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Lexapro
Lexapro is the trade name of the antidepressant drug escitalopram. Approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration, Lexapro is used to treat anxiety and major depressive disorders. The drug’s side effects include dizziness, insomnia, constricted pupil, constipation and fatigue.
718 Questions
It could be anywhere from 3 days, to 3 weeks. It usually doesn't take months, unless this medicine is ineffective on your body. But this usually isn't the case. It totally depends on what your body is like. Chances are it will take about a week to get into your system and start working.
No. PTSD some cases may be cured and/or controlled with therapy. Not all cases of PTSD, just as not all people are the same. Some Dr's like to just put you on a medication and that's that. Most will put you on a medication and monitor your therapy progress. As you make progress with therapy they may and should ease you off of your meds. Good luck and God bless.
Can you drop lexapro and just take Wellbutrin 300 mg?
Not unless you want to feel like your going insane! Talk to your Dr and have him/her make you a taper down schedule. You don't ever want to quit an antidepressant cold turkey. It could kill you and if it doesn't you will feel so crappy you will want to die.
Yes it can. Id gave me really bad gas but it is not a main side effect.
Can Lexapro cause permanent brain damage?
No, but it sometimes can take up to a year for withdrawal effects to go away.
Is it worth taking only 2.5 mg of Lexapro daily if it seems to help?
Without knowing the background to your question, I will attempt an answer! Lexapro (and indeed any other medication) is given at a higher rate dose than is actually needed because our livers "de-toxify" a lot of the active substances before they reach our brains. However, there are a few people, like myself, who seem to get benefit from much lower doses than normal. This is because a few people are "poor acetylator". Acetylator is the enzyme system which a minority lack and thus all the medicine absorbed from the gut hits their brain cells and other parts of the body without its concentration being reduced during passage through the liver. So if you are a "poor acetylator" you may also get benefit from a lower dose than normal. Hope this helps!
**I agree with what answer that was given but also must add that like other medicines and other conditions, dosage is varied by the individual. Most doctors want everyone at the highest dose. But some people's brain chemistry doesn't need that amount of serotonin. If that dosage makes you feel good and not produce the side effects stick with it.
Is a constant car-sick feeling a withdrawal symptom for Lexapro?
Yes, I stopped taking Lexapro 6 days ago and I started feeling that way about 3 days later and it hasn't gotten better yet.
If lexapro is used to treat depression and anxiety why was xanax prescribed together?
Xanax or alprazolam is a short-term benzodiazepine tranquilizer. It is used to relieve your worst anxiety symptoms until your lexapro and therapy take effect. The only cure for anxiety is medication and therapy. People who use a combination of therapy and antidepressants frequently get to the point where they can stop taking the medication altogether.
random drug test coming up i took lexapro 6 days ago will it show up in my urine?
How long before Wellbutrin works?
Some people notice a difference within the first few days and weeks, but it is suggested that you will not see the full results until 6-8 weeks. However, if it has been a few weeks and you have not felt any change at all, call your physician.
Does Lexapro cause aggressive behaviors?
I've started taking Lexapro 3 weeks ago and have noticed a dramatic rise in aggressive behaviour from myself. My family have noticed it also. Normally I am a very relaxed and easy going person.
What is the difference between cause and coincidence?
A 'cause' is a relationship between events that requires that one event to be the direct consequence of another. A 'coincidence' between events just requires that they happen in sequence or at the same time.
If it always seems to rain when I don't take my overcoat, I could say that it is probably only a coincidence and that I'm not causing the weather to change.
If I go out in the rain without my coat and I come home wet, the rain has caused me to be wet.
You're experiencing withdrawal. You might try weening yourself off it instead of stopping abruptly. If your dosage was too high it could easily have caused problems. How long you'll feel the effects is hard to say. It depends how long you were on it. It's also fat-soluble and can remain in your brain tissues long after it's out of your bloodstream. Kinda like LSD.
Celexa is very similar to Lexapro one is Citalopram and the other Escitalopram. lexapro is newer and supposed to have fewer side effects but Celexa is helpful and similar to Lexapro.
There are no side effects stated that indicate memory loss (researched pharmacies), but some patients ( a very few) have reported a loss of memory. Generally it's when you are in withdrawal from Lexapro that you may notice memory loss which is not permanent and will subside after you have withdrawn from this medication. When concerned about your medication you should always work with your doctor and if you can't afford a doctor see someone at a clinic or phone any pharmacist and they will be happy to sit down with you and go over your concerns of memory loss.
What side effects can occur if you drink alcohol with ambien?
When taken by itself, Ambien is already known to cause behaviors almost identical to the behavior exhibited by a person who is guilty of driving while under the influence of alcohol. So when you add Ambien and alcohol together, the risk of these behaviors occurring becomes even greater. You also increase the risk of experiencing the other unwanted side effects that Ambien can produce by itself and also increase the duration of Ambien. Some of the side-effects of enhancing the potency of Ambien with alcohol are really bizarre. The good part is that, if you do experience them, you will probably not remember what you have done since the combined effect of both increases the probability that you will experience amnesia. The bad news is that, though you may not remember what you have done, you may wake up behind bars for the unconscious acts you committed while under the influence of this combined concoction.
