I'm on Lexapro, need advice

[NicksWifey]

I don't talk about this much but figured this would be a safe place to get this off of my chest and get some advice

I have noticed over the last six months, if not more, I haven't really been myself. I've always had a pissy attitude, but it seems to be getting worse & worse. My anger problem has spiraled out of control, to the point where I feel like I'm going to seriously hurt someone one day. The littlest things make me want to snap, no matter how small or stupid they seem, I can't help but get pissed off. I snap at my loved ones & friends, even co-workers when I get pissed. I've felt lately like it's "me against the world" and I'm tired of feeling this way. I try to blame it on my thyroid problem, but I know that's not the case because that's been under control for a while and has been closely monitored. I try to blame it on my birth control, Seasonique, but I know that deep down, it's all coming from somewhere.

I went to the DR this afternoon and I told him the anxiety/anger/stress issues I've been having for the last several months and he said I suffer from endogenous depression, which is caused internally, from a chemical imbalance in the brain. That scares me, because I don't really get depressed, just really angry and irritable. He said it's not my fault, but without proper medication, it's not going to go away. He prescribed me Lexapro and said there aren't many side effects, especially no weight gain. I took my first one just a short while ago because he said it makes people sleepy at first so I should start taking it at night. I'm just afraid to be on this medication though. I come from a family that doesn't believe in medicating your skeletons, know what I mean? My anger problem is the skeleton in my closet and I hate sharing that with people. I'm just tired of being angry all the time and I have no idea why. Does anyone take Lexapro? Any pros, cons? Thank you for reading

 

[laperle]

Hi.

First of all, I've posted about your fridge incident this afternoon.

Now, I'm starting to think we are more alike than I could think.

I took Lexapro for about 10 months and now I'm on a different combo of medication. To be honest, I've taken all kinds of meds in the last 4 years. Yes, it sucks, yes, I didn't believe in them (especially 'cos I'm still trying to adjust), but, oh!, they do change the chemistry of your brain and it does affect your life, hopefully for good.

Lexapro was one of the meds I've adjusted the most. No serious cons. My mom still takes it.

I've always had the same anger/irritation issues you are describing. It usually comes with a profound feeling of loneliness, in the 'i can't get along with the world' kind of sense.

To be very honest, I think you should really see the birth control as a suspect (if not the villain). My anger problems were out of control every time I've tried BCP (and I've tried all sorts). Maybe an IUD?

If you wanna talk or something... I'm no pro, but I consider myself quite experienced at this point.

I hope I helped you somehow.

 

[TDoll]

I have no advice about this drug in particular...so I'm not going to be any real help...lol
But kudos to you for doing what you gotta do. Don't feel bad about taking medication for something like this..."medicating your skeletons" as you said some would say....which I think is a load of crap. I think its great that you are doing this to better yourself and make yourself feel back to normal again. You shouldnt let anyone make you feel like you shouldnt be taking it. Depression and issues similar are very real..and require medical attention and medication like anything else you would experience that affect your life negatively.

I hope it goes well and keep me updated!

 

[SkylarV217]

Lexepro made me really quezzy and caused me to gain weight lol ... But i took it for a couple of months and it really helped . It "fixed" my brain and i guess got the chemical production back up.

There is no reason to be ashamed, it's a problem that isn't your fault and should be taken care of.

 

[chdom]

I'm not going to be of any help, but I feel your pain. I was put on Lexapro for a month because of depression/anxiety. Personally, I felt it didn't work for me. I was put on Prozac & it helped me get my life back. This was a few years ago... As of now I'm not on any medication. It's good to have friends that have been through that will give you words of encouragement. You just need to keep thinking positive.

 

[purrtykitty]

I kinda feel the same way as you...I'm not a big fan of medicating feelings, but if you're really having that much trouble, then it might not be a bad option for the time being. I have no experience with Lexapro, but perhaps you could give it a go for a little while and see how it works for you. Maybe you could also try some therapy/counseling. That way, you (and your therapist) could eventually wean yourself off the meds.

