner. (BTDT)

Philip