After reading the most resent pubmed articles on ssri use and its affect on newborns and the withdrawal the newborns exprience, I decided to ween off of my Lexapro -
I had been on 7.5mg daily for 2 years, after one year I attempted to stop cold turkey since I was at such a low dose... Severe withdrawal symptoms appeared as seen with all the other postings on lexapro withdrawal. So i went back on at 7.5mg.
A year later and pregnant - i began the tapering process in the 2nd trimsters since the Medical journal said the increase incidence of persistant pulminary hypertenstion only occured with exposure in the 2nd half of the pregnancy - though they did not do a through job of listing dosage amounts.
Tapering schedual 2 weeks of alt days 7.5mg & 5mg, then 2 weeks at 5mg, then 2weeks alt days 5mg & 2.5 mg, then 2 weeks at 2.5 mg, then alt days 2.5 mg & 0mg.
each step down was accompanied by 2 days of electrical shocks and dizzyness that were just a few seconds in duration - until this last step down from 2.5mg to nothing.. i have been now 4 days without taking any lexapro and I've got severe insomnia 2nd to electrical shocks going down my spine every 20 minutes as i try to sleep. the muscles lining eather side of my spine from head to butt are super tight and I'm just getting those shocks that were just in my head now down my spine. more importantly - these shocks are leading to an increase in brackton hicc contractions throughout the night and my baby is excessively restless inside the womb these last 4 days.
I'd rather have the baby go through this horrid withdrawal while in the full care of my uterus than during the first 2 weeks of life - which the medical journals are calling "self-limiting neonatal behavoral syndrome" that includes - shaking, irritabiltiy, unconsolability, and feeding problems.
Can you wean off lexapro slowly then start a cheaper version of SSRI such as fluoxetine?
Yes of course, but don't do it if lexapro works good, because you don't know for sure fluoxetine will work, and generally, fluoxetine has more side effects, especially sexual ones. If you really can't afford lexapro and you don't have social insurance, try to find generic escitalopram (the active ingredient of lexparo) as the patent for the drug has expired or buy it overseas from a trusted on-line pharmacy from Canada or Europe.
Yes there is. I only took one Lexapro and that was it. I have not been myself for over a month, not much improvement. Please ask your doctor to taper anyways.
Are there any side effect taken Lexapro and Strattera?
Mixing Lexapro and Strattera can cause a few side effects. The Lexapro can cause the Strattera to build up in the blood more. This causes dry mouth, sleep problems, dizziness, loss of appetite and heart palpitations.
My doctor advised me to stay on the drug for 9 months, but the weight gain was fast and steady.
I weaned myself off Lexapro under his supervision by cutting my 10 mg tablets in half, and took 5 mg's a day for 2 weeks. I have been doing very well with this. I cried for a couple days while my emotions came back. What I mean there is anti-depressants can put a person in a monotone state as I was in. Not happy, not sad, and I was definitely numb.
Answer
Don't EVER wean off this drug or any such drug on your own!!!!! See your family doctor and they will go throught the process with you. It's usually a very few mgs. less every two weeks. Again, I can't stress you are playing a very dangerous game if you decide to do this on your own. Lexapro alters the brain chemistry and if you wean too fast you sure won't like it!
Good luck Marcy
There are no hard and fast rules about "never" doing something such as weaning yourself off a med. It depends on the person and how informed he or she is about the medication. This first response above told me that this person has good information that works for this particular individual. Someone else may not feel comfortable doing this on one's own, so the second approach, proposed by Marcy, is called for in such a case. And, Marcy: Don't think that a doctor is the best informed person in every case--I could cite for you cases on all my fingers and toes (plus more) where the doctor gave advice that was ill conceived, but was followed simply because the advice came from a doctor. A well-researched plan by a well informed person, whether the information comes from a doctor or not, is really what we all want in such a situation. I am a person who prides myself on being self-educated on a variety of subjects, not just what I studied in school. My self-education made me realize that edcation is a lifelong process--not a degree and a diploma. There are many doctors who consider the practice of medicine to also be a lifelong pursuit, and they stay abreast of the latest information. But with so much information "out there" now, no one can keep up on everything. Ther more I learn, the more I realize that I do not know. Specialists today are becoming "microspecialists" due to the plethora and depth of information and study which allows a woman or man of science to focus on one particular area of expertise.
What is better- Lexapro or citalopram?
This depends. The two drugs are very similar in the way they work and which one is better will really depend on the sensitivity of the patient and the patient's pocket book. Lexapro (Escitalopram) was developed from the molecule Citalopram. The drug maker removed the part of the molecule that was believed to cause many of the adverse side effects of Citalopram. As a result, it is believed to be cleaner and much easier on the body. Lexapro, however, is much more expensive then Citalopram because the drug maker still has a patent on the drug. Citalopram is shown to have more side effects, however, many patients taking this drug tolerate this drug with very little to none. If you try this drug and experience no adverse side-effects, Citalopram is definitely better, because its cheaper. If it does cause adverse side-effects, it may very well be better to switch to Escitlopram even at a higher cost. In terms of their effectiveness on depression and anxiety, there is very little difference.