 

[NicksWifey]

Wow, all of these replies so soon, I didn't expect that! Thanks everyone

Shit, I really don't want to gain weight on this. When I was 16, my previous DR put me on Prozac and I took that for a few months and I gained a serious amount of weight and luckily lost it all after I took myself off if it, against his wishes. I was battling depression then, but I was going through a lot of changes and my dad had just started working night shift and my family was kinda lost without him for a while. I felt horrible on Prozac, it made me tired and gave me cottonmouth, which always made me hungry/thirsty.

I'm just hoping I don't balloon up like I did before, because if I do, I'm throwing this shit in the trash. See, I'm already getting angry LOL.

 

[xtiffineyx]

I was on Lexapro for over a year and yes, it does make you gain weight. I went from 118-170, and as soon as I went off of it I started dropping the weight. It did make me feel 100 percent better, and although I gained weight on it, that doesn't necessarily mean you will.

I hope it helps you! =D

 

[MiCHiE]

I agree with purrtykitty. When your mom says "medicating skeletons", does she mean not confronting your issues? In that case, I would say seek therapy. I've never been on meds, so I can't help you there. But, I hope you get the help you need. Good luck.

 

[laperle]

I had no weight problems with Lexapro. It's SO much more advanced than Prozac (the original antidepressant).

Though, I got some weight now with this new medication, but it's helping, so I'm still feeling "ok, let's wait and work out" about it.

There's always a problem with these meds. It depends on the person, of course! Prozac made me lose weight, but I hated the fake happiness effect.

Bupropione (I don't know the popular name in the US) was a med that really helped, didn't affect my weight nor sexuality, but it RUINED my skin. I had to stop taking it because the skin problems started affecting my life.

In the other hand, i know people who take it and never had one single con.

It's all about adjustment when it comes to meds.

Psychotherapy could be helpful as well.

 

[nursee81]

a close friend was on lexapro she felt horrible all the time so she stopped taking it. she said it made her suicidal. not meaning that this will be something you will experience. the things with these types of meds is that you have to let your dr. about any changes you are feeling. i hope this works out for you....

 

[iheartcolor]

I have been on Lexapro for a few months now and so far like the results. No weight gain, not as many severe mood swings, no acne problems, no nausea, no sleepy/anxious feelings, nothing. Just being more happy.

-Lauren

p.s. At first I felt like "I am broken, I don't want a pill to 'fix' me." But I think that is just being afraid (which is normal). It is no different than someone having a hormone imbalance and needing to take HRT. It just is what it is, nothing to be ashamed about.

 

[SkylarV217]

Sorry For my short post b/4 my computer was being weird...

The Doctors I worked for put me on Lexapro a couple months after my son was born. My Doctor felt like it was an Imbalance and even though I was queezy and Gained weight it was worth it. It truly helped to kick start what ever was not working right. I only had to take it for about a month and have not needed it or felt as if I needed it since. That was over 2 years ago.

I agree that medication is not always the answer but sometimes there are problems that can't be fixed without it. I mean you wouldn't expect a diabetic to simply deal with their body's lack of insulin without medication. You're body isn't producing something it is supposed to, if medicine can help with that by all means take it. But don't continue to take it if you feel like nothing is getting better. Talk to your doctor and you two can try something else if you feel it's not helping. Be sure to be open with your Doctor, tell him anything and everything you feel might be relevant, thats the best way to figure out what you and your body needs. You are the one that knows it best! I hope this works for you and you are able to feel "Normal" again. Its the worst feeling in the world to just know that you are not "right".

PS - I think your Doctor Seriously fibbed with the side effects, but not everyone gains weight... Not all side effects happen to all people. He prob. just told you there were none because he was afraid you would not take them if you thought you would gain weight ... A lot of girls don't for that reason... A high majority of girls even lose weight on anti depressants.

 

[falsefiction]

is it possible that your mood could be impacted by the birth control you are taking? when i was taking hormonal birth control, i just felt so out of control and it was awful...a few days after i went off, i felt so much better. sometimes i think psych doctors don't really think about that because it isn't their "area". it's just important to make sure you aren't just taking a drug to cover another drug's side effects.
that being said, i am totally for anti-depressants and mood stabilizers if they will make you feel better and you feel that you need them! i really hope it works out for you!!

 

[laperle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkylarV217 I mean you wouldn't expect a diabetic to simply deal with their body's lack of insulin without medication. You're body isn't producing something it is supposed to, if medicine can help with that by all means take it.

