NMLR: Anyone with direct experience with Lexapro?

[mcsangel2]

Looking for first hand anecdotes with experiences - good, bad, or didn't do anything? TIA.

[krismill]

I'll echo Tamb exactly. I was on Paxil first and my doc switched me to Lexapro to see if it helped with the sex drive but it didn't. But it does help my anxiety so I haven't been willing to try anything else.

[wambam]

This was one AD that didn't do anything for me. Even at the highest dose my doctor would give me as a teenager.

[mcsangel2]

Mar 10, 2014 11:22:24 GMT -5 wambam said:

This was one AD that didn't do anything for me. Even at the highest dose my doctor would give me as a teenager.

Did you ever find something that did work?

[Deleted]

Yes, for anxiety rather than depression. Helps a lot, but I gained 15 pounds like the second I started taking it. Otherwise, no bad effects.

[wambam]

Mar 10, 2014 11:25:36 GMT -5 mcsangel2 said:

Mar 10, 2014 11:22:24 GMT -5 wambam said:

This was one AD that didn't do anything for me. Even at the highest dose my doctor would give me as a teenager.

Did you ever find something that did work?

Yes. The one that worked really well for me was Wellbutrin. The other thing that worked for depression was a combo of Prozac and an antipsychotic called Zyprexa. But unfortunately, the Zyprexa caused me to sleep through most of my junior year of high school, so even though I wasn't depressed, it wasn't the best solution for me.

[CurlyQ284]

I was on 10 mg and it was meh. I dont think it did much for me. It killed my sex drive for 3 months or so and then it went up a little but not to normal levels.

I'm on 150 mg Wellbutrin now and I love it. No side effects, sex drive is fine, no weight gain, more energy, less anxiety and I have interest in doing things again. Love it.

[cinderbella]

No sex drive and I have gained about 10 pounds........ But my anxiety is the best it's ever been so I'm dealing. I would say that I am pretty happy with the results overall.

[Deleted]

I'm one year into taking the generic Lexapro and so far no complaints. Sex drive is a bit diminished, but I have had no anxiety attacks since taking it.

[alzi]

I loved it. No side effects.

I had a BAD reaction to Pristiq

I'm on Zoloft now just bc I started it while BFing

[Kit]

It made me really, really tired and completely killed my sex drive.

[lexxasaurus]

It helps my anxiety a ton. I'm quite tired but they're trying to get my thyroid medicine to a correct dosage and having me take iron supplements so that may be unrelated.

[malibu]

I took it for about a year and did not find it did anything for me. However, I'd tried others in that class of drugs and it wasn't until I switched to Cymbalta (SNRI, I believe, whereas the others are MAOI? Someone correct me if I'm wrong) that I had a noticeable difference.

[wambam]

Mar 10, 2014 12:33:52 GMT -5 malibu said:

I took it for about a year and did not find it did anything for me. However, I'd tried others in that class of drugs and it wasn't until I switched to Cymbalta (SNRI, I believe, whereas the others are MAOI? Someone correct me if I'm wrong) that I had a noticeable difference.

Probably SSRI. MAOIs are not as common these days.

[Kore]

I've been on it for 2-3 years. It's awesome. Prior to Lexapro, I lived everyday with a pit of anxiety in my stomach, feeling like something was about to go wrong. I've been this way since childhood. I'd also started having panic attacks. Now, I have almost no anxiety. I'm rather emotionally flat, actually. I feel calm, and I feel happy. When I'm in a situation where I SHOULD be anxious or angry, it's very hard to summon those feelings. My doctor said some emotional flatness is ok. Since I feel good emotions, I'm cool with skipping the bad.

When I first started, my weird side effect was a slight difficulty swallowing. I had to be careful to chew things well so I didn't choke. That resolved itself quickly.

[malibu]

Mar 10, 2014 12:35:33 GMT -5 wambam said:

Mar 10, 2014 12:33:52 GMT -5 malibu said:

I took it for about a year and did not find it did anything for me. However, I'd tried others in that class of drugs and it wasn't until I switched to Cymbalta (SNRI, I believe, whereas the others are MAOI? Someone correct me if I'm wrong) that I had a noticeable difference.

Probably SSRI. MAOIs are not as common these days.

Yes. Cymbalta's class is SSNRI (selective serotonin and norepinephrine inhibitor) and Lexapro is SSRI.

Where I got MAOI I don't know.

[eponinepontmercy]

I've been on it for about 9 months, and it has helped my anxiety. I just saw my NP to talk about my lack of sex drive, and she added wellbutrin which is supposed to help with that.

[Deleted]

I just started taking it about a month ago. I'm on a low dose, I think 5mg, and I like it. I had been having a lot of anxiety in the last few months (though never had a panic attack) and I feel like the Lexapro took the edge off. I'm a lot more relaxed and worry less about things, which is far more "me" than what I had been for months before I started taking it.

I think my sex drive has diminished a little, but I'm still in a honeymoon stage of my relationship so it's not gone away. Hard to say how it would be if I was in a longer relationship since I do notice a slight change.

[koopa17]

Unfortunately I gained a lot of weight and was super tired all the time. However, it did help me get through the hardest year of my life without a constant pit in my stomach. It does the job, I just wish it didn't make me so sluggish. And weaning off was a bitch.

[AmeliaBedelia]

I was on it for about two years. It helped with my anxiety but I felt nauseated and sometimes jittery on it. No weight gain for me, though I understand that's a common side effect. I switched to Prozac and have had better luck with that.

[jodinia]

Both me and my H are on Lexapro for the last few months. For H it is the first medicine that didn't a. give him heart palpitation b. give him suicidal thoughts c. cause insomnia, so it has been great for him. (he suffers from depression)> For me it has been good. I still 'feel' on it instead of being a zombie who has no lows (or highs). The weight gain has been a pain, but it has been good overall.