This is exactally what my doctor uses as example. Sometimes, people who never had any depression episode just tell you to "Think positive!" and everything will go away. No one tells a diabetic to think positive and the body will suddenly start producing insulin.

Of course we have to work with the docs and the meds to improve our conditions, but there's no advice when the case is clearly about chemical unbalance.

 

[laperle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by falsefiction is it possible that your mood could be impacted by the birth control you are taking? when i was taking hormonal birth control, i just felt so out of control and it was awful...a few days after i went off, i felt so much better. sometimes i think psych doctors don't really think about that because it isn't their "area". it's just important to make sure you aren't just taking a drug to cover another drug's side effects. that being said, i am totally for anti-depressants and mood stabilizers if they will make you feel better and you feel that you need them! i really hope it works out for you!!

I said that before and I completely agree with this post. They never give opinion when it's not their area, but I highly recommend attention to the birth control pill. All the ones I tried made me behave like a beast.

Sorry for two posts, I don't know how to quote two people in one single post yet

 

[ratmist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NicksWifey Wow, all of these replies so soon, I didn't expect that! Thanks everyone Shit, I really don't want to gain weight on this. When I was 16, my previous DR put me on Prozac and I took that for a few months and I gained a serious amount of weight and luckily lost it all after I took myself off if it, against his wishes. I was battling depression then, but I was going through a lot of changes and my dad had just started working night shift and my family was kinda lost without him for a while. I felt horrible on Prozac, it made me tired and gave me cottonmouth, which always made me hungry/thirsty. I'm just hoping I don't balloon up like I did before, because if I do, I'm throwing this shit in the trash. See, I'm already getting angry LOL.

Try to get some regular exercise as part of your daily life, if you're really worried about weight gain. It'll head it off any weight gain you might experience. Also, you'd get the natural endorphin release, which will make you feel better anyway. Good luck!

 

[hotpink1326]

Well, i have tried sooo many different antidepressants & to tell you the truth... ive hated them all. They all made me feel like a different person & not in a good way. Since youre asking about Lexipro... i'll tell you my experience with that.

1st of all... i stopped taking it after 3 months or so, so i didnt experience weight gain or anything but than again, i didnt take it for all that long! The worst side effect i had to deal with may sound stupid and i never really shared this with anyone but if youre taking it, i'd like to tell you how it effected me. It made me feel like i had to yawn ALL THE TIME but when i went to yawn... it went away. Like i just couldnt do it... it was getting to the point where i always felt tired from all this "wanting to yawn". It also, after a whole day of this made me naucious in the evenings. I didnt know what was wrong with me & didnt know if i even wanted to tell the Dr cause it sounds so dumb, lol! Well, she told me that taking Lexapro, some people may have "sexual side effects" which, i never had a problem with that. She explained to me that they compare yawning with orgasms, so the fact that i couldnt yawn was like my sexual side effect, lol! I thought it was the strangest thing but it makes sense i guess...

So, yeah... thats what happened with me but with these things, like im sure you know, its different with everyone! Ive tried different pills since i was 18 years old & never found something to balance me the way i'd like, so now... i just deal with my issues when they happen & dont even try pills.

I wish you all the luck in the world though & hope it helps for you!!! Keep us posted girl

 

[SingFrAbsoltion]

I just went on it a couple of weeks ago and reading all this is freaking me out a little

Then again, I've been trying to overcome my anxiety for about 4 years now, I think I've reached a point where I'm giving up trying to do it by myself, we'll see what happens...

 

[laperle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SingFrAbsoltion I just went on it a couple of weeks ago and reading all this is freaking me out a little Then again, I've been trying to overcome my anxiety for about 4 years now, I think I've reached a point where I'm giving up trying to do it by myself, we'll see what happens...

Please, don't freak out nor give up.

Sometimes, all it takes is something to get us started in the process. The antidepressants take about 2-3 weeks to start working. It takes a bit of patience. Depending on the case, all you need is just working out or therapy. The anxiety could be diminished with an axiolytic or an antidepressant that works with another neurotransmitter. It's about adjusting. The process is like a machine and, to make it work, all the parts must be well oiled and regulated.